Dr Astrid Biddle
@astridbiddle.bsky.social
Joint BSBI and BBS recorder for Hertfordshire.
🌱Celebrating the joy of Botany and Bryology.
❤️Aquatic plants & many other. Scarce Tufted-sedge. Plant ecology. Rivers, ponds & lakes.
🌱Celebrating the joy of Botany and Bryology.
❤️Aquatic plants & many other. Scarce Tufted-sedge. Plant ecology. Rivers, ponds & lakes.
I really enjoy mapping :)
November 8, 2025 at 9:33 PM
I really enjoy mapping :)
Quite a few were “leftover” spares & a bit small, so I’m really pleased to see how many have taken. Next couple of years will be telling here.
Plants were turning brown in the autumn. When I grew this at home I thought they had all died at that point. They sprout green in spring.
Here's my mapping😀
Plants were turning brown in the autumn. When I grew this at home I thought they had all died at that point. They sprout green in spring.
Here's my mapping😀
November 8, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Quite a few were “leftover” spares & a bit small, so I’m really pleased to see how many have taken. Next couple of years will be telling here.
Plants were turning brown in the autumn. When I grew this at home I thought they had all died at that point. They sprout green in spring.
Here's my mapping😀
Plants were turning brown in the autumn. When I grew this at home I thought they had all died at that point. They sprout green in spring.
Here's my mapping😀
I thought that too -diverting energies away from collaboration, writing, and research.
October 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM
I thought that too -diverting energies away from collaboration, writing, and research.
The satellite image shows the upper drawdown zone on the eastern edge extends beyond the current Mudwort population in non-drought year. Occupancy seems to follow the upper boundary, suggesting that if the drawdown area expands, the population could too, but balanced by vegetation development there.
October 23, 2025 at 6:22 AM
The satellite image shows the upper drawdown zone on the eastern edge extends beyond the current Mudwort population in non-drought year. Occupancy seems to follow the upper boundary, suggesting that if the drawdown area expands, the population could too, but balanced by vegetation development there.
Oh wow! Can we send things to you now?😀
October 22, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Oh wow! Can we send things to you now?😀
Well- in March there were also insanely high winter water levels which oddly didn't drop much this year. Some shifting planned.
October 21, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Well- in March there were also insanely high winter water levels which oddly didn't drop much this year. Some shifting planned.
Wow! That's growing fast!
October 20, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Wow! That's growing fast!
So far I have Vaucheria bursata, V. canalicularis, and a strange one that I've not seen before. Still battling IDs.
October 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM
So far I have Vaucheria bursata, V. canalicularis, and a strange one that I've not seen before. Still battling IDs.
Leaves now turning for autumn 🍂 after a season of extremes — great to see some great tussocks. We may move those in drier locations next year.
Supported by the NE SRP capital grant.
Thanks to all who helped with planting and today to Des Pike for help with pulling Typha and monitoring! 🙌
Supported by the NE SRP capital grant.
Thanks to all who helped with planting and today to Des Pike for help with pulling Typha and monitoring! 🙌
October 18, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Leaves now turning for autumn 🍂 after a season of extremes — great to see some great tussocks. We may move those in drier locations next year.
Supported by the NE SRP capital grant.
Thanks to all who helped with planting and today to Des Pike for help with pulling Typha and monitoring! 🙌
Supported by the NE SRP capital grant.
Thanks to all who helped with planting and today to Des Pike for help with pulling Typha and monitoring! 🙌
When you hit the right depth & hydroperiod, the tussocks are fantastic — starting to form pedestals, lush growth, and obviously strong rooting 💧
Shows how precise hydrology can make or break wetland planting success.
Shows how precise hydrology can make or break wetland planting success.
October 18, 2025 at 8:42 PM
When you hit the right depth & hydroperiod, the tussocks are fantastic — starting to form pedestals, lush growth, and obviously strong rooting 💧
Shows how precise hydrology can make or break wetland planting success.
Shows how precise hydrology can make or break wetland planting success.
It's the pioneer species of the drawdown zone.
October 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM
It's the pioneer species of the drawdown zone.
The danger of using these nicknames is that they end up in reports! Particularly if you're working with others, and it becomes the accepted name. Curled Dock became Crispy Dock, once a favourite food before I became a vegetarian.
