REGIONAL MEETINGS - Natural History Museum
REGIONAL MEETINGS - Natural History Museum REGIONAL MEETINGS - Natural History Museum
Despite the unpromising nature of the terrain for filmy ferns we were told of rumours of Hymenophyllum tunbrigense growing nearby. Tempted, we drove about a mile down another forest track. We found the rocks (35/733838) but most were rather sunny and we failed to find the filmy fern. It might be there, but we rather doubt it; the record was only a rumour. It is often worth following up old records; even when you fail with the main object, nice surprises can occur. Our surprise here fell to Robert Sykes who found a strong colony of perhaps eight plants of Blechnum spicant ‘Imbricatum’ sheltering under a rock. This is a pretty little fern with four-inch long, somewhat leathery fronds and densely packed, overlapping pinnae. The last plant I saw of anything similar was found by Nigel Hall in Snowdonia in the 1970s. A very fitting climax to the day. Sunday 19th The party split into two. Some went to Deadwater Fell and some to Cragside Gardens. Deadwater Fell Bruce Brown Eleven of us elected for the high level route, but were fortunate in being allowed to drive cars on the well maintained forest tracks right up to the summit of Deadwater Fell at 571 metres (35/626972). On a hot humid day the breeze up here was very welcome. The rocky summit edge was home to the Dryopteris species we had come to view. Alongside D. dilatata were D. expansa fronds, recognisable by their finer cut ‘lacier’ appearance, flat pinnule edges and uniformly pale brown rachis scales. Occasional plants, larger, intermediate in appearance and with small darker areas to the rachis scales were deduced to be the hybrid D. x ambroseae. Ken Trewren has previously studied these colonies and confirmed their identities by examination of ripe spores. A two-kilometre tramp over rough boggy moorland, with emerging northern eggar moths providing interest en route, brought us to our next location in Williams Cleugh (35/639991), which has a colony of the rare Diphasiastrum x issleri. A bare gravelly area enabled us to initially spot the clubmoss, but its main growth was seen to be in the adjacent heather over an area of around ten metres squared, and with lots of cones developing at the time of our visit. Some Huperzia selago was also present and about 50 metres away was a colony of D. alpinum, which allowed comparisons to be made. Superficially the diphasiastrums appear similar; one has to look out for slight differences in leaf structure, flatter shoots, a less glaucous, more yellowy green appearance and pedunculate cones in D. x issleri. It was another rough plod back to the cars, but we were pleased to have been able to see these rare species growing well in their bleak environment. Thank you Ken. Cragside Gardens Marti Martin On the hottest day of the year so far, eight members visited Cragside Gardens (National Trust; 46/073022). We were met by the Head Gardener, Andrew Sawyer, who had kindly given up his Sunday morning to show us part of the gardens of particular ferny interest. Andrew led us to the Top Terrace in the Formal Garden and into the Tropical Fernery, which is actually outside and not under glass, the glasshouse having been removed in the 1920s and the areas divided up to give the atmosphere of its original content. Here we found a well kept rockery and members were particularly interested in Adiantum aleuticum, A. hispidulum, Asplenium marinum and Dryopteris wallichiana. We noted a number of Cheilanthes, namely argentea, eatonii, eckloniana, myriophylla, sieberi and tomentosa, planted out in pots – Andrew had given them monthly seaweed feed and overwintered them under cold glass. Andrew also showed us Dryopteris sieboldii, which he admitted to having a struggle with. There was a fine show of Blechnum penna-marina subsp. alpina, making a nice contrast of young red fronds against the green of the other ferns. 302
In the Temperate Fernery, a winding path through rock gullies (also outside), Andrew showed us Woodsia ilvensis, and told us of the problems they had in trying to keep plant damage to a minimum, as this area was very popular with children climbing on the rocks. He patiently answered our multitude of questions and was very helpful and knowledgeable in identifying plants, as there were no plant labels; since they removed visible labelling, theft of plants had been dramatically reduced. By midday, the heat was searing, and having thanked Andrew for generously giving up his time (and some cuttings!), we checked our watches against the sundial and sought shade for lunch. We split up to go our separate ways, with some going on to visit Alnwick Castle garden. Leck Beck Head, South Cumbria – 9 July Frances Haigh Leck Beck Head SSSI is about seven kilometres north-east of Kirkby Lonsdale. Peaty moorland overlies Carboniferous