New Year Plant Hunt 2016

After participating in the BSBI (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland) New Year Plant Hunt last year I was keen to have another crack at it this year. I did the same patch, Sidmouth Town, but this year I had a better idea where to look having had my eye on any areas with flowering plants over the last couple of weeks while out and about in the town. This tactic paid off as I didn't waste time visiting unproductive areas like I did last year, and I beat last years total with an extra 19 species. My total count was a whopping 49 species! I knew the forecast was for bad weather by lunchtime ( and the next few days didn't look much better) so I started at first light. I only got in about an hour and a half before the rain arrived earlier than expected but I didn't want to cut short my search as it had been going so well. I continued for the full three hours and saw lots of nice flowers but photography was getting more and more difficult. I tried to photograph everything but the high winds and heavy rain meant many of the results were unrecognisable. I eventually got home looking like a drown rat but a happy one!

 

Common Centaury - Centaurium erythraea

At the bus stop. My favourite find of the day!

 Winter heliotrope - Petasites fragrans

 Hogweed - Heracleum sphondylium

Hazel - Corylus avellana

 Alexanders - Smyrnium olusatrum

Nipplewort - Lapsana communis

Growing in the salubrious surroundings of the dog poo bin!

Bramble - Rubus fruticosus

Bush Vetch - Vicia sepium

Just hanging on to a flower. I was only just in time with this one!

Common Cornsalad - Valerianella locusta

Gorse - Ulex europaeus

Ivy - Hedera helix

Holly - Ilex aquifolium

Red Valarian - Centranthus ruber

Petty Spurge - Euphorbia peplus 

Rock Samphire - Crithmum maritimum

 There were some better examples of flowers than this but it was just too windy to get photos of them.

Smooth Sow-thistle - Sonchus oleraceus 

Lesser celendine - Ranunculus ficaria 

 Wild Madder - Rubia peregrina

A very poor telephoto shot as this was way up on a cliff above the river mouth.

Three Cornered Garlic - Allium triquetrum

Yellow Corydalis - Pseudofumaria lutea 

  Yarrow - Achillea millefolium

 A bit worse for wear but it still counts!

Snowdrop -  Galanthus nivalis

 Red Clover - Trifolium pratense

Red Campion - Silene dioica 

Primrose - Primula vulgaris

  Common Knapweed - Centaurea nigra

Ivy-leaved Toadflax - Cymbalaria muralis

Herb Robert -  Geranium robertianum

Groundsel - Senecio vulgaris

 Daisy - Bellis perennis

Adria Bellflower - Campanula portenschlagiana

Sea Aster - Aster tripolium

 Not only clinging onto the cliff at Jacob's Ladder but clinging onto life itself!

Common Catsear - Hypochaeris radicata

This one had me puzzled as it looked like Common Catsear but was massive, with a really luxuriant growth of leaves. I asked for a second opinion on Twitter and several botanists agreed that that is what it was.

The complete list of plants seen in flower

1.Annual meadow grass - Poa annua*

2. Sweet vernal grass - Anthoxanthum odoratum*

3. False oat grass - Arrhenatherum elatius*

4. Cock's foot grass - Dactylis glomerata*

5. Common Mouse-ear - Cerastium fontanum*

6. Field Speedwell - Veronica persica*

7. Hogweed - Heracleum sphondylium

8. Ivy-leaved Toadflax - Cymbalaria muralis

9. Ivy - Hedera helix

10. Daisy - Bellis perennis

11. Winter heliotrope - Petasites fragrans

12. Lesser celendine - Ranunculus ficaria

13. Hazel - Corylus avellana

14. Nipplewort - Lapsana communis

15. Gorse - Ulex europaeus

16. Bramble - Rubus fruticosus

17. Red Campion - Silene dioica

18.Snowdrop -  Galanthus nivalis

19. Petty Spurge - Euphorbia peplus

20. Rock Samphire - Crithmum maritimum

21. Sea Aster - Aster tripolium

22. Herb Robert -  Geranium robertianum

23. Alexanders - Smyrnium olusatrum

24. Wild Madder - Rubia peregrina

25. Red Valarian - Centranthus ruber

26. Yellow Corydalis - Pseudofumaria lutea

27. Mexican Fleabane - Erigeron karvinskianus*

28. Canadian Fleabane - Conyza canadensis*

29. Adria Bellflower - Campanula portenschlagiana

30. Groundsel - Senecio vulgaris

31. Primrose - Primula vulgaris

32. Prickly Sow thistle - Sonchus asper*

33. Smooth Sow thistle - Sonchus oleraceus

34. Common Cornsalad - Valerianella locusta

35. Three cornered garlic - Allium triquetrum

36. Holly - Ilex aquifolium

37. Creeping Buttercup - Ranunculus repens*

38. Bush Vetch - Vicia sepium

39. Catsear - Hypochaeris radicata

40. Common Centaury - Centaurium erythraea

41. Red Clover - Trifolium pratense

42. Curled Dock - Rumex crispus*

43. Yarrow - Achillea millefolium

44. Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale*

45. Common Knapweed - Centaurea nigra

46. Meadow Buttercup - Ranunculus acris*

47. Common Nettle - Urtica dioica*

48. Black Medick - Medicago lupulina*

49. Autumn Hawkbit - Scorzoneriodes autumnalis*

*Not photographed.

Finally I'd like to take the opportunity to wish all my readers a Happy New Year courtesy of whoever left this at Jacob's Ladder Beach this morning....