Cornwall Botany Group Field Trip to the Lizard - 25/05/22

 The geology of the Lizard area is well documented as are the plants that grow there. However, it is a very large area and it would take a long time finding these rare plants unguided. So what better way to have an introduction to the area than with a guided botanical walk with the Cornwall Botanical Group.

This is a blog containing the rarer species found, along with anything else I found interesting on the day. As there are so many species I will limit my ramblings and show you as many photos as possible.

I'll start off with the rarer Clovers as many botanists and students studying ecology visit there to see them. Below is Twin headed Clover, though all the ones we saw this day had single flower heads (probably due to drought).

 Trifolium bocconei

 Upright Clover

Trifolium strictum

 Knotted Clover

Trifolium striatum

Rough Clover

Trifolium scabrum

Birdsfoot Clover

Trifolium ornithopioides

Slender Trefoil

Trifolium micranthum

Long Headed Clover

Trifolium incarnatum subsp molinerii

Western Clover, the biggest of all the above, but still half the size of White Clover.

Trifolium occidentale

So now you know there are a few more clovers than Red or White ones! 

 

Wild Chives on a rocky outcrop

Allium schoenoprasum

The red form of Shepherd's Purse, though I have seen ordinary plants looking as red as these. Im sure there are some other differences between them too. Found in the Lizard car park area.

Capsella rubella

Also found in the car park were copious amounts of Green Sea-spurrey, much smaller than our native ones found in salt marshes.

Spergulria bocconei

I learnt a new sedge to identify and have seen it in several places since this visit, Flea Sedge.

Carex pulicaria

Dropwort is quite at home on the poor soils of the serpentine rocks.

 I used to only see it on chalk back East.

Filipendula vulgaris

Found in the Lizard main car park was Western Ramping Fumitory, locally known as Cornish Ramping Fumitory as it's only found in Cornwall and is also endemic (only found here in the world).

Fumaria occidentale

Petty Whin is very rare most everywhere, a thin, spindly bush with weak spines. On the Lizard it sprawls through other plants and thrusts up the odd branch and flower cluster between them.

Genista anglica

A related species was also in flower which are very similar to those above, Dyer's Greenweed. It was the procumbent subspecies that can survive being blasted by salt laden gales that happen here frequently over the cooler months. Oh and what a view too!

Genista tinctoria subsp littoralis

 

Look for this type of sparse, thin soil over granite habitat for the tiny Clovers.

A change of rock led to a change of wildflower. This below was one of hundreds of Bloody Cranesbills.

Geranium sanguineum

Scattered over the rocks in places and also in the main Lizard car park was Fringed Rupturewort, one of several new species I saw today.

 Herniaria ciliolata

Spotted Cat's Ear, another rare species.

Hypochaeris maculata

A very rare fern, Land Quillwort. The corm is usually buried but this had been kicked up by cattle we suspect. It gave us a unique opportunity to see the whole plant. Spores form on the underside of the leaves to disperse the plant by wind.

Isoetes histrix

Toad Rush abounded, but we also found the very small Dwarf Rush, not far away from the Chives.

Juncus captitatus

One of the stars of the trip was this plant, parasitic on Wild Thyme, it was of course, Thyme Broomrape.

Orobanche alba

Pillwort is an even smaller fern, dispersing its spores by forming a pill like ball at the base of the simple frond. Found in dried up winter puddle areas.

Pilularia globulifera 

Another amazing plant to see was Spring Sandwort, a bit larger than its common cousins with proper petals too!

Sabulina verna

Incredible scenery surrounded many of these plants. Here's Dropwort with an amazing backdrop.

 

 

Below is Sea Milkwort, it was the only plant growing across a fault line where the types of rock beneath changed 

 

Lysimachia maritima

 

 

There were of course many more plants to see and marvel at, but I've shown the most unusual or rare. It's a fantastic place and the end of May is the best time to visit it.

After the field trip me and another member decided to visit an area nearby for bog plants and orchids. Not much was up yet, but we did find these gems.

 

Common Butterwort, the only site in Cornwall for this plant.

 

Pinguicula vulgaris

 

 Close by were numeorus Pale Butterworts, which is much more common in Cornwall. It's also smaller in all parts than Common Butterwort.

 

 Pinguicula lusitanica

 

Early Marsh Orchids looking great. These are much pinker than Kent's population which are very white in comparison.

Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp incarnata

 

 Heath Spotted Orchid, one of hundreds found here and in the Lizard coastal areas too.

 

Dactylorhiza maculata

 Finally, Round-leaved Sundew

 

Drosera rotundifolia

All the above and the field trip in general were taken in adverse weather. It was very windy and at times very wet, yet ironically the area is suffering from a drought, which seems commonplace in recent years for early Spring.

 

That finishes up my botanical finds for May, what a month is was too.

 

Take care

Dave

Twitter - @botany2021