some more plants

While walking over to the library I noticed jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) in flower one the far bank of the canal, and snowberry (Sympharicarpos albus) overlooking the canal.

A few days earlier I had noted Rubus cockburniana overlooking the other branch of the canal.

To the east of the area is a second park. I haven't visited that area much this year - the through path to the next town south had been blocked by construction work, but as it is now passable again I used it today.

By the entrance to the park was a corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas).

A small pool a little off the path has branched bur-reed (Sparganium erectum). White poplar (Populus alba) is fairly common and regenerating along the path. A bulrush (Typha sp.) is present at a second pool.

I came back through the other park. At the south end of the lake there Himalayan balsam (Impatiens balsamifera) is growing. (I had seen this earlier, but overlooked that I hadn't previously recorded it for this area.)

top of the hill

The border of area runs northeast along a ridgeline, before turning southeastwards along a drainage line from the summit.

This morning I walked the circuit up the near side of the hill, and then looping back through the Florula Urbana area on the far side of the hill.

Near the summit are three species not found at lower altitudes - heather (Calluna vulgaris), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and heath bedstraw (Galium saxatile). At the same location, but probably also to be found elsewhere, is common orache (Atriplex patula).

On the reverse side of the hill I found second localities for sticky groundsel (Senecio viscosus), hairy bindweed (Calystegia pulchra), and hop trefoil (Trifolium campestre). I also encounted a ragwort (Senecio sp.) that I couldn't place (perhaps a short-ligulate form of common ragwort).

[Hop trefoil is probably widespread in the area, but earlier in the year it is difficult to distinguish from black medick.]

Down in the town, in an area of scrubland between housing estates, were gorse (Ulex europaeus) and Japanese knotweed (Persicaria japonica) - these can be found elsewhere, but I seem to have neglected to record them.

four more

About a week ago I used a slightly different route to the town centre (I was heading to different shops from usual), and found sticky groundsel (Senecio viscosus) growing alongside a street.

Today I took a different route to the supermarket (through an industrial estate, and then along the footpath along its northern boundary). Along the footpath there was hairy bindweed (Calystegia pulchra) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus), and also another site for French cranesbill (Geranium endressii).

At the Working Mens Club near the supermarket blue fleabane (Erigeron acer) was found.

assorted species

The fishing pond which has yellow, fringed and pink water lilies turns out to also have white water lily (Nymphaea alba). The surrounding woods have common hemp-nettle (Galeopsis tetrahit)).

The St. John's Wort noted at the edge of the park turns out to be tall tutsan (Hypericum ×inodorum). The park also has marsh cudweed (Gnaphalium uliginosum), common centaury (Centaurium erthyraea), wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), water mint (Mentha aquatica) and enchanter's night shade (Circaea lutetiana).

chickweed

I was filing (or deleting) some photographs taken on the 14th of June. Among them was one of a chickweed, which by the counting of stamens is identified as common chickweed (Stellaria media).

nature reserve

Up against the southern boundary of the area is an area of woodland (including a deep valley) managed as a nature reserve. On Friday I explored some of the paths through this. It has a variety of tree species, which are regenerating. These include hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), swedish whitbeam (Sorbus intermedia), holly (Ilex aquifolium), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastaneum), field maple (Acer campestre), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa and oak (Quercus sp.). Hazel (Corylus avellana is also present, as are bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.) and field rose (Rosa arvensis agg.).

To reach the reserve I pass through an retail/industrial estate. Here I saw seedlings of Norway maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), and on the boundary of that estate spotted dead-nettle (Lamium maculatum), a St. Johns wort (Hypericum sp.) and cat's ear (Hypocharis radicata).

roses

I haven't looked at roses in the Florula Urbana area as closely as in the Florula Prima area, but both field rose (Rosa arvensis agg.) and dog rose (Rosa canina agg.) are present. In addition three specimens of many-flowered rose (Rosa multiflora) are present along a section of canal bank.

recent observations

Yesterday, at the loop of canal where I previously recorded Cardamine amara, I observed marsh (Stachys arvensis) and hybrid (Stachys ×ambigua) woundworts, hedge bindwind (Calystegia sepium), meadowsweet (Filependulina ulmaria) and yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea).

