NEW YEAR PLANT HUNT   1 January 2021

Due to Covid-19 restrictions we were not able to hold a ‘public’ event this year. Nevertheless, Anne and Simon went out on a ‘hunt’, covering our usual route in the grounds of Natural Surroundings, then towards Glandford and around Manor Farm before returning up the valley. Some sharp frosts in December meant that we did not achieve a really high total, but we were very pleased with the 50 species recorded. The most notable find was a little plant with the unlikely name of Annual Knawel. This is actually a member of the pink family and related to chickweeds and mouse-ears, but it has no petals, just green sepals with a fine white fringe. It is also rather small and low-growing, so all-in-all quite hard to spot. We found around 10 plants in a beet field, which is a significant record for the species, which is typical of open, dry sandy ground and has declined greatly as an arable weed in recent decades. Yet more proof (if we needed it) of how interesting the Bayfield Estate is!