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B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter - Issue 5 (2018)
B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter - Issue 5 (2018)
In this Issue:
Woodgate Valley
- the first year of a new project to record
the flora of this important site
Sutton Park
An update on Lichen, Bryophyte and Fungi recording – plus
we use a drone to capture some amazing aerial footage.
The Leasowes
Introducing Birmingham and the Black Country’s newest SSSI!
Plus, other highlights from 2018
including site visit reports from:
Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine)
Woodgate Valley, July 2018 Pelsall North Common | Balaam’s Wood
Epichloë species are ecologically significant through their During surveys in Woodgate Valley this year we discovered it
effects on host plants. Their presence has been shown to on Red Fescue Festuca rubra and Creeping Soft-grass Holcus
alter the composition of plant communities by restricting mollis.
the reproduction of its host plant.
We have now recorded it on three separate grass species in
There are several different species of Epichloë in the UK, B&BC, suggesting that at least three different types could be
and each one affects a specific grass species or closely- involved. Members should look out for it during the summer
related group of species. and record the grass species it is infecting.
brook close to West Boulevard where a fantastic display of In June the recording focussed on an outlying area of the
cowslips can be seen. Country Park at Kitwell, a short walk from the Visitor Centre
and which represents an eastern continuation of the ancient
Illey countryside, in particular some of the species-rich
meadows, which overlook the M5 and the Illey area beyond.
The meadows have a neutral base status but also have some
damp tendencies in places making them species-rich and
containing some of our more unusual species. These include
Great Burnet, Betony, Oval Sedge, Ragged-robin, Bistort, and
two species of orchid. We were holding out some hope that
we might have been able to find Saw-wort Serratula tinctoria,
an unusual plant known from this type of meadow and at this
location. A field pond supported Greater Spearwort and
Eastern meadow
nearby dampness Great Horsetail.
Along the trackway north of the Bourn Brook at the western In the damper areas, at the base of the slope close to the M5
end, we found native Black Poplar Populus nigra subsp Motorway, there are good populations of Giant Horsetail. We
betulifolia, Bistort Persicaria bistorta, Soft Shield-fern also found Choke fungus Epichloë sp., a group of species
Polystichum setiferum and notably Bitter-vetch Lathyrus associated with various grasses, in several places; in this case
linifolius in a broad-leaved form. Orange-tip butterflies were found on both Red Fescue and Creeping Soft-grass.
much in evidence on both visits.
Given the hot sunny weather, there was no shortage of
butterflies and day-flying moths. The meadows were notable
for populations of Burnet Companion and Silver-Y, and the
more unusual Chimney Sweeper supported by good
scatterings of its host plant, Pignut. Large Skipper was also
seen.
5 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
The 19th June saw a Botanical Society field visit led by Ian Late June and early July's visits focussed on the south-facing
Trueman when we re-visited the low-lying area parallel to slope of the main Woodgate Valley, particularly the central
the Bourn Brook at the western end of the main valley which and western compartments.
we recorded during the work for the Flora. Previously, there
was much plant diversity in the marsh, wet grassland and Here are areas of plantation, secondary woodland (hiding
meadow. Since, willow scrub, tall herbs and bramble have some former old hedgerows), scrub, tall herb and fern, and a
invaded to reduce the area of greatest interest. large flat meadow at the western end. This meadow is
naturally dampish, though not given the scorching weather
we experienced. It is quite diverse with a flower-rich sward
with pockets of hybrid Common Spotted x Southern Marsh-
orchids in several places. Also of note is a patch of Hoary
Ragwort Senecio erucifolius formed of several plants towards
the eastern end. Explosions of ringlet butterflies and several
marbled whites were a feature during the recording work. It
was important to finish the meadow recording before the
middle of July, as the 15th was the date for the
commencement of the Valley's mowing regimes.
Horse-grazed pastures
Later in July, recording focussed on an outlying area of the In August, further recording of the horse-grazed pastures
Country Park to the south-east near Barnes Hill. took place and along the Bourn Brook and in the adjoining
areas where tall herb and scrub predominate. A small partly
The prospect of this part of the park has changed much with culverted tributary of the brook on its northern flank was
the building of a large supermarket, taking part of the park investigated and its banks supported several good examples
itself and resulting in the movement of the Stonehouse of Soft Shield-fern Polystichum setiferum. Despite being
Brook, a tributary of the Bourn Brook. A sustainable drainage heavily grazed in places, the horse pastures proved
scheme has been constructed using Common Reed botanically interesting, especially where there was some
Phragmites australis. Much of the former grassland in this dampness. Further Hoary Ragwort and patches of
area has now succeeded to scrub, tall herb and bramble. I Sneezewort were recorded, and the defunct hedge
was looking forward to finding Wood Small-reed boundaries appeared to be of some age with banks and
Calamagrostis epigejos but it was not in evidence. The tree ditches in evidence. Botanical interest in the areas of tall
plantations have contributed to areas of secondary herb appears to be limited, though this habitat is important
woodland. Many gatekeeper butterflies were evident along in supporting a range of invertebrates and provides a
the footpaths. valuable food source for many other species including birds
and small mammals. It also provided several boxes of
We also tried again to find Saw-wort in one of the meadows
blackberries for the freezer!
