2005 Surrey 4th and 5th June Main Meeting
Despite Derby Day nine of us assembled under Eileen Taylor's leadership in what appeared to be leafy Surrey suburbia. Leading us off between the houses we found ourselves on Banstead Downs, wooded areas and farmland. Through a wood in which she showed us Viburnum x rhytidophylloides, a cross between V. rhytidophyllum and V. lantana which was nearby, to the Tummocks, a series of mounds of chalk spoil from the adjacent railway cutting. These have recently been cleared by Plantlife. In addition to Polygala vulgaris (common milkwort), Linum catharticum (fairy flax), Arenaria serpyllifolia (thyme-leaved sandwort), Veronica officinalis (heath speedwell - clearly not minding the chalk), we were shown fine stands of Arabis hirsuta (hairy rock-cress) and Gentianella anglica (early gentian) containing both four and five petalled forms. Another highlight was Chaenorhinum minus (small toadflax), new to most of us.
Moving in to meadow area via Rhamnus cathartica (buckthorn) a Geranium keyed out to G. endressii (Druce's cranesbill) with the help of Stephen Clarkson and big Stace - invaluable at any field meeting. Our next plant was Spiraea douglasii (steeple bush) then back to our starting point via a fine stand of Euphorbia cyparissias (cypress spurge) and a previously planted avenue of trees with Robinia pseudoacacia (false acacia) at regular intervals to Berberis wilsoniae (Mrs Wilson's barberry).
The afternoon found us at Howell Hill, a Surrey Wildlife Trust reserve crossing to where a fine clump of7r/'.s' orientalis (Turkish iris) was observed. This also contained lumps of chalk spoil from the levelling of a nearby school playing field. Described as a species-rich habitat in the 1980s it was designated an SNCI in 1998. This was not least because thanks to the presence oiAnthyllis vulneraria (kidney vetch) it supported the largest Surrey population of small blue butterfly. This is an uncommon species with scattered colonies throughout the UK, adults rarely moving more than 40km. The site is managed very much with this species in mind with the usual difficulties attendant upon scrub clearance.
The site is also exceptional for the number of Cotoneasters. Those identified included: C. villosulus (Lleyn cotoneaster), C. salicifolius (willow-leaved cotoneaster), C. lacteus (late cotoneaster), C. simonsii (Himalayan cotoneaster), and C. frigidus (tree cotoneaster). It was not surprising that such a site should have its share of garden escapes. Geranium macrorrhizum (rock cranesbill) was flourishing near the top of a mound, both white and pale blue forms of Campanula persicifolia(peach-leaved bellflower) were seen, as was Crataegus crus-galli (cockspurthom - so aptly named). The site supports a number of orchids of which Dactylorhiza fuchsii (common spotted), Gymnadenia conopsea (fragrant orchid), Dactylorhiza praetermissa (southern marsh) and Ophrys apifera (bee) were in flower.
Of the trees Sorbus intermedia (Swedish whitebeam) was the prominent whitebeam species. Prunus serotina (rum cherry) was also in flower.
The second day we started out at Wray Common, the first of two sites in the Greensand. We set off through a wood where we admired the large leaved Hedera helix ssp. hibernica (Irish ivy) with stellate hairs on the underside. Our target was a pond through the far side of the wood. Unaccountably the pond (ponds) failed to materialise. Undaunted our leader took us via Geranium pyrenaicum var. album (a white-flowered hedgerow cranesbill) to pond two (which had dried out) but found a treasure chest with Alisma lanceolatum (narrow-leaved water-plantain), Alopecurus geniculatus (marsh foxtail), a single plant of last year's Cyperus eragrostis (pale galingale) and a very beautiful Iris pseudacorus vw.pallida (the pale yellow form of yellow flag). On the bank Poa compressa (flattened meadow-grass) was searched for and found, along with Festuca gigantea (giant fescue). Retracing our footsteps via Carex hirta (hairy sedge) pond one was located in the original site of the wood from where we had started. This proved equally rewarding with Glyceria notata (plicate sweet-grass) in abundance and a hybrid Stachys - S. x ambigua not yet in flower.
Appetites whetted we moved to Reigate Heath an SSSI comprising a mixture of lowland heath, acid grassland, alder carr and secondary woodland. The car park yielded Doronicum pardalianches (leopard's-bane) spreading through the woods, Ceratocapnos claviculata (climbing corydalis) and Spergularia rubra (sand spurrey). We moved off down a sandy track adjacent to a cricket pitch and within a few yards of each other found Trifolium ornithopoides (fenugreek), T. striatum (knotted clover), T. subterraneum (burrowing clover), T. micranthum (slender trefoil) and Ornithopodioides perpusillos (birdsfoot). On a road verge we were shown Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) not yet in flower in company with Catapodium rigidum (fern grass), Festuca pratensis (meadow fescue), and Deschampsia flexuosa (wavy hair grass). On the cricket pitch itself Chamaemelum nobile (chamomile) would later flower, if allowed. Moving off along a sandy track in the pine woods we came across Impatiens parviflora (small balsam), Aira praecox (early hair grass), with silvery sheaths to the spikes, Galium saxatile (heath bedstraw) and Dryopteris dilatata (broad buckler fem). Lunch was then had amid an air of satisfaction.
The afternoon took us to Box Hill where no more than two minutes from the assembled bikers we found a crowd of Aceras anthropophorum (man orchid) sheltering among bushes. Nearby was Vicia tetrasperma (smooth tare) which we were able to compare with V. hirsuta (hairy tare) seen on the first day.
Moving up the hill via Zigzag lane, Symphytum grandiflorum (creeping comfrey) was seen in the car park. On to the hill itself Listera ovata (twayblade) was scattered across the hillside with much of the typical chalk flora identifiable only from vegetative characteristics owing to the lateness of the season Blackstonia perfoliata(yellow wort) for example. However we keyed out two Hieracia, one with spotted, H. sommerfeltii and one with unspotted, H. diaphanoides leaves with the help of a Hieracium key produced, surprise, by Stephen Clarkson. Buxus sempervivens (box) was seen in fruit.
Finally we left for Headley Lane in order to see four plants of Cynoglossum germanicum (green hounds-tongue) in flower by the roadside along with Milium effusum (wood millet). At the top of the lane three of us visited Lilium martagon(martagon lily) just coming into flower.
Thanks to the rapidly changing geology of Surrey and the expertise of our leader we had the opportunity to experience a wide range of plants both common and rare over the two days, in congenial company. Thank you Eileen.
RICHARD ROBINSON