Trips with The Wildflower Society
Birkdale Thursday 29 August 2024
Steve Cross led a trip for The Wildflower Society to see specialities such as Sharp Club Rush Schoenoplectus pungens (at its only British site), Baltic Rush Juncus balticus (at its only English Site) and Perennial Ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya at its only reliable site in the country.
Selworthy Road, Birkdale August 2024
This trip of The Wildflower Society led by Steve Cross covered, mostly, the square SD3115, and a distance of around 2.5 km (1.5 miles), including up one steep dune and through the dry slacks.
At Selworthy Path we found several garden plants- white-form Hedgerow Cranesbill Geranium pyrenaicum f. albiflorum; Red Bistort Persicaria amplexicaulis, Pendulous Sedge (on Merseyside it seems to be all of garden origin). Problem species of the dunes were also here Sea Buckthorn, White Poplar, Russian Vine, and Snowberry (which had mildew Erysiphe symphoricarpae and leaf mines of the fly Chromatomyia lonicerae).
Crossing the Coast Road, we found dune plants such as Rest Harrow, Evening Primrose, Dewberry, Dog Rose, Sea Buckthorn, Hoary Ragwort & Common Ragwort, Kidney Vetch, Sand Catstail, Harebell, Balm of Gilead Populus x jackii and Umbellate Hawkweed.
We turned right heading towards Slack 38 past the non-native, problematic Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea which was found in white, white-pink, and pink forms, nearby was Montbretia, and some yellow apples on a tree. Grey Willow, Creeping Willow, Holly Ilex x altaclerensis, Holm Oak, Cotoneaster, Wild Cherry, and Harebell were also found. A Slack area had Marsh Horsetail, Typha, Water Mint, Yellow Iris, Marsh Pennywort, Jointed Rush, Grey Club-rush, Sea Club-rush, Common Spike-rush, Lesser Celandine, Parsley Water-dropwort Oenanthe lachenalii, Hard Rush, Reed, Common Fleabane, Alder and Alder Leaf Beetle larvae. The Perennial Sowthistle had galls of the midge Cystiphora sonchi. Mugwort and Rest Harrow were also seen.
The Round Pool of Slack 38 had the whole north part edged with Sharp Club-rush Schoenoplectus pungens, at its only current site in Britain (though it used to occur from the 18th century to 1970’s on Jersey). It is widespread in much of world - Americas, Europe and Australia. Its status is uncertain, first found by W. G. Travis in 1909 and recorded through to 1978 but died out in “the wild”. It was reintroduced from that stock in 1990 at four sites and it has since spread to the Green Beach and is now found at a total of six sites at Birkdale. Also, here was Grey Club Rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Sea Club Rush, Yellow Iris, Gypsywort, Wild Parsnip, Water Mint, Eyebrights, Fairy Flax, Creeping Willow, Great Willowherb, Yellow-rattle, Red Bartsia, Glaucous Sedge, Common Spike-rush, Marsh Pennywort, Parsley Water-dropwort, Lesser Spearwort and both Jointed & Slender Rushes. Also present was Creeping Willow, Red Clover, Hoary Ragwort and Canadian Fleabane. On way to Slack 27 we found Typha, Self-heal, Reed, and Hard Rush. Older Dunes had Sand Sedge, Polypody Fern, Balm of Gilead Populus x jackii, Sea Radish, Kidney Vetch, and Rest Harrow.
Slack 27 has Baltic Rush Juncus balticus at its only English site – and thus this slack has the biggest population in England; Hard Rush without the the blue-grey-green colour. Additionally, we found Fairy Flax, Common Milkwort, Grass of Parnassus, Eyebright, Meadowsweet, Toad & Jointed Rushes, Common Fleabane, Marsh Pennywort, Water Mint, Marsh Arrow Grass, Horsetails and Common Spike-rush. Grey and Creeping Willow (var. argentea), Alder, Honeysuckle, Lesser Celandine, Self-heal, Typha, Yellow-rattle, Montbretia. Further Slacks held Yellow Iris, Lesser Trefoil, Toad Rush, Oak with mildew = Erysiphe alphitoides. Plenty of Meadowsweet, some with with gall midge Dasineura pustulans. The Ditch Area hosted Common Fleabane, old Hemlock Water Dropwort, Creeping Buttercup, Sea Arrow Grass adjacent to Marsh Arrow Grass, Sea Club-rush, Gypsywort and Hedge Bindweed.
