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Shropshire Botanical SocietyNewsletterAutumn 2012Agrostis capillaris (Common Bent), image by TEP, www.bsbi.org.uk

Bell Coppice Meadows, Wyre Forest, photo Fran FlanaganSmall Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Wyre Forest, photo Fran Flannigan2

Shropshire Botanical Society Newsletter No.25ContentPageSociety Matters 4Stag’s-horn Clubmoss and Conifer Plantations 5County Records 6The Genus Sphagnum a Guide Part 2: Sphagnum palustre, S.papillosum 10and S.magellanicumBotany of the Wyre Forest 14The Grasses Part 2: Grasses with Spikes 18Species-rich Meadow Creation, University of Wolverhampton 22Progress on the Top Ten Targets 24Summary of Field Visits 2012 26List of Members (with renewal dates) 27ContactsNewsletter Editor:Mags Cousins, Bagbatch, Inwood, Church Stretton, SY6 6LA.Tel. 01694 722215, email: mags@bagbatch.co.ukSecretary:John Handley, 7 St. Nicholas Crescent, Bridgnorth, WB15 5BN.Tel. 01746 761174, email: john@handleycanning.go-plus.netMembership Secretary:Mark Duffell, 19 Compton Mews, Ford, Shrewsbury, SY5 9NX.Tel. 01743 851084, email: ms.duffell@btinternet.comField Meetings Co-ordinator:Fiona Gomersall, 4 Lower Down, Lydbury North, SY7 8BB.Tel. 01588 680693, email: fiona@eadstudio4.co.ukVice County Recorder:Sarah Whild, 9 Albert Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 2HT.Email: S.Whild@mmu.ac.ukPast copies of the newsletter are available as pdfs from the Shropshire BotanicalSociety website: http://www.bsbi.org.uk/shropshire.htmlAny opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the various authors, and are notnecessarily those of the Society.3

County RecordsSarah Whild and Alex LocktonThis has been a quiet year for recording, with most of our effort now going into thepreparation of the Flora. There wereabout 2,500 species accounts to be4written, most of which are now done, but3there is a lot more work before it is readyfor printing. Ideally, it is best to finish2your recording period when writing aFlora, because otherwise the data keeps1changing and errors creep in undetected,but we are continuing to input at least the0more valuable data that arrives. The restis piling up for inputting another day, and9the plan is to establish a group ofMapmate users to take on this task.8In the meantime, here are some of themore interesting records that have beenmade this year:Lisa Barlow found a new site forLycopodium clavatum, Stag’s-hornClubmoss, on an area of regeneratingheathland, following clearance of aplantation at Nipstone Rock(SO35779674, 21 st August 2012) – theother side of the hill from where DanWrench found three species of clubmossearlier in the year. Yet another site wherethere is an association with conifers. JohnClayfield confirmed that it is still presentat Purslow Wood (SO3679, 2012), albeitfurther along the track than the originalpopulation, and it is still present on thetrack by Gatten Plantation (SO37009818,Whild & Lockton, 25 th July 2012). Thisbrings the total number of dots sinceSinker’s Flora to eight, but it is very rareor even gone from some of those sites.72 3 4 5 6 7 8Lycopodium clavatum432109872 3 4 5 6 7 8Fumaria bastardiiMark Duffell found a plant of Fumaria bastardii, Tall Ramping-fumitory, in ashrubbery at Battlefield in April. This brings the number of recent sites to nine, and itcould be a species that is spreading rapidly. There have been records of it since the19 th century, but some of those are known to be incorrect, and others are unconfirmed.So the first good records date from 2007, when it turned up in several places aroundShrewsbury and Baschurch.Salix repens, Creeping Willow, is typically a coastal plant, but it also occurs on peatbogs inland, and it has been known on Whixall Moss since Leighton’s Flora of 1841.6

A new patch was found this year at Marl Allotment, a small field on the edge of themoss, which is being managed by a group of volunteers coordinated by Gareth Parryat Shropshire Council (SJ50083577, Lockton, 12 th August 2012).432109872 3 4 5 6 7 8Salix repens at Marl Allotment (left) and in Shropshire (right), showing dots for post-1985records and crosses for presumed introductions.Descurainia sophia, Flixweed, is currently known in just two sites in the county –Sharpstones Hill, where it was found by John Swindells in 2011, and Allscott, whereit was found by Will Prestwood in 1990 and has just been refound by John Handley(SJ603125). It is just a roadside casual.Draba muralis at Stevenshill7

