KELP
In Kelp beds, dense thickets of dark brown weed floating vertically, anything which floats below the surface becomes trapped. In gales the kelp is ripped off rocks and deposited on the shore, sometimes in huge quantities, piles 2 metres high. I have seen many deposits on beaches and they always hold three things: sea balls, broken pieces of water bottle and socks.
The broken pieces of plastic water bottle are almost weightless and must be taken down by waves into the kelp. The lost socks must fill with sand, wrap around the hold fasts of kelp and sit in the weedy deposits on the sea bed until a violent sea digs them out. Or do lost socks swim out to sea?
08/07/06 Porthcothan plant survey (list) Dunes and growing out of cliff faces
Jane Darke and Jim Roberts
Note – Identification of species by Jane Darke (double checked with numerous field guides)
Page 2 – YELLOW/GREY DUNE at Porthcothan running parallel with the sea
Page 3 – Dunes adjacent to South side of Porthcothan River
Page 4 – Dunes on North side of Porthcothan River
Page 5 – Cliff-face (North side)
Page 6 – Embryo dune (to left next to path)
YELLOW/GREY DUNE at Porthcothan running parallel with the sea
Calystegia soldanella Sea bindweed
Taraxacum officinale Common dandelion
Senecio jacobaea Common ragwort
Daucus carota Wild carrot
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore (at least 8 plants scattered about)
Oenothera biennis Common evening primrose
Aster tripolium Sea aster
Rose cultivars (x2)
Geranium (pink – from our garden)
Centranthus aruber Red Valerian
Tragopogon porrifolius Salsify
Plantago coronopus Ribwort plantain
Ammophila arenaria Marram grass
Willowherb sp.
Rosa rugosa Rugosa rose
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed
Fucus grass covering
Euphorbia paralias Sea spurge
Rubus fruticosus Bramble
Beta vulgaris Sea beet
Iris foetidissima Gladdon iris
Valeriana officinalis Common valerian (white flowering)
Apium graveolens Wild celery
Pulicaria dysenterica Common fleabane
Atriplex patula Common orache
Atriplex prostrate Spur-leaved orache
Sonchus arvensis Perennial sow thistle
Hieracium umbellatum Leafy hawkweed
Foeniculum vulgare Fennel
Hydrocotyle bonariensis Pennywort
Lavatera cretica Tree-mallow
Parietaria judaica Pellitory-of-the-wall
Dunes adjacent to South side of Porthcothan River
Juncus sp. Rushes
Convulvulus avensis Field bindweed
Eryngium maritimum Sea-holly
Plantain sp (short)
Solanum dulcamara Woody nightshade
Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney-vetch
Mentha longifolia Horse mint
Cypressum sp Cypress tree (same as tree by the road)
Cirsium arvense Creeping thistle
Prunus spinosa Blackthorn
Crocosmia sp
Clematis (wild?)
Hedera helix Ivy
Shaster daisy
Hippuris vulgaris Mare’s-tail
Urtica sp. Nettle
Symphytum officinale Common comfrey
Allium babbingtonii Babbington’s leek
Silene dioica Red campion
Ranunculus acris Tall buttercup
Geranium robertianum Herb-Robert
Convulvulus arvensis Field bindweed
Scrophularia auriculata Water figwort
Stachys arvensis Field woundwort
Dunes on North side of Porthcothan River
Juncus sp. Rushes
Mustard sp. (same as before but white flowers)
Silene dioica Red Campion
Rubus fruticosus Bramble
Plantago coronopus Ribwort plantain
White rugosa
Orchid sp. (like broad leaved marsh orchid)
Eryngium maritimum Sea-holly
Cirsium arvense Creeping thistle
Potentilla reptans Creeping cinquefoil
Rumex crispus Curled doc
Atriplex prostrate Spur-leaved orache
Nasturtium microphyllum Water cress
Euphorbia paralias Sea spurge
Eryngium maritimum Sea-holly
Tripleurospermum maritimum Sea mayweed
Medicago polymorpha Toothed-medick
Papaver rhoeas Common poppy
Cliff-face (North side)
Plantago maritima Sea plantain
Limonium vulgare Common sea-lavender
Crithmum maritimum Rock samphire
Spergularia marina Lesser sea-spurrey
Cochlearia officinalis Common scurvygrass
Ligustrum vulgare Privet
Plantain sp (ragged-leaved) – Rat’s tail?
Armeria maritima Sea pink
Lonicera periclymenum Honey suckle
EMBRYO DUNE to front left of dunes at the back of Porthcothan Bay (around 5 years old)
Plantago coronopus Ribwort plantain
Elymus farctus Sea couch grass
Ammophila arenaria Marram grass
Euphorbia paralias Sea spurge
Mustard sp.
Taraxacum officinale Common dandelion
Potentilla reptans Silverweed
Rumex crispus Curled doc
Honkenya peploides Sea sandwort