"A Nature Observer′s Scrapbook"
Plants
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Daisy
Bellis perennis
The common daisy.
Well, not so common.
As can be seen, this was a multi-headed one. First I had ever seen. It appeared to have developed multiple flower heads (seven, all with fewer petals than normal), each with its own calyx, all from a central parent calyx.
A new species? Umbellis perennis?
The basal leaf rosette was comparitively small and gave the impression that it knew that something wasn't right!
| Date | Sighting |
| 12.09.2004 | Hay meadow 10m south of hand gate. |
| 24.08.2005 | Plenty of daisies in the same area as last year but no multi-headed ones. We therefore conclude it was a one off aberration - and no new species. |
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Black Bryony (monstrose)
Tamus officionalis
We must have about 12 Black Bryony plants established in the hawthorn hedges. There seems to be a fair mix of both male and female types.
This particular male plant developed one isolated monstrose stem. It's lower growth appeared quite normal but the last four or five feet became progressively flattened and ribbon like. Leaves and flowers were small and weak.
Monstrose growth, caused by cellular deformation at the growing tip, is not uncommon in cactus and succulent plants - and is often a cultivated feature in these perennials. But I suspect that in plants, such as Bl. Bryony, which regenerate each year, once the affected stem has died off the deformation mechanism will die too and will not reappear next year.
| Date | Sighting |
| 12.07.2004 | 60 paces west of meadow southern gate. |
| 12.09.2004 | That particular stem was the first to die back. |
| 24.08.2005 | No abnormalities seen this year. But the female plants are all bearing a good crop of big berries. |
| 15.05.2006 | Amazing how quickly new growth shoots up through the hedgerows. |
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Water Avens
Geum rivale
This is a plant which varies greatly in height. It starts to flower in April at a height of only 3 or 4 inches when the surrounding vegetation is short. But competition for light will cause later flower heads to grow to some 18 inches. Flowering will last 6 to 8 weeks.
It is somewhat localised in its territory but can be quite prolific in a favoured spot. I have found it at two sites locally, one with about 30 plants on a roadside ditch bank and another larger colony (of several hundred plants in 2003 after a wet winter, but significantly fewer in 2004) on a damp (but not wet) verge.
With its subdued colouring and drooping flowerhead habit, it is not a plant which grabs attention on its own, but the large colony presents a soft purple haze which is hard to miss. The flowerhead is quite different to its much more common relative, Herb Bennet, Geum urbanum.
| Date | Sighting |
| 14.05.2003 | Roadside ditch bank. |
| 10.04.2004 | Roadside ditch bank. |
| 24.04.2005 | Both local roadside verge colonies have come into flower two weeks later, but in larger numbers, than last year. |
| 04.05.2006 | Roadside ditch bank colony just blooming and the large colony is thriving in the damp spring weather. |
| 23.04.2007 | After a shower broke a spring drought the roadside ditch bank colony was in flower. |
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Common Horsetail
Equisetum arvense
Alleged to be one of the most primitive plants still in existence. Every gardener knows that the roots extend to Hell in the center of the Earth! It is extensively mis-named as 'Marestail'.
The plant is best known for its invasive green, leafless, branching non-flowering stems. These are sometimes preceded by solitary non-branching fertile stems, up to 9 inches tall, which are topped by 'cones' made up of rings of spore containing capsules.
Each spore capsule is for all the world like a clenched fist. As it ripens, if the weather is dry, the fist rotates upwards and the 'fingers' open to release the grey/green dust-like spores to the wind. The spores are therefore very effectively protected from rain until they are due for release.
| Date | Sighting |
| 10.04.2004 | Fertile stems coning, north east corner of field. |
| 24.04.2004 | Non-fertile stems appearing. |
| 04.04.2005 | Fertile stems coning, six days earlier than last year. |
| 01.05.2006 | Fertile stems coning, later than usual and not as prolific. |
| 10.04.2007 | Fertile stems coning and 10 days later the non-fertile stems appeared. |
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Musk Mallow
Malva moschata
This was another first for me. And it took me quite a while to identify it. It struck me as a bit incongruous for a flower of about 2 inches in diameter to be found on a plant with such delicately cut foliage. The plant itself was probably no more than 12 inches high.
So far as I could tell it was a solitary specimen. There did not appear to be anything vaguely similar in the locality.
| Date | Sighting |
| 30.07.1999 | Benniworth Springs conservation area, TF 194 807. |
| 09.10.2004 | Benniworth Springs conservation area, 10 yards east of previous sighting. |
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Lesser Burdock
Arctium minus
One solitary plant appeared, growing in the marl in front of the Kennel block. but it quickly established itself and grew to 4' 6" tall, with a 5' spread.
The central leaf rosette produced large 15" long Rhubarb like leaves and the red ribbed stems growing from the rosette were surprisingly stiff.