Other recent observations include black-bindweed (Fallopia convolvulus) and black horehound (Ballota nigra).

catch up

Some plants that I've seen, but neglected to record.

shining cranesbill (Geranium lucidum)

large bitter cress (Cardamine amara): occurs along a section of canal bank.

bitter cress (Cardamine sp.): probably both hairy (Cardamine hirusta and wavy (Cardamine flexuosa) occur, but I seem to not have identified any plant to species, and they're not flowering any more, so I can't count stamens, which is the easiest way of distinguishing them.

Oxford ragwort (Senecio squalidus)

marginal plants and others

On Monday I walked over to the local "nature reserve" to photograph the waterfowl. As this involved two transects of the Flora Urbana area I took the opportunity to look at a number of bodies of standing water on the way.

On the southern boundary of the built up area, and west of the large park, are a couple of fishing ponds. The larger of these has fringed water lily (Nymphoides peltata, yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea), a pink-flowered water lily (Nymphaea sp.) and amphibious bistort (Persicaria amphibia) present in the pond, and an aquatic forget-me-not (Myosotis sp) present marginally. The smaller has yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea), and dotted loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata) present marginally. The woods surrounding these ponds have hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) present.

I've also saw loosestrifes at another location, so I'll have to check whether they were the same species.

At the south end of the park a chain of small ponds have been constructed. These have water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus), round-leaved crowfoot (Ranunculus omiophyllus), pond crowfoot (Ranunculus peltatus) and brooklime (Veronica beccabunga).

There was also present in the vicinity a crucifer (possibly white mustard, Sinapsis alba).

Near the western entrance to the park there is a St. John's wort (Hypericum sp.). Alongside the main path/road through the park can be found creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), which I had neglected to record previously, and also small water pepper (Persicaria minor). At the south end of the park are a few feral cabbage (Brassica oleracea).

On my way back, in the town centre I recorded wormwood (Artemisia absinthum), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum), wall lettuce (Mycelis muralis) and feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium).

assorted plants

I took a loop round the Florula Urbana area today on the way to the supermarket.

Additional plants observed -

Firstly, along the road bisecting the area: large bindweed (Calystegia silvatica), barley (Hordeum sp.), cat's ear (Hypochaeris radicata), meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), black medick (Medicago lupulina), a knotgrass (Polygonum sp.), self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara), lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium), tufted vetch (Vicia cracca), hairy tare (Vicia hirsuta), an unidentified (non-flowering) legume (Melilotus sp?) and a mayweed.

I then turned east along a footpath descending a wooded valley leading to the large park that lies in the centre of the area. Along this valley I encounted birch (Betula sp.), white climbing corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata), marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre), beech (Fagus sylvatica), a dog rose (Rosa sp. sect. Canina), red campion (Silene dioica) and rowan (Sorbus domestica). There is small pool within this valley where yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus) is present.

The path breaks up into several branches. The southernmost leads out into a marshy area where marsh thistle (again) and common valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are present.

Alongside the main (tarmacked) path through the park are a goosefoot (Chenopodium sp.), a spurge (Euphorbia sp.), a fumitory (Fumaria sp.), redshank (Persicaria maculata), s second Persicaria species, lesser stitchwort (Stellaria graminea), bush vetch (Vicia sepium) and field pansy (Viola arvensis).

Around the fishing pond at the south end of the reservoir are marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre), gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus), tufted forget-me-not (Myosotis laxa) and skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata).

On the dam, at the north end of the reservoir are an orchid (Dactylorhiza sp.), marsh bedstraw (again) and biting stonecrop (Sedum acre), and, on the adjacent bridge over the railway line, curled dock (Rumex crispus). By the path thence to the carpark at the northern entrance to the park there is a patch of wood bitter vetch (Vicia orobus). A burdock (Arctium sp.) was also encountered.