at Kitwell but failed. We also examined the secondary
woodland on the south-facing slope in more detailed fashion All in all, this has been a successful and rewarding project to
discovering many more Broad-leaved Helleborines. There date and well worth undertaking. I would like to thank those
was a great deal of variety in the sizes of plants and the members who have helped with the recording through the
number of flowers of the inflorescences. Some of the tops of summer, including (in no particular order) Anne Brookes,
the plants had been bitten off! At this point the meadow Roger and Pam Parkes, Ali Glaisher, Mike Poulton, Yoke van
management had begun. I noticed that the cowslip meadow der Meer, Charlene Jones, Ian Trueman, Richard Orton and
had been cut and was being baled. I was pleased that the Shirley Hancock. Also a thank you to Sara Carvalho and Andy
meadows have been recorded. Slater from EcoRecord for their support, and the City Council
ranger staff at Woodgate Valley, including Theresa Terry,
Simon Callaghan and Daler Singh.
I had recorded the pungent-scented Heath Groundsel In a less extreme year this open, grassy vegetation includes
Senecio sylvaticus there back in 2008. This had only six many interesting species, such as American Blue-eyed-grass
other recent records, all in the periphery of the Sisyrynchium montanum and Eyebright Euphrasia sp.. The
conurbation (there is also a very recent record at Sutton exposures of what I take to be furnace slag as you approach
Park). the canal junction were dotted with a flowering member of
the Hawkweed Hieracium sabaudum agg., with tall, many-
leaved flowering stems.
BALAAM’S WOOD
19th April 2018
Balaam’s Wood is a beautiful ancient woodland in Rubery in Clambering down the river bank near the eastern entrance,
the south-western tip of Birmingham – further south than the there were patches of the acid-yellow flowers of Opposite-
Clent Hills and so far west it is on the Wolverhampton/Dudley leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and at
OS Explorer Map rather than the Birmingham one. least one plant of one of the Golden-scaled Male-ferns
Dryopteris affinis agg. – the new crosiers were suitably scaly
It is somewhat beset by housing on its southern, western and and the old leaves had dark blotches at the bases of the pinnae,
northern flanks and by a large factory complex to the east. It all but it was too early and the new leaves had not expanded
lies within SO 9978. Seven of us met Linda, Penny and Geoff sufficiently to allow us to attempt to refer it to one of the three
from the Friends’ Group at 11 am. The River Rea runs along the constituent species (John Day has recorded Dryopteris borreri
southern flank of the wood, with a well-maintained path, and here). We also noted Hart’s-tongue fern Asplenium
we followed this from east to west to start with. scolopendrium in the river banks – it seems to be getting
commoner and commoner – and (less welcome) the shiny
In places, the river and path show the remains of a long-closed
evergreen leaves of Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus and the
railway track, evidenced mainly by some cinders in the river
tiny evergreen leaves of the Box-leaved Honeysuckle Lonicera
banks, but there is plenty of evidence of old wood status along
the main path, with some lovely patches of Wood Anemone pileata, garden escapes both.
Anemone nemorosa in full flower, also Greater Stitchwort
Stellaria holostea and Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis. Also
we found one tiny patch of Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, so
easily missed even a little later in the season. And of course,
drifts of Lesser Celendine Ficaria verna. Most is probably
subspecies fertilis (previously known as Ranunculus ficaria var
fertilis), although later, on the other side of the wood, there
were some larger-flowered plants which had already developed
bulbils in the leaf axils and were recorded as subsp. verna
(which used to be Ranunculus ficaria subsp. bulbifer. Thank
you, Clive Stace!). Chrysosplenium oppositifolium
Ian Trueman
Looking out west from the entrance on Manor Lane are two
rolling unimproved pastures known collectively as Stennel’s
fields, which is where much of the flora and fungal interest lies.
The results were greater than we had dared to hope for. Many
of the more historic species were still present including the RDB
Date Waxcap, plus four new species were found. The results
focused our surveying by informing us where we may find each
species and their relative abundance within a 30m quadrat.
This investigation kick-started the push for SSSI status. By 2016
an additional 6 species had been recorded and we were asked
to put together an initial supporting document for the regional
Heath-grass Danthonia decumbens
Natural England team to select candidate SSSIs.
15 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
The second Stennels field contains yet more MG5c and, though
strangely lacking Devil’s-bit Scabious, other positive indicators
are here in greater abundance including Self-heal Prunella
vulgaris, Quaking-grass Briza media and Pignut Conopodium
majus which hosts a colony of Chimney Sweeper Odezia atrata
moths in June.
recently returned to a traditional hay cutting regime, yet the Expansions to existing SSSIs undergo the same process as new
flora and fungi are already responding. A small colony of designations.
