Wednesday, 21 June 2017

1000 species challenge

Meadow grassland at Westmeston Church - not as many species as earlier in the year

As part of the summer's activities of Pan-Species listers a challenge was set to see if it was possible to reach 1000 species of natural history subjects recorded in a day. This target was achieved by Graeme Lyons and Dave Green with a flourish. The achievement of a thousand species in twenty four hours is truly impressive, and there are several reasons why my wife and I fell very short of the figure. For a start, we were laid-back about starting and didn’t get off the ground until after 9 am. Another factor was that we did not use any traps nor things like beating trays and pooters, and we did no pond dipping. The latest score for us is 420 species after checking identifications etc. We included badger and mole, having seen an active sett and mole hills which were fresh.

Volucella inflata in a sunny spot in Blackbrook Wood
We did little planning, and certainly no visits to check out sites before the day. We thought the best thing to do was to visit as many habitats as possible. Woodland was a bit poor for us. Blackbrook Wood was very shaded, and we got few lichens. The grounds of Sussex University used to hold fantastic elm trees with a rich lichen flora. On the day, I did not see a single lichen on elm. For a professional lichenologist to see just 35 lichen species is pathetic!

View across the floodplain at Amberley
Perhaps our best site was the chalk grassland on Bo Peep. Here I found Dianthus plumarius in a site where it has been for many years. Here we also recorded a Small Blue butterfly. We did go all the way to Amberley Wildbrooks which took a lot of time, and this was probably not justified with the low number of extra species we saw, which included five species of damselfly and the sedge Carex vulpina which was particularly pleasing.

It was a great day, and we learned a lot about how to cram the most rewarding sites into a short period of time. More planning would have helped as would restricting ourselves to short distance sites. One thing I did find is that keeping an eye out for species in all groups is particularly demanding. Listing birds while looking out for lichens with a x10 hand lens is not easy. Looking out for higher plants as well as bryophytes can also be confusing.

It has crossed our minds that we might do another similar exercise at the beginning of July and perhaps even the beginning of every month. It was fun. It is one of the most attractive sides to Pan Listing that all groups are included. If we do carry out a more regular challenge, we plan to plan ahead!

Group Totals

Algae 1
Amphibians 1
Arachnida 3
Birds 35
Bryophytes 11
Coleoptera 1
Crustacea 1
Diptera 11
Fungi 5
Hemiptera 2
Higher Plants 280
Hymenoptera 9
Lepidoptera 12
Lichens 35
Mammals 5
Mollusca 2
Odonata 5
Orthoptera 1

Total 420 species

In some cases, species were recorded from the car while driving between sites. My wife Amanda did the driving. A note of the positions of these sites was taken, and a full report with grid references will be prepared for the Biological Records Centre.

1. Ditchling


Common Frog


Pholcus phalangoides
Steatoda nobilis


Carrion Crow
Collared Dove
House Sparrow


Musca domestica
Tipula paludosa


Agaricus campestris
Puccinia malvacearum
Puccinia striiformis

Higher Plants

Acer campestre
Acer pseudoplatanus
Achillea millifolium
Anagallis arvensis
Arrhenatherum elatius
Bellis perennis
Brachypodium sylvaticum
Bromus hordeaceus
Calystegia sepium
Capsella bursa pastoris
Cardamine hirsuta
Carex pendula
Centaurea nigra
Cerastium fontanum
Coronopus didymus
Crataegus monogyna
Crepis capillaris
Epilobium ciliatum
Epilobium montanum
Euphorbisa peplus
Festuca rubra
Fragaria vesca
Fraxinus excelsior
Galium aparine
Geranium molle
Geranium robertianum
Geum urbanum
Hedera helix
Heracleum sphondylium
Holcus lanatus
Hyacinthoides non scriptus
Lamium amplexicaule
Lapsana communis
Leontodon autumnalis
Leucanthemum vulgare
Ligustrum ovalifolium
Lolium perenne
Lotus coniculatus
Medicago lupulina
Myosotis arvensis
Myosotis sylvatica
Orchis morio
Oxalis procumbens
Pinus sylvestris
Plantago lanceolata
Plantago major
Poa annua
Poa pratensis
Polygonum aviculare
Potentilla anserina
Potentilla reptans
Prunella vulgaris
Quercus robur
Ranunculus acris
Ranunculus repens
Rosa canina
Rubus ulmifolius
Rumex acetosa
Rumex crispus
Sagina procumbens
Salix caprea
Sambucus nigra
Senecio vulgaris
Silene dioica
Sonchus asper
Tanacetum parthenium
Taraxacum officinale agg.
Trifolium dubium
Trifolium repens
Urtica dioica
Valerianella locusta
Veronica persica
Vulpia myurum