Finally, on my way back along the canal towpath I encounted a dogwood (Cornus sp.), meadowsweet (Filependulia ulmaria), a St.Johm's wort (Hypericum sp.), hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and zigzag clover (Trifolium medium).

Most of these records consist of formally recording widespread plants, and confirming plants that I knew to be present from previous years. More notable plants are

* climbing white corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata): I have only learnt to recognise this based on an a site in the Florula Prima area; this represents a second known site for the species, and the first in the Florula Urbana area.

* marsh/spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza sp.): first record from Florula Urbana area.

* marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre): not previously identified anywhere.

* yellow flag (Iris pseudoacorus): this is present on most bodies of standing water in the region, but this is the first record in the Florula Urbana area.

* tufted forget-me-net (Myosotis laxa): recently identified in the Florula Prima area. In this case it was growing among other plants and the habit was less distinctive, and it was identified by field marks - rounded stems and rounded petal apices - that distinguish it from the other two aquatic forget-me-nots.

* skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata): first record from Florula Urbana area.

* zigzag clover (Trifolium medium) is novel; I am pleased to know that it is distinctive to the eye, and that I haven't been overlooking it as red clover.

what whitebeam is this?

I saw this sapling yesterday, and identified it on the fly as Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia).

Having looked more closely I'm not so sure. Some of the leaves have free leaflets at the base, and the number of lateral veins seems to be on the low side. But the overall shape of the leaf doesn't match bastard service tree (Sorbus ×thuringiaca). The nearest match in Stace, for leaf outline, seems to be Swedish service tree (Sorbus hybrida). But all this analysis assumes that the foliage of young plants looks the same of that of mature plants, which I don't know to be the case.

Any ideas? (Am I right in identifying it as a whitebeam, or have I missed something that should be obvious?)

Update: 14 June 2008

I was passing the area again today, so I had another look. This plant is growing in a grassy verge in an industrial estate, in front of a row of conifers (leylandii?). There are several other shrub seedling growing there - a cherry, a rowan, an elder, some hawthorns, a couple of cotoneasters (I think that they are C. microphyllus and C. simonsii), and a couple of specimens of another whitebeam (but apparently not Sorbus aria). I suspect that the conifers are a bird roost, and this explains the appearance of seedlings of berry bearing shrubs and trees adjacent to them. (There is a nearby patch of woodland, but this doesn't contain any immediately visible Sorbus; the commonest tree there is alder (Alnus glutinosa) and there are a couple of laburnums.

This is a leaf of the sapling. This particular leaf has one pair of free leaflets at the base, but the on the sapling the number of free leaflets at the base varies between 0 and 1. Note that the number of lateral veins is about 8 per side.



This is the other type of whitebeam. (Is it Sorbus latifolia?)



These are the other shrub seedlings



About a mile to the south I came across a group of about a dozen of what seems to be the same plant, near to a country (urban fringe) lane. I can't tell whether these are spontaneous, or planted. There are planted trees in the area (oak, ash, birch, lime, cherry), but these whitebeams aren't obviously of the same vintage. One or two of them are fruiting. These have 1 or 2 pairs of free basal leaflets, sometimes 0.

Here are some photographs.



To add to the complexity at the end of the lane there's a small group of houses with 4 whitebeams (unlobed leaves, distinct white meal on upper surface) which appear to have been grafted onto the species under discussion (3 of those 4 whitebeams are suckering). The leaves of the stock sometimes, but not always, have pairs of free basal leaflets.

I see no reason to suspect that these aren't Sorbus aria. One wonders why this is grafted on a rarer species. Perhaps it's an import from a country where it isn't rarer. Perhaps it's intended as a dwarfing rootstock.

The scion.



The stock.



