Friday 11 December 2015

Another Scollie! another fabulous 'Crispum Group'







The above photos are showing the rare fern at variant distances in situ

Rear view of the fronds - showing no sori and confirming crispum variety
  Click over to enlarge


Just can't believe I could find this rarity today, its another "Scolly" and this time its another of the rare variants "Crispum Group" with the Queen Anne (Ruff) look. Not quite as nice as Alec's earlier find but certainly worthy of the same "agenda" in fact this one could well turn out to be "fimbriate" according to two experts.

This one is slightly down a limestone gryke which does afford it some shelter on Hutton Roof Common.

Found lots of "forked" scollies in and around the same area and checked out the "Ramasum" and also the Southern Polypody which I found last year. Lots of Trichomanes look interesting!  I had one in particular which was coming from the rootstock of both Maidenhair and also Scolopendrium.  It looked quite large pinnae and I thought best to take a sample just in case (see photo below).  But I suppose if I was to really get into it I would never get anywhere because there can be something just slightly different at every turn!  so to a degree I need to be a little selective so we can at least then progress to cover some ground.  What I am trying to say is that everytime you go out its so rewarding and if your in the right mindset you are getting a massive treat everyday (well almost).

They do keep telling me that when you get a basic knowledge of the ferns and learn to "get thi eye in" that it becomes easy peezy - well I am not sure about that! but what I am sure about is that it is a great adventure which keeps building as everyday passes.  I love the search, the find, to photograph and then to be able to write about it, and record it and to have that great opportunity (thanks to Google) to `share it all with you

Maidenhair Spleenwort (asplenium trichomanes) (Click over to enlarge)
A little dry on photography but still shows the enormous pinnae sizes of this specimen which came directly out of the same root stock as a scollie! It certainly looked well unusual to me!


Another one of those Polypodys!