Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - September 2007 - No 73
Ian Morgan

Reading Kath Pryce`s excellent summary (BSBI News 102: 58-60) of the BSBI Glynhir Recording week in July 2005, I found myself agreeing with her comment about a Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata in the grounds at Glynhir, which “ was admired ….. in full flower and was alive with the constant buzzing of countless bees”. This reminded me of a similar experience I had at Gelli Aur this summer, where the avenue of planted hybrid limes there were being visited by thousands of bees. Perhaps we should encourage the planting of more limes, as they are a strategic source of food for bees?  In the same issue of BSBI News, on p.51, there is a short note on Cabbage Palm Cordyline australis `becoming street-wise` in Ireland where the author was referring to self-sown plants at the base of walls etc. I have noticed this trend in Llanelli too, finding a seedling of this species at the very junction of an old sandstone wall and an un-metalled back lane behind Sandy Road SN 495007 on 9.11.06.  I had seen this seedling a few years ago, but did not recognise it (as it was then so small) until this year.  On 14th Dec., I walked along the main track in Pembrey Forest as far as a clump of Spindle Euonymus europaeus (at c SN 402023), that regularly is prolific in fruit.  I wanted to gather seeds of this `champion` spindle to grow on.  I noticed a strange fungus in the grass below which I later identified as an `Earth Star` Geastrum triplex.  PhilipJones tells me that it is not infrequent in the Forest, andI have been previously told that this species also grows below a horse chestnut immediately east of Stradey Castle.