A walk along the Wye

We got permission to explore some of the Wye bank near Llyswen yesterday and found several interesting and not-often-recorded species there and also on the field edges nearby.

 Photographing Pale Toadflax by the Wye

Pale Toadflax, Llin-y-llyffant gwelw or Linaria repens

The map of recent records for this in Brecknock is distinctly sparse so we were glad to spot it.

There aren't many more records for this either - but we should probably look on more arable field edges!

Field Pansy, Trilliw'r tir âr or Viola arvensis

Common Ramping-fumitory, Mwg-y-ddaear amrywiol or Fumaria muralis amongst Beet

We saw this all along the river:

Marsh Ragwort, Creulys y gors or Senecio aquaticus

Bracket fungi (very old) on a very cracked Crack-willow

Thanks to Sue for most of the photos

A new site for Rough Horsetail

In May we went to Cwm Sere and almost missed a new site for Equisetum hyemale or Rough Horsetail (also sometimes known and Dutch Rush or Scouring Rush). In fact it was only because Alan, who was with us then, took a sample of what I had too readily dismissed as Water Horsetail that it came to my notice.

So a group of us went back yesterday to pinpoint the site and take some photographs.

There are only two other known sites for this Horsetail in the county.

The site:

The Nant Sere in National Trust owned woodland with Rough Horsetail growing from about where the photo was taken up to where Anne is photographing it above

Rough Horsetail, Marchrawnen y gaeaf or Equisetum hyemale

A few had fertile cones

The stems have characteristic banded "leaf-sheaths"

You can see here why it is "Rough" Horsetail

And I should include a picture of Alan's specimen from May that alerted me to my blunder!

Thanks, Sue, for this picture!

Around Llanfihangel Nant Bran

We set out to record an area that has had over 200 species recorded in the past; but none since 2000; yesterday.
It took us up to the common above Llanfihangel and up the Nant Bran. I was preoccupied with making more than 250 records so it is mainly thanks to Sue that there are pictures of the great views and plants we saw.

Field-rose, Rhosyn gwyllt gwyn or Rosa arvensis

(still readily identifiable at this time of year from the long style remnant)

Hop Trefoil, Meillionen hopysaidd or Trifolium campestre
No - Black Medick or Medicago lupulina as pointed out by Dave in comments!

Red Bartsia, Gorudd or Odontites vernus

The Beacons in the distance

We also saw a wide range of Waxcap fungi on the high common including this one:

Pink Waxcap or Ballerina Waxcap, Hygrocybe calyptriformis

Inspecting another Waxcap:

When nearly back at the car we inspected some hillside springs and found several boggy ground specialists including this which I photographed:

Fen Bedstraw, Briwydd y fign or Galium uliginosum
(NOT Marsh-bedstraw, Briwydd y gors or Galium palustre as previously posted - thanks Julian!)

(We did see both that day.)

In all there were 156 different species recorded. (And as some of the 200+ records mentioned at the beginning haven't been seen since the 1970s that is doing OK I think.)

Brecon Gaer

We explored around the Roman Fort Remains near Brecon last week.

We found plenty eg in this ditch by the ramparts of the fort.

And some plants were intrepidly clinging on to the Roman Walls like this Musk Mallow (photographed by Sue):

Musk-mallow, Hocysen fwsg or Malva moschata

But only a few botanical pictures were taken!

Reed Canary-grass, Pefrwellt or Phalaris arundinacea

Wych Elm, Llwyfen lydanddail or Ulmus glabra

Musk-mallow again, Hocysen fwsg or Malva moschata and Photographer

The field within the camp had several patches of Blackening Waxcaps - this is the first we saw:

Blackening Wax Cap or Hygrocybe conica var conica

And Bev's pictures here show the variation as they blacken.

Pictures of the Fort, Usk and Afon Ysgir:

And here is the panorama as a video.

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Bristly Oxtongue, Tafod-y-llew gwrychog or Helminthotheca echioides (was Picris echioides)

Found by Anne from our botany group last week month between Llangattock and Gilwern.

Just some squares near Tirabad

I noticed this area hadn't been recorded before so we set off to explore - it's actually getting quite close to our western border. The map showed forestry and farmland mixed and we ended up with a good long list of species after walking the roads, forestry tracks and farm lanes.

These pictures from Sue illustrate the variation you see in Common Hemp-nettle - which was abundant in the area.

Common Hemp-nettle,
Y benboeth
or
Galeopsis tetrahit

Generally we saw things that like wet places where you might not expect them - implying a very high rainfall for the area (which was backed up by more rain on the day than we felt the forecast had predicted). This is one I was photographing as it was an elegant specimen.

Redshank,
Y ganwraidd goesgoch
or
Persicaria maculosa

There was plenty of Water-pepper as well.

And in one of the forestry sections we saw several of these:

Fly Agaric
or
Amanita muscaria

There were large ones near the path and we could see them right into the depth of the wood that were "younger".

The Cilieni Valley

Last Thursday while the army range was quite for graziers' week we went again to explore the Cilieni Valley. We saw a lot of plants and lichens and were grateful to have the company of Ray Woods who was able to tell us all about the things we hadn't seen before.

Sue took a lot of pictures and so did I - so I will let them largely speak for themselves:

Sand Spurrey, Troellig arfor coch or Spergularia rubra

Trailing St John's-wort, Eurinllys ymdaenol or Hypericum humifusum

Bristle Club-rush, Clwbfrwynen wrychog or Isolepis setacea

Usnea florida (? I think)

String-of-sausage lichen or Usnea articulata

(A rare lichen in Brecknock)

 Schedonorus giganteus, Peiswellt mawr or Giant Fescue

New Zealand Willowherb, Helyglys Seland Newydd or Epilobium brunnescens

This is what happens to a hedge in an area such this when it is left for years without attention!

And finally a gall that affects Oak Trees:

Artichoke Gall or Andricus foecundatrix