Between the two sites, where a bridge crosses a dual carriageway that has been driven through a cutting, the banks of the cutting have been planted with a variety of trees, incluing two types of Sorbus. One is a whitebeam rather like the last, while the other is darker leaved. Using a digital camera as a binocular substitute tells me that the latter is Sorbus intermedia.



For comparison, here are some photographs from a Sorbus intermedia nearer to home.



Finally, while on the subject of Sorbus, is this wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis)?

Today's tally

I went over to the local B&Q this morning, so I had a lock at what was visible on the way there, and also on the industrial/retail estate on which it was sited. New species to the list are sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella), wormwood (Artemisia absinthum), Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia) (a spontaneous seedling) and wild radish (Raphanus raphaniastrum) (a fruit was sufficiently mature for unambiguous identification).

Three species of stonecrop were seen (Sedum acre, Sedum album and Sedum spurium), but these may have been planted, and therefore won't be counted.

Seeding the list

On the 29th of May I walked across the Florula Urbana on my way to visiting the nature reserver in the town on the other side (to photograph the waterfowl). Over about 3 miles of roadside I recorded 53 species of flowering plant. Since there was nothing unusual among them I've just seeded the cumulative list with them, without mentioning them in detail here.

On the way back I came through the park, where I additionally recored yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea), wood avens (Geum urbanum) and thyme-leaved speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolium). In woodland on the northern edge of the park I saw French cranesbill (Geranium endressii) and Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica). Finally only the canal towpath there was germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys), white dead-nettle (Lamium album), greater plantain (Plantago major), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata), common mallow (Malva sylvestris) and water cress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquatica agg.)

UPDATE (May 2009): The parish boundary lies further south and east than I thought it did, and the observations of sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata), common mallow (Malva sylvestris) lie outwith the florula area. Common mallow has been seen elsewhere in the area, but sweet cicely hasn't and will be removed from the list.

The list

1. Acer campestre (field maple)


2. Acer platanoides (Norway maple)


3. Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore)


4. Achillea millefolium (yarrow)


5. Aegopodium podagraria (ground elder)


6. Aesculus hippocastaneum (horse chestnut)


7. Ajuga reptans (bugle)


8. Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle)


9. Alisma plantago-aquatica (water plantain)


10. Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)


11. Allium ursinum (ramsons)


12. Alnus glutinosa (alder)


13. Anemone nemorosa (wood anemome)


14. Angelica sylvestris (wild angelica)


15. Anthriscus sylvestris (cow parsley)


16. Aquilegia vulgaris (columbine)


17. Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress)


18. Artemisia absinthum (wormwood)


19. Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort)


20. Asarina procumbens (trailing snapdragon)


21. Atriplex patula (common orache)


22. Ballota nigra (black horehound)


23. Barbarea vulgaris (winter cress)


24. Bellis perennis (daisy)


25. Brassica oleracea (cabbage)


26. Calluna vulgaris (heather)


27. Calthaea palustris (marsh marigold)


28. Calystegia pulchra (hairy bindweed)


29. Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)


30. Calystegia silvatica (large bindweed)


31. Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd's purse)


32. Cardamine amara (large bitter cress)


33. Cardamine flexuosa (wavy bitter cress)


34. Cardamine pratense (lady's smock)


35. Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut)


36. Centaurium erthyraea (common centaury)


37. Cerastium glomeratum (sticky mouseear(


38. Ceratocapnos claviculata (white climbing corydalis)


39. Chamaerion angustifolium (rose-bay willow-herb)


40. Cheiranthus cheiri (wallflower)


41. Chrysoplenium oppositifolium (opposite-leaved golden saxifrage)


42. Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's night shade)


43. Cirsium arvense (creeping thistle)


44. Cirsium palustre (marsh thistle)


45. Cirsium vulgare (spear thistle)


46. Claytonia siberica (pink purslane)


47. Cochlearia danica (Danish scurvy grass)


48. Corylus avellana (hazel)


49. Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn)


