Dr David Cockburn

The most important and frighteningly urgent issue of our time. Wishing you well with spreading support. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🌿🌳🌻🍄🕷️🪲🌡️🌡️🌡️📈

Just watched the Breakfast Live from yesterday. Nice one 😊

leaf upperside

leaf lowerside

conidia

2 conidia apparently septate

A fungus causing leaf spots - Ramularia glechomatis (likely ID); leisons ~4mm wide with white fruiting structures on leaf underside; conidia in chains and measuring 10.5-15.5 x 3.4-4.1μm - some apparently septate
#FungiFriends
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pustules on lower leaf surface

close-up of pustle, ~2mm wide

teliospores

teliospore

A fungus causing leaf pustules - Puccinia glechomatis; leisons ~2-3mm wide and with brown telia on leaf underside; teliospores brown and 2-celled
#FungiFriends
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galls on leaf upperside, hairy and ~3mm high

galls on leaf upperside, hairy and ~3mm high

I took a close look at Ground-ivy - Glechoma hederaceae in my Leeds garden and found 3 pathogens:
A leaf gall caused by Rondaniola bursaria, a gall midge larva (family Cecidomyiidae); hairy gall ~3mm high
@bsbibotany.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
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I'm really enjoying this book. Like a special bar of chocolate, I nibble a few pages each day - instead of devouring it all at once. (I also love the feel of the board cover.)

Looks like with Ptilium crista-castrensis 💚

New in my garden and blooming unashamedly this week in disturbed ground is Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum.
#WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Spangle Waxcap in short grassland at Broughton Sanctuary, beautiful texture and colour to the cap and occasional spores have a slight constriction. Top of the stem is not necessarily red.
#WildFungiHour #WildflowerHour

Should add - I've got no idea really, I've never seen it, and because it's super rare rather unlikely...

Hypochaeris maculata??

Peasgood Nonsuch is one of the 8 trees I planted in my Belgian Fence about 3 years ago. First 2 apples off it this year and yes they were huge!

Late for #WildFlowerHour, and late a chance to cross pollinate other plants is this gorgeously defiant Meadowsweet.
Broughton Sanctuary, 30 Sep.
@bsbibotany.bsky.social

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Beavers, wetland creation, river management for flood prevention

youtu.be/xKyO1H9BWGg?...

Water Chickweed - Stellaria aquatica - brightening up the bed of a former meander of the Afon Llynfi, Powys - not so frequent in Wales. 5 styles, petals deeply bifid and longer than sepals, numerous glandular hairs above, and ovate leaves with cordate base
#wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

New to me: the fascinating Fluted Bird's Nest - Cyathus striatus. Growing in damp wood chip under trees; Talgarth, Powys.
The white epiphragm caught my eye, which has brown hairs. Inner surface of the funnel-shaped peridium (1cm wide) is fluted and has pale egg-shaped peridioles at base.
#fungi

So refreshing to hear this interview. A bit like rewilding is in our nature depleted country, you're a beacon of hope in a political landscape of recklessness and betrayal. 👏🏼👏🏼

The sound of the horse drawn hay making is wonderful.

Looks like Discovery with pink flesh and flattish shape. It's an early variety - really tasty fresh but does not store well.

From R Aire, 30 Jul 2025

Thanks all. I've looked at many plants in the same area now, R Aire, Broughton Beck and quarry pond, and I'm sure they are all M. spicatum.

All the best for a successful conference. 👏🏼🙏🏼🤞🏻

The experts advise me I need more evidence - hopefully I can do so...!

Thanks Jim. It's here in low area formed by old course of the river. I need to return for better photos of the bracts then will record. Grazing regime has changed from sheep to low intensity cattle so will discuss implications with nature recovery team.

New find this week was Marsh Stitchwort at Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton, in wet grassland close to R. Aire. Likely new to hectad, and is serious decline nationality so needs protecting.
@wildflowerhour.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social

Thanks so much for looking Jo, no awns to be seen. It seems to be in a single-species patch so I can keep an eye on it, maybe examine next year when in prime condition (this one a bit fungus infected).

It's the most urgent political issue we face. So scary.

Meant to add: growing in woodland open space, damp peat site - but ground here dry enough to sit on without getting wet even the day after heavy rain. Near Skipton, Yorkshire.

leaf sheath is open; youngest leaf is rolled