Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - No. 74 - July 2008
George Hutchinson
Leader: Andrew Hurrell
It was the Society’s second chance of the year to explore this secluded part of the vice-county. On this occasion it was Andrew Hurrell who greeted a small party of seven, there being many distractions around that afternoon. It was a chance to observe the seasonal change to the vegetation after the visit on 19th June, which had been followed by one of the wettest Julys on record.
Buck’s-horn Plantain Plantago coronopus still thrived as basal rosettes at the entrance with Stern’s Cotoneaster Cotoneaster sternianus in the corner of the car-park now in full orange-red fruit, each with its three tiny nutlets.
The grassy area inside the entrance had a different set of plants in flower to that in June with Common Stork’s-bill Erodium cicutarium the showiest, with one plant found in fruit indicative of its English name. Black Nightshade Solanum nigrum with a few potato-like flowers and green fruit, poised to ripen to black, were found on the same plant. A few tiny mauve flowers of Vervain Verbena officinalis clung on in the dark terminal fruiting spikes. Perforate St John’s-wort Hypericum perforatum seemed to be having a second flush but the most frequent species in flower here was Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis [L. taraxacoides]. The tiny fork to the apex of many hairs was demonstrated with a hand lens. Coprinus plicatilis, a small buff parasol-like agaric, typical of lawns and other short grass, was identified by Philip Jones in an area which also contained Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea.
The party crossed over to explore the lawned area south of the main avenue. Here the lawn-mower was shown to be no match for the resilient Blue Fleabane Erigeron acer flowering with much secondary growth after being previously decapitated. Here one could also get close to the shady north side of some buildings with Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes and a few fronds of Hart’s-tongue Phyllitis scolopendrium and Intermediate Polypody Polypodium interjectum on the brickwork. A tomato plant Lycopersicon esculentum was a relic of the kitchen area. Wall Cotoneaster Cotoneaster horizontalis with its red fruit, and lemon-yellow-flowering Mouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella officinarum had also survived the chop. Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea and Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris were re-flowering.
Crossing the avenue to the Conservation Area it was good to see a notice reading “Area 1 cutting schedule August week 2.” This sunnier side was now blanched stubble like a typical meadow after haymaking. Crossing again to the south side, the dense vegetation of the roadside verge had been cut but a few straggly plants of Eyebright Euphrasia still hung on. Here the Stinking Tutsan Hypericum hircinum had mature leaves with just a mildly unpleasant smell when bruised. The smell is said to resemble that of goats, distinguishing it from the scented Tall Tutsan Hypericum x inodorum; if only one has a goat for reference: one could only remain optimistic.
After turning sharply to the left it was time to concentrate on the large population of the scarce Common Cudweed Filago vulgaris which was resplendent on the light-grey limestone chippings around boundary fencing in June. This was the shock of the day, not a trace of plant or chippings were visible. The latter had been completely greened over after the heavy July rain. Dominant now was the moss Hypnum lacunosum var. lacunosum and the whitish lichen Cladonia rangiformis [both det. Alan Orange at NMW). Combined with the emerging course grass if felt almost lawn-like under foot. This acted as background colour to the numerous erect browned-off plants of Perforate St John’s-wort Hypericum perforatum. A clump of Wild Mignonette Reseda lutea was still in full yellow flower near the thicket of Garden Privet Ligustrum ovalifolium, the oily aroma of the June flowers no longer hanging in the air. The dog lichen Peltigera membranacea was also found in the area.
Descending as before to the Loughor, the ‘access land’ of the hills above Pontarddulais were clearly visible on what proved to be a dry but overcast day. However, water did play a part as our path was blocked inside the sea-wall by a lagoon created by some of the highest spring tides of the year. As one detoured on the high ground around the lagoon the puff-ball Vascellum pratense was spotted and Clustered Dock Rumex conglomeratus was in full fruit. The many tiny yellow plants of a composite here were Smooth Hawk’s-beard Crepis capillaris and our first interaction with the coast came with Sea Beet Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima and partly submerged Common Sea-lavender Limonium vulgaris.
Fortunately with the high spring tide at low water one could explore the upper salt-marsh with ease. Common Salmarsh-grass Puccinellia maritima formed the dominant green and the muddy drainage creeks had typically Sea Aster Aster tripolium, Sea Plantain Plantago maritima and non-flowering Sea-milkwort Glaux maritima. A few metres below the high strand line (SS560988) large puddles, which had been created by the tide, were noticed in the Saltmarsh-grass. Their edges were decked with the glaucous and pink succulent Annual Sea-blite Suaeda maritima, but through the puddles themselves glasswort Salicornia was emerging. Careful examination showed there to be two species. The bright yellow ones with three flowers on either side of each segment were Purple Glasswort Salicornia ramosissima the commonest species around the coast. The plants with green segments, chunkily divided at their apices and disarticulating in fruit were the much scarcer but appropriately named One-flowered Glasswort S. pusilla, a new and easternmost tetrad for the species in Carmarthenshire.
The party was accompanied here by skewbald horses which seemed to sense the current high tides and grazed and drank from the nearby saline puddles. Suddenly, nearby, the Hypericum desideratum appeared, lo and behold, there was a billy-goat with wonderful asymmetric horns. It was Hypericum hircinum earlier all right - need one say more. This was emphasised on the way back where more Hypericum was spotted coming up along the cut verge of the main avenue. Young shoots were sprouting and the fresh young leaves when bruised had a much stronger stench than the old leaves of the plants seen earlier.
Before climbing up to make this pungent discovery Andrew Hurrell took us along the now vegetated old industrial-waste area overlooking the salt-marsh to see many basal rosettes of the biennial Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus. One plant was found in flower. This area was dominated by a long border of naturalized Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii, now all in seed. One could only imagine the butterfly population here on a hot summer’s day. There was still a final treat - a few plants in yellow flower of Ploughman’s-spikenard Inula conyzae growing on the bare ground being slowly grassed over. There was much interest in the English name. It translates as ploughman’s fragrant root and was sometimes dried and hung up in cottages as an air-freshener.
On top again while reflecting that far fewer rabbits had been seen above ground than on the previous visit, a silhouetted hawker dragonfly (Aeshna) escorted us back along the main avenue. Finally, Andrew Hurrell was thanked for his knowledgeable escorting-role and thus ended an enjoyable early autumn visit to this ecologically diverse area.
