Wiltshire Botanical Society
Welcome
Welcome to the Wiltshire Botanical Society. Our roots began in the 1980's when volunteers made a thorough and detailed survey of Wiltshire's flora, culminating in the publication of the Flora of Wiltshire in 1993. Instead of disbanding, the members joined together to form the Wiltshire Botanical Society. The society's aims are to:
- Foster botanical knowledge and to encourage interest in our local flora
- Increase members' knowledge and skills
- Publicise threats to habitats and populations of wild plants
- Undertake field meetings
- Contribute botanical records to local and national recording schemes
Plant of the Month
August
Saw-wort Serratula tinctoria
This slender member of the Asteracea is well-named, for its leaves are edged with sharply-pointed teeth, like the blade of a saw. These readily distinguish Saw-wort from Common and Chalk Knapweed (Centaurea nigra
and C. debeauxii
respectively), which have similar flowers but lack serrated leaves.
Look out for it in herb-rich chalk and neutral grassland in August and September, when it is in full flower. As a rule of thumb, this species is strongly associated with the highest grassland diversity.
Join Us!
We are a very friendly society and welcome new members, whatever their age, background or level of botanical knowledge. Annual membership costs £15 (single) and £20 for couples. To join, please contact our Treasurer, Sue Fitzpatrick on 01722 410807 or email Sue
Not sure if it's for you? Potential new members are very welcome to join us free of charge for a few field meetings before committing to membership.
Website Contributions
We always welcome news and contributions for our website and Facebook page. Please send them to Sharon Pilkington
