The Brecklands

26 botanist’s including my non (so far) botanist partner joined leader Stephen Clarkson assisted by Stella Taylor and Bill and Carol Hawkins in the car park of the Bridge Hotel Brandon. Car sharing was organised and after a paper of text giving us directions was handed out we set off on a circular route by car to find and record the Breckland specialities.
Our first stop was at Cranwich Camp where we immediately saw Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney Vetch. As is common with the Breckland flora most plants were prostrate and produced if any very small flowers, My partner was often amused to see for real a rump of botanists and she was not disappointed. Next to be studied was Trifolium scabrum Rough Clover and Sedum acre Biting Stonecrop. The party then walked onto the large field and to the left of the gate was, for many the largest stand of Descurainia sophia Flixweed they had ever seen. The field was massive and the group soon spread out to explore the area allowing the assistant leaders to join the smaller groups to assist with identification. Soon Arabis hirsuta Hairy Rock Cress was seen followed by Astragalus danicus Purple Milk Vetch, Centaurea scabiosa Greater Knapweed Silene otites Spanish Catchfly and Arenaria serpyllifolia Thyme-Leaved Sandwort. Finally Carex muricata ssp lamprocarpa Prickly Sedge was found.

Our next visit was to the nearby Cranwich Heath. Here we were promised a fantastic sight of one of the top five rarest plants in the Brecklands. But before the grand prize we found the Bramble Rubus boreanus in vegetative stage and a white flowered garden escape Campanula persicifolia Peach-Leaved Bellflower, not far from the car park. Other flowering plants included Helianthemum nummularium Common Rock Rose, Hypochaeris glabra Smooth Cat’s-Ear and Naturalised Mahonia aquifolium Oregan Grape.
Well this super rare plant (of which there were three) was a bit of an anti climax. The plant? Well it was.............. Herniaria glabra Smooth Rupturewort.

After such a sight we gathered together and walked back to the cars and drove off to Weeting Heath. Not long after we arrived we were met by the site volunteer called (but not to his face) Lord Haw Haw. As many will know it is a Stone Curlew reserve and his face was a picture when he heard that 25 botanists were only interested in the plants by the car park and would not be paying and entrance fee to see the birds!
Due to proper toilets and refreshments we stayed here for lunch and afterwards observed recorded and photographed the one very rare Petrorhagia saxifraga Tunic Flower by the entrance door to the visitor centre. The Epipactus helleborine Broad-Leaved Helleborine was not in flower (yet) and was protected from rabbits by a fence.
Refreshed, hydrated and some fully caffeinated we drove onto the RSPB Lakenheath Fen Reserve. Fifteen years ago the RSPB were looking to create and inland reedbed due to erosion on the coast to assist the Great Bittern to breed in the UK. What they were given was a former arable field often in correctly stated as an old Carrot field. In 2009 the first Bitterns were booming. On arrival I was approached by a birder I knew who informed me excitedly that a pair were showing well by the Poplars. I had to quickly explain to my partner he was informing me of the breeding Golden Orioles of which the reserve is famous for. His enthusiasm was soon deflated when I said we were just here to see the flowers.
As soon as I embarked from the car I said to Eileen (my partner) “Oh look Anisanthera tectroum Drooping Brome”. It was everywhere I had never seen so much. Stephen then showed the group the three Bromes which were my A. tectorum Drooping Brome, A. diandra Great Brome and A.sterilis Barren Brome. Other rarities were Filago minima Small Cudweed, Apera interupta Dense Silky Bent. Stephen showed us all Vulpia cilliata ssp ambigua Bearded Fescue, Papaver dubium ssp dubium Long-Headed Poppy and Geranium lucidum Shining Cranesbill again fenced off from Brown Rabbits.
Our final stop for day one was Maids Cross Hill Lakenheath. Not only is this loved by Breckland botanists but dog walkers too so kneeling was a very dangerous occupation here. Geranium sanquineum Bloody Cranesbill, Cynoglossum officinale Hound’s-Tongue, Scleranthus annuus ssp annuus Annual Knawel, Spirea x pseudosalicifolia Confused Bridewort and Phleum arenaria Sand Cat’s Tail.
Carol Hawkins found Thymus serpyllum Breckland Thyme in vegetative stage and Stephen took us to see in flower T.polytrichus Wild Thyme.
By now we had dodged the showers but on the hill overlooking the air base at Lakenheath from this local nature reserve we saw a water spout over by Mildenhall followed by fast moving rain clouds. We ignored them and they us until we had started walking back to the cars but we just blew a raspberry at the clouds as we had all had a damn good day out by then. Thanks to Stephen and his band of helpers for making the day so plant filled and interesting.