BSBINews - BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles

56 Report of overseas field meeting - 2009 - Paramos of Northern Castile (Spain)
silvery-leaved Argyrolobium zanonii, Leuzea
conifera (Cone Knapweed) and Allium roseum
(Rosy Garlic).
At the start of our trek, in Pesquera de Ebro,
we set offthrough open fields full of magnificent
stands of delicate Silene nutans
(Nottingham Catchfly), Coronilla scorpioides
(Annual Scorpion-vetch), the umbellifer
Laserpitium eliasii, the shrubby plantain
Plantago sempervirens, the distinctive grass
Aegilops geniculatus and Ophrys scolopax
(Woodcock Ophrys). On reaching the banks
of the Ebro, we marvelled at the substantial
patches of Lathraea clandestina (Purple
Toothwort) that were parasitizing the roots of
some ofthe Populus nigra (Black Poplar) trees.
Although the other dominant canopy species
of this riverine forest was Fraxinus angustifolia
(Narrow-leaved Ash), the shrub layer and
ground flora was rather similar to that of an
English woodland, albeit belied by an
abundance of scarce British species such as
Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum (= Buglossoides
purpureocaerulea; Purple Gromwell),
Melittis melissophyllum (Bastard Balm) and
Scirpoides holoschoenus (Round-headed
Club-rush), and firmly disproven by clumps of
Petrocoptis pyrenaica ssp. glaucifolia (Blueleaved
Petrocoptis) and Sarcocapnos enneaphylla
on a shady crag.
Eventually the shady deciduous forest gave
way to more open, evergreen vegetation,
where we picnicked amid pink cushions of
Saponaria ocymoides (Rock Soapwort) and
yellow Helichrysum stoechas, with a pair of
Egyptian Vultures circling overhead. Afterwards
we made a brief side excursion to see
Fumana ericoides, Ajuga ehamaepitys
(Ground-pine), Orobanche gracilis (Slender
Broomrape) and Limodorum abortivum
(Violet Limodore).
After lunch, most members of the group
continued on through the gorge, with Teresa
examining each and every Limodorum en
route in the hopes of locating the L. trabutianum
(Trabut's Limodore) she had found
here in the past, but sadly none had the very
short spur typical of the species. We did,
however, encounter many other botanical
gems along the way, including Equisetum
variegatum (Variegated Horsetail), the birthwortAristolochia
paucinervis, the silver-hairy
mercury Mercurialis tomentosa, Arabis
turrita (Tower-cress), Sorbus domestiea (True
Service-tree), the linear-leaved, salmon-pinkflowered
Lathyrus cieera and much larger,
pink-flowered Lathyrus latifolius (Broadleaved
Everlasting-pea), as well as Cephalanthera
rubra (Red Helleborine) in bud.
19 th May - Olleros de Pisllerga (P) and Peiia
Amaya (Bll)
Our last day in the pdramos of Northern
Castile arrived. First, by popular vote, we
visited the local market in Aguilar de Campoo,
joining the influx of local inhabitants already
making their way into the arcaded square.
Lynne, however, spent this time delving into
the depths of the Rio Pisuerga, turning up
Groenlandia densa (Opposite-leaved
Pondweed), while Arthur and Gerard
rummaged along the banks, producing Carex
acuta (Slender Tufted-sedge), C. acutiformis
(Lesser Pond-sedge) and C. riparia (Greater
Pond-sedge).
After the market, we stopped to explore
some hay-meadow-like grasslands in Olleros
de Pisuerga. The most productive field
supported a good population of Rhinanthus
minor (Yellow-rattle), which had successfully
reduced the vigour of the grasses, thus
enabling less competitive plants to gain a
foothold. As a result, we located Lathyrus
aphaca (Yellow Vetchling), Malva moschata
(Musk Mallow), a healthy population of Carex
divisa (Divided Sedge), which is exceedingly
rare in the UK, and the star-of-Bethlehem
Ornithogalum orthophyllum. John also found
Equisetum ramosissimum (Branched Horsetail):
another exceptionally scarce British
species, although its status as a native plant in
the UK is doubtful. Our attempt to visit the
renowned 6 th century 'cave church' here was
foiled by the fact that the sacristan had broken
her leg, but we did find Paronychia polygonifolia
and Convolvulus lineatus growing
around the entrance, and Arthur collected a
species of Agrostis that he'd never seen before.