50. Cymbalaria muralis (ivy-leaved toadflax)


51. Cytisus scoparia (broom)


52. Digitalis purpurea (foxglove)


53. Dipsacus fullonum (teasel)


54. Epilobium hirsutum (great willow-herb)


55. Epilobium montanum (broad-leaved willow-herb)


56. Erigeron acer (blue fleabane)


57. Euphorbia helioscopia (sun spurge)


58. Fagus sylvatica (beech)


59. Fallopa japonica (Japanese knotweed)


60. Filependulina ulmaria (meadowsweet)


61. Fraxinus excelsior (ash)


62. Galeopsis tetrahit (common hemp-nettle)


63. Galium aparine (cleavers)


64. Galium odoratum (woodruff)


65. Galium palustre (marsh bedstraw)


66. Galium saxatile (heath bedstraw)


67. Geranium dissectum (cut-leaved cranesbill)


68. Geranium endressii (French cranesbill)


69. Geranium lucidum (shining cranesbill)


70. Geranium pratense (meadow cranesbull)


71. Geranium robertianum (herb robert)


72. Geranium sanguineum (blooding cranesbill)


73. Geum urbanum (wood avens)


74. Gnaphalium uliginosum (marsh cudweed)


75. Hedera helix (ivy)


76. Heracleum sphondylium (hogweed)


77. Hesperis matrionalis (dame's violet)


78. Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebell)


79. Hypochaeris radicata (cat's ear)


80. Hypericum ×inodorum (tall tutsan)


81. Ilex aquifolium (holly)


82. Impatiens balsamifera (Himalayan balsam)


83. Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)


84. Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag)


85. Lamiastrum galeobdolon (yellow archangel)


86. Lamium album (white dead-nettle)


87. Lapsana communis (nipplewort)


88. Lathyrus pratensis (meadow vetchling)


89. Leucanthemum vulgare (ox-eye daisy)


90. Limnanthes douglasii (meadow foam)


91. Lonicera periclymenum (honeysuckle)


92. Lonicera pileata (privet honeysuckle)


93. Lonicera xylosteum (fly honeysuckle)


94. Lotus corniculatus (bird's foot trefoil)


95. Lunaria annua) (honesty)


96. Lychnis flos-cuculi (ragged robin)


97. Lycopus europaeus (gypsywort)


98. Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)


99. Lysimachia punctata (dotted loosestrife)


100. Malva sylvestris (common mallow)


101. Matricaria discoidea (pineappleweed)


102. Meconopsis cambrica (Welsh poppy)


103. Medicago lupulina (black medick)


104. Mentha aquatica (water mint)


105. Mercurialis perennis (dog's mercury)


106. Mimulus guttatus (monkeyflower)


107. Mycelis muralis (wall lettuce)


108. Myosotis laxa (tufted forget-me-not)


109. Myosotis sylvatica (common forget-me-not)


110. Nuphar lutea (yellow water lily)


111. Nymphoides peltata (fringed water lily)


112. Nymphaea alba (white water lily)


113. Oxalis acetosa (wood sorrel)


114. Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy)


115. Papaver somniferum (opium poppy>)


116. Pentaglottis sempervirens (alkanet)


117. Persicaria amphibia (amphibious bistort)


118. Persicaria japonica (Japanses knotweed)


119. Persicaria maculata (redshank)


120. Persicaria minor (lesser water pepper)


121. Plantago lanceolata (ribwort plantain)


122. Plantago major (greater plantain)


123. Populus alba (white poplar)


124. Potentilla anglica (trailing tormentil)


125. Potentilla reptans (creeping cinquefoil)


126. Prunella vulgaris (self-heal)


127. Quercus robur (oak)


128. Ranunculus acris (field buttercup)


129. Ranunculus ficaria (lesser celandine)


130. Ranunculus omiophyllus (round-leaved crowfoot)


131. Ranunculus peltatus (pond crowfoot)


132. Ranunculus repens (creeping buttercup)


133. Raphanus raphaniastrum (wild radish)


134. Rhinanthus minor (yellow rattle)


135. Rhododendron ponticum (rhododendron)


136. Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant)


