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Late last year I tried for Intermediate Wintergreen Pyrola media on top of Ben Tote, which is located about seven miles south of here. I tried and I failed. Thankfully Ben Tote is not precisely monstrous, the summit being 113 metres with a mere 62 metres of prominence. I could walk up that with my hands in my pockets (though I'd almost certainly fall over, it's a bit wet and uneven in places). Here's a map I made for myself a few months back, one of many I produced in preparation for this year's Botanical Odyssey. 

Complicated, huh...

The roadside Pyrola minor (Common Wintergreen) shown on the map above would have been a lifer for me, except that Ali Shuttleworth showed me a large patch of the stuff in Fife earlier this year. The Skye plant was originally found by the previous BSBI Recorder who happened to live just a couple of hundred metres away from it. Her successor, Stephen Bungard, also saw it some years back, but the whole area is now covered in scrub and he has failed to relocate it recently. Apparently it was only a single plant anyway, I tried for it twice but came away empty handed. I didn't even attempt looking for it on this occasion. 

Parking up, I headed once more to the summit of Ben Tote in search of Intermediate Wintergreen, determined not to come away empty handed this time. Stephen had given me an extra clue as to where to look. "It's on a narrow raised bank that runs across the summit. I'm surprised you missed it last time". Oh right, that would be the narrow raised bank I walked along on my first visit before criss-crossing the wet moorland beside it in search of the plant. Damnit, I'd probably been standing right next to it!

View of the raised bank on top of Ben Tote, looking northwest(ish) and east(ish)

Forewarned is forearmed, I walked the full length of the raised bank, found nothing of note, crossed over to the opposite side and walked back down the full length once more. A-ha! Halfway back I suddenly spied a rounded leaf poking out from beneath an unruly mop of Heather. Teasing the Heather upwards revealed a total of four rounded leaves, each on a long petiole - bingo!

Intermediate Wintergreen Pyrola media

Pleased to have found the wintergreen, I scouted around just in case there was a second plant nearby. Continuing my transect of the raised bank I soon found another plant just a few metres away, excellent!

Initial view - largely hidden beneath heathers

Same plant temporarily exposed for a pic and for me to record the position. The latter a bit pointless at 3m accuracy!

I found four plants in total, which was three more than I was hoping for. I may well have missed others, the heather was quite leggy in places. Somehow I doubt I'd be able to convince the local crofter to strim the bank, but maybe these plants would flower if exposed? Intermediate Wintergreen is well-known as a shy flowerer at the best of times and this population has never been known to flower at all, hence the DNA analysis to confirm the ID. 

These are the other two plants that I found, the last one was actually quite large

There's quite a sizeable fungal leafspot on this plant. I didn't want to uneccesarily pick the leaf so, feeling relatively confident that I'd subsequently figure out the identity of the fungus by consulting books and checking online, I left the plant intact. Thus far I've drawn a complete blank. It looks like a Ramularia perhaps, but none are listed for Pyrola, just a couple of rusts. Very frustrating!

Music time, folks. If I were to ask you, who was your favourite Muppet, I expect you'd say An-i-ma-a-a-a-a-l. Obvious really. Well, this two piece band grew up together, went to school together and are now Black Pistol Fire together. I think they're bloody excellent. You may disagree, but you'd be wrong... Anyway, just keep an image of Animal in your mind's eye as you watch this. I give you Oh Well/Where You Been Before by Black Pistol Fire, hope you enjoy!