| Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details | Swaledale and
Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775 |
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie F,S,A, |
| SWAAG News Archive | |
| News Archive | |
| SWAAG Wildflower walk – July 2024 | |
| A group of 9 met at Rukin’s car park in Keld for a short walk led by Sue Knight and Janet Bethune. The walk was about a mile in total to allow for the slow pace needed for adequate discussion of the flowers and grasses which were encountered. The group were provided with hand-lenses and a list of about 70 plants they were likely to see. The aim of the walk was to point out distinguishing features that would help people remember the plants. We started with the common buttercup and how to separate Meadow and Creeping Buttercups and then focused on a range of grasses. The commonest was the soft, downy Yorkshire Fog. One member wondered if references to putting cows out into the “fog” and producing “fog cheese” from their milk could be a reference to this . A special plant for the northern dales was Melancholy Thistle, which put on a superb show. In spite of being a thistle, it has no spines. We also tackled a couple of ferns, with lenses out so the shape of the fronds could be checked. Everyone managed to see the subtle differences between Male Fern and Lady Fern, the latter having a more delicate appearance! Colour was provided by the Monkey Flower, Meadowsweet and Common Spotted orchid. The sense of smell can also be used to help name a flower and the horrid smell of Woundwort and Herb Robert is not easily forgotten. We ended by testing the sense of smell on a more pleasant note by comparing Garden Mint and Water Mint, the latter having a fresher, spearminty smell. We returned to the car park as the heavens opened and pleased that the walk had been dry. |
|
 |
 |
| Common Spotted Orchid | Hedge Wound Wort |
| Click Images to Enlarge | |
 |
|
| Small Copper on a Melancholy Thistle | |
| News Record: 189 Updated: 18-07-2024 11:21:36 | |