Devil’s-bit Scabious has established with other key indicators
and Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, was found for the first time It was clear that all the grasslands managed here by the Dudley
since 1987. MBC wardens should be included but questions remained over
where to draw our boundaries. How much of the golf course
Closer to the wardens’ base there’s a similar story, the and woodland should be included? Initial fruit-body surveys in
reversion to traditional management from amenity cutting and 2017 found few grassland fungi species and only one waxcap.
increasing the fungi survey area has yielded more species
considered rare on site. Oily Waxcap Hygrocybe quieta, a Fortunately Natural England funded a second round of DNA
robust yellow chrome waxcap with an oily smell and Spangle surveying focusing on under-recorded but apparently suitable
Waxcap Hygrocybe insipida a small bright waxcap with a areas of the golf course to assess its potential for waxcaps. Yet
distinctive red top to the stem have been found here. The again the results were much better than anticipated. In terms
grasslands are more neutral in nature with large colonies of of species richness and number of hyphae in the soil, the data
Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus supporting a was comparable with the better recorded fields. An additional
population of Six-belted Clearwing moths Bembecia fruit-body survey this year with the Natural England field team
ichneumoniformis, swathes of Field Scabious Knautia arvensis revealed three more waxcap species including Slimy Waxcap
with interspersed Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare and a Gliophorus irrigatus and Scarlet Waxcap Hygrocybe coccinea,
newly established colony of Common Spotted-orchid both good indicators on the mossy banks of the 2nd green.
Dactylorhiza fuchsii.
All mapped Leasowes CHEGD records to Feb 2019. Colours represent individual species (i.e. green circles =
Parrot Waxcap)
17 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
The final decision was made on Tuesday the 22nd of January 2019 and
declared on the 7th of February. Following this, we have now entered
Parrot Waxcap Gliophorus psittacinus
a four-month public consultation. The SSSI has been notified for the
assemblage of waxcap fungi; currently standing at 28 species and
ranked the 4th richest site in England, and for its lowland grassland
communities totalling 1.08 ha of MG5.
None of this would have been possible without the hard work of Nick
Williams over his 32 years of recording grassland fungi here at the
Leasowes, David Antrobus for his microscopic examination of some
very cryptic specimens, Dr Gareth Griffith at Aberystwyth University
and Katie Lloyd at Natural England.
Pink Waxcap Porpolomopsis calyptriformis
Perry Adams .
.
18 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
Anyone who did not study lichens before the 1980s will be
fascinated by the following paragraph compiled from James’
1977 notes, which seem to describe a different world from the
modern situation, especially the abundance of Lecanora Melanohalea laciniatula, showing the highly dissected central
conizaeoides and the paucity of lichen species on branches: portion of its thallus. This species was recorded for the first time in
Sutton Park on a willow stem near Little Bracebridge Pool in May
Within areas of ancient woodland Lepraria incana was found to 2017.
be very frequent. Lecanora conizaeoides was occasional but
became dominantly abundant at their margins. Chaenotheca Hypogymnia physodes, H. tubulosa and Melanelixia subaurifera
ferruginea was found in dry bark crevices of old Quercus trees, were rare. Physcia tenella, Xanthoria parietina and X. polycarpa
possibly as the only relic species of a pre-industrial lichen were all rare and restricted to isolated nutrient-rich wound
colonisation. In the tree canopies, the branches were largely tracks. Cladonia coniocraea and C. macilenta were frequent at
bare or had a more or less continuous algal cover. Species the bases of trees and on rotting wood. There was a single
recorded from tree branches were Lecanora conizaeoides record of Hypocenomyce scalaris, and Dimerella pineti was
which was frequent, Parmelia saxatilis was common, P. sulcata, noted as an increasing species at the bases of shaded old trees.
19 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
Powell & James (2010) reported 156 lichen taxa from their Lichens have a justified reputation for being difficult to identify.
surveys during the period 2008 and 2010, though a few of More than most other groups of organisms, historic lists
these have since been reinterpreted or are now considered require a certain amount of sceptical scrutiny. The surveys
doubtful. This compares with the twenty-seven species noted conducted during the period 2008 to 2010 involved a
by James in 1977 and 148 recorded during 2017. These raw lichenologist whose eyesight and faculties were declining
numbers do not tell the whole story. The surveys during 2008 accompanied by a relative beginner. Fortunately, all the
to 2010 involved more days of recording and covered Sutton specimens collected during those surveys were retained and
Park more thoroughly than either the earlier or later surveys. this, along with increased knowledge of the taxa involved, has
allowed some reinterpretation of species as follows:
Some species which would have been unrecognised in 2010 are
now familiar to British lichen recorders (an example is Bacidia adastra: this record should be treated as tentative since bright
Verrucaria obfuscans which was added to the British list in green algal crusts were sometimes misinterpreted as sorediate Bacidia
2015). Some lichens have been lost when structures have been species.
removed, for example the large limestone boulders that were Bacidia inundata: unfortunately, it will not be possible to re-examine
formerly present at the east end of Powell’s Pool. this occurrence which was on large shaded boulders at the east end of
Powell’s Pool (now removed). It was sterile and would have identified
Our impression is one of increasing diversity, especially of because of the fimbriate margin, and I feel it is much more likely to
corticolous lichens (growing on bark). Notable additions to the have been B. fuscoviridis.
corticolous communities since 2010 are Catillaria nigroclavata,
Halecania viridescens, Hyperphyscia adglutinata, Melanohalea Bacidia saxenii: this specimen from a chemically-treated fence post
laciniatula, Micarea coppinsii, Normandina pulchella, is redetermined as B. chloroticula.
