Alex Prendergast's Avatar

Alex Prendergast

@bramblebotanist.bsky.social

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 ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ

1,416 Followers  |  1,011 Following  |  400 Posts  |  Joined: 24.10.2023  |  2.2965

Latest posts by bramblebotanist.bsky.social on Bluesky

Dense conifer plantation.

Dense conifer plantation.

Harvester vehicle on road with conifer plantation in background.

Harvester vehicle on road with conifer plantation in background.

Harvester vehicle on road with field verge on one side and conifer plantation on other.

Harvester vehicle on road with field verge on one side and conifer plantation on other.

#AncientWoodlandRestoration in action! ๐ŸŒฒ

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 ๐Ÿฟ๏ธ ๐Ÿ„ ๐Ÿ‚

27.09.2025 08:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 35    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 6    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

Yes! Good work finding one at this time of year. Please could you put it on iRecord or the BSBI recording app

07.10.2025 17:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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.

06.10.2025 19:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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

06.10.2025 19:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Fruit of Senecio can appear shrivelled but may be actually ok, but those flowers aborting before fruit are ripe is a sure sign somethingโ€™s off. Iโ€™d want to see more of the whole plant but yeah thatโ€™s a likely parentage. aka(?) londinensis is usually full of flowers, none viable. This one from York:

06.10.2025 19:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Iโ€™m going to see this and Salicornia obscura on Thursday, youโ€™re welcome to join if you like

06.10.2025 09:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I have a few pots of it if youโ€™d like some. It flowers more freely if kept in a warm spot

06.10.2025 09:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Thorn Apple Datura stramonium in curious abundance as a contaminant in Pigweed seed margins. Huge plants too. Mustโ€™ve been a good summer for it. #NorfolkFloraGroup

04.10.2025 20:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 23    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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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.

04.10.2025 19:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 21    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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!

02.10.2025 18:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 23    ๐Ÿ” 7    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Cotoneaster integrifolius was described 1832, C. microphyllus 1827. Both names are still used, for different but similar plants - as per Fryer & Hylmรถ 2009.

02.10.2025 16:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Cotoneaster integrifolius at a Norwich park & ride. Pretty distinctive habit and dull crimson fruit

01.10.2025 20:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 15    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yes, Iโ€™ve seen what was considered europea s.s. at Stiffkey but just small numbers and not elsewhere in Norfolk

01.10.2025 17:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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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:
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Then join us! bsbi.org/join-us

01.10.2025 13:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 46    ๐Ÿ” 20    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 5

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.

01.10.2025 14:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ah, interesting. I donโ€™t think Iโ€™ve been to Thornham in Salicornia season. Iโ€™ll try to check it out in a few weeks.

01.10.2025 11:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Also available in fiery orange, in Norfolk.. makes things marginally easier here (but it may be a sp nov)

01.10.2025 06:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ah, so it is almost sort-of glaucous. One Iโ€™ve failed to find in the Norfolk coast.. maybe an out of county jaunt for the final Salicornia is required

30.09.2025 19:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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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

28.09.2025 19:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 21    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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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.

26.09.2025 18:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 57    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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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 ยฃ16 (vs RRP ยฃ25).
Sample pages here:
bsbi.org/bsbi-handboo...

26.09.2025 14:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 74    ๐Ÿ” 19    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Please do!

25.09.2025 14:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Hereโ€™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?

24.09.2025 18:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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.

24.09.2025 17:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Candida is probably associated with top fen sites & likely widespread in Broadland. Weโ€™ve had hybrid on Yare/Tas, & what I consider to be (others may argue different) good candida on Bure & Ant. Seeing it today in a shallow fen pool where alba would never survive make me think it has a fen niche

24.09.2025 17:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Marginal veins of Nymphaea alba (left) and Nymphaea candida (right) for comparison.. Veins of candida join to form closed loops, those of alba end at the leaf edge. Of course thereโ€™s a hybrid too, which is common where they meet.

24.09.2025 16:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 24    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Some lovely fen pools in Cladium mariscus Saw Sedge beds at @savebutterflies.bsky.social Catfield Fen reserve with Hedgehog Stonewort Chara aculeolata, Lesser Bladderwort Utricularia minor (growing terrestrially too!) and Nymphaea candida Dwarf White Waterlily

24.09.2025 15:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 30    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thanks James:)

21.09.2025 19:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A fine form of hybrid polypody Polypodium x mantoniae at Anmer with #NorfolkFloraGroup this weekend. I must have inspected the undersides of hundreds of polypodies over the years but Iโ€™ve never noticed this cute frond friend before.. Any ideas? #wildflowerhour

21.09.2025 17:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 27    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Trumpets is the local name (and the one Iโ€™m attempting to reintroduce alongside the plant) Or Marsh Fleawort, officially

21.09.2025 17:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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