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