Wet Pasture, Weird Plants and Fungi

Ben Mullen discovered a strange Devil's-bit Scabious at the new Cae Lynden reserve a few weeks back. It reminded me of the Foxglove we saw at Talybont Reservoir at the beginning of August. Both seemed to have proliferating bracts where a flower should be without any sign of a flower. The Devil's-bit Scabious has now managed to flower and I went to see this earlier in the week:

The new reserve looks like a great place to explore next Spring / Summer !

Here is a normal flower from a plant nearby for comparison:

I took a winding route back for several odd jobs (not all botanical) and found roads and sights at this edge of Brecknockshire I still have to explore, ending up at Cwmdu where there was quite of display of Spindle fruits in a hedgerow:

One of the great Autumn sights in my view

Last Sunday was the appointed day for a Brecknock Wildlife Trust Fungal Foray led by David Mitchel. Althouygh always very near Brecon (in Priory Woods and the Cathedral Close) a wide array of species was found (mainly by David).

Oak Bracket, Inonotus dryadeus

Beefsteak fungus, Fistulina hepatica (the holder was going to take it home and cook it)

Dead Man's Fingers, Xylaria polymorpha

White Coral, Ramariopsis kunzei

Finally; I did get out a record a little - while my car was having a disc brake transplant in Builth Wells. Builth Castle mound is fascinating - if not the best botanical habitat known to man - so no pictures of plants - just this view of the Wye. (But all recording is good recording...)