British wildflowers

[Tristan_He]

Here are some plants (alpines even!) that grow near us on the edge of Snowdonia


Parsley fern, Cryptogramma crispa


Stagshorn Clubmoss, Lycopodium clavatum



Common butterwort, Pinguicula vulgaris

Tristan

[Maggi Young]

An especially nice little natural " rock garden"  in the Parsley fern, Cryptogramma crispa, photo.

[Tristan_He]

Not as natural as you might think Maggi! It's a stable scree created by spoil from the former slate quarry at Moel Tryfan (don't know if you saw the BBC series Snowdonia 1890, but this was set around this quarry).

[Maggi Young]

Ha Ha!   So, "man-made" then!   I have not  seen the programme  you mention.

[ian mcdonald]

Round leaved sundew with flower, not open due to rain. On local patch today.

[ian mcdonald]

Cephalanthera longifolia, narrow leaved helleborine.

[johnralphcarpenter]

I need a better camera! Went for a walk yesterday on the White Cliffs between Dover and Folkestone, taking advantage of the absence of Operation Stack, at least for the time being. The first part of the walk from Capel Le Ferne involved a steep zigzag descent into the temperate jungle that is the Folkestone Warren, a large undercliff area densely wooded and rich in plant species, including a Buddleja forest. Parts of The Warren are a huge natural fernery, seemingly liking the jumble of loose chalk that passes for soil. See http://www.whitecliffscountryside.org.uk/index.php?id_sec=1132&id_sub=1132.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Having battled through the dense undergrowth for a mile or so we then ascended another very steep zigzag path back to the top of the cliffs and the main footpath between Folkestone and Dover. In part this follows a cycle route called the Chalk and Channel Way. We walked along the top of Abbots Cliff for a way before retracing out steps to Capel Le Ferne. Lots of plants here too, most of which I could identify - masses of Restharrow, Oregano, etc etc, but we found one single lone clump of something which puzzled us. And this is where I get to the bit about needing a better camera. Damned autofocus. So here are two out of focus pictures of the mystery plant. Around 5cm high, flowers bright pink with prominent yellow anthers, around 1cm across, cluster of flowers surrounded by yet to open deep pink bullet shaped buds, leave lanceolate and opposite, tightly gripping stem. My best guess is Centaurium species. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Maggi Young]

How lush the growth is in your first two photos there, Ralph - lovely.
I'd plump for Centaurium erythraea - but I'm not sure about the species.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Either Centaurium erythraea or littoralis I think.

[Maggi Young]

Confess not sure about differences between  C. erythraea  and Centaurium littorale 

[Maggi Young]

Just found that Centaurium pulchellum is found in that part of Kent
 http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/Kent%27s%20Wildlife%20Book.pdf

  re C. pulchellum ...  " It differs from Centaurium erythraea by lacking basal rosette of leaves and by having a developed peduncle below the flowers."

[Matt T]

Just a few snaps from recent outings on the Uists.
First some wildflowers seen on a hike up Eaval, North Uist a couple of weeks ago:

Anagallis tenella
Thymus polytrichus
Solidago virgaurea

[Matt T]

And from Berneray this weekend:

Ophioglossum (probably O. vulgatum)
Coeloglossum viride - later than I've ever known them to flower
Daucus carota - with a very attractive dark pink flush

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Matt, a good photo of A. tenella. I have never seen it or must have overlooked it when not in flower.