Draba muralis, Wall Whitlowgrass, is one of the county’s rarest plants. It isnaturally an inhabitant of limestone cliffs in the north, but it occasionally crops upquite naturally on limestone walls throughout the country. For a while it grew on arailway line in Gobowen (O.M. Feilden, 1904 & 05), but its only recent site is atStevenshill, where it was found on an old wall by Hildred Bigwood in 1956. The mostrecent record was by Stan Turner in 1975, but it was still growing there in someabundance this year (SJ55830392, Lockton & Joumana Mobarak, 2 nd April 2012).Until this year Erophila majuscula,Hairy Whitlowgrass, had only beenrecorded once in Shropshire, in 1845,when it was collected by William Hind atPulverbatch (det. T.C.G. Rich, TCD).However, either it has been overlooked orthis was a very good year for it – possiblyboth, because it has been consistently wetand mild, and we have often searched forit often in the past. It first turned up atRabbit Warren, at the south end of theLong Mynd (SO39068754, Lockton &Mobarak, conf. Rich, 19 th March 2012) inU1b Rumex acetosella grassland and thenwas found at Abbot’s Castle Hill (22 ndMarch) and Haughmond Hill (Rich &Whild, 15 th April). It was also found atLlanymynech Rocks, just over the borderin Montgomeryshire, where it has neverbeen recorded before.Centunculus minimus, Chaffweed, is2only known in the county in the WyreForest and on Haughmond Hill (apart1from a single record of it in LilleshallQuarry by Frank Perring in 1974, which0might be in doubt as it wasn’t given inSinker’s Flora of 1985). This year it was9found in a new location in the Wyre, atBlackgraves Copse (SO74757858) by Ian8Hopkins, who had strayed over theboundary from Staffordshire. This is a7new tetrad for it.2 3 4 5 6 7 8Melica nutansAnother plant that was erroneouslyrecorded in the olden days but has now arrived in the county for real is GreaterLettuce, Lactuca virosa. It first appeared on the side of the A5 at Preston and UptonMagna in 2009 (both by Brian Laney) and now it has been found on a roundaboutnear Whitchurch (SJ550396) by John Swindells. John also found Senecio cineraria,Silver Ragwort, at Snailbeach (SJ37450227, 6 th August 2012). This is a commonhorticultural plant that has not previously been recorded outside gardens.432109872 3 4 5 6 7 8Centunculus minimus438

A new garden escape for us is Allium christophii, Star of Persia, established on aroad verge at Stokesay (SO435814, Lockton, 8 th June 2012).Polypogon monspeliensis, Annual Beard-grass, is another coastal species that isspreading inland. It was first recorded in the county in 2004, when it appeared incracks between paving stones at Preston Montford (SJ432143, Whild), but whetherthat counts as being in the wild is a matter of debate. It has now turned up at Allscott(SJ60231257, Handley, conf. Whild, 15 th June 2012) – ‘a dozen or do plants on ahardcored surface.’The award for best find of the year goes to John Clayfield, who spotted Melicanutans, Mountain Melick, at Coed-detton, SO2973, on 9 th July 2012. It is quitewidespread in the Wyre Forest and was once found at Blodwel Rock, so this is thethird site for it in the county.Finally Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera, isanother plant that benefited from this year’sgood weather. It turned up in several newsites, including Windmill Hill (SJ62470077,Lockton, 23 rd June 2012) which has beensurveyed quite exhaustively in recent years,so this probably is a new site for it (and agood result for the management programmethere). It also reappeared at Roman Bank(SO51389061, Mobarak, 29 th June 2012)where it was last recorded by Rev. WatiesCorbett in 1841. If anyone has other recentsightings, we would appreciate the records,as this is one of the species we can map at1km scale.432109872 3 4 5 6 7 8Ophrys apifera at 1km resolution showing recordssince 1985 as dots and earlier ones as open circles.Note from the Vice County RecorderRecords can be posted or emailed to me at:Sarah Whild, 9 Albert Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 2HT, email: S.Whild@mmu.ac.ukSpecimens should be pressed and dried with a date, location including grid referenceand also the recorder's name. If you require your specimen back, please enclose anSAE or if you do not require it back, enclose your email address so I can email myconfirmation.9

The Genus Sphagnum a Guide Part 2: Sphagnumpalustre, S. papillosum and S. magellanicumMartin GodfreyIntroductionIn the previous edition of the “Newsletter” I gave an overview of the structure ofSphagnum plants to help botanists who would like to identify these plants to species.In this edition I provide some identification notes to three of the larger species.GeneralAll three of these species are in the section “Sphagnum” of the genus Sphagnum andare characterised by their large size and “chunky” appearance with broad, concaveand “hooded” branch leaves and the broad stem cortex mentioned in the previousarticle. S. palustre has the broadest ecological amplitude of the three and may befound in wet woodland as well as bogs, mires and flushes. S. papillosum and S.magellanicum are both more typical of raised bogs and mires and are generally lessshade tolerant than S. palustre.Sphagnum magellanicumThis species is unlikely to be confused with the other two as it grows in deephummocks with the individual plants having a deep wine red colour making it veryconspicuous – Fig 1.Fig. 1 Sphagnum magellanicumThe only other species which grows in wine-red mounds on bogs is S. capillifoliumwhich is much smaller, has fine pointed leaves and does not show the broad stemcortex.Sphagnum palustre and Sphagnum papillosumAlthough when well grown these two species are reasonably easy to distinguish, theyare frequently confused and so are dealt with here together.S. palustre is usually more or less green in colour, although it may show some ochrein the middle of the capitulum, and grows in rather loose carpets or mounds – Fig. 2.10

