My Latest Finds in Cornwall, Winter 2022

 The cold weather arrived in late December and stayed with us for over two weeks, finishing off most species that were still flowering before it. This blog covers the more interesting plants I found in November and early December before the big freeze up.

On a trip to Breney Common in November, I came across a pond stuffed full of Parrot's Feather, an invasive aquatic alien plant, kindly introduced to our waterways by the aquarium/pond trade. It's an attractive plant, but forms dense mats of floating vegetation that shades out other species.

Myriophyllum aquaticum

A few Cross-leaved Heath were still in flower along with a few Bell Heather too.

Erica tetralix

Also in a pond were lots of spikes of Water Horsetail which are related to ferns.

Equisetum fluviatile

On someone's parking area by a rural road were growing lots of Cinquefoil. Looking closer, I found 4 and 5 merrous (petalled) flowers and all seedpods were sterile, making this the hybrid between Creeping and Trailing Cinquefoil (or possibly Tormentil as a parent too).

Potentilla x mixta s.l.

Water Figwort is the commonest Figwort in Cornwall, followed by Common, though these Balm-leaved Figwort appear quite frequently too, so it is important to check the leaves to identify these properly. The one below was flowering as it had been cut recently and this often triggers plants to flower again.

Scrophularia scorodonia

On a grave in a cemetery were some conspicuous white flowered Speedwells. Fortunately seeds were present, and the glandular hairs mixed with normal hairs absent and the fruits being parallel showed this to be Green Speedwell and not the commoner Common Field Speedwell.

Veronica agrestis

Near the end of November, Wild Strawberry was flowering along a rural road verge.

Fragaria vesca

Along an arable field edge I found 20 or so plants of Field Woundwort, a new monad record here. Other unusual plants present but not in flower were Corn Marigold and Spear-leaved Fluellen.

Stachys arvensis

I also found a Field Pansy in flower and this late season Common Dog Violet.

Viola riviniana

Winter Heliotrope was about to come into flower at the end of November. As I write this on New Year's Eve, they are in flower all over the county now.

Petasites pyrenaicus

On the last day of November, I visited Rock Dunes and found this grazed off Yellow-wort coming into flower at the top of a quarry.

Blackstonia perfoliata

Tiny toadstools are often present in turf and dunes and are often overlooked. Look how tiny this one was next to a £1 coin. I have no idea of the species it was though.

Not so easy to miss was Dog's Vomit Slime Mould, a lovely name to be sure!

At another coastal location on the north coast, I found a group of all white flowered Common Storksbill, growing on spoil left over from nearby building site work.

Erodium cicutarium

A small clump of Tall Ramping Fumitory was also still flowering. I've featured these before as I had some grow naturally in my garden too. The top petal lacks the black or red colouring found on other large-flowered (11mm + long petals) fumitories.

Fumaria bastardii subspecies bastardii

That rounds off 2022, which was an exciting first year in Cornwall. I found so many new species I'd not seen before and even discovered some plants new or rarely found in Cornwall too. I didn't find all the species I wanted to see, which is good for the coming season as I still have new plants to find.

Have a Happy New Year and I hope that 2023 is a good one.

Regards

Dave