25th July 2009.

Leader John Clegg.

Twenty four people assembled for this joint L.B.S. and M.N.A. outing to Wigan. This included two new members for the L.B.S. Outside a very forlorn looking Wigan Pier, can it really be shut down? We found the usual sort of plants for such an environment, Hemp Agrimony, Eupatorium cannabinum, Ivy Leaved Toadflax, Cymbalaria muralis and Canadian Fleabane, Conzya canadensis. Reaching the start of the canal path there was Feverfew, Tanacetum parthenum, a white flowered Musk Mallow, Malva moshata and Gipsywort, Lycopus europaeus. What was to be one of the plants of the day , Rock Stonecrop, Sedum fosterianum and Sticky Groundsel, Senecio viscosus were soon found along with Prickly Lettuce, Lactuca serriola, a plant that seems to be cropping up in ever increasing numbers.

Not to be outdone by the Sedum the next plant, all on it’s own, was Green Flowered Helleborine, Epipactus phyllanthes, why just the one in splendid isolation I do not know. Following the canal bank we were able to observe Skullcap, Scutellaria galericulata, Japanese Rose, Rosa rugosa and Hemlock Water Dropwort, Oenanthe crocata and several plants of Orange Hawkweed, Pilosella aurantiaca. Why Fox and Cubs? It doesn’t seem to have any connection to either.

Marsh Woundwort, Stachys palustris, Weld, Reseda luteola and Common Field Speedwell, Veronica persica were all growing well. Just before the lunch break we saw an area of Golden Melilot, Melilotus altissima, Sneezewort, Achilles ptarmica and Red Bartsia, Odontites vernus.

During lunch we were entertained watching Common Tern fishing in the canal, lunch all round then!

The afternoon session gave us Black Medick, Medicago lupulina, Zig-zag Clover, Trifolium medium and Bladder Campion, Silene vulgaris. Narrow Leaved Everlasting Pea, Lathyrus sylvestris caused some discussion, only to be superseded by it’s bigger and brighter relative Broad Leaved Everlasting Pea, Lathyrus latifolius.

The other plant that gave rise to some serious discussion was what turned out to be the young leaves of Unbranched Bur-reed, Sparganium emersum and NOT Vallisneria spiralis as I had suggested!

A good day with plenty to talk about. Thanks must be given to John Clegg for arranging and leading the group.

Peter Tipping