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Alex Prendergast

@bramblebotanist.bsky.social

1.4K followers 1K following 410 posts

Botany Senior Specialist at Natural England, BSBI Limonium/Rubus/Galium/Hypericum referee. Elm/stonewort/dandelion enthusiast, Plant & butterfly reintros, botany tours, FISC 6, Punk, Norfolk #Iamabotanist Views own 🇪🇺

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 8h

Thames saltmarsh this week looking for Salicornia obscura among others.. no luck on that but plenty of this which appears to be Salicornia obscura x ramosissima #wildflowerhour

Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 16h

Probably. My old patch. Tho the thistle died out on my watch only to pop up again after I left! An odd mid of Mediterranean things on that slope - Silene vulgaris ssp macrocarpa above it

Reposted by Alex Prendergast

Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 2d

Bramble associated species: Green Arches, Anaplectoides prasina. Wing length up to 25mm. Flies June to July. Larvae feed on a variety of shrubs and herbaceous plants including Bramble, Bilberry, Honeysuckle, Primrose, docks. Common across most of Britain

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Reposted by Alex Prendergast

Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 2d

Bramble associated species: Buff Arches, Habrosyne pyritoides. Up to 20mm. Flies late June to early August. Larval food plants are Bramble and Dewberry. Common in England, Ireland and Wales. Scarce in Scotland

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Reposted by Alex Prendergast

Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 2d

Bramble, Rubus fruticosus agg: you have no doubt heard the slogan ‘A dog isn’t just for Christmas’ well I think we need a new slogan……..
I shall be making a series of posts highlighting a variety of species associated with it.

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Reposted by Alex Prendergast

Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 2d

Bramble associated species: Peach Blossom, Thyatira batis. Flies late May to late July. Larval foodplant is Bramble. Common across the UK

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 2d

Beautiful salmon-coloured autumnal hues of Atriplex pedunculata Pedunculate Sea-purslane at its only GB location

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 3d

Yes, I can’t remember the full story maybe @paul-fletcher.bsky.social knows. I think it was here then lost, reintroduced, then road widening moved it to its current patch, a small artificial bank at the back of the verge.

Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 3d

No, I failed on Salicornia obscura.. again. I had a lot of this, which I’ve not put a name to yet, and may be what was recorded as obscura at my spot

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 3d

Sickle-leaved Hare’s-ear Bupleurum falcatum on its Essex road verge. Native-or-not, who cares, it’s lovely and still flowering well. The second of two edge-of-patch ticks today

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 3d

A colourful day on the Thames

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Reposted by Alex Prendergast

BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 5d

Yay, congrats to @willgeorge.bsky.social on finding a York Groundsel!
@bsbicountries.bsky.social was hunting for one the other day, but they are hard to find at this time of year.

Will George @willgeorge.bsky.social · 5d

Found this in York. It's a groundsel, but is it a York Groundsel?! @bramblebotanist.bsky.social

A phone photo of a plant with yellow flowers and green toothed leaves

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Reposted by Alex Prendergast

Woodland Trust Scotland @wtscotsocial.bsky.social · 16d

#AncientWoodlandRestoration in action! 🌲

Felling of one hectare of nature depleted conifer has begun at #PloraWood, Innerleithen.

These non-natives are being removed and replanted with mixed native broadleaf species that will support local biodiversity and increase resilience 🐿️ 🍄 🍂

Harvester vehicle on road with conifer plantation in background.

Harvester vehicle on road with field verge on one side and conifer plantation on other.

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 5d

Yes! Good work finding one at this time of year. Please could you put it on iRecord or the BSBI recording app

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 6d

York Groundsel seems to be an early season thing despite both parents flowering much of the year. Fewer than 5 plants this August but there were around 5000 in spring.

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 6d

Ah just seen your earlier pics. I agree it looks good for that cross. Rather more robust than my plant - perhaps yours the reciprocal to my plant which I thought to be viscous x squalidus

Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 6d

Fruit of Senecio can appear shrivelled but may be actually ok, but those flowers aborting before fruit are ripe is a sure sign something’s off. I’d want to see more of the whole plant but yeah that’s a likely parentage. aka(?) londinensis is usually full of flowers, none viable. This one from York:

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 7d

I’m going to see this and Salicornia obscura on Thursday, you’re welcome to join if you like

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 7d

I have a few pots of it if you’d like some. It flowers more freely if kept in a warm spot

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 8d

Thorn Apple Datura stramonium in curious abundance as a contaminant in Pigweed seed margins. Huge plants too. Must’ve been a good summer for it. #NorfolkFloraGroup

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 8d

A copse of Huntingdon Elm Ulmus vegeta in arable NW Norfolk with #NorfolkFloraGroup today. Lovely big trees undoubtedly surviving due to their isolation from elmy areas.

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Reposted by Alex Prendergast

BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 10d

We're delighted to welcome @markavery.bsky.social to the growing ranks of #BSBImembers!
Why not follow Mark's example & join us? We'll be equally delighted to welcome you!
Here's what you'll get when you join:
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/bsbi...
Already a member? Huge thanks for your support!

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 10d

Cotoneaster integrifolius was described 1832, C. microphyllus 1827. Both names are still used, for different but similar plants - as per Fryer & Hylmö 2009.

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 11d

Cotoneaster integrifolius at a Norwich park & ride. Pretty distinctive habit and dull crimson fruit

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Alex Prendergast @bramblebotanist.bsky.social · 11d

Yes, I’ve seen what was considered europea s.s. at Stiffkey but just small numbers and not elsewhere in Norfolk

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