Cornwall Botany - May 2026

 My health issues worsened through May and I could barely walk. I eventually paid privately to see a rheumatologist and was prescribed steroids. This enabled me to get out a few times at the end of this month, though I am far from better. Here's what I found.

 

After a tip off from my VCR, I went to see Moonwort, a tiny fern that has been elusive to me to date. It's a rarity anyway, and very small, so very hard to see, even in short grass. I had grid references for three plants and still only managed to find one. Thankfully, it was at chest height on a roadside bank, which meant I could photograph it easily. 

Botrychium lunaria

Here's a habitat photo where it was found on the Bodmin Moor.

 

 

Whilst there for the Moonwort, I took the opportunity to look for other plants, given I'd been laid up for weeks. The first plants I noticed were rushes, namely Toad Rushes.

Juncus bufonius

 Then a different type of rush, Heath Wood-Rush. This has two subspecies, one with the inflorescence in a tight ball (as below) and one where the inflorescence is split into small umbels (subsp multiflora). The latter being the more common.

Luzula multiflora subsp congesta

 

I can rarely identify Bodmin Moor Eyebrights as they are usually minute. Constant grazing of the area keeps the plant very small and they will typically only have one flower per plant as a result. This type of plant wouldn't fit the key in the Euphrasia Handbook at all.

Euphrasia species

 

Heath Milkwort is reasonably common on the Moor, but it usually has deep blue flowers. Near the Moonwort, I found some with white flowers with just a hint of blue in them. If you are in an area where you might find Common and Heath Milkworts, you need to check the lower leaves: they are opposite in Heath and alternate in Common Milkworts. Note also, that you may have to look at leaf scars on the stem as the lower leaves often fall off by flowering time.

Polygala serpyllifolia

Lousewort was flowering too.

Pedicularis sylvatica

  

Heath Speedwell was the last flower I photographed on the Moor.

Veronica officinalis

 

 Nearby were some rosettes of Greater Butterfly Orchids and one of them was sending up a flower shoot. It may abort this due to the hot, dry weather (several days over 30 degrees!). I know this isn't Lesser Butterfly as I recorded these plants here a couple of years ago when in flower.

 Platanthera chlorantha

 

On the way home I stopped by the old A30 near Victoria Services and walked along the road verges. I found some nice plants here.

Yellow Rattle is a native plant in Cornwall and it was abundant in places along the verges. This feeds off grasses and weakens them enabling other, less competitive species to grow too.

Rhinanthus minor

 

Pignut was flowering along the verges, with its feathery like stem leaves.

Conopodium majus

 

In a damp ditch by the roadside, Ragged Robin was flowering.

Silene flos-cuculi

 

Growing in the kerb (and not in soil as such) were two unusual plants, the first being Changing Forget-me-not

Myosotis discolor subsp dubia

 

And the second species being some Corn Spurry, usually found in arable field edges.

Spergula arvensis

 

A new monad record species was Oval Sedge, of which there were many on a road verge.

 

Carex leporina

 

 

 

Of course, on herb rich road verges, one is likely to find orchids and there were plenty of Southern Marsh Orchids growing all along the grassy road verges.

Dactylorhiza praetermissa

 

 I'm always looking for the unusual when looking at orchids, and a tall hybrid caught my eye. With its hybrid vigour, petals with lines and loops (not dots) and spotted leaves, it was clearly the hybrid between Southern Marsh and Heath Spotted Orchids. The latter being about 1km away, the former 1m away! I would say it is the most common orchid hybrid in Cornwall.

 D. x hallii

 

 Here's both the hybrid and Southern Marsh in situ.

 

It took me three days to recover enough to go out again, this time for a short walk around Par Sands. There were plenty more Southern Marsh Orchids here and surprisingly, those in the dunes had gone to seed, no doubt due to heat and drought.

In a meadow inland a bit, I did find a so called Leopard Orchid, which is basically a Southern Marsh Orchid with spotted leaves. Not the best photo, but I only had my phone with me that day and the plant was growing in the shade.

Dactylorhiza praetermissa var. junialis

 

Japanese Rose is invasive and it had colonised large areas of the dunes. Efforts had been made to eradicate it, but it keeps coming back.

Rosa rugosa

 

Sea Bindweed was flowering in the dunes.

Calystegia soldanella

And finally, Sea Knotgrass was flowering, a rare plant, but often found here.

