Foxley Wood

Not only am I a professional photographer and writer I am a new member to the wild flower society and this was my first field trip. So Bill and Carol Hawkins thought I might like to write the meeting up. Although I have been a keen recorder and studier of Vascular plants for 30 years, I soon found that I really know very little about plants.

Also my lateness in joining the WFS was due to my totally unfounded idea that they were flower lovers rather than actual plant studiers. I soon found that I was in the company of 13 very good experienced botanists. Unlike most societies they take lunch with them and even stay out in the rain.

So the 14 participants and “Badger” the dog started exploring the wood, this was interspersed by Bill and Carol Hawkins explaining the genus Carex and allied plants. I found this fascinating.

Not far from the car park we found Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common –spotted Orchid) with unspotted leaves and a single all white flowering spike. I soon found that Rosa arvensis (Field Rose) has a clubbed style (I really should read descriptions rather than trying to match the flower in the book and become so frustrated I give up) and how to identify Rubus caesius (Dewberry) by Jizz.

Throughout the walk we were shown several Sedges including.

Carex pendula (Pendulous Sedge) which was probably the most frequent by the car parks. C. remota (Remote Sedge) C. sylvatica (Wood-Sedge) C. flacca (Glaucous Sedge) C. otrubae (False-fox Sedge) C. hirta. (Hairy Sedge) C.divulsa ssp divulsa. (Grey Sedge) C. acutiformis. (Lesser pond Sedge) C. pallida ssp pallida (Pale Sedge) C. viridula ssp oedocarpa. (Yellow Sedge) and finally Carex strigosa (Thin-spiked Wood Sedge. ) A woodland rarity.

Otherwise of note was Platnthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly Orchid) identified by converging pollinia and Geum intermedium (Hybrid Wood Avens)

I learned a great deal on this meeting and feel I should demote myself to experienced beginner, rather than experienced intermediate. I have to admit that I have over-stated my botanical skills in the past and this meeting certainly brought me back to earth with a big bump. Oh I have now gained the confidence to record Ferns Grasses and Sedges using my new found skills.

I for one cannot wait for the next field trip.