Mile Oak

Field meeting reports

Meeting date: 20 July 2008

(Leader: Rita Hemsley)

Rita had prepared meticulously and, to start with at least, was firmly in command of her eleven troops.  The awe of the Chairman was such that he arrived long before his customary few minutes after the nick of time.  Then we were off with instructions not to dally in TQ21I but to secure Centaurea calcitrapa (Red Star-thistle) for the neighbouring tetrad.  That done, a more relaxed air set in and we ambled up past Whitelot Bottom, steadily picking off species characteristic of the chalk, including scattered Filipendula vulgaris ( Dropwort) and one or two very large examples of Rhamnus cathartica (Purging Buckthorn).  Even with over 150 species on the TQ21J card by lunchtime, we were assured by our leader that there was no scope for complacency as we climbed up onto Thundersbarrow Hill to admire spectacular views in all directions.  Here we came across some interesting specimens, for example Geranium columbinum (Long-stalked Crane’s-bill) and Erigeron acer (Blue Fleabane).  The arable weeds were nothing to write home about, with the exception of some fine Papaver hybridum (Prickly Poppy) with its spiny globose fruits and a tiny fragment of Legousia hybrida (Venus’ Looking-glass); strange to relate, Epilobia (Willowherbs) were scarcely seen all day.  As we turned south the path led through a low spiny forest of Centaurea calcitrapa.  We came upon Centaurium  pulchellum (Lesser Centaury),  Phyteuma orbiculare (Round-headed Rampion) and then into very fine chalk grassland with both Carex flacca (Glaucous Sedge) and Carex caryophyllea (Spring Sedge) and  eventually the sought-after Asperula cynanchica (Squinancywort) appeared. We slipped back into TQ21I again, adding these and other goodies (even a little Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney Vetch) and Hippocrepis comosa (Horseshoe Vetch)) to the tally.  Towards the end, when Rod and Ernie had unaccountably gone AWOL, Arthur demonstrated the two sweet-briars growing side by side, the acicles on the stem of Rosa rubiginosa (Sweet-briar) clearly distinguishing it from R. micrantha (Small-flowered Sweet-briar). At the cars fatigue and euphoria mingled – a very useful contribution had been made to the new Flora – but most of all we saluted our leader for a thoroughly enjoyable expedition.  No-one so much as dreamed of remarking on how late we had taken lunch.