Old Finningley and Brooks Wood, Hurst Plantation

28^th April 2021

Leaders : John Scott and Kay McDowell

 At the end of April a small group of us went to Finningley, in the far south of vice county 63 close to the Nottinghamshire border to look for small early flowering specialities such as little mouse-ear (Cerastium semidecandrum).

The site known as ‘Old Finningley’ is an old RAF airfield base which was turned into Doncaster Sheffield airport in 2005. It is possible to see planes taking off but we were there to spot plants not aeroplanes. The site is dry, open sandy soil providing conditions for small annuals worth getting on your hands and knees for.

 We soon spotted little mouse-ear in flower, followed by the unusual leaf structure of spring beauty (Claytonia perfoliata) which has leaves united in a whorl below the white flower. Nearby were the leaves of smooth cat’s-ear (Hypochaeris glabra) which has been identified as vulnerable on the Red List of vascular plants. Shepherd’s cress (Teesdalia nudicaulis) was in flower and is a member of the crucifer family. Then we found the pinkish-purple flowers of common stork’s-bill (Erodium cicutarium), then small cudweed (Logfia minima), another annual. The cudweeds Filago and Gnaphalium look very similar, but Filago has receptacle bracts mixed with the outer florets whilst there are no receptacle bracts in Gnaphalium. We also saw changing forget-me-not (Myosotis discolor), so called because the flowers are pale yellow or cream at first, becoming pink, violet or blue and bird’s-foot (Ornithopus perpusillus), which has small white flowers and is quite rare. Spring vetch (Vicia lathyroides), another member of the pea family has been recorded here before but we didn’t see it this time. A taller plant than the miniature delights was bugloss (Lycopsis arvensis), which was not yet in flower.

After lunch we drove a couple of miles to Hurst Plantation and an area called Brooks Wood which is a mixed plantation woodland on sandy soil. In the next field we noticed a farmer chain harrowing, throwing up large clouds of dust, which reminded us of the last few months of very dry weather. Hurst Plantation is a former sand quarry which has been allowed to regenerate naturally and includes some areas of open water. Amongst the woodland we recorded sanicle (Sanicula europaea) with its attractive palmately-lobed leaves, a first record for this tetrad, and hard-fern (Blechnum spicant), a rare sight in this part of South Yorkshire. Further round we recorded yellow pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum), slender trefoil (Trifolium micranthum) and heath wood-rush (Luzula multiflorum) not quite in flower yet. In another wet area under willow scrub we saw sharp-flowered rush (Juncus acutiflorus) and pill sedge (Carex pilulifera).

 On the way back up the A1 I stopped off at Wentbridge church to see the masses of spring-sedge (Carex caryophyllea) flowering in the churchyard.

Photo credits : little mouse-ear photo by Jesse Tregale all others by Kay Woodward

 Wednesday, 8th Sptember 2021. Wessenden Moor / Featherbed Moss

Leader : Kay McDowell

We met on a warm, sunny day approx 26 degrees C with a light breeze, “not unlike Tenerife” exclaimed Mike. The weather was unusual as the car park is approximately 490 feet (150m) above sea level and quite often shrouded in mist and drizzle. Our aim was to concentrate on the recovering moors after drain blocking and cessation of grazing, in particular to look at ferns and willow scrub. This involved walking along the old Pennine Way and wandering off the path to look at interesting plants and potentially interesting areas.

 We didn’t have to walk far as just near the car park were six fir clubmoss (Hupherzia selago) growing in a peaty bare patch with some bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) growing nearby. The bog asphodel is a new record for tetrad SE 0506.

We examined the pale scales of narrow buckler-fern (Dryopteris carthusiana) and compared them with broad buckler-fern (Dryopteris dilitata) nearby. Mike showed us a feature of narrow buckler-fern, if you uncover the crown with your fingers digging down it is green in colour unlike broad buckler-fern which is brown.

