Englandshire Continued

I decided that if I was serious about recording 2500 species in 2025, I really ought to concentrate on finding species which I wouldn't be able to see upon my return to Scotland. I began trawling around various parks and nature reserves which I'd previously visited with Danny. My hope was to clear up on some of the common stuff, leaving us free to concentrate on a few choice species once he was back home from France. 

Pellitory-of-the-wall does occur in Scotland, but the leafmining moth Cosmopterix pulchrimella most certainly doesn't (the dark smudge in the upper leaf is the larva)

Greater Tussock-sedge or gorillas in ghillie suits? 

Early Meadow-grass Poa infirma at the top of Par Beach

This is Russian Olive Elaeagnus angustifolia, naturalised in the dunes at Par Beach

Russian Olive was a new plant for me. This specimen is in the dunes and is mentioned in A Flora of Cornwall, in fact I tried my best to make my image match the one in the book. The Gorse is a bit taller nowadays, but otherwise it's pretty close. There's a larger Russian Olive on the edge of the first car park. In fact, I parked under it completely by random. There's also quite a lot of Ebbinge's Oleaster Elaeagnus x submacrophylla naturalised in the dunes, though I've seen that a few times before. 

The following images are mostly of alien plant species and are just a few of the botanical highlights I encountered in various alleyways, churchyards and riverbanks in Cornwall. The first two images are from a whole bunch of 2-3ft tall tree seedlings that are growing along maybe 50 metres of Penzance alleyway. I had no idea what they were, certainly nothing I'd seen before. I took a few leaves and twigs away with me and, over the course of most of that evening, came to the conclusion that they were either Hoheria sexystylosa or Hoheria populnea, neither of which I had ever heard of. For some reason, it didn't occur to me to check the BSBI maps until I'd been at it for most of the evening. Guess what...Hoheria populnea is known from Penlee Park in Penzance, as seedlings beneath planted trees. My alleyway ran alongside the edge of Penlee Park in Penzance. I could have kicked myself, but at least I had my mystery seedlings confirmed to species. It goes by the common name of New Zealand Mallow, not one I'm familiar with. But hey, it's definitely naturalised very nicely and therefore definitely on my list! 

Abundant seedlings of Hoheria populnea

I headed even further westwards and entered Cot Valley, one of my very favourite places to be. I once watched a butterfly here, feeding on Buddleja in about 1994. It was similar to a nearby Painted Lady, but the eyespots on the hindwing were all wrong. Looking back I can only assume it was an American Painted Lady, something I didn't even know existed at the time. If only I'd had a camera with me. But anyway, regardless of that I still love Cot Valley and there are many lovely plants along the track down to the sea. Starting with this beast, known in Britain only from here and on Tresco, Scilly. 

This is Aichryson laxum, the Tree of Love

The rest of Cot Valley was, on this particular occasion, a bit of a let down. No migrant birds to speak of and I failed to nail the miniscule non-flowering mouse-ear species that was growing close to the shore. Summer Snowflake, Broad-leaved Bamboo and Crassula helmsii being about the only plants worthy of a mention. Hmmm. But it's still a lovely spot, even without rare Mediterranean overshoots skulking in the bushes. Annoyingly, I later found out that Ulmus occidentalis grows along the track through the valley. I walked beneath bare elms, but bare elms are far beyond my capabilities and I'm not about to tick a rare Ulmus just on distribution. 

The fabulously named Zantedeschia aethiopica along the Pondsandane stream in Penzance

Next up was another of my favourite spots in Cornwall; Gulval Churchyard. There are loads of weird and wonderful plants growing inside the boundary walls, almost all deliberately introduced at some point, I'm sure. But all naturalising very nicely now in various unkempt corners. The usual suspects here include German-ivy, Chain-fern, Krauss' Clubmoss, Madeiran Herb-Robert, Chilean Myrtle and Spotted Laurel. All gone wild and all tickable, in my book anyway. Any and all Chilean Myrtle in Cornwall is worth a close scrutiny, Simacauda dicommatias is a South American moth that has been accidentally imported along with its foodplant and was recently found new to Britain. As more people learn of its existence, more sites are being found to have the moth present, but it's still fabulously rare outside of west Cornwall. Anyway, I found it here a couple of years back and it didn't take long to find a case attached to the underside of a Chilean Myrtle leaf. Note the case and cut out  