Polygonum maritimum

Having not over exerted myself, I managed a short trip the next day to the north coast near Polzeath. Babington's Leek was about to flower. It's fairly common on the north coast around Wadebridge, but quite rare elsewhere. 

 

Allium ampeloprasum subsp babingtonii 

 

 Two thistles caught my eye, Musk Thistle about to flower.

Carduus nutans

 

 

 And Slender Thistle in flower.

Carduus tenuiflorus

 

 

Fiddle Dock has an unmistakable look about it, with branches going off horizontally. It's supposed to have the lower leaves shaped like a fiddle (violin), but that isn't always the case. Here it is predominantly a coastal species.

 

Rumex pulcher

 

Heath Groundsel was doing well on Cornish Hedges, behind barbed wire that protected it from sheep. They can grow to around two feet tall.

 

Senecio sylvaticus

 

 

 Some very large Sheep's-bit were flowering in shade between some boulders.

 

Jasione montana

 

Two days later and I take a walk around the block where I live with a slight detour into a disused field that will soon be built on. It's a species rich area and many species were now in flower. Here's some of the plants.

 

Common Cudweed was prolific in the meadow awaiting construction to begin. Let's hope some of the seeds make it off site before its all flattened.

 

Filago germanica 

 

Common Broomrape was parasitising Clovers on a grass verge with 15 spikes flowering, yet 3 years ago, there was just the one spike.

 

Orobanche minor subsp minor

 

 

Hop Trefoil was present with easily over a thousand plants in flower.

 

Trifolium campestre 

 

 Lesser Trefoil was nearby.

 

Trifolium dubium

 

 

 A few years ago I discovered some patches of Rough Clover here and I was pleased to see it still there and currently thriving in the dry conditions.

 

Trifolium scabrum

 

 In amongst them, I noticed a different clover with softly hairy leaves and a single pinkish flower. On closer inspection it was a Subterranean Clover, a new species for the monad too, so a nice find.

 

Trifolium subterraneum

 

Knotted Hedge Parsley on a road verge.

Torilis nodosa

 

Finally, Common Vetch. I did of course, see lots more flowers and species, including many grasses but it would take a lot of space to show them all.

 

Vicia sativa subsp segetalis

 

 It took another day to recover before I could venture out again which just happened to be the last day of May. The weather was breaking and rain was coming in the next few days to break the drought. I thought I would end the month with another trip to the Bodmin Moor, but a different area called Harpur's Downs. Here's what I found as I hobbled around the Moor.

 

 

Sedges were prolific and two that I photographed were:

 

Pill Sedge - Carex pilulifera

 

 Star Sedge - Carex echinata

 

 

Round-leaved Sundews growing on drought dried sphagnum moss. These are a small, carnivorous plant that eats insects that land on its sticky leaves. There are records for Intermediate Sundews too, but I didn't spot any this trip.

 

Drosera rotundifolia

 

 

Both species of Cottongrass were in seed, with their cottony bits waving about in the breeze.

 

Common Cottongrass - Eriophorum angustifolium 

 

 

Harestail Cottongrass - Eriophorum vaginatum

 

 

Heath rush starting to flower - Juncus squarrosus

 

By a stream were lots of Creeping Forget-me-nots which have pale blue flowers, and stem hairs erect throughout. the calyx teeth are longer than wide too, all points to consider when identifying this group of plants.

 

Myosotis secunda

 

 

 Nearby, I noticed a grass I'd not seen before. I probably had, but if it wasn't in flower, you'd just see a tuft and not realise what it was. It was Mat-grass, a small, tufted grass with narrow needle like leaves.

 

Nardus stricta

 

 Heath Bedstraw was flowering profusely, but where sheep could graze them, the plants were tiny. However, high up on a Cornish Hedge, they could grow bigger.

 

Galium saxatile

 

 English Stonecrop is common on the stone walls of moorland Cornish Hedges. Elsewhere it is mainly restricted to coastal areas.

 

Sedum anglicum 

 

 

Finally, some Mouse-ear Hawkweed, two from the Moor and the last one from Wadebridge, showing different aspects of this attractive little plant.

 

Pilosella officinarum

 

 

That rounds off May.

 

I have hope of some more effective treatment, but I can't see a NHS consultant until July, so I will likely have another month of pain and limited movement, especially in my knees. Hopefully, it will clear up on its own as it's Reactive Arthritis I have and not the type where the bones are falling apart (Osteo-arthritis). In the meantime, I will still try and go out when I can, even if its painful and difficult as I can't stand staying indoors!

 

Until next time.

Dave