The local conditions were obviously to its liking and it produced a profusion of flower heads with strongly barbed bracts.
The flowers were a great attraction for a wide variety of insects.
After flowering the fruit heads closed up to form tight spiky spheres.
| Date | Sighting |
| 1997 / 1998 | Large colony seen on North side of Dog Kennel Farm, in Willingham Woods. |
| 01.08.2004 | Strong solitary plant in flower by Kennels. |
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Teasel
Dipsacus fullonum
More often seen in dried flower arrangements, this biennial plant is quite spectacular in the wild. Fleshy basal leaves usually die off before the plant flowers, leaving a prickly flower stalk some 2 - 6 feet in length.
The spiky flowerhead can be 2 or 3 inches tall, cupped in a ring of stiff narrow leaves. The individual pale purple florets tend to open in a band around the middle of the flower head and attract a wide range of insects.
It is not uncommon for the dead flower stalk to remain erect throughout the winter.
| Date | Sighting |
| 30.07.1999 | Willingham Woods, TF 138 879. |
| August 2005 | A solitary plant has appeared on a local roadside verge. |
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Common Spotted Orchid
Dactylorhiza fuchsii
Summer 2002 was a disappointing year for Spotted Orchids on the local protected verge. But after a very wet autumn and winter, over 100 plants bloomed in 2003.
And it was even better in 2004. From mid June to early July 150 flower heads were counted and many must have been missed. The plants seemed stronger and the flower spikes fuller. And they were seeding well.
This is not to say that they compare with the truly marvellous display to be seen in Chambers Wood and elsewhere.
| Date | Sighting |
| 23.06.2003 | Local Protected Verge. |
| 15.06.2004 to early July | Local Protected Verge, good display on South side. None seen on North side.. |
| 29.06.2005 to early July | Local Protected Verge, good display on South side. 213 counted. None seen on North side. |
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Pyramidal Orchid
Anacamptis pyramidalis
This orchid also appears on the local protected verge but is not as prolific as the Com. Spotted Orchid.
I can remember seeing some several years ago but, no specimens at all were found in 2002 and only half a dozen or so appeared in 2003.
Like the Spotted Orchids, the Pyramidal Orchids fared better in 2004. 15 were counted on the South side and 4 were found on the North side.
| Date | Sighting |
| 15.06.2003 | Local protected roadside verge. |
| 15.06.2004 to early July | Local protected roadside verge. 15 found on South side, 4 on North side. |
| 29.06.2005 to early July | Local protected roadside verge. 4 only found on South side. |
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Common Twayblade
Listera ovata
The first time I stumbled across this plant, the flower spike was way past its best - but it was 'different' enough for me to want to keep an eye out for it in future.
In 2004, I counted myself lucky to relocate the same specimen earlier in the season and was able to monitor its development from budding to full bloom.
It is a member of the orchid family.
The flower spike can reach 300mm tall but, I suspect that competition for light amongst the surrounding plant community will have some effect on this. The flower spikes I have found were of the order of 200mm tall.
The flowering period is from May to July and, out of flower, the plant could easily be overlooked as its two small oval leaves could readily be mistaken for many other common plants.
Which probably accounts for this 'rarely' observed plant being officially classified as - 'not uncommon'.
| Date | Sighting |
| 09.06.2003 | Solitary plant on Protected Roadside Verge. |
| 13.05.2004 | Same plant found in bud and pristine condition - with two small companions! |
| 27.05.2004 | Now in full bloom - and five smaller plants found close by. |
| 2005 | None seen at all in 2005. |
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Adders Tongue
Ophioglossum vulgatum
This plant consists of a single fleshy leaf and a spike or spadix - that's the spore bearing filament reminiscent of an adders tongue (except that it isn't forked!).
I had never seen it until I stumbled across it while looking for something else in 2002. That year I only found about 13 plants in all. But, in 2003, after a very wet autumn, I found well over 100 in the same location.
With no prominent flower to attract attention (and often no spadix either) this plant is easily overlooked and may well be more common than is thought. However, when the spadix is present, it may last a considerable time from May to August.
| Date | Sighting |
| 15.06.2003 | Protected Roadside Verge. |
| 04.05.2004 | Young foliage and (already) small spadix to be seen on PRV. |
| 15.05.2004 | In a grass meadow that I have walked every day for ten years, I've just found dozens of young plants. A large pond has been installed in the adjacent property and the meadow is now much wetter in parts than normal. But I presume these plants must have lain dormant for many years. |
| 03.05.2005 | Last year's large colonies in the meadow and the Protected Verge are re-appearing after some timely showers of rain. As observed above, small spadix are appearing simultaneously with the young foliage. |
| 08.05.2006 | Young foliage found in the meadow. |
| 12.05.2007 | After a dry spring, some rain brought foliage out in the meadow. |
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Crosswort
Gallium cruciata
- also Cruciata chersonensis (laevipes)
Gallium - from the same family as Cleavers,
cruciata - from the whorl of four leaves arranged, cross shaped, about the four sided stem. The tiny flowers are also four petalled in a cross shape. Grows up to 2 feet tall with compact flowering stems. Both leaves and stems are hairy but not hooked like Cleavers. The seeds are smooth.
