ESSEX   BOTANY   AND   MYCOLOGY  GROUPS

Hot News:       (SCROLL DOWN FOR 'COLD' NEWS ENTRIES)

(11) Marchantia polymorpha susbsp. polymorpha found by Adrian Knowles in Marks Tey Brick Pit SSSI. Only the second recent record for the county. Note the wide continuous dark median-line that distinguishes it from the common subsp. ruderalis.

(10) Atriplex sagittata, new Essex alien. Has persisted along the edge of a layby on A13 for 3 years. Found by Tim Pyner.

(9) Epipactis phyllanthes var. degenera [Green-flowered Helleborine] Grays Chalk Quarry 31 07 09.

(8) Blysmus compressus Flat Sedge - still there in Hatfield Forest

(7) Burr Medick Medicago minima refound on Canvey. LNHS/EFC meeting 6 June 2009. (3 images - scroll down)

(6) Ivy-leaved Crowfoot. Ranunculus hederaceus, marshy stream, northern end of Curtismill Green. 7th April 2009. KJA. Extremely rare plant in Essex.

(5)  A new orchid for Essex: A single plant of Fragrant Orchid has turned up on the silt-lagoon at East Tilbury. It conforms to the Chalk-fragrant Orchid subspecies

Gymnodenea conopsea subsp. conopsea.    Found by and photo taken by Ray Reeves.

Note the extremely long narrow down-curving nectar spur at the back of the flower, and the narrow cylindrical spike (best observed on this photo at the top of the spike).

(Scroll down to the next one for close-up).

(4) The rare intergeneric hybrid grass x Agropogon littoralis (Perennial Beard Grass), a sterile cross between Agrostis stolonifera (Creeping Bent) and

Polypogon monspeliensis (Annual Beard Grass), a spike of the latter being just visible bottom right. Taken June 2008 by Ray Reeves in the saline hollow

just south of Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury.

(3) Pictures (below) of the two extreme mutant forms of Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) taken in the Warren Chalk pit N.R. by Bob Hills this June.

The white anthocyanin-less albino (first below) and the all-purple labellum form (second below). Note the short, fat conical nectar-spurs at the back of the flowers.

(2) A new moss for VC 18 South Essex, found by Brian Wurzell,  at Walthamstow Reservoirs:

(1)  A new alien escapee!