BSBINews - BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles

Field meeting reports: 2009 - Nidderdale (v.c.64) and Wensleydale (v.c.65) 49
of Hieracium vulgatum. We moved across the
road to a small field to feast our eyes on a
glorious crimson mass of Cirsium heterophyllum
(Melancholy Thistle) which made a splendid
foreground to the willows Salix cinerea ssp.
cinerea, S. cinerea ssp. oleifolia (Grey
Willow), and what is probably the only specimen
of S. lanata (Woolly Willow) growing in
a wild situation in England. It is believed to
have been introduced many years ago and is
now well naturalised. Back to the quarry for
lunch, then a few roadside plants en route to
Cock Hill lead mine, an industrial heritage site.
The first Rosa mollis (Downy Rose) we saw
may have had a few canine genes but there were
more convincing specimens nearby. Myrrhis
odorata (Sweet Cicely) leaves were crushed
and the aniseed scent provoked an exchange of
recipes, using parts of the plant instead of sugar
in fruit pies. While we were admiring Cephalaria
gigantea (Giant Scabious) and Geranium
x oxonianum (Druce's Crane's-bill), which had
escaped from the garden across the road,
Graeme keyed out Sedum hispanicum (Spanish
Stonecrop), which was adorning a nearby wall.
Cochlearia pyrenaica ssp. pyrenaica (Pyrenean
Scurvygrass) was on the edge of a roadside
ditch. A short walk over more acidic terrain,
due to glacial drift, brought us down to the mine
site where there was a more calcicole flora
again. A splendid display of Cystopteris fragilis
(Brittle Bladder-fern) enhanced the entrance
of an adit. Both Minuartia verna (Spring
Sandwort) and the similar Sagina nodosa
(Knotted Pearlwort) were scattered across the
area. We managed to find two disappointingly
poor specimens of Dryopteris submontana
(Rigid Buckler Fern). On the uphill walk back
to the cars a good excuse to pause for breath
was provided by the entirely yellow form of
Viola lutea (Mountain Pansy) and Mentha
xvillosonervata = M. spicata x M. longifolia
(Sharp-toothed Mint), which has distinctive
whitish leaves but was not yet in flower. We
moved across to Upper Wharfedale where
Kevin showed us the meadow where he had
monitored Crepis mollis (Northern Hawk'sbeard)
last year. There was Crepis paludosa
(Marsh Hawk's-beard) for comparison, as well
as several other "yellow daisies". The weather
had stayed fine all day and we only had a heavy
shower while we were waiting for our table to
be ready at the Fountaine Inn at Linton where
we had a good meal in good company.
On Sunday we re-convened at the Ballowfield
Local Nature Reserve in Wensleydale,
and, having made our way round a group of
hippies who had been camping there, we
admired the orchids: Dactylorhiza fuchsii
(Common Spotted-orchid), D. purpurella
(Northern Marsh-orchid) and, of course,
hybrids. The reserve includes large areas of
calaminarian grassland supporting colonies of
Armeria maritima (Sea Thrift), Thlaspi caerulescens
(Alpine Pennycress), Minuartia verna
(Spring Sandwort) and Botrychium lunaria
(Moonwort). By the stream, Bill Thompson
spotted the hybrid Equisetum xlitorale (Shore
Horsetail), possibly the first record for the
vice-county. Under the guidance of Deborah
Millward, we then made our way up to the ridge
above Haw Bank, which was resplendent with
Helianthemum nummularium (Rockrose).
However, we were searching for Orobanche
alba (Thyme Broornrape). There was no sign
of the four spikes which Deborah had seen a
week earlier, but eventually Graeme earned his
gold star when he spotted two very small specimens
hiding amongst the Thyme. On the way
down John Newbould spotted another "odd"
Horsetail on some mineral workings. Although
yet to be confirmed, this looked like Equisetum
xrothmaleri. If so, it would be the second new
county record for the day! We then moved on
to Marsett, where the first target was Carum
carvi (Caraway) on the village green. This was
duly sniffed and tasted, which reminded some
of us of wartime Britain when seedcake was an
occasional tea-time treat. Then on to Marsett
Rigg SSSI, a steep species-rich hillside reserve
covered in flushes. funcus acutiflorus (Sharpflowered
Rush) was dominant in the damper
areas, but the Orchids seen earlier were there
too, as well as a good population of Dactylorhiza
viridis (Frog Orchid) and Gymnadenia
conopsea ssp. borealis (Heath Fragrant
Orchid). A "silvery" Lady's-mantle noticed
last year by Linda Robinson turned out to be
Alchemilla glaucescens. This was strikingly
pale, due to the fact that it is hairy on the upper