The Wild Flower Society', Autumn Plant Hunt (for Plants found in flower during the last seven days of October viz. the 25th to 31st October inclusive)

We are undecided as whether to submit any Records: nevertheless, we will see what we can find.

Plant' Species found locally (in order of finding):

Sunday 25 October:

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax

Groundsel

Yarrow

Shepherd's-Purse

Red Dead-Nettle

Common Ragwort

Green Alkanet

Spear Thistle

Dwarf Mallow

Black Horehound

Lesser Calamint

Red Campion

Smooth Sow-Thistle

Lesser Burdock

Buddleia

Dandelion

Red Valerian

Perennial Wall Rocket

Oxford Ragwort

Common Mallow

Crown Vetch

Hoary Mustard

Common Knapweed

Oxeye Daisy

Common Toadflax

Bristly Oxtongue

Red Clover

Hedge Mustard

Pot Marigold

White Clover

Sweet Violet

Sand Lucerne/Medick

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort

Viper's-Bugloss

Hedgerow Crane's-Bill

White Dead-Nettle

White Ramping-Fumitory viz.

Herb Robert

White Campion

Common Field-Speedwell

Creeping Cinquefoil

Sea Aster

Jersey Cudweed

and Common Chickweed

Monday 26 October 2020

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Sowbread

Creeping Thistle 

Round-Leaved Crane's-Bill 

and Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Tuesday 27 October 2020

Annual Wall Rocket

and Daisy

Sadly, it looks like we just missed out with Common Vetch viz.

So: fifty-one Species, in toto which is far more than we expected (we were hoping for circa thirty Species).

Lichens in Local Church Grounds

We looked upon the British Lichen Society' Records: Records have been submitted in respect of the following:

All Saints' Foots Cray (Sidcup): 31 Records for 8 April 2000 (also 37 Records during the period 21 February 1990 to 8 April 2000)

Erith Cemetery: 8 Records for 13 February 1995

St John the Baptist (Erith): 17 Records for 13 February 1995

St Paulinus (Crayford): 45 Records for 17 September 1992

Duck Island Cottage: St James's Park (the City of Westminster)

After visiting The London Library for the first time for a few months, we wandered over to the nearby St James's Park.

Duck Island Cottage, was built in 1841 for the St James's Park', Bird Keeper.

The Cottage contained a Club Room for the Ornithological Society of London. The Society had been established during 1837, to form and maintain a Collection of Birds, including Ducks, Geese, Swans, Grebes &c., in the Park. 

As an aside, Charles II used to feed the Ducks in the Park and it was during his reign that the first Pelicans arrived: a present from the Russian Ambassador. 

Chemical Tests for Lichen

It was suggested during today's British Lichen Society', Zoom Meeting, that we think about conducting Chemical Testing to determine Lichen' identifications!!!!! 

Starting with K (viz. Potassium Hydroxide) Testing: using Sodium Hydroxide in the form of Caustic Soda. 

A Solution must be prepared, comprising 10% Caustic Soda and 90% Water: the Solution is then applied to a Lichen.

We are entering 'Big Brain' Territory!

And we haven't started to think about using a Microscope yet!

Lichens on Bostall Heath (the Royal Borough of Greenwich)

That's not Xanthoria parietina we thought, on seeing a yellow Lichen growing on a Sweet Chestnut, in company with Punctelia subrudecta (the greenish Lichen) and a possible Flavoparmelia species (the greyish Lichen) viz.

Update: it has been suggested the Yellow Lichen might be Candelaria concolor.

Other Lichens found included:

And Xanthoria parietina growing on Hawthorn viz.

With what we think might be either Physcia ascendens and/or Physcia tenella mixed up in there.

The assumed Sowbreads are flowering on Bostall Heath (the Royal Borough of Greenwich)

With a Zoom Meeting scheduled for mid-Afternoon we didn't have time to stray too far, so went to Bostall Heath in search of Lichens &c.

 
On arrival we remembered the Sowbreads and found them flowering prettily viz.

To Woolwich and back via the Thames Path

We bicycled to Woolwich and returned Home via the Thames Path.

Wild Flower' Species (some still flowering) seen beside the Thames Path in front of the former Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, included:

Black Horehound

Black Nightshade

Borage

Bristly Oxtongue 

Charlock

Common Mallow

Common Stork's-Bill

Creeping Thistle

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Fat Hen

Goat's-Rue

Groundsel

Hedge Mustard

Henbit Dead-Nettle

Mugwort

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort

Red Dead-Nettle

Redshank

Sea Beet

Sow-Thistle
Sun Spurge

White Clover

White Stonecrop

and Yarrow

We didn't see any aircraft flying into the London City Airport but did see a couple fly out.

Both Ferries were working: Dame Vera Lynn is seen here, mid-stream:

Back beside the Waste Incinerator we noticed quite a lot of White Ramping-Fumitory (mentioned in Kent Botany 2015): with some flowering viz.

Not long afterwards it started Raining.

Some Lichens seen beside the Thames Path locally

Some Lichens beside the Thames Path in the Erith and Belvedere areas

Assumed Lecanora, Physcia and Xanthoria Species viz.

Assumed Xanthoria elegans viz.

To Erith Pier to look for Lichens &c. (Grid Reference: TQ5178)

In addition to seeing some Lichens we were pleased to see that the Jersey Cudweed, seen on previous visits, is still in-situ. 

But we got a mighty surprise when we spotted assumed Wild Radish viz.

Wild Flower' Species seen on the Pier included:

Black Medick

Black Nightshade

Bristly Oxtongue
Common Chickweed

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Greater Willowherb
Jersey Cudweed

Prickly Lettuce

Shepherd's-Purse

Sow-Thistle
and Wild Radish (just the single Plant)

Lichens seen included:

We think the above might be Caloplaca saxicola.

Assumed Xanthoria parietina above.

We assume the above to be Lecanora muralis.

Kalahari Desert Air Mail ~ First Flight 1 November 1938

Johannesburg (South Africa) to Windhoek (South West Africa).

On 1 November 1938, South African Airways introduced a Second Air Mail Service to South West Africa. The Existing Route, from Johannesburg to Windhoek via Kimberly, Upington and Keetmanshoop, was supplemented by the new Weekly Service across the Kalahari Desert via Palapye, Maun and Gobabis.  

Back to the Bexleyheath Cemetery

It has been a while since we last visited, so needing to visit the Shops in Bexleyheath, we went via the Bexleyheath Cemetery, in the vague hopes of finding a flowering Harebell. Which we did (just the single Plant but a Harebell nonetheless).

We were really rather surprised at the number of flowering Wild Flower' Species, which included:

Black Nightshade

Caucasian Stonecrop viz.

Harebell viz.

Herb Robert viz.

Ivy-Leaved Speedwell viz.

Lady's Bedstraw

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Mullein sp.

Pot Marigold

Purple Loosestrife viz.

Red Dead-Nettle

Reflexed Stonecrop 

Selfheal viz.

and Yarrow

Additionally: we spotted two, Ice Plants, growing on a seemingly long untended Grave. A large Plant and a small Plant. Although it will be impossible to establish the Plant's 'Provenance', we will check with the Sedum Society to see if they could be Self-Seeded. The larger Plant is shown viz.