Essence of Portholme

Another day, another meadow, though this time Chris and I were working rather than just having fun, recording quadrats at Portholme Meadow for the Floodplain Meadows Project, which is co-ordinated by the Open University. The weather wasn't ideal, being cool, grey and very windy with an ever present threat of rain, which fortunately never really materialised. The strong wind was the most tiresome aspect as it makes recording grasses much more difficult!

I didn't take any photographs when I was out there, but on the way back to the car I picked a representative sample of hay-meadow species to photograph at home. Initially I felt a bit guilty, until I remembered that in a couple of weeks the whole area will be cut to make species-rich herbal hay, which commands a premium price.

So, how many species can you spot? Can you find: Lady's Bedstraw, Marsh Bedstraw, Common Sorrel, Ox-eye Daisy, Great Burnet, Yellow Rattle, Common Knapweed, Pepper-saxifrage, Narrow-leaved Water-dropwort, Marsh Bedstraw,  Marsh Ragwort, Meadow Buttercup, Red Fescue, Meadow Barley, Crested Dog's-tail, Cock's-foot, Marsh Foxtail and Yorkshire-fog?