limestone and there are many potholes in the vicinity. Most of our walk was at a height of around 300 metres. All the area we covered has been designated open access land. After meeting at Bull Pot Farm (34/662814), now caving club premises, 15 of us walked south, passing Dryopteris filix-mas and Athyrium filix-femina. A couple of pothole openings revealed Polystichum aculeatum and Cystopteris fragilis, with Dryopteris dilatata and Blechnum spicant growing in the peaty soil above the limestone. A limekiln gave us Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens. Once down in the valley of Ease Gill, with its dry waterfall and high tree-shaded rock walls, we came across A. ruta-muraria, A. scolopendrium, more A. trichomanes, plenty of Polystichum aculeatum and Polypodium interjectum. The beck bed had a little Equisetum arvense. Next came a short scramble through plentiful robust Pteridium aquilinum that was cunningly hiding some large rocks. Nearby exposed areas of limestone gave us our first Asplenium viride and Gymnocarpium robertianum. We wandered up the beck examining the frequent low cliffs, which gave us plenty more of the limestone-loving ferns already seen and also Polypodium vulgare. The delicate fronds of Cystopteris fragilis were particularly abundant. Amongst an 303 photo: M. Hayward Pothole entrance at Leck Beck Head, Cumbria Thelma Tate, Frances Haigh, Alison Evans, Martin Harrison, Barry Colville, Alec Tate, Joan Hindle, Peter Campion
- Page 1 and 2: LEEDS & DISTRICT REGIONAL MEETINGS
- Page 3 and 4: a number of new routes to survey, i
- Page 5 and 6: had checked Janet’s Foss Wood ove
- Page 7 and 8: the plants. We entered the Pavilion
- Page 9 and 10: impressive stand of Thelypteris pal
- Page 11 and 12: After a picnic lunch, we repaired t
- Page 13: NORTH-WEST Bellingham, Northumberla
- Page 17 and 18: However, we quickly found two of th
- Page 19 and 20: dilatata, Oreopteris limbosperma, a
- Page 21 and 22: Coombe Valley (21/2111) and Duckpoo
- Page 23 and 24: SCOTLAND Royal Botanic Garden Edinb
- Page 25 and 26: We finished the day emptying our wa
- Page 27 and 28: prefers acid fens. And for a fern t
- Page 29 and 30: On Sunday morning Tony Smith took u
- Page 31: HORTICULTURAL SHOWS SOUTHPORT FLOWE
In the Temperate Fernery, a winding path through rock gullies (also outside), Andrew<br />
showed us Woodsia ilvensis, and told us of the problems they had in trying to keep plant<br />
damage to a minimum, as this area was very popular with children climbing on the rocks.<br />
He patiently answered our multitude of questions and was very helpful and knowledgeable<br />
in identifying plants, as there were no plant labels; since they removed visible labelling,<br />
theft of plants had been dramatically reduced.<br />
By midday, the heat was searing, and having thanked Andrew for generously giving up his<br />
time (and some cuttings!), we checked our watches against the sundial and sought shade for<br />
lunch. We split up to go our separate ways, with some going on to visit Alnwick Castle garden.<br />
Leck Beck Head, South Cumbria – 9 July Frances Haigh<br />
Leck Beck Head SSSI is about seven kilometres north-east of Kirkby Lonsdale. Peaty<br />
moorland overlies Carboniferous limestone and there are many potholes in the vicinity.<br />
Most of our walk was at a height of around 300 metres. All the area we covered has been<br />
designated open access land.<br />
After meeting at Bull Pot Farm (34/662814), now caving club premises, 15 of us walked<br />
south, passing Dryopteris filix-mas and Athyrium filix-femina. A couple of pothole openings<br />
revealed Polystichum aculeatum and Cystopteris fragilis, with Dryopteris dilatata and<br />
Blechnum spicant growing in the peaty soil above the limestone. A limekiln gave us<br />
Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens. Once down in the valley of Ease Gill, with its<br />
dry waterfall and high tree-shaded rock walls, we came across A. ruta-muraria,<br />
A. scolopendrium, more A. trichomanes, plenty of Polystichum aculeatum and Polypodium<br />
interjectum. The beck bed had a little Equisetum arvense.<br />
Next came a short scramble through plentiful robust Pteridium aquilinum that was cunningly<br />
hiding some large rocks. Nearby exposed areas of limestone gave us our first Asplenium viride<br />
and Gymnocarpium robertianum. We wandered up the beck examining the frequent low cliffs,<br />
which gave us plenty more of the limestone-loving ferns already seen and also Polypodium<br />
vulgare. The delicate fronds of Cystopteris fragilis were particularly abundant. Amongst an<br />
303<br />
photo: M. Hayward<br />
Pothole entrance at Leck Beck Head, Cumbria<br />
Thelma Tate, Frances Haigh, Alison Evans, Martin Harrison,<br />
Barry Colville, Alec Tate, Joan Hindle, Peter Campion
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