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Liverpool
Botanical Society |
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The next meeting is 11.00 on Saturday 13 December 2025 Members slides (Any Trips and Field Meetings) and Social. We can bring festive food to eat so please bring your seasonal offerings.
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2025/2026 indoor
programme |
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Seven plants (including three male plants in flower) of Annual Mercury Mercurialis annua have been found at Kenilworth Road, Ainsdale. This is seemingly the first vice county record since 2004, and there are only a total of 14 records between 1902 and 2004. Robert Freeth found it on 27 November, and Phil Smith later confirmed it. It is on the grassland verges right in the NE corner by Shore Road at SD30721243. This patch has recently been dug for utility works, and the disturbance has allowed annuals to grow. The last records at Ainsdale were in 1941 and 1947. The last record for this species was actually on an LBS Trip at Rimrose Valley in 2004. Further information on this species in Lancashire is in the Flora of South Lancashire Vascular Plants at https://northwesternnaturalistsunion.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/VC59-069-Euphorbiaceae-24-03-2025.pdf
It is native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, growing on bare, sandy soils. In Britain, it is a weed of disturbed, cultivated and waste ground, including allotments, gardens, rubbish tips, walls, and roadsides, especially on light, nutrient-rich soils and as an urban weed, and is mainly found in the south east of England and only occasionally elsewhere. Mercurialis annua L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
The species-rich grassland verges of Kenilworth Road are discussed in Floral diversity of road verges at Ainsdale, Merseyside by P.H. Smith & P.A. Lockwood in BSBI News 119, pages 34-36 https://archive.bsbi.org/BSBINews119.pdf
It is native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, growing on bare, sandy soils. In Britain, it is a weed of disturbed, cultivated and waste ground, including allotments, gardens, rubbish tips, walls, and roadsides, especially on light, nutrient-rich soils and as an urban weed, and is mainly found in the south east of England and only occasionally elsewhere. Mercurialis annua L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
The species-rich grassland verges of Kenilworth Road are discussed in Floral diversity of road verges at Ainsdale, Merseyside by P.H. Smith & P.A. Lockwood in BSBI News 119, pages 34-36 https://archive.bsbi.org/BSBINews119.pdf
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Part 1 of Peter Gateley's talk on 9 November 2024 "Introduction to Grasses" is on You Tube at https://youtu.be/mgGHS6SX8PI
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Unless otherwise stated, field meetings will start at 10.30am and usually finish around 3.00pm. Please wear suitable footwear and have waterproof clothing as there is often uneven (or wet ground) or inclement weather. Bring a packed lunch and plenty to drink, as well as insect repellents, sunhats, sun-cream etc. Identification books, hand lenses, a phone and camera would be useful too. Members will need to pre-book with leaders and give contact details, so we know who to expect at meetings and in case there are any last-minute changes. Attendance at field meetings is at members’ own risk.
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Founded in 1906, the Society runs a programme of events, indoor meetings at the World Museum Liverpool during the winter months and field meetings around the region during spring, summer, and autumn.
The early years of the Society were documented in the Transactions and Proceedings of the Liverpool Botanical Society, then in a Bulletin and the Society also produced a newsletter Parnassia with news and reports of indoor and field meetings. The Library of the Society is located in the Botany Department in the Museum.
Thinking of joining? Why not come along to join us free of charge for a few field meetings before committing to membership. We are a friendly society and members are welcome whatever their age, level of botanical knowledge or background.
On social media we have an active Facebook group where members can share photos of recent finds and ask for help with identification, we also have photos and accounts of our meetings.
The early years of the Society were documented in the Transactions and Proceedings of the Liverpool Botanical Society, then in a Bulletin and the Society also produced a newsletter Parnassia with news and reports of indoor and field meetings. The Library of the Society is located in the Botany Department in the Museum.
Thinking of joining? Why not come along to join us free of charge for a few field meetings before committing to membership. We are a friendly society and members are welcome whatever their age, level of botanical knowledge or background.
On social media we have an active Facebook group where members can share photos of recent finds and ask for help with identification, we also have photos and accounts of our meetings.
Further information and photos from our 2025 field trips are here 2025 trips
Rimrose Valley 18 October 2025
Hightown 27 September 2025
Speke-Hale 6 September 2025
Hooton 16 August 2025
Anderton Nature Park, Northwich 26 July 2025
Port Sunlight River Park 12 July 2025
Hilbre 28 June 2025
Thurstaston Common 21 June 2025
Birkdale Common and Dunes 7 June 2025
Devil's Hole, Formby 31 May 2025
Pat Lockwood
A long-time LBS council member and field trip leader. Pat was an enthusiastic botanist always keen to help members and would enthuse about a plant saying "that's my favourite" for almost all plants!
She learnt much of her botanical skills from Vera Gordon and was a long-time collaborator with Phil Smith in his studies of the plants of the Sefton Coast and consequently co-author on a lot of papers and articles on Sefton Coast plants. One of their study sites was Devil's Hole, hence the choice of location for the trip.
Saturday May 31: Patricia Lockwood Memorial Walk, Devil’s Hole. Formby
A long-time LBS council member and field trip leader. Pat was an enthusiastic botanist always keen to help members and would enthuse about a plant saying "that's my favourite" for almost all plants!
She learnt much of her botanical skills from Vera Gordon and was a long-time collaborator with Phil Smith in his studies of the plants of the Sefton Coast and consequently co-author on a lot of papers and articles on Sefton Coast plants. One of their study sites was Devil's Hole, hence the choice of location for the trip.
Saturday May 31: Patricia Lockwood Memorial Walk, Devil’s Hole. Formby
Hightown 27 April 2025
Accounts of Trips with Merseyside Naturalists' Association can be found on the page Trips with MNA. These include South Stack on 22 June 2024 (and 2 July 2022), Halewood Park 20 June 2024, Malham 13 July 2024 Birkdale 3 August 2024 and Leighton Moss 14 September 2024, Freshfield 28 September 2024.
Accounts of Trips with the The Wildflower Society can be found on the page Trips with The Wildflower Society. This includes Birkdale 29 August 2024.
Accounts of Trips with the The Wildflower Society can be found on the page Trips with The Wildflower Society. This includes Birkdale 29 August 2024.