Fig. 2 Sphagnum palustreS. papillosum on the other hand is usually brownish/ochre in colour and grows intightly packed mounds or carpets – Fig. 3.Fig. 3 Sphagnum papillosumThe identification problems can arise when the plants are growing sub-optimallywhen they can look very alike. The solution here is to compare the structure of thebranch fascicles. In S. palustre the spreading branches are long, tapering to a point,and the hanging branches can be quite wispy. In S. papillosum the spreading branchesare short and blunt and the hanging branches proportionately shorter than in S.palustre – Fig. 4.11

Fig. 4 Sphagnum palustre (left)Sphagnum papillosum (right)If all else fails it is possible to use a microscope to compare the structure of the branchleaf cell walls – those of S. papillosum are roughened (hence its specific name)whereas those of S. palustre are smooth – Fig. 5 and 6 respectively.Fig. 5 Sphagnum papillosum cell walls12

Fig. 6 Sphagnum palustre cell walls.Useful readingDaniels RE and Eddy A (1985). Handbook of European Sphagna. Institute ofTerrestrial Ecology. Out of print but worth searching for as it is a verycomprehensive manual of the genus. Available as a free download fromhttp://nora.nerc.ac.uk/8498/Hill MO, revised Hodgetts NG and Payne AG. (1992). Sphagnum: a Field GuideJNCC. Nomenclature out of date (but simple to fix) but still probably the best fieldID guide.Holzer, A (2010). Die Torfmoose Sudwestdeutschlands und de Nachbargebiet.Weissendorn Verlag, Jena. In German with keys duplicated in English. A superbhandbook with outstanding illustrations. If you can manage a bit of German thesections on ecology are first class.Laine J et al. (2011). The intricate beauty of Sphagnum mosses. University ofHelsinki. A new publication with truly outstanding illustrations, both of the wholeplants and microscopic features.Smith, A.J.E. (2004). The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland. 2 nd ed. CambridgeUniversity Press. This is the current standard moss flora.British Bryological Society Website: www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk – lots ofuseful information, pictures and links.13

Botany of the Wyre ForestJohn BinghamBeing situated on the south-east border of Shropshire the Wyre Forest may appear tobe 'out on the edge' for many Shropshire botanists. With connections that link theforest to Bewdley and even referred to in the past as Bewdley Forest, it may not getthe attention from Shropshire naturalists that it really deserves.Botanically it can appear uninspiring, large areas of the woodlands are rather blandbotanically with even-aged oak dominated woodland with little in the way ofunderstorey and a ground flora consisting of Pteridium aquilinum Bracken and Rubusfruticosus agg. Bramble (although there are many Rubus species!). To make mattersworse many areas have conifer plantations or are covered by beech plantations addinglittle to the floristic interest. However why does Wyre Forest top the list jointly withTitterstone Clee as the best site for rare plant species in Shropshire? (Lockton andWhild, 2005). Having an extensive area of woodland helps but this is only part of thereason, one has to look much more carefully to find the forest's botanical interest andfirst impressions in this case are wrong.The forest's history has lead to the present characteristic woodland so it's worth a verybrief summary of the major changes made to the forest over time. It is an AncientSemi-Natural Woodland lying on shallow acid soils derived from the coal measures. Ilike to think of it originally more as a 'Frans Vera landscape' with areas open spaceconsisting of heath or acid grassland and lots of scrubby woodland with veteran oak,much of it not worth farming due to the shallow soils. By Norman times it was aChase held by the Mortimer family with common rights of grazing and deeremparkment. Grazing was carried out for many centuries creating wood pasture andcommons, altering the flora accordingly. Sometime between 1550-1650 it was legally‘disafforested’ (the removal of most legal protection of the land from the status of'forest land' (not necessary wooded) to the state of 'ordinary ground') and brought intointensive coppice management, the old forest more typical of a 'Frans Vera landscape'was lost and an industrial landscape was imposed for the next 300 years (a relativelyshort period in the forests long history).Oak coppice appears to have covered 10,000 acres with not a large tree to be seenaccording to industrialist Yarrington in 1677. Most of the old commons or openwood pastures were lost with enclosure around 1850. By 1930 the coppice was all butfinished and conifer plantations spread over the forest, oak coppice was singled andstored but generally as trees grew it became a dense, high canopy forest. Today weare reversing the past, coppice is practiced (though just for conservation reasons)conifer are being reverted back to broadleaf under PAWS (Plantations on AncientWoodland Sites) schemes and even some wood pasture is being tried.So given the history of pasture and change it's not surprising the flora is limited in thewoodlands. It was never protected from grazing like many smaller woodlands andthis is an important difference, due to fallow deer it still is grazed forest habitat.Perhaps by not having traditional pannage and cattle pasture we have lost manyspecies that depended on the periodic disturbance, especially between the end ofactive coppice creating temporary open spaces and the present day restoration withopen areas. Despite its history special and interesting plants do survive in the forest14