We also recorded golden-scaled male-fern (Dryopteris affinis ssp. borreri) and looked at the ‘chanterelling’ indusia.

A small stand of grass caught our attention which appeared to be Calamagrostis, but unsure as to which one we decided to identify them using the key in ‘Hubbard’. The leaf-blade was hairy on its upper side which indicated it was purple small-reed (Calamagrostis canescens), unlike wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos) which has hairless leaf-blades. The purple small-reed is a new record for this 10km square.

 In a sheltered dip we came across polypody (Polypody vulgare) and Mike showed us the annulus with a X 20 lens, seeing the orange stripes was amazing as I’d only seen these using a microscope on The Fern Guide course with Chris and Hazel Metherell in 2019.

 About five metres from the path we saw several royal fern (Osmunda regalis), including a mature plant approximately 75cm to 1m in height producing spores which was unexpected due to the height above sea level.

 Mike and I saw a strange D. borreri with congested pinnules and a bald stripe either side of the scales on the stipe which may be D. lacunosa, also known as Alpine Male-fern, which according to James Merryweather is “more frequent in higher rainfall areas of the west”. Further investigation is needed next year.

 Everyone agreed it had been a lovely day. We had met up with a couple of Saddleworth Naturalists members after not seeing them for a couple years due to the pandemic.

Additional comments from Ken Gartside : I noted a couple of interesting larvae  up there......

Broom Moth - Ceramica pisi cat/larva as spotted by Margaret and the wonderfully named True Lover's Knot - Lycophotia porphyrea caterpillar...

Not to mention the Bibio pomonae – this is another Heathland/moors specialist whilst we were up there, they were tootling about with dangly legs, same genus as St Marks fly.

Daphne mezereon Friday 9th April 2021

Finding somewhere to park was more tricky than finding the plant on my first trip of the year in to South Yorkshire with fellow botanist John Scott. We were following up a record for Mezereon (Daphne mezereon) sent in by a keen-eyed conservation volunteer working on the Trans Pennine Trail near Penistone. Unfortunately, our planned parking spot, The Blacksmiths Arms in Millhouse Green was coned off due to work on the traffic lights but John soon found a parking spot near to the walking trail. We wanted to see the plant whilst it was still in flower as we thought the pink flowers would be easy to spot amongst the undergrowth. The site wasn’t the usual habitat for Mezereon which prefers limestone soil and VC 63 records are confined to Brockadale Nature Reserve. But rail tracks typically have a limestone aggregate trackbed which can support a limestone flora.

Once we were on path it didn’t take us long to find the plant at the foot of the former railway embankment. It was quite close to a farmhouse and other garden escapes were scattered around including Wilson’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida), Cotoneaster and Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris). The plant was about 1m in height and quite floriferous, the light green leaves were already out. I could detect a sweet scent from the beautiful flowers.

Kay Woodward

A new record for VC 63 and the Peak District National Park 

On our only vice-county 63 field trip last September a small group of four of us decided to record in previously unrecorded monads on Saddleworth Moor, in particular the Wessenden Moor area. 

We had just stopped for lunch in a sheltered clough when I first spotted this fern. I thought it looked a bit odd, maybe a bit thirsty and dried up. This is because this taxa has a crinkled appearance caused by the up-turned pinnules. The common name comes from the dried fronds smelling of hay. 

We ate our lunch then Peter and I had another look at this strange looking fern. Then Louise had a look at the stipe scales which have a horizontal darker band at the base of the scale where it is attached to the stipe and she also pointed out the purplish lower part of the frond stalk and suggested it was Dryopteris aemula (hay-scented buckler-fern). 

I was gobsmacked and couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Luckily, Louise had positively identified this species before in Western Scotland. I had seen it at Derwentwater in the Lake District whilst on The Fern Guide course in September 2019 but I certainly didn’t expect to see this fern in Yorkshire as it has an Atlantic fringe distribution and also occurs on the Weald and the Yorkshire Moors. 

