Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Craigend, Saturday 11th April 2026
An enthusiastic group of 12 of us attended this first meeting of the year. It was such a large group that we changed the intended venue because of insufficient parking, and we moved a short way along the road to the west where there were another two monads with very few records. We then split into two groups with David leading one and Sarah the other.
David’s group took on NX9369, a monad with only 17 previous plant records on the database. As the spring was rather delayed, few species were in flower, and some plants could only be given genus status, including St John’s-wort Hypericum and willowherb Epilobium. Those in flower included Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis, Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa, dandelion Taraxacum agg., Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Daisy Bellis perennis, Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa and the first Hairy Woodrush Luzula pilosa. There were several non-native species such as Soft Lady’s mantle Alchemilla mollis, Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula and Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa. Blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus, Meadowsweet Filipendula vulgaris and Bog Myrtle Myrica gale were seen in a few places along the roadside. Surprisingly the forest track gave up very few species that might have been expected, and the ditch flora was also disappointing, with no pondweeds or water starwort and just one small clump of Floating Sweetgrass Glyceria fluitans. However, 84 species were added to the list for the monad (NX9369).
The second group walked to the next monad (NX9269) and encountered a similar identification challenge, relying on a combination of dead material from last year and early spring species which were already growing. Dead grass heads from last year included Crested Dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus and Cock’s-foot Dactylis glomerata, while Tufted Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa was evident from its tussock structure and rough leaves. Early spring flowers included Bugle Ajuga reptans, Primrose Primula vulgaris, Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Dog’s Mercury Mercurialis perennis, Colt’s-foot Tussilago farfara, Common Dog Violet Viola riviniana, Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis. Two more species of woodrush were already in flower: Field Wood-rush Luzula campestris and Great Wood-rush L. sylvatica. Plants typical of the dry conditions on the track gravel included Parsley-piert Aphanes agg., Fairy Flax Linum catharticum and Slender Rush Juncus tenuis, while a patch of Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans with runners along the track was something of a surprise as this isn’t a common plant in our area.
In the ditch we found Water Starwort Callitriche stagnalis agg., Common Marsh-bedstraw Galium palustre and Bog Pondweed Potamogeton polygonifolius. As we emerged from the dense plantation, a grassy bank had a large clump of Common Bistort Bistorta officinalis, not yet in flower but identifiable from its distinctive leaves. The photos below show bistort leaves, and in flower in late May from another site.
In an open field in the valley bottom was an area of seepage with Ivy-leaved Crowfoot Ranunculus hederaceus and Brooklime Veronica beccabunga.
We stopped for lunch to sit on a wall with a pleasant view to the west and saw our first Swallows Hirundo rustica of the year and shortly afterwards heard our first Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus.
NX9269 started with 14 species and finished the day with 105 spp.
My thanks to everyone for a very enjoyable and productive day.
Sarah White
