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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Limestone pavement - mainly

My education about the landscape of Brecon continues - in the sense of actually seeing what I vaguely knew about in this case.

Conditions looked rather better than forecast when Joan and I set out from Penwyllt to go into the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu National Nature reserve. (This was to change but a good start.)

Green spleenwort

We got to an enclosed area of limestone pavement and did find Convallaria majalis as well as plentiful Geranium lucidum (uncertain at first because I was unused to such lush growth as we saw). Little was flowering yet though (apart from Carex flacca, Wood Anemones, Dog's Mercury  and Cowslips) and its definitely a place to go later in the year (and explore a wider area). We were too soon encouraged to make our way down again though by descending cloud that would have made straying off the paths (old tramways) unwise in any case.

Lily of the Valley in an unexpected habitat

I had intended to go further to a site for Antennaria dioica - that will have to wait - but realised when I got back that it should have been around near where we were - either we missed it or no flowering spikes yet - it may even be that some vegetative growth I surmised to be Mouse-ear Hawkweed was in fact the Antennaria? (My off-season vegetative skills have a little way to go but studying Poland - Vegetative key after excursions is helping me here.)

Antennaria dioica in the Burren

And I nearly forgot - Joan found a plentiful population of Saxifraga hypnoides when we were slightly off the main path (finding our way) soon after we set off.

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