Purple Milk-vetch

Astragalus danicus Retz.

GB Red List	England Red List	GB Scarcity	Norfolk Scarcity
EN	EN		Scarce

Schedule 41

Native, Axiophyte

Astragalus danicus

Purple Milk-vetch is a perennial herb of short unimproved turf on well-drained calcareous soils, predominantly on chalk and limestone, but also on sand dunes and machair. In Scotland, it also grows on Old Red Sandstone sea-cliffs and on mica-schist (D. A. Pearman in Preston et al, 2002).

In Norfolk, Purple Milk-vetch is confined to the light soils of Breckland. It is absent from vc 27.

Astragalus danicus map

Year	GR	Locality	Recorders
1979	TL981829	East Harling	CPP
Not mapped
1985	TL790987	Foulden parish	GB, KAB
Not mapped. Wide grassy ride in forest
1987+	TF70Z	Unspecified	Unknown
1987+	TF80H	Unspecified	Unknown
1987+	TL78T	Unspecified	Unknown
1989	TF800061	Swaffham	JEG
Rifle range
1990	TL778097	Swaffham	PWL
Disused railway cutting - now filled in
1991	TL768917	Weeting	GB, JEG
Forest ride
1993	TF798019	Gooderstone	SP
Chalk pit on warren
1996	TF789072	Beachamwell	JEG
Drymere Plantation, also TF783077 in 1992
2000	TF775085	Beachamwell	JEG
2002	TF7408	Beachamwell, Devil's Dyke	HW
GR TF745083 recorded in 1996
2005	TL767940	Cranwich	GB, KAB
TL76789406, 1 colony. Roadside nature reserve (RNR31)
2009	TL964841	West Harling Forest	MPG, NFG
Scattered throughout the re-planted area, 100s of plants
2009	TL808901	Weeting, Grimes Graves	GB, KAB
Gun area
2009	TL776934	Cranwich Heath	GB, KAB
Also in 2004 TL775934, TL776934, TL779933, TL781931, TL784928, GB, NFG
2013	TL758892	Weeting Heath SSSI	RWE, NSBG
Also TL757894, TL759900, TL759901, TL760897, TL760898, TL760901, TL761894, TL761898, TL761899, TL761900
2013	TL797897	Weeting-with-Broomhill	AP, CLR, MF
TL79718972
2013	TL815899	Weeting, Grimes Graves	RWE, RML, NFG
Also TG813900, TL814900, TL816899, TL819900
2015	TL772942	Cranwich Camp	RNC, PAS, BSBI
Also TL774941. Also in 2011 at TL768943, TL770941, TL770942 RWE, NA and in 2007, TL773941, TL773942 , GB, RWE,NFG
2015	TL904814	Brettenham	RWE, PAS, BSBI
Seven Hills area
2016	TL785912	Weeting-with-Broomhill	RWE, NFG
TL783915, TL784914, TL785913, TL786913, TL787909

Recent Sightings

Woodruff on arable hedgebank

Read more about Woodruff on arable hedgebank

We were walking along a footpath through arable fields south of Fakenham when we spotted patches of frequent Woodruff (Galium odoratum).

Tree Cotoneaster in Fincham churchyard

Read more about Tree Cotoneaster in Fincham churchyard

We found this Tree Cotoneaster in Fincham churchyard, in west Norfolk; there were a number of plants present, it would appear that the local birds have taken a liking to the berries and have deposited them in various locations around the village.

Grass-of-Parnassus on Booton Common

Read more about Grass-of-Parnassus on Booton Common

Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) — Grass-of-Parnassus (*Parnassia palustris*) Photo: Bob Ellis

We were fortunate to come across this small patch of Grass-of-Parnassus growing on this species rich fen. There were around 25 plants in flower growing within one 10 meter square.

Harsh Downy-rose

Read more about Harsh Downy-rose

It seems to be a good autumn for rose hips and now is the easiest time of year to spot the more unusual species.

Trailing Tormentil on NWT Hickling reserve

Read more about Trailing Tormentil on NWT Hickling reserve

Tormentil flower — Trailing Tormentil (*Potentilla anglica*) Photo: Janet Higgins

On a raised track on NWT Hickling marsh, we found a few plants of Trailing Tormentil creeping along the ground. The solitary yellow flowers in the leaf axils had mostly four petals but there were also some flowers with five petals.