We took photos and a grid reference and Louise emailed Mike a member of the Yorkshire Fern Group which is part of the British Pteridological Society who hadn’t been able to come with us on our trip. He confirmed the identification a couple of days later. During his visit he also noted the plant had about 20 fronds up to 51 cm in length and was growing at an altitude of 440 metres which he thought was remarkable because its typically a lowland plant and usually grows in woodlands with well-drained acid, peaty soils. 

Hay-scented buckler-fern is a new species for VC 63 and the Peak District National Park. The Vice County 63 recording group are planning to join up with Yorkshire Fern Group to monitor the hay-scented buckler-fern. Recently there has been a moorland fire close to the site of the fern which is worrying. 

I hope to record more monads this year in the west of vice county 63 including more areas of Saddleworth Moor, Heptonstall Moor and the Forest of Trawdon, which haven’t been surveyed since 1995, so there could be more hay-scented buckler-ferns out there!! 

 Kay Woodward

2020 New Year Plant Hunt - Warren Vale, Rawmarsh

2020 New Year Plant Hunt - Warren Vale, Rawmarsh

Leader : Louise Hill

Attendees:
Louise Hill
John Scott
Kay McDowell
Les Coe
Dave Swales
Marian Dutton

Meet in Rosehill Park car park for 10.30am, 2nd January 2020

Only 10 species were found to be in flower on the day. This list has been submitted to the BSBI 2020 Plant Hunt.

Bellis perennis (Daisy)
Geum urbanum (Wood Avens)
Lamium album (White Dead-nettle)
Myosotis arvensis (Field Forget-me-not)
Poa annua (Annual Meadow-grass)
Senecio  vulgaris (Groundsel)
Stellaria media (Common Chickweed)
Taraxacum agg. (Dandelion)
Ulex europaeus (Gorse)
Veronica persica (Common field-speedwell)

All of the flowering and  non-flowering plants identified will be added to Atlas 2020 records

Polypodium vulgare s.s.

