Mystery Plant

In December I returned to Townclose Hills with the Lower Aire Valley volunteers and we continued our woodland management by clearing back some small trees that were encroaching on the footpaths.  During the day, I noticed a couple of plants and took photos to help me identify them later.  One was bryony, with its tendrils and red berries visible. The other one was a mystery.

At home, I leafed through several botany books and was unable to identify the plant.  I posted it to a Facebook group and got no replies.  I showed the photo around the office of the ecology department and they were all stumped too!  I initially thought this was a St Johns Wort, as there were others in the area, but it had alternate leaves not opposite.  Found in the woodland, it was about two feet tall, quite bushy, with slightly downy leaves and what I thought were pale grey buds.  Having exhausted the easiest routes, I emailed my botany group and my query found its way to our county recorder. The plant was finally identified as Common Gromwell (Lithospernum officinale) and what I though were buds were actually fruits/nutlets. This just goes to prove that plants don't always look as they do in the text books, and if you are unsure take lots of photos and make notes at the time. Also make a note of the location, as I would have struggled to find this again if it did turn out to be something rarer!

The latest tasks with the Lower Aire Valley volunteers have shifted to a site called Roach Lime Hills, which is between Garforth Cliff and Kippax.  It is a privately owned SSSI and the Wildlife Trust is helping to manage it.  The meadows are particularly important, but much of the site is being encroached by hawthorn scrub.  A management plan is in place to remove around 2/3rds of this scrub. On the day I helped out, much of the scrub had already been cut and our job was to break it up and burn it.  The bonfire had to be controlled, and raised up off the ground to prevent damage to the area underneath. Once cooled, the ash has to be taken off site to avoid adding too many nutrients back into the soil.  There is quite a lot of work to do on the site, so I am sure there will be more workdays here in the new year.