Psoroglaena stigonemoides, Punctelia borreri and P. reddenda. Caloplaca cerinelloides: a specimen growing on a willow trunk, with
These lichens have all shown a dramatic increase across the 8-spored asci, is much more likely to be C. holocarpa which
Midland Counties of England and all are likely to be recent sometimes occurs on nutrient-rich bark.
colonists at Sutton Park.
Chrysothrix flavovirens: It is just possible that this species was
correctly identified on the oldest oak trees but most records are
likely to be due to misidentification of algal crusts.
Table of all accepted lichen records for Sutton Park (1977 to 2017)
Column A - gives the standard British Lichen Society number for each taxon.
Column B - gives the name of each taxon.
Column C - indicates presence in Sutton Park in 1977.
Column D - indicates presence in Sutton Park in the period 2008-2010.
Column E - indicates presence in Sutton Park in 2017.
A B C D E A B C D E
212 Amandinea punctata x x 376 Cladonia humilis x
64 Arthonia lapidicola x 396 Cladonia macilenta x x x
68 Arthonia punctiformis x x 403 Cladonia ochrochlora
69 Arthonia radiata x x 404 Cladonia parasitica x
1540 Arthopyrenia analepta x 408 Cladonia polydactyla var. polydactyla x x
1542 Arthopyrenia punctiformis x x 409 Cladonia portentosa x x
107 Aspicilia contorta subsp. contorta x x 410 Cladonia pyxidata x
Aspicilia contorta subsp. 359 Cladonia ramulosa x
113 x x
hoffmanniana 415 Cladonia scabriuscula x
140 Bacidia chloroticula x 422 Cladonia subulata x x
2502 Bacidia sulphurella x x 751 Clauzadea monticola x
176 Baeomyces rufus x x 429 Cliostomum griffithii x
179 Belonia nidarosiensis x 459 Collema tenax var. tenax x
165 Bilimbia sabuletorum x 911 Cyrtidula hippocastani x
200 Buellia aethalea x x 912 Cyrtidula quercus ## x x
1546 Buellia badia x 489 Dimerella pineti x x x
207 Buellia griseovirens x x 511 Evernia prunastri x x
2503 Caloplaca albolutescens x 2285 Fellhanera viridisorediata x
2442 Caloplaca arcis x x 987 Flavoparmelia caperata x x
2371 Caloplaca asserigena x 1018 Flavoparmelia soredians x x
242 Caloplaca cerinella x x 521 Fuscidea lightfootii x x
263 Caloplaca chlorina x 533 Graphis scripta x
247 Caloplaca citrina s.lat. x x 1704 Halecania viridescens x
249 Caloplaca crenulatella x x 1125 Hyperphyscia adglutinata x
259 Caloplaca flavescens x 578 Hypocenomyce scalaris x x
2315 Caloplaca flavocitrina x x 582 Hypogymnia physodes x x x
2527 Caloplaca holocarpa s. str. x 583 Hypogymnia tubulosa x x x
2607 Caloplaca limonia x 1013 Hypotrachyna revoluta x
2461 Caloplaca oasis x x 2468 Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta x
271 Caloplaca obscurella x 2577 Hypotrachyna revoluta s. str. x
281 Caloplaca teicholyta x 547 Jamesiella anastomosans x x
284 Caloplaca variabilis x 613 Lecania cyrtella x x
289 Candelaria concolor x x 616 Lecania erysibe x
291 Candelariella aurella f. aurella x x 1707 Lecania inundata x
297 Candelariella reflexa x x 159 Lecania naegelii x x
298 Candelariella vitellina f. vitellina x x 627 Lecanora albescens x x
306 Catillaria chalybeia var. chalybeia x x 2121 Lecanora barkmaniana x
316 Catillaria nigroclavata x Lecanora campestris subsp.
635 x x
344 Chaenotheca ferruginea x x x campestris
1925 Chrysothrix flavovirens 636 Lecanora carpinea x x
371 Cladonia chlorophaea s.lat. x x x 639 Lecanora chlarotera x x
375 Cladonia coniocraea x x x 1996 Lecanora compallens x x
374 Cladonia coccifera s. lat. x 641 Lecanora confusa x x
1749 Cladonia diversa x x 643 Lecanora conizaeoides f. conizaeoides x x x
384 Cladonia fimbriata x x x 646 Lecanora dispersa x x
386 Cladonia floerkeana x x x 649 Lecanora expallens x x
389 Cladonia furcata x x x 650 Lecanora farinaria x
391 Cladonia glauca x x 621 Lecanora hagenii x x
22 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
A B C D E A B C D E
661 Lecanora muralis x x 1690 Porpidia soredizodes x x
667 Lecanora polytropa x x 572 Porpidia tuberculosa x x
672 Lecanora pulicaris x x 1189 Protoblastenia rupestris x x
675 Lecanora saligna 1192 Pseudevernia furfuracea s.lat. x
610 Lecanora semipallida x x 1199 Psilolechia clavulifera x
680 Lecanora stenotropa x 1200 Psilolechia lucida x
688 Lecanora symmicta x x 1630 Psoroglaena stigonemoides x
690 Lecanora varia x 985 Punctelia borreri x
724 Lecidea fuscoatra x 1989 Punctelia jeckeri x x
2474 Lecidea grisella x x 1011 Punctelia reddenda x
