The North West Yorkshire Botany Group had told me they were going on a walk beside the Tees on 2nd Jan as part of the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt. (1-4 Jan)- Aim" to see how many plants in flower can be seen in three hours."
So when I took part in the Settle Harriers Winter Handicap from Clapham on 3 Jan (c. 7 miles) I decided to use that as my recording trip.
I saw no plant in full flower at all - The hazel catkins were still in bud. It was wild countryside we ran through, not a place for garden weeds.
I did see a bedraggled Crimson Waxcap (Hygrocybe punicea) (a fungus) at Norber Erratics, and the filamentous alga Klebsormidium crenulatum on the stone wall above the Clapper Bridge, and patches of Map Lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum) But nothing with anthers and stigmas.
Back in the village after lunch, and the prize giving, I went to collect my car which I had parked in my friend Elga's drive.
There was lots of Poa annua (Annual Meadow-grass) in flower on the roadside. There was Petty Spurge (Euphorbia peplus) in flower in her garden. and her first three snowdrops were just coming out. We failed to find the daisy which she said was growing in her lawn.
The Settle Harriers are a very friendly group. They gave me a large handicap.. and I still came last!!. (And I hadn't run slower to look for flowers, honest)
 |
| Half a mile from home. |
There were 42 people in the race this year - a record. The handicap winner was 12 years old! (the youngest ever - another record- accompanied by his Dad). And the fastest runner on this day was the son of the record holder for the race- who also took part, his record still not beaten.
But back to plants.. Perhaps more searching in Clapham village would have revealed a few more weeds. But it started raining and I decided to save my efforts for the bigger town of Settle the following day.
No comments:
Post a Comment