Moschatel

Pete and I visited Tortoiseshell Wood and Porters Lodge Meadow hoping to find specimens of Moschatel for the Love Lincs Plants legacy project. After a bit of hunting we found the Moschatel exactly where another botanist last saw it in 2018, but I decided the population was too small to take specimens. Interestingly it supported its associated rust Puccinia albescens, which doesn't appear to have many records in eastern England. There's plenty of Moschatel at nearby Morkery Wood, but permission to collect would be required which takes up to 10 weeks - so a project for next spring! However, our visit wasn't wasted as we collected specimens of Early Dog-violet and three species of Dandelion: Slender Hook-lobed Dandelion, Purple-blotched Dandelion and Cut-leaved Dandelion from the meadow. 



It was good to see plenty of Adder's-tongue and Common Spotted-orchid rosettes in the meadows as well as a scatter of Water Avens, Cuckooflower and a small patch of Hairy Violet. The wood was looking wonderful, with masses of Wood Anemone in full bloom, and the first Early Purple-orchids in bud.


On our way home we stopped at our favourite independent plant nursery, Rassel's at Little Bytham, and ha d a very enjoyable lunch sitting outside in the sun. We then mooched around the displays and came away with a few plants - including a Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry to put against a south-facing wall. I first saw this back in 2015 at Madingley Hall near Cambridge and have hankered after it ever since!