ESSEX   BOTANY   AND   MYCOLOGY  GROUPS 

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

hot news:                                          Scroll down for 'Cold News 30-42'

As some people's computers do not have the capacity to load all the 'Cold News', entries 1-29 are cached separately.   

                                                                                           COLD NEWS 1-29 

 

(42) Agrostis canina (Velvet Bent) Unusual growth form, plants over wide area growing vertically up through brambles and proliferating at each node, most shoots at least 1m high. Recently coppiced area of Hadleigh Great Wood. 17 December 2011. Ken Adams.

             

(41) Frullania tamarisci (Tamarisk Scalewort) - New to Vc18. Large patch well lit west facing trunk of old Salix cinerea, by track. Gunpowder Park. Waltham Abbey. 8 October 2011. Ken Adams et Essex Bryology Group. Compare with F. dilatata third image down.

 

Frullania dilatata (Dilated Scalewort) below

(40) Euphorbia serpens (Round-leaved Spurge) - This tiny creeping spurge has turned up in two gardens in the Southend area in the last few weeks (September 2011) new to Essex. Tim Pyner had it in his garden in Shoeburyness and Colin Hutchinson had it in his mother's garden in Leigh-on-Sea. Photos of the latter specimen KJA. Scan down for closeups of the minute flowers and fruits.

 

(39) Althaea officinalis (Marsh Mallow) - found and photographed by Sue Grayston at Tilbury, August 2011. First record along the Thames since 1640.

 

(38) Cuscuta europeae (Greater Dodder) - localised to nettle beds along the north and south banks of the upper Stour. Photo of plants at Lamarsh courtesy of Peter Douch. August 2011.

                                                                                               

(37) Rostraria cristata (Mediterranean Hair-grass) - a rare alien found my Mary Smith on an industrial estate at Aveley. August 2011. Note the bifid transparent palea (arrowed below) and long silky hairs.[see also BSBI News 84. p45].

 

(36) Fumaria muralis (Common Ramping-fumitory) Note the non-spathulate lower lip with upturned margins and the dark wings to the upper petal. Loughton. July 2011. (Compare with Fumaria bastardii (26) lower down)

(35) Essex Calamints - the best way to separate them is by looking at the two lowest calyx teeth from below and noting the relative length of the hairs. Usually the C.a. flowers have reddish spots while the C.c. flowers are plain. The background colour depends on the substrate. On chalky soils C.a. can take on a pinkish hue.

(34) Ranunculus sardous  - floro-pleno form with stamens mutated to petals. Single plant Gunners Park, Shoebury. July 2011. Photo: George Hounsome.

(33) Centaurea jacea (Brown Knapweed)  Involucral bracts. Shoeburyness, July 2011.

  (32) Mentha  requienii (Corsican Mint)  New to Essex, 'goose-green' mud north side of Connaught Water, Epping Forest, 21 July 2011. (Tiny prostrate plant like mind-your-own-business, with minute flowers).

(30) Bromus secalinus (Rye Brome)  Basildon, in corner of wheat field. June 2011.  Note that the palea is as long as the lemma, and that the latter is wrapped around the caryopsis (young grain). Basildon Wildflower Group meeting.

PRESS THE COLD NEWS BUTTON  AT TOP FOR EARLIER 'HOT NEWS' ENTRIES