Durleighmarsh Farm

Meeting date: 2 September 2007

(Leader: Dawn Nelson)

The Goodwood Revival meeting was not the only place where examples of Lotus were being enjoyed on this first weekend in September.  North-west of there Alan and fourteen others were poring over a specimen that was neither L. corniculatus (Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil) nor L. pedunculatus (Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil). Was it L. angustissimus (Slender Bird’s-foot-trefoil)?  No, apparently not… but then again Yes.  Definitely.  And there’s more… But this patch looks different again.  Could it be L. subbiflorus (Hairy Bird’s-foot-trefoil)?  Don’t be daft!  Well, these were nearly the words of the unnamed sceptic… whose scepticism proved totally without foundation.  This was into the afternoon session in about the sixth field.  A good range of arable weeds had been acquired by then with nearly all the usual suspects on this sort of sandy soil plus a large amount of Amaranthus hybridus (Green Amaranth).  In the morning Rosalind had specialised in enormous versions of native sedges established in well-nourished pick-your-own beds, a magnificent Carex ovalis (Oval Sedge) immediately topped by a monster C divulsa (Grey Sedge).  Tony showed off Festuca brevipila (Hard Fescue) and the blue-green mats of this dogged our steps throughout the day.  Still a little dazed after moving house the day before, Dawn conducted proceedings admirably and received lavish thanks at the end of the trail in the car park before members exposed themselves to the temptations of the Farm Shop.