Heath Cudweed

Today I led a group of botanists from the Wildflower Society round Whisby Nature Park - it was their first trip to Lincolnshire for many years, so I wanted to make sure they saw plenty of interesting species. We weren't disappointed, and soon ticked off the easy ones such as Pennyroyal (which was flowering profusely round the education centre), Great Water-parsnip, Lesser Cat's-ear and Green-flowered Helleborine.

The hunt for Heath Cudweed was somewhat more tortuous. A smaller party of intrepid botanists set off on a hike to the field where this species grows, and although I'd been told where to look, it took us some time to find the population. But once we did, there were plenty of flower spikes. Unfortunately by this time it was raining gently. I was as excited as the other members of the group, because this is the first time I've ever seen this rare and declining species of dry, acidic, sandy soils..