Apanteles glomeratus – pupal cases
Apis mellifera
Bombus hypnorum
Bombus lapidarius
Bombus pascuorum
Bombus pratorum
Bombus terrestris
Bombus vestalis


Speckled Wood
Tinea perionella


Caloplaca citrina
Candelariella aurella
Hypotrachyna revoluta
Lecanora albescens
Lecanora chlarotera
Lecanora dispersa
Lecanora orosthea
Parmelia sulcata


Badger Sett
Mole – Fresh mole hills


Helix aspersa

2. Ditchling – a paddock with unimproved pasture


Blue Tit
Common Whitethroat
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Song Thrush
Willow Warbler
Wood Pigeon


Bombylius major
Lucilia caesar
Scaeva pyrastri
Syrphus ribesi
Volucella bombylans
Volucella pellucens

Higher Plants

Agrimonia eupatoria
Alopecurus pratensis
Arabidopsis thaliana
Carex curta
Carex flacca
Carex hirta
Carex nigra
Cirsium arvensis
Cirsium vulgare
Dactylis glomerata
Deschampsia cespitosa
Dipsacus fullonum
Equisetum arvense
Filipendula ulmaria
Genista tinctoria
Glechoma hederacea
Hypericum tetrapterum
Iris pseudacorus
Juncus conglomeratus
Juncus effusus
Juncus inflexus
Lathyrus pratensis
Lotus pedicularis
Oenanthe crocata
Persicaria maculosa
Phleum arvense
Prunus x fruticans
Pulicaria dysenterica
Senecio erucifolius
Silaum silaus
Sinapis arvensis
Stachys sylvatica
Stellaria graminea
Vicia cracca
Vicia hirsuta
Vicia sativa

Burnet Companion
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Common Blue
Large Skipper
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Straw Dot


Physcia tenella
Xanthoria parietina


Chorthippus parallelus – nymph

3. Common Lane, Ditchling

Flowering Plants

Arctium lappa
Hordeum murinum

4. Ditchling Common

Ulex europaea

5. Blackbrook Wood


Mitopus morio


* Nuthatch


* Atrichum undulatum
* Brachythecium rutabulum
* Kindbergia praelonga
* Mnium hornum
* Orthotrichum affine
* Ulota crispa


* Eupeades corallae
* Volucella inflata


* Puccinia cancina ribesii-pendulae


* Grypocoris stysi

Higher Plants

* Anemone nemorosa
* Anthriscus sylvestris
* Betula pendula
* Carex divulsa
* Carex remota
* Carex sylvatica
* Carpinus betulus
* Circaea lutetiana
* Corylus avellana
* Digitalis purpurea
* Dryopteris dilatata
* Euphorbia amygdaloides
* Hypericum androsaemum
* Ilex aquifolium
* Lonicera periclymenum
* Lysimachia nemorum
* Moerhingia trinervia
* Pteridium aquilinum
* Rosa arvensis
* Rumex latifolius
* Scrophularia nodosa
* Stellaria holostea


* Vespula vulgaris


* Red Admiral


* Flavoparmelia caperata
* Graphis scripta
* Phlyctis argena
* Ochrolechia subviridis
* Punctelia subrudecta

6. Railway Crossing, Spatham Lane


* Magpie

Higher Plants

* Aesculus hippocastanus
* Equisteum telmateia
* Fagus sylvatica
* Malva sylvestris

7. Westmeston Church


* Trentepohlia aurea


* Grimmia pulvinata
* Gyroweisia tenuis
* Homalothecium sericeum
* Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus


* Puccinia iridis

Higher Plants

* Anisantha sterilis
* Asplenium adiantum nigeum
* Convolvulus arvensis
* Dryopteris filix mas
* Geranium dissectum
* Hordeum secalinum
* Hypericum perforatum
* Iris foetidissimum
* Linaria purpurea
* Phyllitis scolopendrium
* Poa trivialis
* Primula veris
* Symphoricarpos rivularis
* Taxus baccata
* Veronica chamaedrys
* Viola riviniana