October 17, 2025 at 10:15 AM
The danger of using these nicknames is that they end up in reports! Particularly if you're working with others, and it becomes the accepted name. Curled Dock became Crispy Dock, once a favourite food before I became a vegetarian.
The flowers were just beginning, so perhaps a week made all the difference.
October 12, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The flowers were just beginning, so perhaps a week made all the difference.
I also refound the Spike-rush, Eleocharis palustris subspecies palustris mentioned in the publication of Lewis and John, 1961. I need to a summer return visit to record the morphometrics of the flower spike. It's a co-associate!
This subspecies is data-deficient on the UK Red List.
This subspecies is data-deficient on the UK Red List.
October 12, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I also refound the Spike-rush, Eleocharis palustris subspecies palustris mentioned in the publication of Lewis and John, 1961. I need to a summer return visit to record the morphometrics of the flower spike. It's a co-associate!
This subspecies is data-deficient on the UK Red List.
This subspecies is data-deficient on the UK Red List.
The closest co-associates 2 algae, Vaucheria & Botrydium granulatum, a feature shared with the Wilstone Reservoir population.
Both benefit from being single, multinucleate cells without cross walls (coenocytic) to respond to pioneer conditions. Multicellular algae might otherwise desiccate & die.
Both benefit from being single, multinucleate cells without cross walls (coenocytic) to respond to pioneer conditions. Multicellular algae might otherwise desiccate & die.
October 12, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The closest co-associates 2 algae, Vaucheria & Botrydium granulatum, a feature shared with the Wilstone Reservoir population.
Both benefit from being single, multinucleate cells without cross walls (coenocytic) to respond to pioneer conditions. Multicellular algae might otherwise desiccate & die.
Both benefit from being single, multinucleate cells without cross walls (coenocytic) to respond to pioneer conditions. Multicellular algae might otherwise desiccate & die.
To put this into perspective, at Wilstone Reservoir in 2023, following a large drawdown event, I recorded Mudwort with an occupancy of 1261 OS 1 m grid cells.
The yellow is Mudwort.
The yellow is Mudwort.
October 12, 2025 at 7:43 PM
To put this into perspective, at Wilstone Reservoir in 2023, following a large drawdown event, I recorded Mudwort with an occupancy of 1261 OS 1 m grid cells.
The yellow is Mudwort.
The yellow is Mudwort.
Dropped points where the plant was found and converted to a 1 m square presence.
It had a 259 1 m grid occupancy. If assuming at least 10 plants per 1 m grid, that would give a minimum population number of 2500!
It had a 259 1 m grid occupancy. If assuming at least 10 plants per 1 m grid, that would give a minimum population number of 2500!
October 12, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Dropped points where the plant was found and converted to a 1 m square presence.
It had a 259 1 m grid occupancy. If assuming at least 10 plants per 1 m grid, that would give a minimum population number of 2500!
It had a 259 1 m grid occupancy. If assuming at least 10 plants per 1 m grid, that would give a minimum population number of 2500!
A synchronous emergence of seedlings, and in some places really dense.
Germination is enhanced by submersion (exposure to hypoxic conditions). This increases the germination rate and percentage once aerobic conditions return (Phartyal, S.S., et al., 2020).
Germination is enhanced by submersion (exposure to hypoxic conditions). This increases the germination rate and percentage once aerobic conditions return (Phartyal, S.S., et al., 2020).
October 12, 2025 at 7:36 PM
A synchronous emergence of seedlings, and in some places really dense.
Germination is enhanced by submersion (exposure to hypoxic conditions). This increases the germination rate and percentage once aerobic conditions return (Phartyal, S.S., et al., 2020).
Germination is enhanced by submersion (exposure to hypoxic conditions). This increases the germination rate and percentage once aerobic conditions return (Phartyal, S.S., et al., 2020).
I hope you have a sample because it may be a very exciting smut. According to the literature, Doassansia is found on the petioles and appears in October. I think it was last recorded in the UK >100 years ago. bladmineerders.nl/parasites/fu...
Doassansia limosellae – Plant Parasites of Europe
bladmineerders.nl
October 7, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I hope you have a sample because it may be a very exciting smut. According to the literature, Doassansia is found on the petioles and appears in October. I think it was last recorded in the UK >100 years ago. bladmineerders.nl/parasites/fu...
Does anyone offer flow cytometry in the UK, or do I need to send samples abroad?
October 5, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Does anyone offer flow cytometry in the UK, or do I need to send samples abroad?