Met up with Gareth Knass today and visited a few botanical hot spots in Oxfordshire. We visited Lye Valley Nature Reserve, Sydlings Copse, Pryton Hill and Aston Rowant. Sites
Lye Valley (Calcareous Fen habitat)
The stunning Marsh Helleborine
Lye Valley
Marsh Woundwort
Parsley Water-dropwort
Marsh Lousewort
Marsh Pennywort (also Marsh Valerian in pic)
Flea Sedge. Gareth also found Brown, Carnation, Common, Few-flowered Spike-rush, Glaucous, Pendulous, Long-stalked Yellow Sedge and Greater Tussock Sedge.
Lesser Pond Sedge- identified by the acute angled ligule
Marsh Arrowgrass
Cotton Grass
Marsh Helleborine again
Sydlings Copse (Limestone grassland)
Rough Hawkbit was abundant in the limestone grassland habitat.
Common Fragrant Orchid
Wild Liquorice
Pryton Hill and Aston Rowant (Chalk Grasslands)
Views from the Chiltern Ridge
Frog Orchid
Pyramidal Orchids and Yellow-wort
Thyme-leaved Sandwort
Squinancywort
Yellow-wort
The very rare Small-leaved Sweet-Briar on left compared to Dog Rose on right
Small-leaved Sweet-Briar- the thorns are broader based than other roses
One of the main features of Rosa agestris (Small-leaved Sweet Briar) is the glandular texture on the underside of the leaves
The glands also extend to the rachis
The fruit stalks of Small-leaved Sweet Briar are long and bare
Small flowered Sweet-briar for comparison showing the prickled flower stalk
Hairy Dog Rose- the underside of the leaves have hairs rather than glands
and another Rose for the day- Field Rose.
In short- an epic day! Thanks a lot Gareth and looking forward to next botany exploration trip soon.
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