* Amandinea punctata
* Belonia nidarosiensis
* Caloplaca flavescens
* Candelariella vitellina
* Catillaria chalybeia
* Diploicia canescens
* Dirina massiliense sorediata
* Lecanora expallens
* Lepraria incana
* Lepraria lobificans
* Llimonaea sorediata
* Opegrapha calcarea
* Pertusaria flavicans
* Porpidia tuberculosa
* Tephromela atra
* Verrucaria nigrescens

8. East of Westmeston

Higher Plants

* Ligustrum vulgare

9. Plumpton Lewes Turn

Higher Plants

* Aegopodium podagraria
* Hypochaeris radicata
* Sisymbrium officinale

10. Lewes


* Black-headed Gull
* Herring Gull

Higher Plants

* Brassica napus
* Campanula persicifolia
* Chenocpodium album

11. Lewes Roundabout on A27

Higher Plants

* Centranthus ruber
* Reseda luteola
* Rosa rubiginosa
* Senecio jacobaea
* Smyrnium olusatrum
* Sonchus arvensis
* Sonchus oleraceus

12. Between Beddingham and Firle

Higher Plants

* Hirschfeldia incana
* Onobrychis viciifolia

13. Firle and Road to the Beacon

Higher Plants

* Chamaerion angustifolium
* Silene longifolia
* Silene vulgaris

14. Firle Beacon


* Skylark

Higher Plants

* Ranunculus bulbosus

15. Selmeston

Higher Plants

* Artemisia vulgaris
* Conium maculatum
* Cornus sanguinea
* Brassica nigra

16. Road to Bo Peep


* Common Pheasant

Higher Plants

* Epilobium hirsutum
* Listera ovata

17. Bo Peep


* Meadow Pipit
* Red-legged Partridge
* Yellowhammer


Homalothecium lutescens


* Chloromyia formosa

Higher Plants

* Anthyllis vulneraria
* Ballota nigra
* Briza media
* Bromopsis erecta
* Carduus nutans
* Carduus tenuiflorus
* Carex panicea
* Carlina vulgaris
* Centaurea scabiosa
* Cruciata laevipes
* Dactylorhiza fuchsii
* Dianthus plumarius – three plants
* Echium vulgare
* Galium verum
* Gymnadenia conopsea
* Helianthemum nummularium
* Hippocrepis comosa
* Knautia arvensis
* Leontodon hispidus
* Linum catharticum
* Papaver rhoeas
* Phleum pratense
* Pilosella officinarum
* Polygala vulgaris
* Reseda lutea
* Rhinanthus minor calcareus
* Rubus caesius
* Thymus praecox
* Trifolium campestre
* Trifolium pratense
* Tripleurospermum inodorum
* Verbascum thapsus


* Small Blue

18. Below Bo Peep


* Chaffinch

Higher Plants

* Arum maculatum
* Brachypodium pinnatum
* Cirsium acaule
* Linaria vulgaris
* Poa nemoralis
* Potentilla anglica
* Rubus idaeus
* Sanguisorba minor
* Tamus communis
Veronica hederifolia

19. Main Road North of Falmer

Higher Plants

* Lavatera arborea

20. Eastern Brighton By-pass

Higher Plants

* Foeniculum vulgare
* Juniperus communis
* Lathyrus latifolius

21. Brighton – Hangleton Turn


* Fox – dead

22. Shoreham Turn towards Steyning

Higher Plants

* Avena fatua
* Clematis vitalba
* Petasites fragrans

23. Steyning By-pass



Higher Plants

* Buddleja davidii
* Lepidium draba
* Salix cinerea

24. Wiston

Higher Plants

* Alliaria petiolata

25. A 24 – Ashington

Higher Plants

* Geranium pyrenaicum

26. Washington

Higher Plants

* Oenothera glazioviana
* Populus balsaminifera

27. Amberley


* Aphis rumicis

Higher Plants

* Cymbalaria muralis
* Erigeron karvinskianus
* Eupatoria cannabinum
* Papaver somniferum
* Parietaria Judaica
* Pseudofumaria lutea
* Symphytum officinale
* Veronica arvensis

28. Amberley Wildbrooks


* Barn Swallow
* Goldfinch
* House Martin
* Lesser Whitethroat
* Mallard
Mute Swan


* Gyrinus substriatus


* Oniscus asellus


* Episyrphus balteatus


Aphis fabae

Higher Plants

* Alcea rosea
* Alnus glutinosa
* Asparagus officinalis
* Carex otrubae
* Carex vulpina
* Centaurea montana
* Equisetum palustre
* Festuca pratensis
* Glyceria maxima
* Lemna minor
* Lunaria annua
* Lycopus europaeus
* Matricaria discoidea
* Melilotus officinalis
* Myosotis scorpioides
* Potamogeton natans
* Sagittaria sagittifolia
* Salix triandra
* Stellaria media
* Valeriana officinalis


* Calopteryx splendens
* Coenagrion puella
* Coenagrion pulchellum
* Ischnura elegans
* Pyrrhosoma nymphula

29. Sussex University – Falmer Park

Visited for the lichens on elms. Only one elm seen which was too old and dry barked to support any lichens.

