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HOME BOTANY GROUP MYCOLOGY GROUP 3rd FLORA of ESSEX RED DATA LISTS HOT NEWS KEN'S KEYS GEOGRAPHY MAPMATE RECORDING

Cold News:       (SCROLL DOWN FOR 'COLD' NEWS ENTRIES):

(29) Euphorbia dulcis (Sweet Spurge)(new to Vc 18) Burnham on Crouch; and Euphorbia   playtyphyllos (Broad-leaved Spurge), Wethersfield both June 2011.

 

E. dulcis (above)- note the smooth bulging semi-cylindrical papillae on the fruits compared with the low warty hemispherical papillae of E. platyphyllos (below). The latter has minutely serrated leaves and bracts, whereas E. dulcis has smooth margins.                          

(28) Veronica scutellata - Marsh Speedwell, the Reedmace Pool, in the Backwarden, Danbury        Common  May 2011.

(27) Catabrosa aquatica Water Whorl-grass. In a spring at the top of Oak Field, Mill Meadows Billericay, 28 May 2011. KJA. Vc18.

(26) Fumaria bastardii var. bastardii - Shoebury. Vc18. May 2010. Note concolorous upper petal without blackish wings and non-spathulate lower petal. KJA.

(25) Berberis vulgaris - one of the only bushes left in Essex, by Epping New Road, Epping Forest. Note the large drops of nectar inside the flowers. 1 May 2011. KJA.

 

(24) Metzgeria (fruticulosa) violacea  - showing the clusters of gemmae all round the attenuate apices.

(an epiphytic thalloid liverwort now rapidly colonizing Essex).

 

 

 

(23) Epilobium brachycarpum - new to this country. Found in Colchester by Jerry Heath 2004.

(22) Gnaphalium luteoalbum - this Cudweed is turning up in the sand-filled gaps in brick-paved garden fronts and drives all over Essex and also on at least one roadside verge. These plants were on a brick paved frontage in Stanway. (Scroll down for closeup of capituli).

(21) Senecio aquaticus - from Curtismill Green. Note flowers with ovoid pleated ligules looking like a Corn Marigold. Leaves pale green with large terminal lobe.

(20) Neottia nidus-avis and Neottia (Listera) ovata - Grays Chalk Quarry - May 2010. Ken Adams.

(19)  Poa bulbosa - viviparous form. Road verge. Brentwood. Found by Shirley Timmins May 2010. New to Essex.

(18) HELP - ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THIS CRUCIFER IS? DRAWN A BLANK SO FAR - Mark Duffell has identified it! Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis or Pak-Choi (Bok-Choy).

7) Syntrichia papillosa on Maple. Rowney Wood. 20 March 2010.

(16) Orthotrichum lyellii, large colony of 3cm high plants on young ash. Rowney Wood.  

20 March 2010.

(15) Orthotrichum stramineum - from Broakes Wood. February 2010. Found by Tim Pyner. Scroll down to enlargement showing unique cluster of hairs at base of seta.

(14) A throwback Bee Orchid mutant new to Essex, with development of the rolled lateral petals and the labellum suppressed, so that the calyx and corolla consist of two whorls of identical pink three-veined  tepals . Mary & Patrick Smith. Belhus Woods Country Park 2007. This form known by David Lang as 'peloric 2' has only been recorded once before in the U.K.: coastal sand-dunes Glamorgan 1990 and 1993.

 

 

 

(13) Guizotia abyssinica (Niger) bird seed alien.

 

(12) Amaranthus powellii new to Essex. Only otherwise recorded from Berks., W. Kent and Fife.

(11) Marchantia polymorpha susbsp. polymorpha found by Adrian Knowles in Marks Tey Brick Pit SSSI. Only the second recent record for the county. Note the wide continuous dark median-line that distinguishes it from the common subsp. ruderalis.

(10) Atriplex sagittata, new Essex alien. Has persisted along the edge of a layby on A13 for 3 years. Found by Tim Pyner.

 

(9) Epipactis phyllanthes var. degenera [Green-flowered Helleborine] Grays Chalk Quarry 31 07 09.

(8) Blysmus compressus Flat Sedge - still there in Hatfield Forest

 

(7) Burr Medick Medicago minima refound on Canvey. LNHS/EFC meeting 6 June 2009. (3 images - scroll down)

(6) Ivy-leaved Crowfoot. Ranunculus hederaceus, marshy stream, northern end of Curtismill Green. 7th April 2009. KJA. Extremely rare plant in Essex.

(5)  A new orchid for Essex: A single plant of Fragrant Orchid has turned up on the silt-lagoon at East Tilbury. It conforms to the Chalk-fragrant Orchid subspecies Gymnodenea conopsea subsp.conopsea.   Found by and photo taken by Ray Reeves. Note the extremely long narrow down-curving nectar spur at the back of the flower, and the narrow cylindrical spike (best observed on this photo at the top of the spike).

(Scroll down to the next one for close-up).

(4) The rare intergeneric hybrid grass x Agropogon littoralis (Perennial Beard Grass), a sterile cross between Agrostis stolonifera (Creeping Bent) and Polypogon monspeliensis (Annual Beard Grass), a spike of the latter being just visible bottom right. Taken June 2008 by Ray Reeves in the saline hollow just south of Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury.

(3) Pictures (below) of the two extreme mutant forms of Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) taken in the Warren Chalk pit N.R. by Bob Hills this June.

The white anthocyanin-less albino (first below) and the all-purple labellum form (second below). Note the short, fat conical nectar-spurs at the back of the flowers.

 

(2) A new moss for VC 18 South Essex, found by Brian Wurzell,  at Walthamstow Reservoirs:

 

(1)  A new alien escapee!