Some Things To See at Keston Common

Bog Asphodel, Narthecium ossifragum.  Keston Common bog, 23 July 2016.

Masses of Bog Asphodel, in the bog, naturally enough.

Broad-leaved Helleborine, Epipactis helleborine.  Keston Common, 23 July 2016.

A single small patch of Broad-leaved Helleborine by the roadside.

White Water-lily, Nymphaea alba.  Keston Ponds, 23 July 2016.

White Water-lily in the ponds, looking pure and beautiful.

Yellow Water-lily, Nuphar lutea.  Keston Ponds, 23 July 2016.

Yellow Water-lilies in the same ponds.  Sometimes called Brandy-bottle from the shape of the fruit.

Cinnabar caterpillar, Tyria jacobaeae.  Keston Common, 23 July 2016.

The yellow and black caterpillar of the Cinnabar moth, eating up a Ragwort, which makes it poisonous for potential predators to eat.

Water Forget-me-not, Myosotis scorpioides.  Keston Ponds, 23 July 2016.

Water Forget-me-not on the margins of the ponds.

Branched Bur-reed, Sparganium erectum.  Keston Ponds, 23 July 2016.

The flowers of Branched Bur-reed, also on the margins of the ponds.

Emperor Dragonfly ovipositing.  Anax imperator.  Keston Ponds, 23 July 2016.

And lots of Dragonfiles and Damselflies zooming around the ponds, like this Emperor Dragonfly which is laying its eggs.

Wood Ground Mosses

Pseudoscleropodium purum, Neat Feather-Moss.  Keston Common, 3 March 2016

In the woods are some mosses that form branching mats on the ground.

This one, Pseudoscleropodium purum, likes a bit of light, and covers the ground beside paths or at the edge of a wood.

The vernacular name  suggests the neat tips to the stems and branches.

As with many plants, the key to correct identification of mosses is learning which features make them different from other similar species.  Those plump stems coming to a point are the key to this one.

Kindbergia praelonga, Common Feather-moss.  Keston Common, 3 March 2016

This one, Kindbergia praelonga, is superficially rather similar, covering - in this case - a low stump with feathery branches.

But it is rather smaller and finer than Pseudoscleropodium purum, looks more feathery, and does not have those plump tips.

A close inspection shows that the leaves on the main stem are much wider than those on the branches.  That's a useful distinguishing feature for this species, but you will probably need a hand lens (or magnified photo) to see it.

Mnium hornum, Swan's-neck Thyme-moss.  Keston Common, 3 March 2016

Mnium hornum covers large patches of ground in one section of Keston Common, a path through an old gravel pit.  In habit it is more like the wall mosses I showed recently than the branching mats of the other two shown here.  It is growing among beeches, as you can see from the piece of beech mast in the photo.

Last for today ..

Dicranum scoparium, Broom Fork-moss.  Keston Common, 5 March 2016

I came across some patches of this pretty moss whole on my way to photograph something else, so I was pleasantly surprised.  It's a common woodland moss, but that does not mean you see it everywhere.  It has a very distinctive spiky habit ...

Dicranum scoparium, Broom Fork-moss.  Keston Common, 5 March 2016

In fact, the leaf tips are almost triangular in cross-section and are slightly rough.

Some Wood Mosses

Atrichum undulatum, Common Smoothcap.  Hayes Common.  28 February 2016.

Now some mosses from my local woods.  The first photo is an iPhone snap of Atrichum undilatum, a moss that tends to grow on hummocks in the wood, such as might be caused by a falling tree lifting part of its root ball.  Those root ball hummocks stay visible for decades after a tree falls. 

This first one has broad, wavy leaves.

Polytrichastrum formosum, Bank Haircap.  Keston Common, 3 March 2016

This second one, Polytrichastrum formosum, grows on the same kind of hummocks, but has harder, spikier leaves.  It's sometimes mistaken for ...

Polytrichum commune, Common Haircap.  Keston Common, 6 March 2016.