797 Lecidella elaeochroma f. elaeochroma x x 2070 Punctelia subrudecta s.str. x x
802 Lecidella scabra x x 1234 Ramalina farinacea x x
803 Lecidella stigmatea x x 1235 Ramalina fastigiata x x
1974 Lepraria incana s. str. x x x 1266 Rhizocarpon reductum x x
1629 Lepraria lobificans x x 2282 Rinodina oleae x x
1604 Lepraria vouauxii x x 1298 Rinodina sophodes x x
849 Leptogium turgidum x 1306 Sarcogyne regularis x x
997 Melanelixia glabratula x x 1307 Sarcopyrenia gibba var. geisleri x
1020 Melanelixia subaurifera x x x 1320 Scoliciosporum chlorococcum x
993 Melanohalea elegantula x x 1358 Scoliciosporum curvatum x
995 Melanohalea exasperata x x 1431 Trapelia coarctata x
996 Melanohalea exasperatula x x 1434 Trapelia obtegens x
1001 Melanohalea laciniatula x 1595 Trapelia placodioides x x
1720 Micarea coppinsii x 692 Trapeliopsis flexuosa x x x
877 Micarea denigrata x x 727 Trapeliopsis granulosa x x
719 Micarea erratica x x 1469 Usnea cornuta x
880 Micarea lignaria var. lignaria x x 1731 Usnea flavocardia x
2359 Micarea micrococca x x 1471 Usnea subfloridana x x
886 Micarea peliocarpa x 1490 Verrucaria funckii x
21 Myriospora rufescens x 1495 Verrucaria hochstetteri x
920 Normandina pulchella x Verrucaria macrostoma f.
1502 x
1015 Parmelia saxatilis x x x macrostoma
1022 Parmelia sulcata x x x 1507 Verrucaria muralis x x
1008 Parmotrema perlatum x x 1510 Verrucaria nigrescens f. nigrescens x x
1043 Peltigera hymenina x x 2514 Verrucaria nigrescens f. tectorum x
1106 Phaeophyscia nigricans x 2649 Verrucaria obfuscans x
1107 Phaeophyscia orbicularis x x 1511 Verrucaria ochrostoma x
1110 Phlyctis argena x x 1518 Verrucaria viridula x x
2464 Phylloblastia inexpectata x x 1526 Xanthoria calcicola x
1112 Physcia adscendens x x 1527 Xanthoria candelaria s. lat. x
1113 Physcia aipolia x x 1528 Xanthoria elegans x
1114 Physcia caesia x x 1530 Xanthoria parietina x x x
1116 Physcia dubia x 1531 Xanthoria polycarpa x x x
1119 Physcia stellaris x x 950 Xanthoria ucrainica x x
1120 Physcia tenella subsp. tenella x x x
1126 Physconia enteroxantha x x
1127 Physconia grisea x Reference
1373 Piccolia ochrophora x
1735 Placynthiella dasaea x James, P.W. & Powell, M. (2010). The lichens of Sutton Park. Bull. Brit.
732 Placynthiella icmalea x x Lichen Soc. 107: 2-17.
788 Placynthiella uliginosa x
1145 Platismatia glauca x
1168 Porina aenea x x
1171 Porina chlorotica f. chlorotica x
23 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
Our survey concentrated on the environs of Little Bracebridge Much of this square is woodland. Like many Sutton Park
Pool. The shoreline of the pool was not particularly diverse but woodlands, this area is mixed woodland with a sparse ground
the wet birch woodland to the north supported a much more flora and a shrub layer dominated by holly. Most of the
diverse bryophyte flora bryophyte flora in this habitat is limited to trees and fallen
timber. However, the square also contains an area of acidic,
Details of survey Provisional list of notable species heathy grassland and is bisected by a railway which wasn’t
Visited on: Climacium dendroides (Rare)
20 March 2018 Pellia neesiana (Rare) surveyed. Less than 10% of this square is within Sutton Park.
20 May 2018 Straminergon stramineum (Rare)
25 September 2018 Ulota intermedia (-) Details of survey Provisional list of notable species
23 October 2018 Visited on: Didymodon vinealis (-)
15 November 2018 Ulota crispula (-)
34 species recorded (Some species require further
7 species added to confirmation.) (More species are likely to be added. Some
square. 9 species recorded species require further confirmation.)
9 species added to
square.
Much of this square is woodland. Like many Sutton Park A large amount of this square is mown grassland but the square
woodlands, this area is mixed woodland with a sparse ground also contains a mosaic of other habitats including: woodland
flora and a shrub layer dominated by holly. Most of the scrub acidic grassland, rush pasture and water courses.
bryophyte flora in this habitat is limited to trees and fallen
Details of survey Provisional list of notable species
timber. However, the square also contains areas of acidic and
Visited on: Polytrichum juniperinum (Rare)
heathy grassland. It is bisected by a railway which was not 15 November 2018 Syntrichia montana (Rare)
surveyed. To date, only the northern part of the square has Ulota crispula (-)
been surveyed.
