Sunday, March 10, 2013

Desperate weekend in Norfolk

I think I should forget about this weekend. Heavy rain causing flooding turned to snow with a couple of inches laying in the garden. I took the opportunity to work through my outstanding pots on Saturday, and failed to identify anything conclusively. So I went out in the snow this afternoon and managed just one definite new species - the very common Creeping Cinquefoil (which I'd seen previously really but was planning to wait for some flowers before paying attention to it, but needs must...) Also some other mosses and plants and fungi and stuff and lichen, but nothing I'm 100% on. Has even been too cold to bother with the moth trap. And I have virtually no available time now for 2 weeks. Grrr. 239.

Some leaves of Creeping Cinquefoil, just for the tick.

This might be Tremella mesenterica but can I rule out T. aurantia? (have asked for advice from county recorder)

Plant people - this little nettle seems to have very indented leaves - could it be Small Nettle or am I just getting desperate?


Cool lichen. Before I even open the book, anyone got any hints to get me started?


5 comments:

  1. Oh, looking back, there were a few other ticks since my last blog post I forgot I hadn't mentioned:

    233. Pterostichus nigrita - thanks to Mark Telfer for confirming my exciting foray into gen det'ing
    234. Muntjac
    235. Grey Wagtail
    236. Penicillium digitatum - green mould on an orange in the fruit bowl!
    237. Dotted Border - moth trap
    238. Common Quaker - moth trap

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    1. The lichen could be Buellia canescens although it's normally in circular patches on rocks and walls etc. Not sure about the nettle although Small Nettle is an annual and more common on cultivated ground in the East ..... so you're in the right place! The Cinquefoil has got some Yarrow for company and also a Cranesbill, possibly Dove's Foot(annual) or Hedgerow (perennial).... both pretty similar leaves at the moment. Might even be Herb Robert in there too .... Watch that space!

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    2. Thanks Mike - yes, I'm leaving the Geranium til later. (Already got the Yarrow and Herb Robert though). Will leave the nettle too.

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  2. Re. Tremella mesenterica/aurantia, they are parasitic on different fungi. T. mesenterica is parasitic on Peniophora sp, which looks good for your specimen as there look like little purple bits on the branch. T. aurantia is parasitic on Stereum hirsutum, so if it was that you would expect to see some small brackets too.

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    1. Thanks James - I think you might be right about the little purpley bits, and there was definitely no visible Stereum hirsutum (but I suppose there might have been some mycelia?) TL reckoned mesenterica too though, so perhaps I'll have it after all.

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