The Local Patch

Spent a few hours today recording in my local tetrad TL19U, visiting Thorpe Hall Grounds, Holywell Fish Ponds and several local streets. Lots of interesting finds, taking my total to somewhere over 370 species. Highlights so far include:

A good population of bee orchid Ophrys apifera at Thorpe Hall, with more scattered records from Thorpe Meadows

A single pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis at Thorpe Hall

A strong population of salsify Tragopogon porrifolius in rough grassland at Thorpe Hall

A few plants of spring beauty Claytonia perfoliata in secondary woodland at Thorpe Hall

A small population of motherwort Leonurus cardiaca at Thorpe Hall

Moth mullein Verbascum blattaria at Thorpe Hall

Deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna in an area of secondary woodland at Thorpe Hall

A strong population of black mullein Verbascum nigrum on disturbed ground (possibly archaeological diggings) at Holywell Fish Ponds, growing not far from a very large population of whorled water-milfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum in one of the ponds.

Several bushes of the hybrid Salix x smithiana (S. viminalis x S.caprea) at Holywell Fish Ponds, only known from nine other sites in VC32

A single bush of white barberry Berberis candidula naturalised in a shrubby area of Holywell Fish ponds - possibly new to VC32

A good population of creeping bellflower Campanula rapunculoides in an area of waste ground in Netherton - possibly a new record for VC32

A good population of Balkan spurge Euphorbia oblongata (another possible new VC record) in the same area of waste ground, where there was also cotton thistle Onopordum acanthium and large-flowered evening-primrose Oenothera glazioviana.