ut occur in the more marginal habitats such as wet flushes, unimproved grasslands,wood edges, stream valleys and steep slopes. The plateau woodlands are the leastinteresting but even here careful searching will provide unusual plants, relics offormer times.The main woodland type is NVC W10 Quercus robur-Pteridium aquilinum-Rubusfruticosus woodland, but the Wyre Forest oak is nearly always the hybrid Quercus xrosacea (Q. petraea x robur). In the herb layer Holcus mollis Creeping Soft-grass andPteridium aquilinum can be dominant with Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebellabundant in some areas. Other woodland herbs can be quite scarce but includeAnemone nemorosa Wood Anemone, Viola riviniana Common Dog-violet, V.reichenbachiana Early Dog-violet, Ajuga reptans Bugle, Digitalis purpureaFoxglove, Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle, as a ground cover plant andDryopteris dilatata Broad Buckler Fern. A few more interesting plants can occurlocally such as Narcissus pseudonarcissus Wild Daffodil, Carex pallescens PaleSedge and on clay soil Euphorbia amygdaloides Wood Spurge and Aquilegia vulgarisColumbine. Near small streams in the damper areas Deschampsia cespitosa TuftedHair-grass, Oreopteris limbosperma Lemon-scented Fern, Athyrium filix-femina LadyFern and Dryopteris affinis Scaly Male-fern appear.Mixed with W10 is W16 Quercus spp.-Deschampsia flexuosa woodland. This standtype becomes more dominant on the steeper slopes. This characteristic Callunavulgaris Heather and Vaccinium myrtillus Bilberry woodland with scattered Taxusbaccata Yew, perhaps typifies Wyre Forest to many people. Typical plants areDeschampsia flexuosa Wavy Hair-grass, Erica cinerea Bell Heather, Luzula pilosaHairy Wood-rush, Teucrium scorodonia Wood Sage, Luzula multiflora Heath Woodrushwith both of the subspecies congesta and multiflora, Galium saxatile HeathBedstraw, Lathyrus linifolius Bitter-vetch with both leaf forms and Carex piluliferaPill Sedge, all frequent on the steeper slopes where bare ground is found. Lesscommon in this habitat but rather special is Serratula tinctoria Saw-wort anuncommon plant in Shropshire. The Hieracium agg. Hawkweeds are a feature in latesummer and a good number of species occur offering a real challenge for a keenbotanist!Although the canopy and understorey is species poor Sorbus torminalis Wild Servicetree,Tilia cordata Small-leaved Lime and Sorbus aucuparia Rowan are quitecommon in some parts of the forest with Sorbus domestica True Service-treeoccurring on valley slope in Shropshire, possible planted by Bewdley botanist GeorgeJorden around 1870. In time due to conservation management we should see anincrease in minor trees and shrub species such as Populus tremula Aspen, Betulapubescens Downy Birch, B. pendula Silver Birch, Frangula alnus Alder Buckthorn,Malus sylvestris sens. lat. Crab Apple, Viburnum opulus Guelder-rose, Salix auritaEared Willow and Prunus avium Wild Cherry. Trees such as Fraxinus excelsior Ash,Alnus glutinosa Alder and Acer campestre Field Maple are more restricted to thevalley bottom tending to avoid the acid soils of the plateau woodlands. ThankfullyAcer pseudoplatanus Sycamore is still rare in the forest, perhaps only common near tothe River Severn and scattered in a few places along the Dowles Brook.Small areas on the north facing slopes of Dowles Brook the local microclimate allowsa bryophyte-rich community to exist of the NVC W17 Quercus petraea-Betula15

pubescens-Dicranum majus woodland type. Down near the brook a rather narrowzone of W8 Fraxinus excelisor-Acer campestre-Mercurials perennis woodland isfound. The valley woodlands are dominated by Alder and are classified as NVC W7Alnus glutinosa-Fraxinus excelsior-Lysimachia nemorum woodland. These Alderwoods are botanically rich and contrast with the dryer acidic oak woodland. The soilstend to be on alluvial deposits and have higher pH levels, normally pH 5.0-6.0. Amore typical woodland flora can be found with a mix of species including Ranunculusflammula Lesser Celandine, Oxalis acetosella Wood Sorrel, Chrysospleniumoppositifolium Opposite-leaved Golden saxifrage. In some areas with high watermovement Carex pendula Pendulous Sedge can become dominant, excluding mostother species but along Dowles Brook a much more varied ground flora appears.Some of the Wyre Forest plants are restricted to the Worcestershire side of the forestand as far as I am aware have not been recorded recently on the Shropshire side.Plants such as Cephalanthera longifolia Narrow-leaved Helleborine, Gymnadeniadensiflora Marsh Fragrant Orchid, Equisetium hymale Rough Horsetail andGymnocarpium dryopteris Oak Fern.The Shropshire side has plenty of interesting species in the woodland Carex montanaSoft-leaved Sedge is abundant on many of the steep wooded slopes along the DowlesBrook and valleys leading northwards. On one slope above the brook Carex montanahas Geranium sanguineum Bloody Crane's-bill and Melica nutans Mountain Melickgrowing next to it. The Geranium is better known for growing along the trackwaynear Dowles Brook where it flourishes. The dry slopes support Solidago virgaureaGolden Rod, Melampyrum pratense Cow-wheat, Betonica officinalis Betony.Convallaria majalis Lily-of-the-Valley has a few sites at Longdon Wood but is muchcommoner on the Worcestershire side of Wyre.The real botanical interest comes from the soligenous spring seepages that arescattered over the forest. These areas are normally base-rich, with a pH of over 7.0that can gives rise to small pockets of NVC W4 Betula pubescens-Molinia caeruleaDowny Birch-Purple moor-grass woodland. The pH is much higher than thesurrounding land and can even be as high as 8.0 some with tufa forming contrastingwith the acid woodland with typically pH of 4.0-4.5. Some spring seepages are moreassociated with stream valleys and merge with more valley swamp conditions butlook on the slopes for true spring seepages. No two seepages appear the same, somecan be dominated by either Carex remota Remote Sedge, Scirpus sylvaticus WoodClub-rush or Carex pendula Pendulous Sedge. Others can be dominated by Juncusspp. The most diverse have no dominant species but a range that can includeValeriana dioica Marsh valerian, Eriophorum latifolium Broad-leaved Cottongrass,Scutellaria minor Lesser Skullcap, Hypericum androsaemum Tutsan, Menthaaquatica Water Mint, Anagallis tenella Bog Pimpernel, Eupatorium cannabinumHemp-agrimony, Galium palustre subsp. palustre Common Marsh-bedstraw, Carexdemissa Common Yellow-sedge, Carex echinata Star Sedge, Carex pulicaris FleaSedge, Potamogeton polygonifolius Bog Pondweed and Equisetum sylvaticum WoodHorsetail. Eleogiton fluitans Floating Club-rush occurs on a few shallow slowstreams and Oenanthe crocata Hemlock Water-dropwort has crept up one streamvalley from the River Severn into the woodland. Viola palustris Marsh Violet has avery limited distribution only occurring to the on the west of Wyre and restricted tothe Shropshire side. Also Erica tetralix Cross-leaved Heath is very restricted in the16

