Autumn Lady's-tresses at Mumbles
Today we counted 353 flowering spikes of Autumn Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) in the tightly mown sward of the grassy banks behind Bracelet Bay, Mumbles (SS627872). I'm not sure if the mowing regime is relaxed to allow these plants to flower, but hopefully they'll have sufficient time to set seed before the mowing is resumed.
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Another interesting plant we noted was this clover, which keys out as Hungarian Clover (Trifolium pannonicum) [but possibly just a white form of Red Clover T. pratense], although the illustrations in Stace aren't quite correct, so we're seeking more expert advice (click here for more images of this plant).
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3 comments:
The general consensus is that this is indeed just a white form/variety of Red Clover (T. pratense).
Having been on the Wildlife Trust's reserves on Gower Coast all week, there are flowering Autumn Ladies Tresses from Port Eynon Point Point to Long Hole on all areas of short calcareous grassland, be in path sides, cliff tops or old quarry spoil heaps. Intriguingly numbers of flowering heads vary quite a lot day to day presumably due to rabbits or molluscs.
Nigel
I found Autumn Ladies Tresses yesterday on Thurba Head, in a small area on the sheltered south east slope below the fort.
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