Variegated Horsetail

A day spent recording with a group of naturalists on a private nature reserve in Northamptonshire. An excellent range of species was found  - I was particularly pleased to see Variegated Horsetail, found earlier this year by one of the BSBI Recorders for the area. 

I last saw this horsetail over thirty years ago in a dune slack on the Gower Peninsula. The discovery of this predominantly northern and western species of dune-slacks, river shingle, upland flushes and stony loch-shores in a local quarry certainly caused some excitement among local botanists. 

t's always interesting to ponder how species arrive at such sites. In recent years the quarry has been used for 4 x 4 events and I suspect spores might have been brought in on a vehicle tyre, though this is pure speculation!