The Grasses Part 2: Grasses with Spikes by Ian TruemanLast time, in “The Grasses Part 1 – Introduction and the Bents (genus Agrostis)” wemet the grass panicle, in which the basic clusters of florets, the spikelets, are borne onthe tips of branches. This branched inflorescence is perhaps the commonest type ingrasses. But consider an ear of Triticum aestivum Wheat, preferably in the flesh, buthere (fig. 1) one is photographed from the side, twice, at right angles.Two rows of spikelets are borne, sessile,on two sides of a completely unbranchedinflorescence axis or rhachis. Each ofthe fan-shaped structures (on left ear) is aspikelet and if you take it apart it has asterile boat-shaped glume (gl) at eitherend. In between are SEVERAL florets(not one, as in Bents), each floretconsisting of a lemma (le), similar in sizeand shape to the glume, and a palea (pa),essentially flat and tongue-shaped, with agrain in between, the matured ovary ofthe flower. This spikelet is thus manyfloweredand much bigger than that ofthe Bents, but it would have to be,wouldn’t it, in order to have civilisationsbased on it! In some varieties theFig 1: two views of a wheat ear lemmas have quite long awns, and thereare also rare awned wheats such asTriticum turgidum Rivet Wheatwhich has more or less solid stems and glumes keeled to the base. Secale cerale Ryeis essentially similar, but the glumes are very small, there are typically two florets inthe spikelet and the lemmas are very long-awned.Fig. 2: Two views of a Couch spikeThis type of spike with two rows ofspikelets on opposite sides of anunbranched rhachis is typical and isfound in two of the commonest and mostimportant grasses, Elytrigia repensCommon Couch and Lolium perennePerennial Rye-grass. The spike ofCommon Couch is built exactly like thatof Wheat (they are actually quite closelyrelated!) (Fig. 2). As in Wheat, thelemmas (and glumes) are sometimesawned (up to 4mm). It is of course aperennial, with vigorous wiry rhizomeswhich are the bane of gardeners. Ateither side of the ligule, at the junction ofleaf sheath and leaf blade, are two18

auricles (pointed outgrowths) which are particularly fine and bristle-like. The leavesare usually fairly sparsely hairy.Related species include several coastal plants, plus the woodland and woodlandmargingrass Elymus caninus Bearded Couch, which is tufted, without rhizomes andwith conspicuous (up to 22 mm) awns on the lemmas.The spike of Perennial Rye-grass is differently oriented to that of the couches or thewheats, having its two rows of spikelets in the same plane (Fig. 3).The spikelets typically have 4-11flowers, borne in two rows, either side ofa branch-like spikelet axis. There is onlyone glume; the one which would havebeen pressed against the rhachis has beenlost. It is a medium-sized (typically 40cm in fruit) shiny-leaved glabrous grass,with (rather ill-defined) auricles andtypically red-tinged sheaths. Theyoungest leaf emerges from the shootfolded double rather than rolled. Agrassland native, it is beloved of farmersbecause of its enthusiastic response tofertilisers and it is the main species in thesown leys.Fig. 3 Part of a Rye-grass spikeLolium multiflorum Italian Rye-grass is a similar, frequently-cultivated annual orbiennial grass with very well-marked awns on the lemmas, with more florets (10-18)per spikelet and with the youngest leaf emerging rolled rather than folded from theshoot. Its common hybrid with perennial Rye-grass also has rolled young leaves andan intermediate number of florets and development of awns and rather reducedfertility. Lolium temulentum Darnel, is a probably extinct annual weed with theglume longer than the spikelet.Sometimes you may find a Rye-grass-like inflorescence which DOES actually havean inner glume against the rhachis. If growing in damp pasture with Rye-grass and/orSchedonorus pratensis Meadow Fescue, it could be the intergeneric hybrid betweenthe two which Stace (2010) now says we must call X Schedolium loliaceum TheHybrid Fescue.19