Higher Plants

* Tilia x vulgaris
* Ulmus procera


* Evernia prunastri
* Melanelixia subaurifera
* Physcia adscendens
* Physconia grisea


* Grey Squirrel

30. Falmer Pond


* Greylag Goose
* Moorhen

Higher Plants

* Tragopogon pratense

31. Road to Devil’s Dyke

Higher Plants

* Filipendula vulgaris
* Iris orientalis

32. Devil’s Dyke – Copse by Pub

Higher Plants

* Acer cappadocicum

33. Burgess Hill access of the A23

Higher Plants

* Centaurium erythraea
* Daucus carota
* Dactylorhiza prate
* Dactylorhiza pratermissa junialis
* Epilobium parviflorum
* Lathyrus nissolia
* Malva moschata
* Ophrys apifera
* Sison amomum
* Vicia tetrasperma


* Monacha cantiana

Saturday, 3 January 2015

Plant Lists for the New Year

First flower of the year, Lesser Celandine in garden

It was only the end of last year that I heard about Tim Rich’s BSBI New Year “Plants in Flower” listings. It wasn’t until December that I heard about it, but I determined to give it whirl. I have been year-listing in various groups of organism since 1st January 1977, (there will be more of that in another blog shortly).

January 1st 2015 here in Sussex turned out to be a miserable, overcast and drizzly day. At the time, I thought that listing was confined to three hours on January 1st. I had noted Cymbalaria muralis in the centre of the village, and after finding five species in a garden, including Ranunculus ficaria, which I now evidently have to remember to call Ficaria verna, I had noted a few species on a roadside going to the local supermarket. After this, apart from stretches of dual carriageway verges between Worthing and Arundel, that I had noted in mid-December to be rich in plants still in flower, I had no prior information or plans.

With my wife driving to give me the best chance of seeing plants on verges, we set off for the stretch of road on the A27 between Worthing and Arundel. West Sussex County Council in their lack of wisdom for the requirements of New Year botanists, had mown all the verges to a maximum of one inch high. All I got between Burgess Hill and the A27 was Heracleum sphodylium, Petasites fragrans and considerable eye strain!

Eventually we found a lay-by on the A27, and with traffic whizzing past at high speed on the road, I set off to do some recording. The productive tall ruderal vegetation I had noted was now blackened by frost, and the vast majority of the plants I had seen just a fortnight earlier were now dried up, shrivelled and lacked any flowers. Things like Sonchus asper, Senecio jacobaea and Picris echioides were all gone. Walking the four hundred yards odd to the next lay-by where my wife had parked, I added just six species to my list. Not good! Time was passing. I decided to go down to the coast at Angmering in the hopes that the sea might have ameliorated the recent frosts, and all I added was Ranunculus repens. However frost damage did seem less.

Although I thought I had twenty five species, I had to remove Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne as the plants had no anthers, and Mistletoe which, at over fifty feet up in a tree, could not have been confirmed with the presence of its microscopic flowers! This reduced me to 22 species. This did not impress me, especially when I heard of botanists in West Sussex, and Tim Rich himself in Cardiff, achieving over sixty.

When I got home, I reviewed the day, and realised that I needed to be closer to the sea all day to minimise frost impact, and to include industrial sites with waste ground. Next year, I thought to myself, I must take this into account, and do a series of reconnaissance trips to be sure of the most productive areas to visit. I just wished I could go and do more surveying on the 2nd January. Later that evening, my wife who had been studying the internet, found that we actually had until January 3rd, and that we could do 3 three hour listings if we wanted, from different areas. We checked the weather forecast, and the next day was reckoned to be warm and sunny. We decided to go and list Eastbourne, and not start our three hours till we got there.

About twenty years ago, as a freelance ecologist specialising in botany, I had had a contract to study all potential areas of ecological interest in the borough. Of particular interest were areas surrounding beach huts, cliffs on which several exotic species such as Carpobrotus edulis had become naturalised, and most notably large industrial estates.

