star-of-Bethlehem

Having checked my books I find that the different species of Ornithogalum are distinctive in flower, and that the species seen in three different locations (parishes A and L) is the common star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum angustifolium).

yellow sorrel

Last year an Oxalis colonised a pot in my garden. I suspected at the time it was procumbent yellow sorrel (Oxalis corniculata), but didn't record it as it was not flowering, and I couldn't be sure that it wasn't least yellow sorrel (Oxalis exilis). It is now flowering, and confirmed as the former species.

field speedwells

Last year, while I suspected that more than one species of field speedwell was present, I didn't familiarise myself with the genus Veronica early enough to confirm this.

This year I have found that two species of field speedwell are present on the allotment site - one with small flowers (green field speedwell - Veronica agrestis) and one with larger flowers (common field speedwell - Veronica persica).

old railway line redux

Yesterday I had photographed the flowers of what I thought was a chickweed with a few to confirming that is was Stellaria media and not one of the other two species. However, on examining the photograph I discovered that it was not a chickweed - the petals were entire, rather than bilobed.

Therefore I had another look along the old railway line today, to identify this plant, which turns out to be three-veined sandwort (Moehringia trinervis), which is my first record of this species. (I may have been overlooking it as chickweed.)

I also took a note at the plants growing on the site. Identified plants were Norway maple (Acer platanoides), bugle (Ajuga reptans), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), daisy (Bellis perennis), rosebay willow herb (Chamaelirion angustifolium), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), pink purslane (Claytonia siberica), a cotoneaster (Cotoneaster sp.), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), broom (Cytisus scoparius), great willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum) and a second species of willow herb, ash (Fraxinus excelsior), cleavers (Galium aparine), dove's foot cranesbill (Geranium molle), herb robert (Geranium robertianum), wood avens (Geum urbanum), ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), ivy (Hedera helix), hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), holly (Ilex aquifolium), bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis), three-veined sandwort (Moehringia trinervis), forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica), ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), great plantain (Plantago major), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), a cherry (Prunus sp.), common oak (Quercus robur), meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris), lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), celery-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus scleratus), flowering currant (Ribes sanguineus), rose (Rosa sp.), bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and at least one other species of dock, at least 4 species of willow (Salix sp.), elder (Sambucus nigra), figwort (Scrophularia nodosa), groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), red campion (Silene dioica), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), chickweed (Stellaria media), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.), a clover (Trifolium sp.), nettle (Urtica dioica), brooklime (Veronica beccabunga), ivy-leaved speedwell (Veronica hederifolia), wood speedwell (Veronica montana), guelder rose (Viburnum opalus), common vetch (Vicia sativa), bush vetch (Vicia sepium) and an unidentified umbellifer.

I overlooked the redcurrent (Ribes rubrum) seen yesterday, and alder (Alnus glutinosa) and honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) are also known to be present on the site.

Cotoneaster had not yet been added to the Florula list, but it is not new, at least two types having appeared spontaneously in my garden. The one here probably seeded itself from the neighbouring pub garden, as is the case for the flowering currant.

The occurrence of wood speedwell is the first record of the species in parish A.

cornsalad

I've been puzzling, for some weeks, over a plant growing at the foot of a garden wall on the road into town. I've finally managed to identify it as cornsalad (Valerianella sp.). Apparently I need to look at the fruits to identify the species, so I'll have to wait a little longer.

old railway line

I walked the length of the old railway line that runs along the back of my house this morning. I didn't record all species growing, but only those less widely present in the area. The species recorded were bugle (Ajuga reptans), wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), broom (Cytisus scoparius), bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), common forget-me-net (Myosotis sylvatica), common oak (Quercus robur), redcurrant (Ribes rubrum), greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), chickweed (Stellaria media), brooklime (Veronica beccabunga), guelder rose (Viburnum opalus), bush vetch (Vicia sepium) and dog violet (Viola riviniana agg.)

None of these are new to the area, but some are new records for the site.

Adding the species that I recorded on this site in the blog last year this gives a total of 19 species for this site. However this is not a complete list; I didn't record many species which are present here and more widely within the area.

However redcurrant is new to parish A - the locality identified last year was in parish L.