Alex Prendergast
@bramblebotanist.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1K following 400 posts
Botany Senior Specialist at Natural England, BSBI Limonium/Rubus/Galium/Hypericum referee. Elm/stonewort/dandelion enthusiast, Plant & butterfly reintros, botany tours, FISC 6, Punk, Norfolk #Iamabotanist Views own 🇪🇺
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Reposted by Alex Prendergast
bsbibotany.bsky.social
Yay, congrats to @willgeorge.bsky.social on finding a York Groundsel!
@bsbicountries.bsky.social was hunting for one the other day, but they are hard to find at this time of year.
willgeorge.bsky.social
Found this in York. It's a groundsel, but is it a York Groundsel?! @bramblebotanist.bsky.social
A phone photo of a plant with yellow flowers and green toothed leaves
Reposted by Alex Prendergast
wtscotsocial.bsky.social
#AncientWoodlandRestoration in action! 🌲

Felling of one hectare of nature depleted conifer has begun at #PloraWood, Innerleithen.

These non-natives are being removed and replanted with mixed native broadleaf species that will support local biodiversity and increase resilience 🐿️ 🍄 🍂
Dense conifer plantation. Harvester vehicle on road with conifer plantation in background. Harvester vehicle on road with field verge on one side and conifer plantation on other.
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Yes! Good work finding one at this time of year. Please could you put it on iRecord or the BSBI recording app
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
York Groundsel seems to be an early season thing despite both parents flowering much of the year. Fewer than 5 plants this August but there were around 5000 in spring.
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Ah just seen your earlier pics. I agree it looks good for that cross. Rather more robust than my plant - perhaps yours the reciprocal to my plant which I thought to be viscous x squalidus
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Fruit of Senecio can appear shrivelled but may be actually ok, but those flowers aborting before fruit are ripe is a sure sign something’s off. I’d want to see more of the whole plant but yeah that’s a likely parentage. aka(?) londinensis is usually full of flowers, none viable. This one from York:
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
I’m going to see this and Salicornia obscura on Thursday, you’re welcome to join if you like
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
I have a few pots of it if you’d like some. It flowers more freely if kept in a warm spot
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Thorn Apple Datura stramonium in curious abundance as a contaminant in Pigweed seed margins. Huge plants too. Must’ve been a good summer for it. #NorfolkFloraGroup
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
A copse of Huntingdon Elm Ulmus vegeta in arable NW Norfolk with #NorfolkFloraGroup today. Lovely big trees undoubtedly surviving due to their isolation from elmy areas.
Reposted by Alex Prendergast
bsbibotany.bsky.social
We're delighted to welcome @markavery.bsky.social to the growing ranks of #BSBImembers!
Why not follow Mark's example & join us? We'll be equally delighted to welcome you!
Here's what you'll get when you join:
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/bsbi...
Already a member? Huge thanks for your support!
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Cotoneaster integrifolius was described 1832, C. microphyllus 1827. Both names are still used, for different but similar plants - as per Fryer & Hylmö 2009.
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Cotoneaster integrifolius at a Norwich park & ride. Pretty distinctive habit and dull crimson fruit
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Yes, I’ve seen what was considered europea s.s. at Stiffkey but just small numbers and not elsewhere in Norfolk
Reposted by Alex Prendergast
bsbibotany.bsky.social
Our annual membership special offer opens today!
Join us this month & you'll enjoy 15 months of membership benefits for the price of 12.
Those benefits are so numerous & fabulous you'll have to head over here to see them all:
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/bsbi...
Then join us! bsbi.org/join-us
Reposted by Alex Prendergast
jo-the-botanist.bsky.social
Absolute bargain price, for which you get access to a whole new world of plant-based wonders!! I can honestly say that joining the BSBI changed my life.
bsbibotany.bsky.social
Our annual membership special offer opens today!
Join us this month & you'll enjoy 15 months of membership benefits for the price of 12.
Those benefits are so numerous & fabulous you'll have to head over here to see them all:
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/bsbi...
Then join us! bsbi.org/join-us
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Ah, interesting. I don’t think I’ve been to Thornham in Salicornia season. I’ll try to check it out in a few weeks.
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Also available in fiery orange, in Norfolk.. makes things marginally easier here (but it may be a sp nov)
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Ah, so it is almost sort-of glaucous. One I’ve failed to find in the Norfolk coast.. maybe an out of county jaunt for the final Salicornia is required
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Aftermath reflowering on a south Norfolk common - a final flourish of summer. Hardheads Centaurea nigra s.s., Catsear Hypochaeris radicata, Red Clover Trifolium pratense & Agrimony Agrimonia eupatorium #wildflowerhour
Reposted by Alex Prendergast
ghostofdatura.bsky.social
Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis is the rarest subspecies of maidenhair spleenwort found growing out of damp limestone with high humidity levels. Identified by its lobed leaves from which it gets its English name, lobed maidenhair spleenwort. This one was tucked away in the Wye Valley.
Reposted by Alex Prendergast
bsbibotany.bsky.social
Coming soon: 'Wild Roses of Great Britain and Ireland'.
This latest title, no.26 in the series of #BSBIHandbooks for tricky plant groups, has just gone to the printers!
Available for #BSBImembers to pre-order now at the discount price of £16 (vs RRP £25).
Sample pages here:
bsbi.org/bsbi-handboo...
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
Here’s Utricularia intermedia ss at its Norfolk loc. Pretty distinctive with beautiful golden locks in a fine fen pool. Separate green leafy stems in the light & pale carnivorous stems in the murk. I think a simple translocation from here would be valuable. Got any Cladium/Chara aculeolata ponds?
bramblebotanist.bsky.social
I was searching for intermedia (ssp intermedia) today where I last saw it 5yrs ago. 1 of just 3 confirmed locations for the ssp. Needs conservation attention. Thwarted by impenetrable Cladium/scrub/wet mosaic. Will return one sedge has been cut.