This one, Polytrichum commune, but this is much larger, grows in looser clumps and likes much wetter ground.  This clump is actually in part of a bog.

Also on Keston Common, but this time actually underwater, you can find ...

Fontinalis antipyretica, Greater Water-moss.  Growing freely in Keston Ponds.   Keston Common, 5 March 2016

Fontinalis antipyretica.  It gets its scientific name from its supposed use in putting out fires, when scooped up by the handful.  I pulled this piece out of the pond to photograph it.  This photo is enlarged, but it's quite a robust moss.

Next, some woodland ground cover.

Autumn Colours

Leaf of Norway Maple, Acer planatoides.  Hayes Common, 18 October 2015.

Norway Maples look remarkably similar to Sycamores, but have spikier leaves that turn vivid red-brown in autumn.  Sycamore leaves in autumn tend to be covered with the big black spots of tar spot fungus, and look much less colourful.

Of course, it is not only tree leaves that show the colours of the season.

Russula species.  Keston Common, 27 September 2015.

There are colourful fungi everywhere too  This one is probably the Beechwood Sickener, Russula nobilis, but there are other similar species.  It grows under and around beech trees.

Yellows are often represented by this common species.

Stereum hirsutum, Hairy Curtain Crust.  Keston Common, 26 September 2015.

It groes on dead wood and is very common on the cut or broken ends of fallen trunks or branches.  Later on it will have lost some of its brightness.

There are other colours too, less often associated with autumn, such as this:

Laccaria amethystina, Amethyst Deceiver.  Keston Common, 27 September 2015.

The Amethyst Deceiver is often found in shady areas of woodland.  You might wonder how such a fungus could deceive anyone.  It's certainly easy to spot when fresh like this, but it's possible for the cap to fade with age and look like any one of several other species.

I have been taking lots of fungus photos so there will be more in subsequent posts, not all as colourful as this, unfortunately!

More Late Spring Flowers

Common Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lotus corniculatus.  Hayes Churchyard.  4 May 2015.

 Some more of what's flowering all around.  This Bird's-foot Trefoil even grows in lawns, as long as the owner doesn't use a selective weedkiller.  It's the seed pods that resemble a bird's foot; not visible yet.

Three-cornered Leek, Allium triquetrum.  Roundabout Wood, 8 May 2015.

This Three-cornered Leek (or sometimes Garlic) has a strong oniony smell and is quite edible.  It turns up in many local woods and although it is decorative, it's an invasive pest, so why not eat it to death?  Well, local woods are usually well used by dog walkers, so some caution and a thorough washing would be advisable.

Danish Scurvygrass, Cochlearia danica.  Verge of Heathfield Road, Keston.    4 May 2015.

Many roads are lined by this small white flower, Danish Scurvygrass.  It spreads along the very edges of the grass verges because it is tolerant of salt and its seeds are spread by traffic, which taken together are making it very successful.  Without the roads it would just live at the coast.  It contains vitamin C and (it is said) used to be eaten by sailors to prevent scurvy.

Sheep's Sorrel, Rumex acetosella.  Keston Common, car park and grass nearby.  4 May 2015.

This humble plant gives a reddish tint to areas of acidic grassland.  Those lovely leaves are described as "hastate."  That ought to mean "like a spear" but in botany, it means having the shape of a halberd.  But if you look up halberds, you will be hard pushed to find one of this shape.  So, that name for the shape is not entirely helpful.

Common Vetch, Vicia sativa.  Keston Common, grass near car park.  4 May 2015.

This is one of several vetch species in this area, and so far this year, the only one I have seen in flower. 

The last one today, Wood Speedwell, is similar to the Germander Speedwell shown in the previous post.  The differences are, this one has evenly hairy stems, leaves with stalks, and flowers which are more mauve than blue.  But they are close enough in appearance that many people confuse them, especially when not in flower.

Wood Speedwell, Veronica montata.  Roundabout Wood, 8 May 2015.

