The MSc Plant Diversity students spent the afternoon of field day 9 walking the Lizard coast doing a field ID test. While they identified I photographed – all photos taken in the field on a sunny but windy day so if any lack detail or depth of focus – sorry but these are not studio photos! The pleasing thing was how much could be photographed in the field in a short time including some characters that usually need a hand lens.
Students working on spot number 3, 10 minutes in to the test and only 20 metres down the track!
Start test here by reading more….
Marks available for plant species (Latin and common name) , plant family and key ID features. Here are photos taken in the field at the time – can you ID the 30 plants?
Spot 1 growing from a farm outbuilding wall
Spot 2 growing at the base of the same wall
Spot 3 growing in damp grassland
Spot 4 in grazed grassland
Spot 4 in more detail
Spot 5 on a steep grassy bank
Spot 6 by path
Spot 7 in grazed grassland
Spot 7 Detail of the leaf
Spot 8 growing in shallow soil over a rock
Spot 8 Detai
Spot 9 in grazed grassland
Spot 9 detail
Spot 10 in grazed grassland
Spot 10 leaf venation HTL
Spot 11 in grazed grassland
Spot 11 detail of leaf
Spot 11 leaf base
Spot 12 in grazed grassland
Spot 13 in grazed grassland
Spot 13 detail of inflorescence
Spot 14 in grazed grassland
Spot 15 in dried up muddy puddle
Spot 15 detail
Spot 16 in heathland
Spot 16 detail
Spot 17 clump in damp heathland
Spot 17 detail of inflorescence
Spot 18 near cliff edge
Spot 18 detail
Spot 19 in grazed heathland
Spot 19 leaf base detail
Spot 20 in slow flowing stream
Spot 20 leaf detail
Spot 20 leaf base from side
Spot 21 in cliff top grassland
Spot 22 in long grass
Spot 22 detail of inflorescence
Spot 22 basal leaf
Spot 23 in grassland
Spot 24 in western heathland
Spot 25 in western heathland
Spot 26 in damp western heathland
Spot 27 in heathland
Spot 27 in detail
Spot 28 in grazed grassland adjacent to drying puddle
Spot 29 in grazed grass heath
Spot 29 floral detail
Spot 30 forming a thorny hedge at edge of heath
Spot 30 floral detail
Answers will be available tomorrow on DrM Goes Wild. Twitter discussion on#MScPlDiv.
Answers now available http://drmgoeswild.com/spot-test-answers/
Happy students at the end of the test. Cream tea here we come!
About Alastair Culham
A professional botanist and biologist with an interest in promoting biological knowledge and awareness to all.
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Umbilicus rupestris, Navelwort, Crassulaceae, perfoliate, fleshy leaves
Smyrnium olusatrum,Alexanders, Apiaceae
Oenanthe crocata, Hemlock Water-dropwort, Apiaceae
Lotus pedunculatus, Greater Bird’s-foot-Trefoil, Fabaceae, assuming it’s not annual
Asplenium scolopendrium, Hart’s Tongue Fern, Aspleniaceae
Eupatoria cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony, Asteraceae
Centauria nigra, Common Knapweed, Asreraceae, marginal hydathodes
Sedum dasyphyllum, Thick-leaved Stonecrop, Crassulaceae
Scorzoneroides, Autumn Hawkbit, Asteraceae, can’t see any forked hairs
Carex cf. flacca, Glaucous Sedge, Cyperaceae, glaucous, greenish above?, no cross veins, even spacing
Filipendula vulgaris, Dropwort, Rosaceae
Ranunculus ficaria, Lesser Celandine, Ranunculaceae
Luzula campestris, Field Wood-rush, Juncaceae
Potentilla anserina, Silverweed, Rosaceae
Alopecurus geniculatus, Marsh Foxtail, Poaceae. Can’t really see. Habitat, seems to be bent, smooth, large ligules, folded.
Molinia caerulea, Purple Moor-Grass, Poacaea; tussocks, ligule seems to be a ring of hairs. Habitat.
Schoenus nigricans, Black Bog-rush, Cyperaceae. Tussocky, Infl. compact, blackish.
Armeria maritima, Thrift, Plumbaginaceae
Sanguisorba officinalis, Great Burnet, Rosaceae, few pairs leaflets, habitat.
Apium nodiflorm, Fool’s Water-cress, Apiaceae, water, pinnate, no septa
Silene uniflora, Sea Campion, few flowered, erect
Cochlearia officinalis, Common Scurvygrass, Brassicaceae, sessile stem leaves, fruit not flattened, basal leaves cordate
Heracleum sphondylium, Hogweed, Apiaceae. Assuming it’s not mega.
Erica cinerea, Bell Heather, Ericaceae, ? can’t really see. Leaves whorled.
Ulex minor? Dwarf Gorse, Fabaceae
Deschampsia cespitosa, Tiussock Grass. Can’t really see it. Tussocky, v erect spikes
Molinia caerules, Purple Moor-Grass, Poaceae. Can’t see this either.
Allium cf schoenoprasum, Chives, Amaryllidaceae7
Viloa cf riviniana, Comon Dog-Violet, Violaceae, spur pale, calyx lobes long, can’t see if hairy of not.
Prunus spinosa, Blackthorn, Rosaceae
And I’m off to see an optician, not before time apparently.
Happy Bank Holiday
Peter
Full answers now at http://drmgoeswild.com/spot-test-answers/
Sample 8 is Herniaria ciliolata http://www.brc.ac.uk/plantatlas/index.php?q=node/1464