Towards the dunes were Autumn Hawkbit, Lyme Grass, Montbretia, Sand-hill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis and Great Plait Moss Hypnum cupressiforme var. lacunosum, Cocksfoot Grass, Montbretia, Hoary Ragwort, Rest Harrow etc.
A westward turn took us past a slack dominated by Grey Club-rush and in an area cleared of Japanese Rose and thus bare sand again, annuals such as Common Orache, Fat Hen, but also Sea Radish were found. Eventually the true sand dune plants such as Kidney Vetch and Rest Harrow recolonise.
Lunch was taken by a Big Dune blowout, here too was flowering Sea Holly, Houndstongue gone to seed, old Thyme-leaved Sandwort, Sand Catstail, Dune Fescue and Kidney Vetch.
Continuing South past an apple tree then left up dune at the Robin’s Pincushion (and Dune Lady’s Bedstraw var. maritimum) and on to top of dune at SD31181512 and SD31191513 was about twenty plants of Perennial Ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya just coming into flower. We headed back to the main path finding Umbellate Hawkweed with gall wasp Aulacidea hieracii, plenty of Common Blue butterflies, Common Darter, Fox moth caterpillar and grasshoppers were jumping at every step in the warmest driest valleys, liking the sunny conditions. Back north on the same track more or less, adding just Carline Thistle and Clematis.
Further Information on the Special Plants
Baltic Rush Juncus balticus (only English Site). Rhizomes in lines, smooth stem, inflorescence quarter way down stem. 7-20 flowers, upwards and sharply lanceolate. Capsule dark, ovoid, abruptly mucronate, shorter than perianth.
Further information can be found in the following:
Adamson, R. S. (1913) ‘Juncus balticus Willd. in England.’ J. Bot., London., 51: 350-352. v. 51 1913 - Journal of botany, British and foreign - Biodiversity Heritage Library (biodiversitylibrary.org)
Doe, J. (2022). Surveying the status of Juncus balticus (Baltic Rush) on the Sefton coast, Merseyside.
Smith, P.H. 1984. The distribution, status and conservation of Juncus balticus Willd. in England. Watsonia 15: 15–26. http://archive.bsbi.org.uk/Wats15p15.pdf
Smith, P.H. (2006) 'Revisiting Juncus balticus Willd. in England', Watsonia 26(1), 57-65. https://www.watsonia.org.uk/html/watsonia_26.html#p57.pdf
Smith, P.H. and Lockwood, P.A. (2016) 'Status of Juncus balticus (Baltic Rush) and its hybrids in England', BSBI News, 131, 8-16. https://bsbi.org/download/4880/?tmstv=1719335293
Stace, C.A. 1972. The history and occurrence in Britain of hybrids in Juncus subgenus Genuini. Watsonia 9: 1–11 http://archive.bsbi.org.uk/Wats9p1.pdf
Sharp Club Rush Schoenoplectus pungens Slack 38 at SD 31473 15637 and SD 31482 15645 also Tagg’s Island Scrape SD 31202 15430, Taggs Is. Marsh SD31257 15550 and Green Beach SD31315 15696. Only British site, used to occur at a pond in Jersey (1724-1970’s), likely introduction (1909-1978) then from that stock reintroduced 1990 at four sites and spreading to Green Beach (now 6 sites). Widespread through much of world.
Smith, P.H. 2005. Schoenoplectus pungens on the Sefton Coast. BSBI News 98: 30–33
Perennial Ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya, at SD3119515143, SD31181551, and SD312151. Steve Cross found it this yaear at SD31181512 to SD31191513.
Good summaries of the plants (and other wildlife) of the Sefton Coast are
A.T. Worsley, G. Lymbery, V. J.C. Holden and M. Newton, (eds.) (2010). Sefton’s Dynamic Coast - Proceedings of the conference on coastal geomorphology, biogeography and management 2008. Digital copy here. Includes paper on Sefton Coast rare plants by Phil Smith p225-238.
Smith, P.H. (2006). An inventory of vascular plants for the Sefton Coast. BSBI News 102: 4-9. https://archive.bsbi.org/BSBINews102.pdf
Smith, P.H. (2009). The Sands of Time revisited. An introduction to the sand-dunes of the Sefton Coast. Stroud: Amberley Publishing.
Smith, P.H. (2021). Wildflowers of the Sefton Coast. Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna Society.
Selworthy Road, Birkdale August 2024
This trip of The Wildflower Society led by Steve Cross covered, mostly, the square SD3115, and a distance of around 2.5 km (1.5 miles), including up one steep dune and through the dry slacks.