Despite the Latin name montana, it does grow in the woods.

Late Spring Flowers

Meadow Saxifrage, Saxifraga granulata.  Hayes churchyard.  4 May 2015.

Many Spring flowers are all around, and the full Summer bloom is not far away.   Here are some I found at the start of May.  The first, Meadow Saxifrage, is scarce in Kent but can be found in (at least) two places near me.  This group is in the churchyard in Hayes, where it is widespread and well established.

Cuckooflower, Cardamine pratensis.  Hayes Churchyard.  4 May 2015.

It competes in size and location with the Cuckooflower, also called Milkmaids or Lady's Smock (Why, I wonder?).  In Latin it's the Meadow Cardamine.  The colour of the flower varies from white to this slightly bluish pink.

But one of the biggest hits of this season is the glorious Bulbous Buttercup.

Bulbous Buttercup, Ranunculus bulbosus.  Keston Common.  4 May 2015.

This is the earliest buttercup to flower en masse.  The woodland Goldilocks Buttercup is earlier, but that is scarce and fleeting.  This one can fill fields with its bright golden glow.  It can be told apart from the Creeping Buttercup, also common, by its fully reflexed sepals, all turned back to touch the stem below them; and most of the Creeping Buttercups come out later.

Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys.  Hayes Churchyard.  4 May 2015.

Also coming out now, following on from the Common Field Speedwell (which is a foreigner from Persia) is this small bright blue flower, Germander Speedwell, sometimes called Bird's-eye Speedwell.  There are half a dozen common Speedwells and several scarcer ones which are not all that difficult to find, and actually people sometimes mistake this Germander for the Persian species, so you can tell this one by: 1. Flowers in racemes - many of them developing in turn from one flower-stem. 2.  Leaves with no stalks, or hardly any. 3. Twin lines of hair on the stems, on opposite sides, their positions alternating between leaf nodes. 

White-flowered Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum var. bernettii.  Keston, 4 May 2015.

Last for today: an unusual variety of a very common little Geranium, Herb Robert, that normally has reddish-purple flowers.  There are two white-flowered varieties.  The other one, var. alba, is sometimes sold commercially as Celtic White; it has no red pigment at all in the leaves or stems.  This one, var. bernettii, does, as you can see. I saw this in the same spot four years ago, so it seems to be persistent, not just an occasional sport.

Sphagnum at Keston

Sphagnum capillifolium subsp. capillifolium.  Keston Common, 10 December 2014.

 Sphagnum mosses like it really wet, and live mostly in boggy places and at the edges of some streams.  I am certainly no moss expert, but I have a small field guide so last December I had a look at Keston Bog.  I managed to find and identify three of the species that live there; I know there are more.

Sphagnum capillifolium subsp. capillifolium.  Keston Common, 10 December 2014.

You can see how the stem is covered by some clasping branches that grow quite differently from the spreading ones.  The stem also has its own types of "leaves".  If you look carefully you can also see a spore capsule.

Sphagnum fallax.  Keston Common, 10 December 2014.

This light green species seems to be the most common. 

Sphagnum fallax.  Keston Common, 10 December 2014.

The leaves of this one are even more thin and pointed than the reddish one above.  But the next one:

Sphagnum palustre.  Keston Common, 10 December 2014.

Has much broader leaves.  You can see that you have to look closely to distinguish these.

Sphagnum palustre.  Keston Common, 10 December 2014.

But once you do, differences become apparent.  This one also has some spore pods.

The stems of these mosses are quite relaxed and floppy.  In situ they are supported by the mass of the stems all around them.  For these photos, I dangled them downwards and they flipped the photos the other way up!

Seasonal Purple

Trichaptum abietinum, Purplepore Bracket, on dead Scots Pine.  Keston Common, 10 October 2014.

