A First Record for Vice County 16 (West Kent)

During 2016 we found what we assumed to be Neapolitan Garlic (Allium neapolitanum) viz.

growing beside the Footpath that runs between Church Manorway and the Thames Path.

It was suggested at the time that it might be Hirsute Garlic (Allium trifoliate).

And following recent exchanges with the Kent Botanical Recording Group (KBRG), it has been formally confirmed as Hirsute Garlic.

Kent Botany 2020 notes: 'the first recognised record for West Kent appears to have been by MR near Erith, TQ5079, beside the Footpath from Church Manorway to the Thames Path, found on 24 April 2016, surmised by GK to have been A. trifoliatum at the time but not followed through with confirmation until 2020'. 

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage in the London Borough of Bexley

An exchange on Twitter has prompted us to think about where we have seen this locally: especially after seeing it appearing yesterday beside the Thames Path viz.

There is also a thriving population on the Lesnes Abbey Ruins. 

We have also seen it in the Local Monad (on Pavements and in Road-Side Gutters): also on a Wall in the Bexley Village area.

The Wild Flower Society', Winter Plant' Hunt 2019/20 and the Spring Week' Hunt 2020: the Results

We have just received the Winter 2021 Edition of the Wild Flower Magazine: it includes the results of the Hunts viz.

[i] the Winter Plant' Hunt 2019/20: 

There were twenty-eight (28) participants with individual Records ranging from two-hundred and ninety-six (296) at the top-end to thirty-nine (39) at the bottom-end. 

We submitted sixty-nine (69) Records, all from the London area. 

Five-hundred and seventy-two (572) Species were seen.

[ii] the Spring Week' Hunt 2020: 

There were twenty (20) participants with individual Records ranging from one-hundred and fourteen (114) at the top-end to ten (10) at the bottom-end. 

We submitted fifty-four (54) Records, all from the London area. 

One-hundred and forty-eight (148) Species were seen with nineteen (19) new to the Hunt.

Footnote: we are currently running with the Winter Plant' Hunt 2020/21 and will, God Willing, be giving the Spring Week' Hunt 2021 a bash.

  

Xanthoria Polycarpa

At our Wednesday Morning, British Lichen Society', Chat and Improvement Group' Zoom Meeting, it was generally agreed that Sightings of Xanthoria polycarpa are becoming unusual. 

We have been fortunate enough to see it recently on Bostall Heath (the Royal Borough of Greenwich) viz.

and in the Old Woolwich Cemetery (the Royal Borough of Greenwich) viz.

The New Year', Winter Plant Hunt

Whilst visiting the New Woolwich Cemetery (the Royal Borough of Greenwich) in search of Lichens we decided to give the New Year', Winter Plant Hunt, a bash. We hadn't intended to but after seeing Yarrow in flower it seemed a sensible thing to do but we also carried on looking for the Lichens.

In the Cemetery we found:

Annual Mercury

Cow Parsley

Daisy

Green Alkanet

Groundsel

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort

Oxford Ragwort

Sow-Thistle

Sun Spurge viz.

White Dead-Nettle

and Yarrow

and on the way Home we added:

Creeping Thistle

Gorse

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax

Jersey Cudweed

Red Dead-Nettle

and Shepherd's-Purse

to the List.  Not bad: we are quite pleased with the Result. 

The Records have been submitted to the BSBI...