Usually the spikelets are quite narrow and cylindrical compared with those of Rye-grass andthey tend to spread widely out from the rhachis. Often there is the odd branch near the baseof the inflorescence. And be aware of a tiny annual which is starting to appear close to busyroads in the Midlands. This is Catapodium marinum Sea Fern-grass. Usually there will bethe odd double spikelet at a lower node.I would also like to include at this point the Brachypodium sylvaticum False Brome, a largegrass common in old woodland (and in limestone grassland). Tufted and with broad leaves, ithas fairly uniformly hairy shoots (without auricles) and a nodding, unbranched inflorescencewith two rows of of huge (2-4 cm-long), rather less clearly-oriented spikelets with awns aslong as the lemmas. The spikelets are actually very shortly stalked and this inflorescence istherefore technically a raceme rather than a spike. You might keep an eye open for thesimilar, but rather rigid, more shortly-awned racemes of Brachypodium pinnatum Torgrass,a strongly-rhizomatous grass abundant on the chalk downs but a rare adventive hereThere are a few spikes with only a single row of florets along the rhachis. The commonone is Mat-grass Nardus stricta, the familiar bristle-leaved grass with thickened leaf sheathsfound in moorland and damp heaths. The spikelet is one-flowered, the lemma tapering intoan awn and the glumes are tiny. The tiny ephemeral grass of coastal dunes, Mibora minimaalso has 1-sided spikes.Grasses which appear to have unbranched inflorescences but are cylindrical with spikeletsall around the rhachis, in the UK all have shortly-stalked spikelets and count as Spike-likepaniclesrather than spikes, of which more next time! One group in which the inflorescencelooks fairly cylindrical which we should include here are Hordeum spp. Barleys.Fig 4 Wall (left) and Wood Barley (right)Fig 5 Wall Barley spikelet cluster20

Although the Hordeum inflorescences (Fig. 4), dominated by long awns, LOOK cylindrical,if you take them to pieces they consist of two opposite rows of clusters of three, onefloweredspikelets. Fig. 5 shows a single such 3-spikelet cluster from Hordeum murinumWall Barley, that common annual denizen of pavements and rough urban grass. Up themiddle is the awned lemma of a single floret, attended either side by its two darker, flatglumes to form a one-flowered spikelet. Either side again are the lateral florets, attended bytheir own pair of glumes.The perennial grass of old pastures Hordeum secalinum Meadow Barley is rare inShropshire. It can usually easily be told by its narrower inflorescence and because theglumes are bristle-like throughout and lack the flat basal portion seen in Fig. 4. The beautifulwoodland Hordelymus europaeus Wood Barley has flattened glumes, fused at the base andis much taller than Wall Barley and also clearly a perennial. Also look out for the rare, annualHordeum jubatum Foxtail Barley with a feather-like ear with extremely long awns.In Barleys usually only the middle one of the three spikelets is fully fertile. This can be seenvery clearly in the commonly cultivated Two-rowed Barley Hordeum distichon in which thegrains form in the middle spikelets and the lateral spikelets are tiny. Be aware however ofHordeum vulgare Six-rowed Barley.For handy identification guides the BSBI website now has:“The TEP Files” A new series of identification leaflets for consultants, produced by PeterGateley of the Warrington based ecological consultancy TEP. You can download them, printthem out and laminate them. So far they cover both Agrostis capillaris and Agrostisstolonifera and numerous other grasses.ReferenceStace, C. (2010) New Flora of the British Isles, Cambridge University Press.21

