Cold, wet, but worth it

Llangors Lake and its margins often have something new to offer. But the day we chose for this botanical exploration was windy, cold and wet. However the Blackthorn cheered us up.

The group at Llangasty

Ash inflorescences

And Marsh Marish gold (Caltha palustris) is always good to see.

But this: Marsh Lousewort (Pedicularis palustris) was the find of the day - a new record for the area.

A good re-find on our first outing of the year.

Petrosedum rupestre (L.) P V Heath (Sedum rupestre L.) or Rock Stonecrop,  Briweg Felen, isn't thought to be a native in the British Isles these days but J A Webb commented in a draft for a Flora of the county* that Rock Stonecrop was  “almost certainly native and abundant on rocks 40’ high in the Duhonw Glen at Aberduhonw” where A E Wade had first recorded the plant in 1921. (This site is probably Duhonw Rocks SO0348, where it was found by Mike Porter in 1970 and Brecknock Botany Group two days ago.)

The rocks near Llandewi'r Cwm where we spotted the plant. 

A close up picture from Sue Goodhead's camera

New information (20/02/2025): Rev W M Rogers saw it at "Duhonw Glen" in 1898. Probably also the same location.

* This Flora never made it to print...

A few updates

We explored along Sarn Helen starting from Coelbren to get some records from unrecorded areas. The views were also rewarding as we approached the Nedd valley.

This had us stumped - and the online picture ID apps actually helped - a common enough plant but we weren't familiar with the fruits.

Fruits of Sneezewort, Ystrewlys or Achillea ptarmica

And a section of the road where Roman drainage no longer worked yielded this.

Floating Bur-reed Cleddlys arnofiol or Sparganium angustifolium

And here is a lovely view of the Beacons from an unusual viewpoint, Cwar yr Ystrad on Llangynidr Mountain. Anne was exploring another under recorded area.

Photo by Anne Griffiths

A picture gallery

 I wasn't around for a large part of the recent work so here is a gallery of finds since the last blog.

Bee Orchid, Tegeirian y wenynen, Ophrys apifera

Found by Stephen in late June at a new site.

Bog Asphodel, Llafn y bladur, Narthecium ossifragum

Found by Anne at some height.

Marsh Pennywort, Dail-ceiniog y gors, Hydrocotyle vulgaris

It's very rare to see the flowers of this on open display. Group outing.

A conundrum to be looked at again next year. Helleborine, probably Broad-leaved Helleborine, Y galdrist lydanddail, Epipactis helleborine but certainly unusual. Arlene.

Blue Fleabane, Amrhydlwyd glas, Erigeron acris (Erigeron acer)

A new site from Anne.

Bog-rosemary, Andromeda'r gors, Andromeda polifolia

Another new site from Stephen.

Searching and (sometimes) finding

Very briefly - we have been busy and mainly looking for rarities...

We didn't find Annual Knawel, recorded previously on the road up past Little Hill but we think we found the botanically rich area where it used to be. There was an abundance of Slender Parsley-piert though - mainly like the example below and a very few with flowers.

Slender Parsley-piert or Troed-y-dryw main, Aphanes australi

Later in Coelbren we were looking for Samolus valerandii - now twice recorded near our border there. We didn't find it but did get a long list of good things and a better idea of where to continue the search.

Ferns near Ceolbren (Narrow Buckler and Lady)

    

Wild Basil or Brenhinllys gwyllt, Clinopodium vulgare

On a BIS Recording Day near Hay, Claire found Intermediate Enchanter's Nightshade near the Dulas Brook.

And we had a day out with members of the Brecon Beacons Climbing & Mountaineering Club. We all got onto the very tricky crags below Fan Nedd and were able to make new records of plants that grow on them - last recorded in many cases in the 1970s.

I didn't get below the top outcrop - but the younger ones did get to lower and steeper crags.