It is classified as 'common' which can probably be translated as 'widespread throughout the UK', but I have only found one clump of it in my locality. Joan Gibbons' 'Flora of Lincolnshire', pub. 1975, suggests that it may be in decline.
| Date | Sighting |
| 26.04.2004 | One clump on roadside verge just coming into flower. |
| 13.05.2004 | Photograph taken showing clump well in flower. |
| 09.05.2005 | Same clump as last year but not so vigorous. |
| 09.05.2006 | Not seen at all in 2006. |
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Hoary Plantain
Plantago media
This is a plant that I have often admired - but never on my local patch. And then, what do you know, it turns up not 25m from my front door. Goodness knows how often I must have mown its budding flower spikes off, thinking it was the less attractive P. major. Or maybe it was the rabbits which have been decapitating it, because within 24hrs of taking this picture, the flower heads were gone and all that was left were the flower stalks, the basal rosette of leaves and rabbit droppings.
It is a plant which prefers calcareous soil and is to be found throughout Lincolnshire. Out of flower, it can be recognised from the more common Greater Plantain, P. major, by having rather more pointed leaves which sprout almost stemless from the central rosette. I've seen it said that another clue is the soft downy appearance of the leaves but that sometimes occurs on P.major, too. The pubescence is also found on the lower portion of the flowering stem.
Unlike the other plantains which have rather insignificant flowers and rely on wind pollination, the Hoary Plantain has scented flowers and is insect pollinated - if the rabbits give it half a chance.
Despite being mown flat and run over by three 20ton pea harvesters the same plant flowered again some six weeks later - and this time it was protected from the rabbits!
| Date | Sighting |
| 02.07.2005 | Found on the grass verge 25m from front door. |
| 17.08.2005 | Flowered for a second time. |
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Salad Burnet
Poterium sanguisorba
The unopened flower heads of Salad Burnet look, for all the world, like unripe bramble fruits. But their colouring is rather inconspicuous and they can be easily overlooked.
Each flower head can carry both male and female flowers. The sequence of images shows how the plant can appear quite differently at various stages of development.
Upper image - newly opened florets.
Middle image - the male flowers carrying a cluster of long stamens.
Lower image - the female flowers, each with two feathery, reddish purple stigmas.
Until 2004, this was another species of which I had only found one clump locally, but two other small clumps have now appeared close by.
I have to admit that I have problems finding it year on year. It only grows about a foot high, is easily camouflaged by flowering Ribwort, etc. and from June onwards is swamped by long grasses.
| Date | Sighting |
| 13.05.2004 | Northern end of Smith's wide roadside verge. |
| 20.05.2005 | A fourth clump has appeared to enlarge the colony at the northern end of Smith's wide roadside verge. |
| 28.05.2006 | The local colony seems to be thrivingand slowly expanding. |
| 14.05.2007 | The local colony thriving and now in bud. |
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Star of Bethlehem
Ornithogalum umbellatum
From Feb I had been watching a dense clump of crocus leaves (narrow, dk green with a pale mid stripe) which stubbornly refused to flower - until mid May when they identified themselves as ...... Star of Bethlehem.
There were three clumps at the western end of the Protected Roadside Verge and one large colony at the small spring fed pond at Hameringham Top.
| Date | Sighting |
| 17.05.2004 | PRV, Grid Ref TF 308 659. |
| 2005 and 2006 | PRV, Grid Ref TF 308 659. Foliage seen but has not flowered. |
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Ground Ivy
Glechoma hederacea
This is a very common perennial plant, to the extent of being invasive in garden lawns. It's common name relates to its low creeping habit, its readiness to branch and root at every opportunity and it's year round green presence.
It's reputation is such that it rarely gets the chance to flower in the garden, which is a pity because it is very attactive in bloom. Despite it's low ground creeping habit, it will produce a carpet of mauve flowers on sturdy stems up to 20cm tall from March to May. As the surrounding vegetation threatens to swamp it, it will clamber up through long grass and hedge bottoms to reach it's share of the sunlight.
It also plays host to the ground ivy gall wasp - see this link to Ground Ivy stem gall and the Ground Ivy gall fly - see the Ground Ivy Lighthouse gall on the Galls Page 2.
| Date | Sighting |
| 05.04.2005 | Very common, flowering everywhere. |
| August 2005 | Found climbing to a height of 1.25m through a cupressus hedge. |