Parking anywhere near the extensive cliffs proved impossible. The whole world and his wife were on the road seeking coastal sunshine, and/or bargains in the shops. Most roads were at a standstill, and parking places were all full. So, beach huts next. What beach huts? I could find none. A brief stop to look at a recently established verge added five species, but as throughout Eastbourne, the vegetation had been razed to a maximum of one inch. With the desperate traffic, blinding sunshine to the south west, and the lack of potential for flowers, I began to become very frustrated. We left for my supposed industrial botanical paradise. We found an area with tall vegetation which was all quite dead. Weed killers had evidently been used.

A chap came over from an office.

“Are you lost? Can I help?” He asked. I explained what we were up to. He was very doubtful whether we would find anything in flower in the whole of Eastbourne at this time of year.

“My landlord insists I mow all the grass,” he told us, “And this place [the derelict warehouse we were parked beside] hasn’t been used for two years. It’s going to be developed and turned into a new supermarket site.” Well, if a derelict site was no good, how on earth could I expect anywhere else not to have been ruined botanically either by mowing or the use of a weed killer?

I did find one area of disturbed ground close to a railway in a housing estate. This added six species including Senecio sylvaticus, one of the best species of the whole two days.

We left this area, and tried a housing estate back from the sea with less traffic. It was botanically barren, and all we achieved was to join traffic waiting at a particularly time-consuming level crossing. A visit to a woodland park produced nothing, so we decided to try a churchyard to the north of Eastbourne where there was recently disturbed ground next to a rebuilt wall. In the event, the churchyard added five species including Primula vulgaris. Churchyards could be one possible answer for next January.

One problem I now have is what constitutes a species being in flower. I took it to mean if I could see any petals that had the colour of the expected flower. With just a recently shrivelled flower head, this could not be used. However, in the sort of weather we had had on the 1st, I recorded Stellaria media if white petal tips could be seen extending from the top of the bud. When year listing, I always count grass species if the head is green. This year, all I could see with anthers was Poa annua. Later in the year, the problem of recording sedges in flower would present a considerable problem. I guess sedges would have to be identified in fruit, and plants still in flower in the colony could be added.

Planning the three hours by doing reconnaissance during the year, and especially in the run up to Christmas is essential. Good industrial sites, well vegetated walls and fairly recently disturbed road verges with tall, ruderal vegetation should be productive. The best botanical sites and SSSIs will probably add nothing or next to nothing. Such vaguely competitive exercises are great fun, and get the participant to think ecologically, which is excellent. The two days in the field have taught me much, and weather permitting, I hope to be much more successful. If frost proved to be a problem, perhaps we’ll try and book into a Premier Inn somewhere in the West Country. Anyway, the most important aspect of this is that it has added a new, and enjoyable dimension to New Year’s Day. My bird list has taken second place for the first time since 1984!

These are what I recorded during the two days:-

1st January 2015

Garden in Ditchling, East Sussex

Ficaria verna (Ranunculus ficaria) Lesser Celandine
Euphorbia peplus Petty Spurge
Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass
Stellaria media Common Chickweed
Cardamine hirsuta Hairy Bittercress
Veronica persica Common Field Speedwell

In Ditchling Village

Conyza canadensis Canadian Fleabane
Cymbalaria muralis Ivy-leaded Toadflax

Approaching Burgess Hill, West Sussex

Taraxacum officinale Dandelion

Roadside Verge to Tescos, Burgess Hill, West Sussex

Bellis perennis Common Daisy
Corylus avellana Hazel
Achillea millefolium Yarrow


Petasites fragrans Winter Heliotrope


Heracleum sphondylium Sheep’s Parsley


Ulex europaea Gorse

A27 east of Arundel

Sisymbrium officinale Hedge Mustard
Senecio vulgaris Common Groundsel
Lamium album White Deadnettle
Tripleurospermum inodorum Scentless Mayweed
Picris echioides Prickly Ox-tongue


Erigeron karvinskianum Mexican Fleabane


Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup

2nd January 2015

All species total given second


Ulex europaeus Gorse
2 23 Capsella bursa pastoris Shepherd’s Purse
Bellis perennis Common Daisy
Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass
Veronica persica Common Field Speedwell
Senecio vulgaris Common Groundsel
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion
Stellaria media Common Chickweed
Euphorbia peplus Petty Spurge
Ficaria verna Lesser Celandine
Petasites fragrans Winter Heliotrope
12 24 Centranthus ruber Red Valerian
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
Conyza canadensis Canadian Fleabane
15 25 Aster novi belgii Michaelmas Daisy
16 26 Lamium purpureum Red Deadnettle
17 27 Matricaria discoidea Pineapple Weed
18 28 Senecio sylvaticus Heath Groundsel
19 29 Mercurialis annua Annual Mercury
20 30 Sinapis arvensis Charlock
Tripleurospermum inodorum Scentless Mayweed