Ben and Steph on the more accessible crags

Fir Clubmoss or Cnwp-fwsogl mawr, Huperzia selago

Photo by Dorian Thomas

Wilson's Filmy-fern or Rhedynach teneuwe Wilson, Hymenophyllum wilsonii

Crass-leaved Hawkweed, Hieracium inspissatum

Photo by Dorian Thomas

Stopping to let a car pass on the narrow road back resulted in my spotting this from the passenger seat.

Orpine or Canewin, Hylotelephium telephium (Sedum telephium)

It is native but relatively uncommon in the county, occurring sporadically in hedgerows as here.

Finding rare plants

(Rare for our county that is.)

I have been away for much of the time since the last post but that didn't stop the intrepid Brecknock Botany Group members going out and finding things.

Some notable finds:

Chrysosplenium alternifolium (Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage)
Lathraea squamaria (Toothwort)
and Wahlenbergia hederacea (Ivy-leaved Bellflower) all near Erwood by Anne Griffiths

Lathyrus nissolia (Grass Vetchling) in Brecon by Joan Millard

Sherardia arvensis (Field Madder) Field edge near Newbridge by Fiona Stone.

Since I came back the main event has been the full confirmation of Circaea alpina at a completely new site on Tarren yr Esgob, right on our border. Sam Thomas took us to it, confirming the difficulty of access and that the population was more extensive and robust than first thought. It is near one of the well-recorded Sorbus stenophylla trees but far enough above on difficult terrain to easily be overlooked. As when Sam first found the site, it poured with rain!

Alpine Enchanter's-nightshade or Llysiau-Steffan y mynydd, Circaea alpina

Picture by Steph Coates

At our BSBI meeting on 13^th July we found several long unseen species at Craig y Rhiwarth, particularly Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw), Convallaria majalis (Lily-of-the-valley) and Polypodium cambricum (Welsh Polypody).

Limestone Bedstraw or Briwydd y calch Galium sterneri

Picture by Tim Oliver

Mid Year Catch Up

We have encountered Buck's-horn Plantain twice in the last few weeks, which rather contradicts the Stace distribution information: "mostly near sea ... inland in scattered lowland places mainly in England".

The first was at 260m near the Caban Coch Dam above the Elan Valley Centre.

Buck's-horn Plantain or Llyriad corn carw (Plantago coronopus) at Caban Coch

The next encounter was along the road across Llangynidr / Llangattock Mountains at nearly if not quite 500m.

As above - this time found by Anne and Joan

But note how hairy this one is. Stace is helpful here: "Variably hairy annual to perennial ...". We love and depend on Stace's "New Flora of the British Isles" - Fourth Edition and the remarks above should be taken in the spirit of a quest to update the knowledge for further editions...

The plant is now known along at least a mile - probably more - of that mountain road.

I spotted the next find when taking a short walk in Talgarth, there on the Ennig was a familiar Willow, or was it ? The look and feel was Bay Willow which we started getting to know at its few sites in the county last year. But this one has longer leaves than the descriptions and keys allow. The answer was in the book - it must be the hybrid with Crack Willow:

Shiny-leaved Willow (Salix x meyeriana or Salix pentandra x fragilis)

Confirmation was impeded by it being inaccessible for samples (that is a long telephoto picture) but on a later visit I found more of it downstream in an accessible place.

Also in Talgarth was this:

Dewberry or Mwyaren Fair (Rubus caesius)

One of the few members of the genus that ordinary mortals can name with some confidence. There is plenty of it about in Hay also.

It was nice to see this through the fence in an adjoining field at Craig y Nos on a quick visit:

Marsh-marigold or Gold y gors (Caltha palustris)

A new record for the 1km square with only one record in 1998 anywhere near.

And this (grown from seed last year) flowered:

Carline Thistle or Ysgallen Siarl (Carlina vulgaris)

Not that common and a shy flowerer. It only opens up fully in full sun and sulks when clouds come over...