Case of Simacauda dicommatias on Chilean Myrtle leaf

In all honesty, I didn't break a case open to yeartick the moth. But I can fairly safely presume that the overwintering larva is still within. So technically no, I didn't clap eyes on the beast itself. But yes, I am still counting it on my list of 2500 living species in 2025. Sometimes I can be contrary and this, dear reader, is one such moment. 

Field Pennycress, not actually inside the churchyard but not too far away

Krauss' Clubmoss. I like this rather funky wee plant a lot!

German-ivy, I was glad to discover this is visible in the early spring! 

Leaving Gulval area, I headed a few miles north and hit the dunes at Gwithian Sands. I've been here a couple of times before, but I had two target plants in mind this time, the second being a lifer for me. First up though is the intimidatingly large and pointy Sharp Rush, easily 7ft tall and with bracts as sharp as daggers! 

Sharp Rush Juncus acutus

Sharp Rush is restricted to a few sites along the north coast of Cornwall and Devon, as well as a scattering of coastal sites in Wales, Norfolk and Kent. And, oddly, one spot in Hampshire. It's a scarce but spectacular plant and is very well named. If you're not sure whether you have a Sharp Rush in front of you, push the palm of your hand into a leaf tip. If it pierces your skin and draws blood then yep, that's a Sharp Rush alright! Just a few hundred feet away lay my second target plant, right in the middle of a sprawling bramble patch. 

Mrs Wilson's Barberry Berberis wilsoniae

I spent a bit of time with this barberry, partly because I was putting off the inevitable push back out of the bramble patch, but also because I'd never seen it before and it was a really interesting little plant. And it is quite a little plant, for a shrub I mean. What you can't tell from the images above is that the patch actually consists of a whole bunch of individual barberry bushes. They've all started to merge into each other, but I think I counted about twenty or so individual plants. I guess a berry-laden bird must have roosted here one night and defecated all over the immediate area, resulting in this tight patch of plants? It's a pity I was here too early to find it in flower, but even the russet colour of the spines is quite beguiling. My first Sand Martins of the year flew over the nearby lake and I was positively overjoyed to find my first Coot of the year! Just one, thankfully. Not sure I could take seeing a whole flock of them.

Meanwhile, back in another churchyard... 

Ribbon Fern Pteris cretica doing very well for itself at Kenwyn Churchyard

Chusan Palm seedlings at St Just-in-Roseland churchyard

And here alongside a self-sown Chilean Hard-fern Blechnum cordatum

Cornish Moneywort, not an easy plant to spot! Note more Krauss' Clubmoss

The (as yet) undescribed rust on Mind-your-own-Business

Eastern Sowbread Cyclamen coum

I didn't know what this was when I first found it. Looking somewhat like a gigantic version of Cyclamen hederifolium, but with rounded rather than angled 'shoulders' to the leaves, I was left somewhat stumped. The Flora of Cornwall gave no clues, but a trawl online eventually led me to (hopefully!) the right identification. Turns out there are rather a few Cyclamens out there, but most are smaller than this beast. 

Danny was due back in a couple of day's time. I had other destinations to visit once I had left Cornwall. I planned to pay a flying visit to my beloved St Marys on Scilly. The ferry fares have gone absolutely crazy, but I decided I could afford a day return ticket. It would be worth it, the chance of seabirds and cetaceans on the crossing, a whole host of exotic plants on offer and potentially a scarce migrant bird or two on land. Game on, I set my alarm and treated myself to a b+b. Kipping in the car is fine in itself, but a bed is far more comfortable and the thought of a hot shower was all too appealing. Is this it then, am I finally starting to grow soft in my old age?  Pfftt, I bloody hope not.