At Selworthy Path we found several garden plants- white-form Hedgerow Cranesbill Geranium pyrenaicum f. albiflorum; Red Bistort Persicaria amplexicaulis, Pendulous Sedge (on Merseyside it seems to be all of garden origin). Problem species of the dunes were also here Sea Buckthorn, White Poplar, Russian Vine, and Snowberry (which had mildew Erysiphe symphoricarpae and leaf mines of the fly Chromatomyia lonicerae).
Crossing the Coast Road, we found dune plants such as Rest Harrow, Evening Primrose, Dewberry, Dog Rose, Sea Buckthorn, Hoary Ragwort & Common Ragwort, Kidney Vetch, Sand Catstail, Harebell, Balm of Gilead Populus x jackii and Umbellate Hawkweed.
We turned right heading towards Slack 38 past the non-native, problematic Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea which was found in white, white-pink, and pink forms, nearby was Montbretia, and some yellow apples on a tree. Grey Willow, Creeping Willow, Holly Ilex x altaclerensis, Holm Oak, Cotoneaster, Wild Cherry, and Harebell were also found. A Slack area had Marsh Horsetail, Typha, Water Mint, Yellow Iris, Marsh Pennywort, Jointed Rush, Grey Club-rush, Sea Club-rush, Common Spike-rush, Lesser Celandine, Parsley Water-dropwort Oenanthe lachenalii, Hard Rush, Reed, Common Fleabane, Alder and Alder Leaf Beetle larvae. The Perennial Sowthistle had galls of the midge Cystiphora sonchi. Mugwort and Rest Harrow were also seen.
The Round Pool of Slack 38 had the whole north part edged with Sharp Club-rush Schoenoplectus pungens, at its only current site in Britain (though it used to occur from the 18th century to 1970’s on Jersey). It is widespread in much of world - Americas, Europe and Australia. Its status is uncertain, first found by W. G. Travis in 1909 and recorded through to 1978 but died out in “the wild”. It was reintroduced from that stock in 1990 at four sites and it has since spread to the Green Beach and is now found at a total of six sites at Birkdale. Also, here was Grey Club Rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Sea Club Rush, Yellow Iris, Gypsywort, Wild Parsnip, Water Mint, Eyebrights, Fairy Flax, Creeping Willow, Great Willowherb, Yellow-rattle, Red Bartsia, Glaucous Sedge, Common Spike-rush, Marsh Pennywort, Parsley Water-dropwort, Lesser Spearwort and both Jointed & Slender Rushes. Also present was Creeping Willow, Red Clover, Hoary Ragwort and Canadian Fleabane. On way to Slack 27 we found Typha, Self-heal, Reed, and Hard Rush. Older Dunes had Sand Sedge, Polypody Fern, Balm of Gilead Populus x jackii, Sea Radish, Kidney Vetch, and Rest Harrow.
Slack 27 has Baltic Rush Juncus balticus at its only English site – and thus this slack has the biggest population in England; Hard Rush without the the blue-grey-green colour. Additionally, we found Fairy Flax, Common Milkwort, Grass of Parnassus, Eyebright, Meadowsweet, Toad & Jointed Rushes, Common Fleabane, Marsh Pennywort, Water Mint, Marsh Arrow Grass, Horsetails and Common Spike-rush. Grey and Creeping Willow (var. argentea), Alder, Honeysuckle, Lesser Celandine, Self-heal, Typha, Yellow-rattle, Montbretia. Further Slacks held Yellow Iris, Lesser Trefoil, Toad Rush, Oak with mildew = Erysiphe alphitoides. Plenty of Meadowsweet, some with with gall midge Dasineura pustulans. The Ditch Area hosted Common Fleabane, old Hemlock Water Dropwort, Creeping Buttercup, Sea Arrow Grass adjacent to Marsh Arrow Grass, Sea Club-rush, Gypsywort and Hedge Bindweed.
Towards the dunes were Autumn Hawkbit, Lyme Grass, Montbretia, Sand-hill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis and Great Plait Moss Hypnum cupressiforme var. lacunosum, Cocksfoot Grass, Montbretia, Hoary Ragwort, Rest Harrow etc.
A westward turn took us past a slack dominated by Grey Club-rush and in an area cleared of Japanese Rose and thus bare sand again, annuals such as Common Orache, Fat Hen, but also Sea Radish were found. Eventually the true sand dune plants such as Kidney Vetch and Rest Harrow recolonise.
