Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - March 2000 - No 65
George Hutchinson & Richard Pryce

Leaders: Ian Morgan, George Hutchinson & Richard Pryce

The party met at the Forestry Commission picnic site at Penybedd Wood, Trenel (SN419013) where the colony of Bloody Crane’s-bill(Geranium sanguineum) was examined before venturing in convoy through the sunlit forest rides to the entrance of the RAF bombing range. After negotiating the fence or sliding under the gate, botanical recording started in earnest, heading out along the road between the observation towers. The hawkweed Hieracium sabaudum was characteristically in late flower. An extensive search of the short turf of the helipad produced only six plants of Dune Gentian (Gentianella uliginosa) where hundreds had been two years before. It was suggested that a lapse in the mowing of the turf might be responsible. Neither Autumn Lady’s Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis), nor the rare liverwort Petalophyllum ralfsii were rediscovered, despite both having been present in 1997, again probably for the same reason.

An examination of the edge of the saltmarsh revealed abundant flowering and fruiting Brookweed (Samolus valerandii) and Parsley Water-dropwort (Oenanthe lachenalii) whilst large clumps of Sharprush (Juncus acutus) were frequent, here not far from the spot where John Ray had recorded the species in 1662. Seaside Centaury (Centaurium littorale), Lesser Centaury (C. pulchellum) and Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bermudiana) have not been seen in this vicinity for several years and unsurprisingly were not refound on this occasion, again probably due to the rankness of the vegetation.

Returning along the road, the excellent management work undertaken in recent years by the RAF who, acting on the advice of CCW, have cleared several areas of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) to form winter-flooding scrapes suitable for the re-colonisation of Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii), last seen at this site in 1971. Although no Liparis has yet appeared, some other earlysuccessional dune-slack colonisers of interest are already present including Small-fruited Yellowsedge (Carex viridula ssp viridula). Both the Common Groundhopper (Tetrix undulata) and the rarer Ceperoi’s Groundhopper (T. ceperoi) were found by Ian Morgan in these sparsely vegetated, damp areas and were shown to those present.

The group then headed southwards along the ‘Bee Orchid Ride’, a depression between ridges of stable dunes parallel to the beach which, although having escaped forestry planting, was seen to be infested with Sea Buckthorn and self-sown Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra ssp. laricio). The Bee Orchids would have been well in seed had time permitted a search for the spent plants. However, a particular effort was made to refind the Curved-leaved Spanish-daggers (Yucca recurvifolia) last seen at the foot of a dune in 1979. Richard Pryce remembered its location and led the party to the spot. In the intervening twenty years the plant had grown from two rosettes about 0.3m high to many rosettes 2.7m tall with previous years’ flower spikes to almost 4m. Two spikes were also just coming into flower.

Occasional plants of this species have become established over the years on the rear-faces of Marram-dunes close to the beach between Pembrey Burrows and Tywyn Point and are thought to have originated as drifted seeds or vegetative fragments from the American east coast (it is a native of the Carolinas) although this hypothesis is not accepted by the drift-seed expert, Charles Nelson (pers.comm.). As long ago as 1839, this mechanism was suggested by L.W.Dillwyn of Penllergare, Swansea, (in ‘Materials for a Fauna and Flora of Swansea and the Neighbourhood’, unpublished, 1848) when "a thriving young plant ... was found [at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea] more than a mile from any house or garden ... and it had all the appearance of having arisen from a seed which the tide had cast there". Recent erosion of the seaward dune faces of Tywyn Burrows has destroyed some of the Carmarthenshire plants, a process which is likely to continue, at least in the short to medium term.

Characteristic species of the dry dunes, still in flower at this time of year, included Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata) and Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) and a single prominent bush of Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) was also seen. On returning to the bombing range, a member of the party found some hatched Grass-snake’s eggs which prompted some discussion and complimented the sloughed snake-skin which was found by Viv Lewis earlier.

The party then returned to the cars and drove back in convoy through the forest before all being checked out at the gate by Ian Morgan who made sure that none had got lost on the way! The leaders were thanked for providing another very memorable afternoon at this diverse and important site.

Acknowledgement is also extended to staff of the Forestry Commission and Royal Air Force for permission to access their land.