What's another word for miscellany?

We start with a new location for Bird's Nest Orchid - not far from known sites - in Clydach Gorge from Anne.

Neottia nidus-avis, Bird's-nest Orchid, Anne Griffiths

And Matt has found a few plants of a county rarity I have yet to see myself down near Penderyn on limestone.

Cardamine impatiens, Narrow-leaved Bitter-cress, Matt Sutton

And we are very used to seeing this in association with its more common relative but in this case on its own on wet rocks.

Chrysosplenium alternifolium, Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Matt Sutton

Both finds were near the Afon Hepste.

Not a new find but I thought this Pellitory-of-the-wall was worth a picture in Brecon near the Coop.

Parietaria judaica, Pellitory-of-the-wall

And the Dwarf Elder at Llandefalle Churchyard is spreading nicely under sympathetic management.

Sambucus ebulus, Dwarf Elder

Hairy Buttercup is one of our localized rarities so well done Anne in finding this near Talgarth - a new location but very much in the zone it inhabits in Breconshire. It's still rare there though compared to the "big three" Buttercups*.

Ranunculus sardous, Hairy Buttercup, Anne Griffiths

We had a very good day up on Carngafallt (just east of Elan Village and an RSPB reserve) and were rewarded by many good finds but it was the Bell Heather that had us most captivated as we don't often see it - there being a slightly-smaller-than-Breconshire hole in the distribution map of the plant for the country as a whole.

Erica cinerea, Bell Heather

And finally Steph reports that Libanus Churchyard - a former meadow now back in sympathetic management - is once again abundant with Orchids, notably Butterfly and Twayblade.

Platanthera chlorantha, Greater Butterfly Orchis, Steph Coates

Neottia ovata, Common Twayblade, Steph Coates

* Creeping, Meadow and Bulbous Buttercups

Recent Finds

Andy Shaw has noticed a new a new arrival in the county:

Orontium aquaticum, Golden-club, A Shaw

As he says: "There is a large and well established plant growing on the margins of the fishing pond at Caer Beris Holiday Lodge Park. The majority of the pond's margins support typical emergent species; Gypsy-wort, Water Mint, Angelica, Meadowsweet, Carex sp. etc  I'm guessing that the Golden-club may have been planted, but its certainly a well established plant, and its another introduced species that is likely to be on the move in the future."

A recent iRecord record up at Crychan Forest refound Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage at a site last recorded some while ago but it also struck me as "correct - but unusual". Then it dawned on me that is was showing fruits and seeds - we hardly ever see that. I'm not sure of the reason for this - maybe it is one of those species like Adoxa (Moschatel) that rarely sets seed?

Sue and Tess were going to the area in any case so went for a look.

Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage. Tess Lister

Sam continues to find significant records - this time he found Water-purslane up on Mynydd Llangors at its highest known altitude in the county (about 500m). This pinpoints the exact pool where it occurs - quite near the trig point. The New County Flora mentions the record originally made in 1973 so is good to know it is still there.

Lythrum portula, Water-purslane on Mynydd Llangors, Sam Coppard

And finally we found a lovely large patch of Wood Horsetail last week along a woodland track at Glasfynydd Forest - also at nearly its highest known altitude in the county. The population extended for some 300m or so.

Equisetum sylvaticum, Wood Horsetail

The Flora of Brecknockshire is available at Arden and Clocktower bookshops in Hay on Wye.

A New Species for the County

Balkan Spurge turned up on a Llanigon verge recently and was spotted by Sam - our newest (and youngest?) recruit to the group. Spotted while cycling through the village a week ago. 

Euphorbia oblongata, Balkan Spurge, Llanigon, Sam Coppard

The picture had enough detail for me to be very certain Sam had the species right, but I had to go for a look myself (and collect a "voucher specimen").

I did miss it driving past to park but soon spotted it walking back.

Euphorbia oblongata, Balkan Spurge, Llanigon, JRC 

It has been known in the UK since 1993 (in Hampshire). Not native, of course, but increasing in the country. It originates from the Balkans and Aegean.