34 species recorded (Some species require further
7 species added to confirmation.)
Details of survey Provisional list of notable species
square.
Visited on: Orthotrichum cupulatum (Rare)
13 December 2018 Ulota intermedia (-)
Much of the bryophytes identification work takes place after leaves. If the average length of the cells is 35-53μ it is H. andoi,
the field visits using microscopes. We tend to take a if it is 59-74μ it is H. cupressiforme. Although laborious, this
considerable amount of material home to confirm method seems to work. H. cupressiforme is probably the most
identifications made on site. Some examples are given. abundant bryophyte in Sutton Park but H. andoi has been more
elusive. James Bagnall recorded it in the late 19 th century and it
Polytrichum commune and Polytrichastrum formosum are was not found again until Des Callaghan found it in five squares
both widespread Sutton Park mosses. P. commune is a moss of in 2013/14. Subsequently we found it in four further squares.
usually wet acidic habitats while P. formosum is a moss of While not as abundant as H. cupressiforme, it is certainly
neutral to acidic woodland. Without capsules in borderline frequent within the park.
habitats, they can be difficult to separate. The accepted
method is to cut leaf sections which is time-consuming and
often results in numerous random leaf fragments which are of
little help. The section below arrows the terminal cells of the
leaf lamellae which are rounded on P. formosum (shown here)
but have two lobes on P. commune.
There is a lot still to do but we have more data than any of our
predecessors, it is quite a responsibility to make good use of it.
Simon Phipps
28 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
FUNGI
18th September 2018
The exceptionally hot and dry weather meant that very few
fungal fruiting bodies were visible for most of the summer. By
late September there had been enough rain for the first flush
of larger fungi to appear and there was a good variety of
species to be found.
We began our foray at the Banner’s Gate car part and Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans.
wandered north through Westwood coppice. The first species
noticed were mycorrhizal species associated with trees. With The remains of a fallen oak hosted some of the characteristic
birch we noticed the Tawny Grisette Amanita fulva as a mature species for this substrate including the dark gelatinous discs of
fruiting body and some still surrounded by their egg-like Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans and the small yellow brackets
protective membrane. Blushers Amanita rubescens were of Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum. There were also a few
another frequently encountered species. A notable absence other wood rotters and generalist saprotrophs scattered
was the Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria. This is normally common through the coppice. These included the Sulphur Tuft
in the park from late summer, but its appearance was Hypholoma fasciculare, Yellow Stagshorn Calocera viscosa and
significantly delayed in 2018. Blushing Brackets Daedaleopsis confragosa. In conifer needle
litter we spotted a cluster of the bright orange fruiting bodies
of False Chanterelles Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca.
The dry weather meant that it was possible to explore the wet
woodland and boggy area north of Little Bracebridge Pool. The
most exciting find was Laccaria purpureobadia on the 30th of
September. This reddish-purple deceiver is associated with
sphagnum moss in wet birch and alder woodland.
Laccaria purpureobadia
As far as I can tell this is the first record of the species for
Warwickshire and the West Midlands. This shows that even a
well recorded area can still host new species of large and
distinctive fungi.
Lukas Large
VASCULAR PLANTS
VISIT TO BOLDMERE GOLF COURSE
24th August 2018
Boldmere Golf Course is not open to the public, but with the spreads readily by seed and is becoming quite common.
kind invitation of the course manager, ICT & Danny Squire, Another small shrub, probably planted, resembled Portugal
Senior Ranger at Sutton Park, surveyed the golf course on 24 th Laurel Prunus lusitanica but the petioles lacked the usual red
August 2018. colour. Fruiting Bluebells were almost certainly the hybrid
Hyacinthoides x massartiana.
The area around the car park (SP1095SE) included a fringe of
planted trees along Monmouth Drive, some unused mown
grassland and the fence with the Sailing Club. The flora was a
mixture of common species which would not be out of place
anywhere in Sutton Coldfield or Birmingham.
Running diagonally across the fairway (probably) in both Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula
SP1095SW and SP0995SE are a large area of narrow (less than 2
m wide) ridges which might be a relic of past cultivation (the
The main outlets from Longmoor Pool appear in SP0995NE.
archaeologist Mike Hodder confirms). The plants of the rough
The waters form braided streams which support more Elodea
areas between the fairways also show little in the way of low
nuttallii and stands of Watercress Nasturtium spp. One can
pH. The bunkers may be worth looking at in late spring but
distinguish the narrow-fruited Watercress N. microphyllum
show little at the moment except Yarrow Achillea millefolium.
from Watercress N. officinale because the former has fruits
Horseradish Armoracea rusticana in SP0995NW seems to be a
with seeds in a single row in each of the two compartments and
new record for the park. The final section in SP0995SW had a
seed coats with much smaller, uncountable numbers of cells.
more ruderal flora with several patches of Japanese Knotweed
As is often the case, our specimen had no mature fruits and
Fallopia japonica.
might well have been the cultivated and largely sterile Hybrid
Water-cress N. x sterile which we suspect is quite common.