Scientific Name	Common Name	Grid ref/Monad
Asplenium scolopendrium	Hart's-tongue	SK4497
Asplenium scolopendrium	Hart's-tongue	SK4397
Asplenium scolopendrium	Hart's-tongue	SK 44029 97944
Blechnum spicant	Hard-fern	SK 44029 97944
Dryopteris affinis agg.	Scaly Male Fern	SK4497
Dryopteris affinis agg.	Scaly Male Fern	SK4397
Dryopteris borreri	Borrer's Male-fern	SK 44058 97966
Dryopteris borreri	Borrer's Male-fern	SK 43881 97623
Dryopteris dilatata	Broad Buckler-fern	SK4497
Dryopteris dilatata	Broad Buckler-fern	SK4397
Dryopteris dilatata	Broad Buckler-fern	SK 44058 97966
Dryopteris filix-mas	Male-fern	SK4497
Dryopteris filix-mas	Male-fern	SK4397
Polypodium vulgare s.s.	Polypody	SK 44040 97972
Polystichum setiferum	Soft Shield-fern	SK 43844 97615
Polystichum setiferum	Soft Shield-fern	SK 43581 97802
Polystichum setiferum	Soft Shield-fern	SK 43570 97834
Polystichum setiferum	Soft Shield-fern	SK 44058 97966
Pteridium aquilinum	Bracken	SK4397
.	.	.
Acer platanoides	Norway Maple	SK4397
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore	SK4397
Achillea millefolium	Yarrow	SK4397
Agrostis capillaris	Common Bent	SK4397
Agrostis stolonifera	Creeping Bent	SK4397
Allium subhirsutum	Hairy Garlic	SK 43855 97597
Angelica sylvestris	Wild Angelica	SK4497
Anthoxanthum odoratum	Sweet Vernal-grass	SK4497
Anthriscus sylvestris	Cow Parsley	SK4497
Arrhenatherum elatius	False Oat-grass	SK4497
Arum maculatum	Lords-and-Ladies	SK4497
Betula pendula	Silver Birch	SK4497
Bromopsis ramosa	Hairy-brome	SK4497
Calluna vulgaris	Heather	.SK 43784 97827
Carex pendula	Pendulous Sedge	SK4397
Centaurea nigra s.s.	Common Knapweed	SK4397
Chamerion angustifolium	Rosebay Willowherb	SK4397
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	SK4497
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	SK4397
Cytisus scoparius	Broom	SK4397
Dactylis glomerata	Cock's-foot	SK4397
Deschampsia cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass	SK4497
Deschampsia cespitosa	Tufted Hair-grass	SK4397
Deschampsia flexuosa	Wavy Hair-grass	SK4397
Epilobium hirsutum	Great Willowherb	SK4397
Fagus sylvatica	Beech	SK4397
Ficaria verna	Lesser Celandine	SK4397
Fraxinus excelsior	Ash	SK4397
Galeopsis	Hemp nettle	SK4497
Galium saxatile	Heath Bedstraw	SK4397
Geranium lucidum	Shining Crane's-bill	SK4397
Geum urbanum	Wood Avens	SK4397
Glechoma hederacea	Ground-ivy	SK4497
Hedera helix	Common Ivy	SK4397
Hedera hibernica	Atlantic Ivy	SK4397
Heracleum sphondylium	Hogweed	SK4397
Holcus mollis	Creeping Soft-grass	SK4397
Hypericum calycinum	Rose-of-Sharon	SK4397
Hypochaeris radicata	Cat's-ear	SK4397
Ilex aquifolium	Holly	SK4397
Juncus effusus	Soft-rush	SK4397
Juncus effusus	Soft-rush	SK4497
Juncus inflexus	Hard Rush	SK4497
Lamium maculatum	Spotted Dead-nettle	SK4397
Lapsana communis	Nipplewort	SK4497
Ligustrum vulgare	Wild Privet	SK4397
Linaria vulgaris	Common Toadflax	SK4397
Luzula multiflora	Heath Wood-rush	SK4397
Malus sylvestris s.s.	crab apple	SK4397
Mercurialis perennis	Dog's Mercury	SK 44058 97966
Myosotis arvensis	Field Forget-me-not	SK4397
Oxalis acetosella	Wood-sorrel	SK 44058 97966
Phalaris arundinacea	Reed Canary-grass	SK4397
Pilosella officinarum	Mouse-ear-hawkweed	SK4397
Plantago lanceolata	Ribwort Plantain	SK4397
Plantago major	Greater Plantain	SK4497
Prunus avium	Wild Cherry	SK4397
Quercus robur	Pedunculate Oak	SK4397
Ranunculus repens	Creeping Buttercup	SK4397
Rosa arvensis	Field-rose	SK4397
Rosa canina agg.	Dog Rose	SK4397
Rubus fruticosus agg.	Bramble	SK4397
Rumex acetosa	Common Sorrel	SK4397
Rumex acetosella	Sheep's Sorrel	SK4397
Rumex obtusifolius	Broad-leaved Dock	SK4397
Salix alba x euxina = S. x fragilis	Crack-willow	SK4497
Sambucus nigra	Elder	SK4397
Scrophularia auriculata	Water Figwort	SK4497
Senecio jacobaea	Common Ragwort	SK4397
Stellaria alsine	Bog Stitchwort	SK4497
Taraxacum	Dandelion	SK4397
Taxus baccata	Yew	SK4397
Teucrium scorodonia	Wood Sage	SK4397
Tilia cordata x platyphyllos = T. x europaea	Lime	SK4397
Trifolium pratense	Red Clover	SK4397
Ulex europaeus	Gorse	SK4397
Urtica dioica	Common Nettle	SK4397
Veronica beccabunga	Brooklime	SK4397
Vicia sepium	Bush Vetch	SK4397
Vinca minor	Lesser Periwinkle	SK4397
Viola riviniana	Common Dog-violet	SK4397