Old lanes and dandelions

It was a proposal to modify a footpath which came my way that inspired last week's botany outing. Looking at the location on Google Earth I noticed a narrow, right of way, lane between two hedges that looked inviting.

And it was; even if the photo above somehow fails to convey the abundance of Bluebells that it was meant to record.

Sue's pictures:

We set off from Tretower towards the target lane and soon encountered:

Ivy-leaved Crowfoot, Crafanc-y-frân dail eiddew or Ranunculus hederaceus

And, at first unnoticed above this was Mistletoe - not that remarkable but growing on a rather poorly Hazel - a new host for me.

Mistletoe, Uchelwydd or Viscum album

Then, near the Rhiangoll bridge just one plant of:

Meadow Saxifrage, Tormaen y gweunydd or Saxifraga granulata

Hopefully there is more in the area but we didn't see it.

Townhall Clock was frequent in the lane and we also encountered it in a farmland hedge: 

Moschatel, Townhall Clock, Mwsglys or Adoxa moschatellina

Some photos from the lane itself. 

Ground-ivy, Eidral or Glechoma hederacea

Lords-and-Ladies, Cuckoo Pint, Pidyn y gog or Arum maculatum

A Pear tree in a hedgerow

All in all a very satisfactory outing with plenty to see in early May. And we got hot - having regretted slightly not having more layers only a week before.

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I visited Mike Porter after the walk to photograph one of his tame Dandelions:

Taraxacum porteri

And here is another of his that I photographed in late April, having to catch its very short flowering period between about 12 midday and 2 pm in my greenhouse. This one isn't even in the BSBI handbook.

Taraxacum vachelliae. 

Distinct from T. brachyglossum but not yet listed in UK floras / guides.