Near and Far

I set out to record what was growing wild in my immediate environment (Hay-on-Wye) last week and my first outing didn't take me even 100m from the house before I was back to identify some specimens. Things growing in pavement cracks can be harder than usual to identify - especially if trodden on!

Among these were: (none of these photographed on the day or where seen...)

Slender Pearlwort, Corwlyddyn unflwydd or Sagina filicaulis (Sagina apetala subsp. erecta)

Thyme-leaved Sandwort, Tywodlys dail teim or Arenaria serpyllifolia

I didn't get a lot further in my second outing so another session will be required to do the 1km square justice.

Then at the weekend I went to Plas Tan y Bwlch near Porthmadog for the Welsh AGM of the BSBI. Saturday's field trip saw a group of us doing a 1km square near Trawsfynyyd with a quarry and upland with interesting geology. Thanks to the excellent botanists in the group 160 or so records were made in the square including a "Vicia bingo" - all the Vicia species on the Merionithshire card were ticked off after a late discovery of Vicia orobus in a field at the farthest point we got to.

Wood Bitter-vetch, Ffacbysen chwerw or Vicia orobus (A Brecknockshire picture)

Another good find - requiring very sharp eyes on the part of a colleague:

Lesser Clubmoss, Cnwp-fwsogl bach or Selaginella selaginoides