Here are some purple, or purplish, fungi.  The first photo is the underside of small brackets that grow on dead conifer wood.  That's usually Scots Pine in this area.  Like many fungus undersides, this Purplepore Bracket is rather beautiful.  This group is a couple of inches across.

Chondrostereum purpureum, Silverleaf Fungus.  Hayes, 18 November 2014.

This looks similar, but is from a different family, grows on deciduous wood, and does not have visible pores on its underside.  Several of these little Silverleaf Fungus rosettes seemed to be growing from the ground, but were actually attached to tree stumps that had been cut off at ground level.  This doesn't look very leaf-like, or indeed very silvery, until you see the underside.

Ascocoryne species, Purple Jellydisc.   Keston Common, 19 November 2014.

This one looks like miniature intestines.  It could be one of two very similar species, but the name Purple Jellydisc is usually applied to whatever looks like this.  Lie the other two, it is growing on dead wood.

Russula species, probably R. fragilis, Fragile Brittlegill.  Keston Common, 9 November 2014.

At last, a more traditional toadstool!  There are a few pink species of Russula but I think this is probably the Fragile Brittlegill.  That last name is well deserved.  In fact, the gills of nearly all Russulas break up easily if you brush them with your finger.

Unconventional Fungi at Keston

Purple Jellydisc, Ascocoryne sarcoides. Keston Common, 15 October 2013

Of course, there are lots of fungi that are not at all like the conventional toadstools or mushrooms.  This one, that looks like miniature small intestines, grows on dead stumps and logs. 

Black Bulgar, Bulgaria inquinans, on a felled Beech.  Keston Common, 15 October 2013

In fact, lots of fungi grow on dead wood.  Their mycelium is active inside the trunks, logs and branches, eating them away, and what we see is only a small part of the whole.  This Black Bulgar grows on fallen oak or beech.  In this case, it was on a beech trunk that had been felled as a precaution because it was infected by another fungus, the Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus, that causes a weakening white rot.  Such trees are felled by park managers so that they don't drop branches on passers-by. 

Lenzites betulinus,  Birch Mazegill.  Keston Common, 15 October 2013

But most  go for the dead wood.  This one is on a Silver Birch stump.  There are several species with this general appearance, small bracket fungi with a zoned appearance, but this one is particularly pretty; and not very common, apparently.

Pale Stagshorn,  Calocera pallidospathulata.  Keston Common,15 October 2013

This is another saprophyte, an eater of dead wood.  Those blunt spikes are about 1 1/2 cm tall.  There are several similar species, in varying sizes and shades of yellow.

Amanitas at Keston

Amanita fulva, Tawny Grisette.  Keston Common, 19 October 2013.

With names like Deathcap and Destroying Angel, Amanitas are not things you want to find on your plate.  They include the most poisonous and dangerous fungi in Britain.  They also include some of the prettiest.  And they also include Caesar's Mushroom, one of the tastiest edible mushrooms; the ones that the emperor Claudius loved.  It was, it is said, easy to add in some of the poisonous species that killed him. 

This one above, the Tawny Grisette, is also said to be edible.

Amanita rubescens var. annulosulphurea.  Keston Common,  19 October 2013.

This is a yellowish variety of a fungus called the Blusher, because of its reaction to damage.  It is said to be edible when cooked - but the water it is cooked in should be discarded.  In that respect it may be similar to this famous fungus:

Fly Agaric, Amanita muscaria.  Keston Common, 15 October 2013

- The Fly Agaric.  Some say that if this is boiled for a while and the water discarded, it becomes edible.  But that relies on several chancy factors and I would not recommend it.  My book says it should be treated as deadly poisonous; this is probably an exaggeration, but even so, I do not think it would be good for you.

Amanita phalloides, Death Cap.  Keston Common , 19 October 2013.

This one, even less so. This is definitely a killer, and this one specimen might be enough to do it.  The greenish cap, that disintegrating ring, and the bag-like volva at the base are the things to look for.   Even experienced mushroom foragers tend to leave well alone anything with a cap of that colour, just in case.