I spotted this in the nearby hedgerow.

Centaurea montana, Perennial Cornflower

It isn't at all common in the county (no record reported for the area in the recently published Flora) but has been in the country growing in the wild for some time. I have encountered it in quite remote places. This probably escaped from a garden though.

Nina went to see another good population of Globeflower above Llangattock - where they are looked after and kept behind a fence.

Trollius europaeus, Globeflower, Nina Krauzewicz

Stephen found a new site for Bird's-nest Orchid in the Clydach Gorge.

Neottia nidus-avis, Bird's-nest Orchid, Stephen Marshall

And I photographed this early this morning at the Watton Car Park in Brecon.

Centranthus ruber, Red Valerian

Yet another non-native but well-established (sometimes even invasive) in many places.

Moonwort and Globeflowers (etc)

 Andy Shaw has found some wonderful populations of Globeflower on islands in the River Irfon:

Trollius europaeus, Globeflower "in" the River Irfon, A Shaw

One thing we have learnt about Globeflowers is that they are incompatible with sheep. This provides an explanation for these lovely populations.

Moonwort isn't something we see at all often. Bob spotted these on the way down the path we had gone up to Ffynnon y Parc on the back of Hay Bluff. (A new site for the county.)

Botrychium lunaria, Moonwort, R Peat, above the Gospel Pass

Tess and he had found it at Allt Rhongyr a few days before at a site where it was recorded last year. Mike Porter had recorded it there in 1968. So we had to go along this week (we were in the area) to see for ourselves.

Brecknock Botany Group inspect Moonwort at Allt Rhongyr

It is hard to spot - explaining but maybe not excusing the long gap in records!

We went to Penwllt - particularly to investigate dolines (sinkholes) and the quarries in the area - this week - the weather was atrocious but I noticed these Welsh Poppies doing well at Craig y nos car park before the deluge set in.

Papaver cambricum, Welsh Poppy

And we found some quite photogenic (and very pale) Heath Speedwell during another lull in the rain.

Veronica officinalis, Heath Speedwell

Miscellany

On Wednesday we explored an A40 road verge on the way to a side road we wanted to record along. Plenty of nice things are on the way for the A40 near Bwlch including Meadow Cranesbill. 

The side road was very interesting and we met the landowner who was very helpful. He had known Mike Porter and also knew what we were probably looking for! We found it exactly where he suggested - with plenty more a little further into the woodland - he had been a little concerned it might be affected by a recent thoughtless dumping of road sweepings.

Here is is:

Paris quadrifolia, Herb-paris near a woodland stream

We saw over 50 plants. Other notable species included:

Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Yellow Archangel draped by Melica uniflora, Wood Melick

(We did see fully flowering Archangel - but I like the combination above!)

And in the lane we saw a lot of Ulmus glabra fruits - coming from this tree - the largest I have seen in the county.

Ulmus glabra, Wych Elm, just coming into leaf.

Elsewhere, Stephen found this at Aberedw Rocks (in neighboring Radnorshire) - a reminder that is doesn't just grow on stream sides.

Saxifraga granulata, Meadow Saxifrage, S Marshall

And in Hay:

Allium triquetrum, Three-cornered Garlic looking well-behaved to me on Forest Road verge.

And in my garden:

Rhodiola rosea, Roseroot, sourced from a West Cork garden

Aegonychon purpureocaeruleum, Purple Gromwell, sourced from a Cheddar garden

Both of the garden plants above I suspect came from the wild to the gardens they were in. Cheddar gardeners apparently regard the Gromwell as a nuisance as it spreads rapidly. It is a joy to behold in Cheddar Wood.

We don't often record Dandelions

Properly I mean. We record "Taraxacum agg." (translation - "it's a Dandelion") almost every time we go out once they are in season. 

But there are 400 or so species of Dandelion we could be recording and there are very few expert "Taraxologists" who can do this. 