From the westernmost point on the golf course, we then
followed the northern margin eastwards. In SP0995NW, the
Fool’s Water-cress Apium nodiflorum, with its small, umbellate
northern side of the fairways was decidedly more heathy than
inflorescences and deeply-lobed pinnae with a pungent scent
the southern side and we recorded Wavy Hair-grass
was also present and also a non-fruiting Starwort Callitriche sp.
Deschampsia flexuosa and Heath Grass Danthonia decumbens.
Quite extensive marshes appear, with Marsh Thistle Cirsium
An intriguing double ditch soon appeared along the north
palustre and Square-stalked St. John’s–wort Hypericum
margin, with much running water despite the long summer
tetrapterum, but mostly heavily shaded with Grey Willow Salix
drought. Heavily shaded, the flora was not rich, but Lady-fern
cinerea. We noted one large plant of Mock-orange
Athyrium filix-femina and Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris
Philadelphus cf. coronarius, a new record for the Park. The
dilatata appear on the banks, and patches of Soft-rush Juncus
streams are quite rich in fish, including two quite large carp and
effusus, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Pendulous Sedge
a shoal identified by Danny as Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis.
Carex pendula and even Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus in the
bottoms.
The fairways clearly varied in pH here – there were some much
The first outlets from Longmoor Pool are in this square and less acid patches with Red Clover Trifolium pratense. The
reveal a slight aquatic flora, mostly green algae but also course margin turns south and backs on to an area of swampy
Nuttall’s Waterweed Elodea nuttallii. Its leaves had the woodland, mostly in the Park proper and fenced off from the
32 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
golf course, but there are some very boggy expanses of Alder One last plant we should have seen is Field Rose Rosa arvensis,
Alnus glutinosa, Grey Willow Salix cinerea Downy Birch Betula usually easily distinguished from Dog Rose Rosa canina by its
pubescens with a field layer dominated by Purple Moor-grass different habit and its flower in which the styles are united into
Molinea caerulea and Sphagnum spp. within the golf course. a tube. Surely this one must still be about!
The holes in SP1095NW are dry, with the winter annual Early
Hair-grass Aira praecox in the sward and a flora badly affected
by the drought but with Mat-grass Nardus stricta clearly
indicating base-poor conditions.
GRASSES ID COURSE
13th June 2018
13 participants turned up at Banners Gate car park at Sutton Park, for this course led by Ian and Mike. We were able to give
participants a draft of Ian’s The Grasses – some notes on identification, aggregated from four articles in the Shropshire Botanical
Society Newsletter by Ian, which the SBS is working on publishing in the near future. The ‘lucky’ participants were also provided
with a list of the Birmingham and the Black Country Grasses which is appended to this article and also some sketches, which are
given below.
When grasses flower, the stem elongates, bearing the inflorescence up at the stem tip.
boat-shaped lemma and a tongue-shaped palea. In the developing floret they press together and tightly enclose the floret,
they separate to expose stamens and stigmas for pollination, and then close together again to protect the developing grain.
They may well be shed along with the grain, and often bear whisker-like extrusions called awns which aid in seed dispersal.
The basic unit of the inflorescence is NOT the floret, but a very characteristic group of florets called a spikelet. The spikelet
consists of whisker-like stem (sometimes very short) called the rhachilla, which bears one, or two, or more than two florets
(each with its lemma and palea) laterally along its length, according to species. When there are more than two florets in the
spikelet they are nearly always discernibly in two rows, one row on each side of the rhachilla. At the base of the rhachilla are
two more boat-shaped bracts called the glumes. These do not have their own florets and typically enclose the spikelet as it is
developing. Beneath the glumes there may be a stalk or pedicel.
The spikelets are arranged in a variety of ways to form the grass inflorescence. Unlike that of sedges, the inflorescence does
not include any normal leaves and is made up entirely of spikelets and branches. There are two basic types of inflorescence:
the spike and the panicle. In the spike, the main axis of the inflorescence is unbranched and bears the spikelets directly, almost
always in a single row up one side or in two rows up opposite sides of the main axis. In the panicle, the main axis of the
inflorescence bears clusters of branches at intervals, and the spikelets are borne on the tips of these branches or on the tips of
subsequent branches. Just to make things difficult, the lateral branches of the panicle may be very short, so that the
inflorescence appears unbranched. This is known as a spike-like panicle (!). You can usually distinguish a spike-like panicle
from a spike because in the former the spikelets are NOT in one or two rows up the main axis. The trick is to recognise a
spikelet when you see it and this is always the crucial part of identifying any grass. Some grass inflorescences are shown
below.
The pyramidal inflorescence of Meadow Grasses Poa is a typical panicle. Cock’s-foot Dactylis glomerata has a panicle in which
the primary branches are long and the secondary branches are much shorter. Couch-grass or Common Couch (now Elytrigia
repens) and Perennial Ryegrass Lolium perenne have spikes with two rows of many-flowered spikelets. Mat-grass Nardus
stricta has a spike with one row of one-flowered spikelets. Meadow Foxtail Alopecurus pratensis and Crested Dog’s-tail
Cynosurus cristatus are spike-like panicles. The barleys have rather esoteric spikes, in which there are two rows of nodes on
the inflorescence axis and at each node there is a group of three single-flowered spikelets.
