Settle Wildflowers - Day 109 - Langcliffe Parish Perimeter to Henside - Wildflowers and Lichens

"Will you write an article for Langcliffe digital Newsletter on "Wildflowers of Langcliffe on May 2nd?"  asked Cindy, the editor

"And produce an annotated map of Langcliffe  so that people can go for walks and give names to the plants they see?"

 "Yes!"

I have lots of entries for the southwest half near the village. But the upland half of the parish is thin on records. 

So on the evening of 19 April I drive up to Henside - the top (eastern) boundary where the road actually is the parish boundary. Although I have driven along this road maybe hundreds of times I have not noticed any wildflowers here. Walking along it in the pleasant evening sun, the only plant in flower is the woodland plant Dog's Mercury - growing at the wall side. - No trees around at all. Some brand new posts and new netting to supplement the wall. A sign saying "no through road to Langcliffe because of road works"

Male Dog's Mercury

Brand  New Fencing

I walk down the road towards Cowside. There are thistle and dandelion plants amongst the grass on the roadside.  A wide area has a few trees. 

Jelly Ear fungus

One tree - sycamore has Parmelina pastillifera

Punctellia subrudecta

A bit lower down there is the Perennial Cornflower plant - Centaurea montana A garden escape

Then I walk diagonally back up the hillside along the path.  This seems a very old wall .. Maybe I should look at the lichens and mosses on it one day.

Old Limestone Wall  made from shallowly bedded limestone

In the last field before the top road at Henside, where I had left my car  there is a spring. it has watercress not yet in flower.

And lots of gull droppings

Well not the most diverse of areas species wise. I return to the road with its Dog's Mercury.

"Tomorrow" I decide, "Tomorrow, I will  go and checkout  the Hare's-tail Cotton-grass I saw 21 years ago on the eastern boundary. when I made a botanical survey of Langcliffe Parish for the Millennium. It is in a high up area about 1/2 a mile from Victoria Cave.  Langcliffe parish is underlain almost entirely by limestone. full of joints, so streams and wet areas are rare. Peaty areas are needed for Hair's-tail Cotton-grass.