Mike Porter was such an expert and he reported 159 for the county in the new Flora of Brecknockshire. 

One species that he suggested I might try to refind is called Taraxacum luteum, the "Pure Yellow Dandelion". "Pure yellow" because the ligules (petals to most people) are not dark on the back - they are pure yellow front and back. 

So the group tried again to find one of these at a known site near Llangorse Lake yesterday. (Again because we had a go last year but were really too early to find many at all.)

A lot of Dandelion heads had to be turned over to examine the back before Lizzie was the first to exclaim "I think I have found one".

Taraxacum luteum, Pure Yellow Dandelion

Here is a picture of the back of the flower...

The reported "luminous yellow" appearance didn't seem to help - maybe because it was very sunny and almost all the Dandelions we saw seemed equally yellow - but these were also yellow on the back. Eventually someone found another one after quite a lot more searching then two came almost at once and the last 12 of the fifteen we found came along quite quickly - you do get your eye in.

A good day in all, with Lesser Water-parsnip found in the wet woodland in a new area. 

Berula erecta, Lesser Water-parsnip near Llangorse in 2021

Flora Launch

Last week we launched the book in style, thanks to Tim Rich and Rebecca Price the organisers. I talked briefly to a capacity crowd (over 50) at the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Visitor Centre but the book mainly spoke for itself. Two of Mike's sons and his wife were there with us.

Books are available now at: Summerfield Books

A Walk along the Wye from Builth Wells

 In 2013 I photographed this Black-poplar on the Wye bank east of Builth.

Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia, Black-poplar

These magnificent trees have long been in the county and are considered to be native in England but are probably introductions in Breconshire where they may have been planted to provide timber. Most trees in the county are males, making natural reproduction difficult...

We visited it again as a botany group yesterday only to find it sadly changed:

The tree-surgery may well have been advisable - to prevent it falling under its own weight into the river - and it is clearly responding vigorously to the treatment ! We noticed that the trunk is very hollow at the bottom...

Just to prove it clearly is the same tree here it is in 2013 before coming into leaf:

The tree was first recorded in in 1996 and was identified as the native subspecies in 2005 by Mike Porter. The first picture above is featured in Mike's Flora of the county.

The Flora of Brecknockshire

Why "Brecknockshire"?

It covers more places than the current ceremonial county of Breconshire and Mike Porter wanted this title. 

The County used for wildlife recording purposes is quite a lot larger than the current Powys southern limits allow and is the same as the area designated by Hewett Cottrell Watson in 1852. He had not heard that Glasbury had not long ago been made part of Breconshire - so we still leave that area to the Radnorshire recorders.

In the early part of the 20th century the name Brecknockshire became popular for the area.

Here is the leaflet promoting the book:

New Year - new start. The Brecknockshire New Year Plant Hunt

This blog has been resting while I (and members of the group) worked on completing the Flora of the County which will be published in the spring. Sadly Mike Porter, who wrote almost all of it, did not live to see it fully published. Mike was County Recorder for Botany from 1968 until last year so this Flora will be the end result of a lifetime's work.

We (the Brecknock Botany Group) intended to do a group hunt for the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt scheme at Trecastle but weather warnings (a little OTT as it turned out) decided us to do several small local hunts - including one in which two of us did brave it to Trecastle.

In all 65 wild growing plants were found flowering in the county with the highest tally being at Llangynidr by Anne and Joan. (26)

A few pictures:

Arabidopsis thaliana, Thale Cress at Trecastle, Claire Halpin

Several of us found Daisies flowering (Bellis perennis). This from Hay Graveyard by me.

Chaenorhinum origanifolium, Malling Toadflax thrives all year round near my house - not intervention from me at all and has been there since 2013 when it presumably escaped from a window box. Now naturalized in pavement cracks.

Lamium purpureum, Red Dead-nettle is a more recent arrival in the same habitat. Now well established.

Several of us found this grass which grows everywhere and "flowers" all year round. Poa annua, Annual Meadow-grass.