Species-rich Meadow Creation, University ofWolverhamptonby Alison WilkesThe University of Wolverhampton has a history of research into habitat creation, includinginto the development of the species-rich meadow creation technique of green hay strewing.This technique involves choosing a suitable species-rich meadow to act as a donor site,cutting and baling the green hay (when the maximum number of species have set seed) andimmediately taking the material to the pre-prepared receiver site and spreading the hay acrossthe field. This method has been found to create a plant community similar to that of the donorsite (e.g. Trueman and Millet 2003, Kiehl et al. 2010) and also innately means that theprovenance of the material is known. It should also mean that the seeds will be fresh and atmaximum viability. Other advantages of hay strewing include: the inclusion of rare species(Kiehl et al. 2010) and the successful establishment of the more difficult species includingorchids (Trueman and Millett 2003). Additionally, the method involves non-specialised farmmachinery and is therefore cheaper than methods such as brush harvesting (Kiehl et al. 2010).If a local source meadow is used, it also means that the created meadow will have acommunity that is appropriate for the region, which is important given the spectrum of seminaturalmeadow communities in the UK (Parker 1995).Potential problems with the method include the range of seed set dates amongst meadowplants, the loss of seed from the hay in transit and the potentially negative effect of harvestinggreen hay on the donor meadow, due to the removal of a high proportion of the seedscompared to the removal of cut, turned and dried hay (Stevenson et al. 1997).Despite the overall success of created and restored species-rich grassland communities, anumber of characteristic grassland species have been found to establish and/or persist poorlyin these re-created communities suggesting that these grasslands tend to lack thecharacteristic species of species-rich NVC communities (Walker et al. 2004). To increase thesimilarity of created species-rich grasslands to ‘target’ semi-natural communities, it isimportant to find ways to increase the success of these poor performing/missing species(Pakeman et al. 2002), both in the initial creation/restoration attempt and to find ways tointroduce them into already established created grasslands.Our current research project is looking at using the phased sowing of seed to introducemissing species, a technique suggested by a number of studies (e.g. Pakeman et al. 2002,Walker et al. 2004) and also the collection of seed of specific species for growing on forpotential introduction into creation sites. More specifically we are studying the introductionof ‘extra’ species into established created meadows and the transfer of a higher number ofspecies into new created meadows by using hay cut and strewed at different dates.We are working with landowners in Herefordshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands andare grateful for their help and also the help and advice from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust andNatural England. We would still like to hear from owners of potential sources of green hayand also of sites for species-rich meadow creation – our focus is on MG5 Cynosuruscristatus-Centaurea nigra hay meadows, although not exclusively.We are also interested in hearing from anyone carrying out meadow creation, to find out whatprojects are being carried out, what techniques are being used and how successful theseundertakings have been.Contact details: a.wilkes@wlv.ac.uk22

ReferencesKiehl, K., Kirmer, A., Donath, T. W., Rasran, L. and Holzel, N. (2010) Species introductionin restoration projects - Evaluation of different techniques for the establishment ofsemi-natural grasslands in Central and Northwestern Europe. Basic and AppliedEcology, 11(4), pp.285-299.Pakeman, R. J., Pywell, R. F. and Wells, T. C. E. (2002) Species spread and persistence:implications for experimental design and habitat re-creation. Applied VegetationScience, 5(1), pp.75-86.Parker, D.M (1995) Habitat creation a critical guide. Peterborough: English Nature.Stevenson, M. J., Ward, L. K. and Pywell, R. F. (1997) Re-creating semi-naturalcommunities: Vacuum harvesting and hand collection of seed on calcareousgrassland. Restoration Ecology, 5(1), pp.66-76.Trueman, I. and Millett, P. (2003) Creating wild-flower meadows by strewing green hay.British Wildlife, 15(1), pp.37-44.Walker, K. J., Stevens, P. A., Stevens, D. P., Mountford, J. O., Manchester, S. J. and Pywell,R. F. (2004) The restoration and re-creation of species-rich lowland grassland onland formerly managed for intensive agriculture in the UK. Biological Conservation,119(1), pp.1-18.23

Progress on the Top Ten TargetsAlex LocktonTarget 1 The first of the ten targets was to publish more, especially where conservationaction is being undertaken. There has been some progress on this in the county, with thisnewsletter leading the way by providing a public forum for papers, but a lot more needs to bedone. It is such a waste for someone to learn the lessons of a conservation intervention andnot to share them with others.Target 2 was to restore Brown Moss, and it is good to learn that progress is being made onthis, with plans to fence the common and reintroduce grazing. Congratulations to ShropshireCouncil and Natural England for working hard on this one.Target 3 Wem Moss has also had a lot of work – loads of trees have been chopped down andthere was even some livestock on there when I last visited. Inadvertently, as it turned out, butthe cattle did no damage and hopefully grazing will eventually become part of the routinemanagement. There is no sign of recovery of the vegetation yet, but Shropshire Wildlife Trustdeserve congratulations for what they have managed to do so far.Target 4 Readers of this newsletter will have read about the plans to restore the grassland onEarl’s Hill in last year’s edition. Two years into this project the is no actual progress on theground, but the plan is there and the HLS funding is now available, so it should be just amatter of time.Target 5 Haughmond Hill continues to rack up an increasingly impressive list ofaxiophytes, with new species such as Scleranthus annuus, Annual Knawel, being found (F.J.Rumsey, 15 th April 2012). Unfortunately, the Forestry Commission is still treating the site asintensive conifer plantation and are in the midst of an enormous felling and replantingoperation which sadly misses the opportunity to restore this former SSSI. The quarry hasexpanded rapidly and one suspects it is only a matter of time before someone has the brightidea of taking out even more of the hill. It would really be worth getting the site re-scheduledso it can have some level of protection before the commercial interests turn their attention toit again. It is the most popular nature reserve in the county, by any estimation.Target 6 Prees Branch Canal remains a sad example of the conservation of the whole canalnetwork not working. There is now no canal in the county of much interest for wildlife, butsurely the re-launch of British Waterways as the Waterways Trust presents a goodopportunity. In the past when we have discussed management of the Prees Branch with BWstaff, they have always insisted that, as a government body, they cannot work on canals thatthey do not own. Well, now they are a charity and a business, and perhaps they could bepersuaded to use their machinery and expertise to undo some of the damage of the last fiftyyears?Target 7 Cole Mere looks great, but the rate of progress has slowed considerably, and it isbeginning to look like the scrub will all simply re-grow after some very promising workundertaken a few years ago. Simply cutting down trees every few years is a really bad formof management – this is a site that needs mowing to keep the vegetation in check.Target 8 On Moelydd, Wildlife Trust teams cleared a lot of the scrub from Jones’s Roughbut unfortunately it is also regrowing rapidly, despite the presence of a few Hebridean sheep.24