Figure 4 shows some examples of spikelets. The vast majority of spikelets conform to one of three types: 1-flowered spikelets
(1 floret surrounded by two glumes) are shown in rows 1 and 2 (Sweet Vernal Grass is actually more complicated). Row three
shows two-flowered spikelets, also enclosed between the two glumes. Rows 4 and 6 (plus Crested Dog’s-tail) show many-
flowered spikelets, with the florets in two rows and the glumes usually exceeded in length by the florets.
36 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
We walked down into the wet and dry heath north of Banners Gate. We saw a good range of appropriate grasses, also some
of more mesotrophic conditions along the track by Westwood Coppice and some wetland grasses in the shallow scrape a little
further north. Later we retraced our steps and walked down to Longmoor Pool and the Miller’s field just beyond for yet more
grasses.
We also distributed a fairly complete list of grasses recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country, which is given below.
Ian Trueman
References
1. Looking east north east from the mouth of the Longmoor Stream towards the Coronation Copse. The Longmoor Pool
Miller's field is visible on the right hand side. Left of this, it is clear that there is wetland on E side of Longmoor Stream. Great
Tussock-sedge Carex paniculata lines the left side of the stream, but it is clear that much of the mire to the left of that is heavily
colonised by Bulrush Typha latifolia, suggesting a degree of eutrophication.
40 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
2. Vertical at estuary of Longmoor Stream into Longmoor Pool. Note the Great Tussock-sedge tussocks
3. Longmoor Pool, looking east from over Westwood Coppice. The drier heath is in the foreground, with much Heather
Calluna vulgaris and the transition into wetter heath and more base-rich mire down to the pool is visible. Powell’s Pool is
also visible in the top right-hand corner.
41 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
4. The sewage scrape, north of Westwood Coppice. We are looking east, along the entire length the scrape made to
remove sewage in 2013, and then over the Roman Road (not obvious), then out of the Park towards Bar Beacon. There is
an extensive heath, with much Western Gorse Ulex gallii to the right of the scrape and you can also see that the drain along
the edge of the scrape penetrates westwards. It eventually connects with Longmoor Stream. The strange mowing pattern
left of the scrape is an experiment!
5. Looking south east from the Streetly Clumps area, with good heather moorland in the foreground (it is
not usually so wet!), Little Bracebridge Pool in the centre and Bracebridge Pool in the top left. The semi-
improved grassland across the railway line is visible in the top right and the scrub hiding rich mires in the
extreme right and all the way down to Bracebridge Pool.
42 │ B&BC Botanical Society Newsletter 2018
6. Looking north west up the railway line from above Blackroot Pool. An area of heathland rich in
Bilberry, Cranberry and Crowberry and the edge of Upper Nut Hurst are seen on the left and Pool
Hollies and, in the distance, Bracebridge Pool, on the right.
7. Keeper’s Pool, looking west, with Holly Hurst to the left and above and Lower Nut Hurst to the
right and below.
As with the third edition, I think that the biggest difficulty will come with changes in Latin name.
I have not got all the way through the 1266 pages yet, but there are quite a few of these! Some
of them involve the merging of closely related genera, which often leads to the reappearance of
old but still familiar names. For example, Scarlet Pimpernel is now Anagallis arvensis; Bugloss is
Lycopsis arvensis and Welsh Poppy is now Papaver cambrica. These kinds of changes are known
in the trade as ‘lumping’.
More problematic are situations where old familiar genera are divided into two or more, which is
known as ‘splitting’. There are quite a few of these kind of changes in the new edition, such as
Avenella for part of the Hair-grass genus Deschampsia, and Hairy Tare is now Ervilia hirsuta. I
have by no means gone through them all yet, but we are currently re-designing our common
plants recording sheet, to include all species with more than 50 monad records in Birmingham
and the Black Country.
In the table below are all the species in this list whose names have changed.
Other notices:
2017 AGM
The 2017 Birmingham and Black Country AGM was
held on 10th March 2018 once again in the lovely
surrounding of Winterbourne House and Gardens.
I am sorry to report the death in January of one of our members: Bill Thompson.
Although he no longer lives in our area he helped with the B&BC Flora by editing
the entries for the hawkweeds Hieracium, and he was responsible for practically all
the Hieracium records and a good number of all the plant records for the Dudley
part of the Worcestershire vice-county records in our Flora as well.
He was without doubt one of the most thorough recorders for the first (Sinker)
Flora of Shropshire, he helped with the Montgomeryshire Flora and was a major
contributor to the Worcestershire Flora. Through all this he was always the most
pleasant companion and correspondent and he will be greatly missed.
With thanks to all those who provided content for this newsletter including articles, photographs and records!
Photographs featured in this bulletin were provided by Chris Parry, Mike Poulton, Ian Trueman, Perry Adams, Simon Phipps, Lukas
Large, Mark Powell, Andy Purcell and Andy Slater.
Contact Us
General Enquiries:
To find out more about the society including information on upcoming events and how to get involved please email us at
enquiries@ecorecord.org.uk
Events Bookings:
Ian Trueman: i.c.trueman@wlv.ac.uk