This Blog covers nature sightings and related news in the Calderdale area.
It includes all groups - Plants, animals and fungi with links to specialist sites.
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Sunday 12 August 2012

Lousewort Identification

Brian Leecy posted a picture on 4th August of a pink flower at Blake Dean, asking for any help on id, whether it is Common Lousewort or Marsh Lousewort.
I think it's Common Lousewort, Pedicularis sylvatica, not Marsh Lousewort. The outer part of the flower, the sepal-tube, looks smooth, whereas in Marsh it's downy.
This is from Fitter, Fitter and Blamey. (Collins.)
Even the Common Lousewort is infrequent in Calderdale, according to Frank Murgatroyd's Flora of the Halifax Parish. Recorded previously only from Crimsworth Dean, Broadhead Clough, Luddenden Dean and the Castle Carr Estate. Both species are said to grow on boggy ground.

Marsh Lousewort has only been found once in West Yorkshire in recent years, at Hawksworth Moor, according to Lavin and Wilmore in The West Yorkshire Plant Atlas 1994.
Incidentally, we have several copies of this atlas to give away, having had them donated to the Halifax Scientific Society. All new members with an interest in botany can claim one free. It is a beautiful hard-backed book, on good quality paper, with many distribution maps and some full page colour illustrations.

Sorry for slow response.

P.s. Brian, the beetle you posted a picture of a bit back looked to be on a rare fern for the area, Hard Fern Polystichum aculeatum, but I could be wrong.

1 comment:

  1. Cheers for info Steve,yes looks good for P sylvatica Lousewort/Common Lousewort,thanks also to Portia/Brian for pics of Marsh Lousewort for comparison.regards Brian

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