The ideal would be to get the whole of Moelydd into HLS and have the grassland moresustainably managed throughout.Target 9 Plans are being developed for White Mere but as yet no work has taken place onthe ground. (By the time of going to print, there has been some tree felling on the easternside, which combined safety concerns over the tall hybrid Poplars which were beginning todecay and fall towards the road and a desire to reduce shading of the shore to encouragemarginal plants. Ed.)Target 10 At Cramer Gutter Fiona Gomersall reports that there are two highland cattle anda dozen Welsh mules grazing the heath, and using funding from HLS there is going to bemore scrub removal this winter. The Trust has removed the exclosures around the gentianpatch, and Fiona says the site is looking much better.25

Summary of Field Visits 2012 by Penny WysomeGardener’s Bank at Cleobury Mortimer - Twelve intrepid surveyors tackled terrain whichwas steep, bordering on hazardous enough to test our visit insurance. However the couragewas rewarded with the recording of over 150 species, 22 of which were axiophytes, not badfor a site originally noted for its fish fossils. The most spectacular sight was Saxifragatridactylides Rue-leaved Saxifrage growing in the paving cracks on the terrace by the house.Other notable finds included woodland species Paris quadrifolia Herb Paris, Euphorbiaamygdaloides Wood Spurge, Adoxa moscatellina Moschatel and Galium odoratumWoodruff.Llynclys Quarry - The exhausted areas of the quarry are being allowed to regenerate assistedby transfer of mowings from Sweeney Fen. Here Juncus subnodulosus Blunt-flowered Rushand Triglochin palustris Marsh Arrowgrass have appeared among larger stands of Eleocharispalustris Common Spike-rush. In pools Zannichellia palustris Horned Pondweed, and aChara sp. Stonewort were present at low cover. A large number of Echium vulgare Viper’sBugloss spikes have colonised the bare gravel heaps and stood out spectacularly against theindustrial background. New additions found were Ophrys apifera Bee Orchid, Dactylorhizafuchsia Common Spotted-orchid and Gentianella amarella Autumn Gentian.Randlay Valley in Telford - survey to assist the Friends of Randlay Valley. The rain stoppedjust before Ian Trueman and Penny Wysome started to help the volunteers to make lists oftwo grassland and several wetland sites within an area of the Town Park.Telford as ever was paradoxical with Lathyrus nissolia Grass Vetchling present in a meadowwithin a few feet of one of Telford’s notorious roundabouts. Both grasslands containedsufficient species to support moves to protect them as local nature reserves. One containedhuge numbers of Dactylorrhiza fuchsia Common Spotted Orchid, Dactlylorrhizapraetermissa Southern Marsh-orchid and a range of typically vigorous hybrids. The wetlandareas were very overgrown but diligent plant hunting showed that Silene flos-cuculi RaggedRobin, Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet, Pulicaria dysenterica Common Fleabane, Menthaaquatica Water Mint are all still present despite the scrub which is prevalent.Bromfield Sand and Gravel Quarry - another working quarry so some parts of the site wereout of bounds but there was much to explore and be amazed at the versatility of the plantworld to exploit any available niche. Sagina apetala Annual Pearlwort, Samolus valerandiBrookweed, Veronica catenata Pink Water- Speedwell and Charophytes were all there.Sherardia arvensis Field Madder, Lepidium coronopus Swine-cress and Natrix natrix GrassSnake were added bonuses.Nover’s Hill, Long Mynd – a steep climb through acid grassland and bracken was rewardedwith a species rich wet flush harbouring Hypericum elodes Marsh St John’s-wort, Apiuminundatum Lesser Marshwort, Eleogiton fluitans Floating Club-rush and Littorella unifloraShoreweed. We also successfully found the liverwort Jamesoniella undulifolia which is onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.The field visit to Aston Locks and Rednal Basin to assess aquatic macrophytes will bereported in detail in a future issue of the newsletter.26

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Dryopteris carthusiana Narrow Buckler-fern, Shomere, photo Dan WrenchA poem: FernsWhen the green weeds rose from the seaWe, the great-leaved plants, were the last to raise our heads.But we soon became perfect in the horsetail forests,When the coal was being made in sun and steam.And there, quiet under the bristle-leaved treesWe became perfect, as you see us now.And quiet, and secret, and everlastingWe still unfold our ancient danceUnder the proud stems of our seed-borne sons.By Ian Trueman, first published in Shropshire Naturalist Vol. 1. No. 4, 199228