Folkington, East Sussex

Heracleum sphondylium Sheep’s Parsley
23 31 Sonchus arvensis Smooth Sowthistle
24 32 Lapsana communis Nipplewort
25 33 Leontodon autumnalis Autumnal Hawkbit
26 34 Primula vulgaris Primrose

Tuesday, 16 September 2014

The brief and glorious flowering of the Arctic summer

Salix polaris - the tallest shrub of the High Arctic
One of the major factors in enjoying the sudden blossoming of the Arctic is that it takes place over a very short period which can be unpredictable. Depending on the developing of the spring, it can occur at any time during mid summer from the beginning of June to about mid July. It is quite possible to visit an area that has a rich flora and find everything in full flower one year, to find that nothing has happened yet in another, or that everything is finished. An enormous advantage with the Arctic flora is, that if you hit it right, everything will be at its best. Although not technically in the Arctic, I am including some of the flora of Iceland in this account.

My first experience of the flora of the Arctic was close to the tongue of a glacier close to the ice cap of Vatnajökull in Iceland. I was accompanying a group as a botanist, and spotted a floristically rich area close to the road, and asked the coach driver to stop. For the next half hour or so, we studied an area of stable scree that supported a most interesting flora. I had actually spotted the Glacier Buttercup, Ranunculus glacialis from the moving coach and this was a species I particularly wanted to see. As well as this, we found specimens of the Arctic Poppy Papaver radicatum and a fine saxifrage Saxifraga cotyledon. On another occasion in the north of Iceland near Akureyri, an Icelandic lecturer friend of mine lent me his car, and I drove off some distance to a river valley to see the Arctic River Beauty Chamerion latifolium. What a superb plant, especially when growing in quantity. This is a most interesting element of the Icelandic flora in that it is Nearctic, occurring nowhere further east.

Ranunculus glacialis

Papaver radicatum

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

The Penguins, Great Characters of the Falkland Islands

Gipsy Cove


Harold standing proudly in front of
his burrow
Harold braying
That was fun, but haven’t we got dirty tummies
– hope no-one will be cross!

Thursday, 7 August 2014

Plants of the Falkland Islands

A group of king penguins in a field of sea cabbage, Senecio candidans
A few years ago, my wife and I visited the Falkland Islands at the beginning of January. Although the human population is extremely British in both origin and speech, there are considerable differences between the way of life in the Falkland Islands and life at home. Although approximately at the same latitude as London, the lack of a Gulf Stream makes the weather much colder. The islands are greatly affected by strong winds coming up from the Antarctic. Quite naturally, the land is treeless out in the country. The Falklands are divided into farms rather than districts or villages. In order to access farmland other than by accepted public footpaths, it is necessary to contact the farmer who owns the land. Casual entry into a piece of countryside that looks interesting for plants is not possible.

Thursday, 31 July 2014

Gardens in Tenerife in May 2014


Gates at the old entrance to the Garden of Acclimatisation

Spanish Moss on the entrance tree

Tillandsia usneoides in flower, Wisley Gardens

The Banyan Tree

A canary

Canary Lizard

Canary Speckled Wood

The single Lotus in the largest pond today
Garden of Acclimatization pond in the past,
as it was before dredging

In the Garden of Acclimatisation
In the Garden of Acclimatisation
In the Garden of Acclimatisation

Philodendron giganteum

Pineapple plant in flower

Echium simplex

Euphorbia atropurpurea

Aloe castanea

Strelitzia nicolai, Giant Bird of Paradise

A banana plant in flower

Icod Dragon Tree

Echium simplex below the Icod Dragon Tree

The Screwpine, Pandanus utilis

Screwpine fruit

Endemic plants being propagated in
La Tahonilla Environmental Centre
       near La Laguna

La Tahonilla Environmental Centre gardens

Lavatera acerifolia, an endemic

Dracunculus canariensis
The Canary Dragon Lily, a bit past its best!

The Gardens at Vilaflor

Pond with Lotuses in the Puerto de la Cruz terraced gardens

Bougainvillaea in the Puerto de la Cruz terraced gardens

Aristolochia gigantea