Scalewort

 

Scaleworts Frullania spp are a genus of lobed liverworts, also known as hepatics, which are sort of primitive mosses. They grow on rocks and smooth tree bark, feeding off the minerals which are brought by water flowing down their rock or tree trunk. The organism attaches itself to a substrate and forms a lacy disk. The tiny 2 mm square leaves fold back on themselves and look a bit like liver, hence the term hepatic. The presence of scalewort indicates an acid soil or substrate.

Scaleworts can cause allergies and they contain substances that can give dermatitis or contact eczema popularly known as 'maladie des bûcherons' (forester's disease). For the susceptible it results in very itchy patches where bare skin has touched the scalewort.

There are many species, all very difficult to tell apart. The ones in these photos might be Dilated Scalewort Frullania dilitata. 

Broad-headed Bug

The other day I had to evict this beast from the kitchen. Since it feeds on the seeds of members of the pea family I'm not sure how it ended up inside our house.

 

Being given a lift out the door.

Known as a Broad-headed Bug in English, or Camptope des genêts in French, the scientific name is Camptopus lateralis. They are quite abundant and I have encountered them before, on gorse at la Cabane, the Zone d'Interêt Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique (ZNIEFF) that I monitor.

 

One I photographed a couple of years ago.

The distinguishing characters are a head that is broader than the pronotum, a white line through the head, four segments in the antennae, clear margins on the sides, enlarged and spiny hind femurs, very curved hind tibiae, a tiny white dot at the apex of the pronotum (thorax) and the scutellum (body part next to the thorax and over the base of the abdomen), and an overall reddish brown coloration. They are about 12 mm long.

Early Spring Forest Walk

On 9 March Simon, Dotty and I did a 2 kilometre circuit in the Forêt de Preuilly. The Wild Cherries Prunus avium (Fr. Merisier)  had just come into flower but I didn't get a decent photo. And the wild garlic, known as Ramsons in English, was covering a huge swath of understorey around the damp confluence of the Sauvaget and another small stream that both rise in the forest.

 

 Blackthorn Prunus spinosa (Fr. Prunellier) blossom.

There were lots of these White Asphodel Asphodelus albus (Fr. Asphodèle blanc) leaf rosettes which had simply punched their way through the dead leaves from autumn.

A White Asphodel just coming into flower.

Ramsons Allium ursinum (Fr. Ail des ours) as far as the eye can see. I foraged a dozen leaves to have with soft fresh local goats cheese.

Ramsons growing on the stump of a fallen tree.

Wood Anemones Anemonoides nemorosa (Fr. Anemone sylvie), a sign of a stable, biodiverse, long established woodland habitat.

Wood Anemone.

Spanish Slug Arion vulgaris (Fr. Loche méridionale), a species with an undeserved bad reputation, due to several misunderstandings of its behaviour and origins.

Les Loches

Loches is the name of our nearest town of any size (population 7000). Although the etymology of the town name is the same as the Gallic 'loch' or 'lough', in French the word unfortunately can also mean 'slug' (and various somewhat rude body parts if you are being vulgar...). But I take the view that Loches can be proud of its slugs. It's got some doozies, presented here in descending size order. All are over 10 cm.

Ash Black Slug Limax cinereoniger (Fr. Grande Limace). They live in the forests and can be all black like this one...

...or stripey like this one.

Leopard Slug Limax maximus (Fr. Limace léopard). They live outdoors in urban areas.

Red Slug Arion rufus (Fr. Grande loche). They live in the forests.

They are our most abundant large slug.

Spanish Slug Arion vulgaris (Fr. loche méridionale), a species that varies a lot in colour, from dark brown to bright orange. Its English name is a result of confusion over the origin and identity of this species. Genetic studies show that the 'Spanish' Slug is very rare in Spain, but is native to north-west Europe (primarily France, Germany, Benelux).

Spanish Slug.

Dusky Slugs Arion subfuscus (Fr. loche roussâtre), a fairly abundant species throughout France. This photo shows how the juveniles are more strongly marked. Apparently the slime this species produces was the inspiration a few years ago for a new biomedical glue that adheres to both wet and dry surfaces.

Dusky Slug.

Cellar Slug Limacus flavus (Fr. Limace des caves). They live indoors in urban environments.

Unlike other slugs they are gregarious, so where you have one you are likely to have a whole family of them.

None of these slugs will be found in your veggie garden eating your seedlings. All of them are detritovores, eating decaying plants, fungi and the occasional bit of dead animal.

Ramsons and Cheese

It's the season for foraging the wild garlic known as Ramsons in English. In French it is called 'ail des ours' (bear's garlic) and the scientific name, Allium ursinum reflects a similar idea. The plant is found in large colonies, in damp shady places such as alongside streams flowing through woods. It is one of the few wild plants that I have no qualms about people harvesting, as many locals use the same site I do, and there is clearly no damage to the numbers of plants or their environment being done. It is abundant and occurs in many places.

This year I took a dozen leaves and on the suggestion of a friend, chopped the Ramsons finely and combined with soft fresh locally produced goats cheese. This makes a good dip or spread. If you don't have access to good fresh goats cheese, well drained cottage cheese would do.

Be Careful 2

There's yet another new stop sign in Preuilly sur Claise, and this one is also very sensible (see Be Careful, from December last year).

It's at the bottom of the marketplace, near l'Image. For as long as I can remember people have found the intersection confusing, with half the population insisting on their right of way, whilst the other half doesn't recognise it as a road and therefore having priority. Luckily no-one is moving at any great speed at that point.

The new stop sign is marked with a red dot.