Lunch was taken by a Big Dune blowout, here too was flowering Sea Holly, Houndstongue gone to seed, old Thyme-leaved Sandwort, Sand Catstail, Dune Fescue and Kidney Vetch.
Continuing South past an apple tree then left up dune at the Robin’s Pincushion (and Dune Lady’s Bedstraw var. maritimum) and on to top of dune at SD31181512 and SD31191513 was about twenty plants of Perennial Ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya just coming into flower. We headed back to the main path finding Umbellate Hawkweed with gall wasp Aulacidea hieracii, plenty of Common Blue butterflies, Common Darter, Fox moth caterpillar and grasshoppers were jumping at every step in the warmest driest valleys, liking the sunny conditions. Back north on the same track more or less, adding just Carline Thistle and Clematis.
Further Information on the Special Plants
Baltic Rush Juncus balticus (only English Site). Rhizomes in lines, smooth stem, inflorescence quarter way down stem. 7-20 flowers, upwards and sharply lanceolate. Capsule dark, ovoid, abruptly mucronate, shorter than perianth.
Further information can be found in the following:
Adamson, R. S. (1913) ‘Juncus balticus Willd. in England.’ J. Bot., London., 51: 350-352. v. 51 1913 - Journal of botany, British and foreign - Biodiversity Heritage Library (biodiversitylibrary.org)
Doe, J. (2022). Surveying the status of Juncus balticus (Baltic Rush) on the Sefton coast, Merseyside.
Smith, P.H. 1984. The distribution, status and conservation of Juncus balticus Willd. in England. Watsonia 15: 15–26. http://archive.bsbi.org.uk/Wats15p15.pdf
Smith, P.H. (2006) 'Revisiting Juncus balticus Willd. in England', Watsonia 26(1), 57-65. https://www.watsonia.org.uk/html/watsonia_26.html#p57.pdf
Smith, P.H. and Lockwood, P.A. (2016) 'Status of Juncus balticus (Baltic Rush) and its hybrids in England', BSBI News, 131, 8-16. https://bsbi.org/download/4880/?tmstv=1719335293
Stace, C.A. 1972. The history and occurrence in Britain of hybrids in Juncus subgenus Genuini. Watsonia 9: 1–11 http://archive.bsbi.org.uk/Wats9p1.pdf
Sharp Club Rush Schoenoplectus pungens Slack 38 at SD 31473 15637 and SD 31482 15645 also Tagg’s Island Scrape SD 31202 15430, Taggs Is. Marsh SD31257 15550 and Green Beach SD31315 15696. Only British site, used to occur at a pond in Jersey (1724-1970’s), likely introduction (1909-1978) then from that stock reintroduced 1990 at four sites and spreading to Green Beach (now 6 sites). Widespread through much of world.
Smith, P.H. 2005. Schoenoplectus pungens on the Sefton Coast. BSBI News 98: 30–33
Perennial Ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya, at SD3119515143, SD31181551, and SD312151. Steve Cross found it this yaear at SD31181512 to SD31191513.
Good summaries of the plants (and other wildlife) of the Sefton Coast are
A.T. Worsley, G. Lymbery, V. J.C. Holden and M. Newton, (eds.) (2010). Sefton’s Dynamic Coast - Proceedings of the conference on coastal geomorphology, biogeography and management 2008. Digital copy here. Includes paper on Sefton Coast rare plants by Phil Smith p225-238.
Smith, P.H. (2006). An inventory of vascular plants for the Sefton Coast. BSBI News 102: 4-9. https://archive.bsbi.org/BSBINews102.pdf
Smith, P.H. (2009). The Sands of Time revisited. An introduction to the sand-dunes of the Sefton Coast. Stroud: Amberley Publishing.
Smith, P.H. (2021). Wildflowers of the Sefton Coast. Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna Society.
Previous Joint Trips were
20 June 2015 Risley Moss Howard Harris
16 July 2015 Yarrow Valley, Chorley Julie Colin
19 May 2016 Lune Valley Julie Clarke
18 June 2016 Winsford Julie Clarke
18 May 2017 Recording in the lanes of Cheshire. Julie Clarke
22 August 2019 Silverdale Julie Clarke
20 June 2015 Risley Moss Howard Harris
16 July 2015 Yarrow Valley, Chorley Julie Colin
19 May 2016 Lune Valley Julie Clarke
18 June 2016 Winsford Julie Clarke
18 May 2017 Recording in the lanes of Cheshire. Julie Clarke
22 August 2019 Silverdale Julie Clarke