137. Rorippa nasturtium-aquatica agg. (water cress)


138. Rosa arvensis agg. (field rose)


139. Rosa canina agg. (dog rose)


140. Rubus fruticosus agg. (bramble)


141. Rubus cockburniana


142. Rubus idaeus (raspberry)


143. Rumex acetosa (sorrel)


144. Rumex acetosella (sheep's sorrel)


145. Rumex crispus (curled dock)


146. Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock)


147. Sagina procumbens (pearlwort)


148. Salix fragilis (crack willow)


149. Sambucus nigra (elder)


150. Scutellaria galericulata (skullcap)


151. Sedum acre (biting stonecrop)


152. Senecio jacobaea (common ragwort)


153. Senecio squalidus (Oxford ragwort)


154. Senecio viscosus (sticky groundsel)


155. Senecio vulgaris (groundsel)


156. Silene dioica (red campion)


157. Sisymbrium altissimum (tall rocket)


158. Sisymbrium officinalis (hedge mustard)


159. Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet)


160. Sonchus asper (prickly sow thistle)


161. Sonchus oleraceus (smooth sow thistle


162. Sorbus aucuparia (rowan)


163. Sorbus hybrida (Swedish service tree)


164. Sorbus intermedia (Swedish whitebeam)


165. Sparganium erectum (branched bur-reed)


166. Stachys ×ambigua (hybrid woundwort)
     
167. Stachys palustris (marsh woundwort)


168. Stachys sylvatica (hedge woundwort)


169. Stellaria graminea (lesser stitchwort)


170. Stellaria holostea (greater stitchwort)


171. Stellaria media (common chickweed)


172. Sympharicarpos albus (snowberry)


173. Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew)


174. Tanacetum vulgare (tansy)


175. Taraxacum officinalis agg. (dandelion)


176. Taxus baccata (yew)


177. Tilia platyphyllos (large-leaved lime)


178. Tragopogon pratensis (goatsbeard)


179. Trifolium campestre (hop trefoil)


180. Trifolium dubium (lesser trefoil)


181. Trifolium medium (zigzag clover)


182. Trifolium pratense (red clover)


183. Trifolium repens (white clover)


184. Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot)


185. Ulex europaeus (gorse)


186. Urtica dioica (nettle)


187. Urtica urens (small nettle)


188. Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry)


189. Valeriana officinalis (common valerian)


190. Veronica agrestis (green field speedwell)


191. Veronica arvensis (wall speedwell)


192. Veronica beccabunga (brooklime)


193. Veronica chamaedrys (germander speedwell)


194. Veronica filiformis (slender speedwell)


195. Veronica hederifolia agg. (ivy-leaved speedwell)


196. Veronica serpyllifolium (thyme-leaved speedwell)


197. Vicia cracca (tufted vetch)


198. Vicia hirsuta (hairy tare)


199. Vicia orobus (wood bitter vetch)


200. Vicia sativa (common vetch)


201. Vicia sepium (bush vetch)


202. Viola arvensis (field pansy)

Awaiting identification

1. Arctium sp. (burdock)


2. Barbarea sp. (winter cress)


3. Betula sp. (birch)


4. Cerastium sp. (mouseear)


5. Chenopodium sp. (goosefoot)


6. Cornus sp. (dogwood)


7. Cotoneaster sp. (cotoneaster)


8. Dactylorhiza sp. (marsh/spotted orchid)


9. Euphorbia sp. (spurge)


10. Fumaria sp. (fumitory)


11. Hordeum sp. (barley)


12. Lepidium sp. (pepperwort)


13. Myosotis sp. (forget-me-not)


14. Nigella sp. (love-in-a-mist)


15. Nymphaea sp. (pink water-lily)


16. Polygonatum sp. (Solomon's seal)


17. Polygonum sp. (knotgrass)


18. Quercus sp. (oak)


19. Rumex spp. (docks)


20. Salix sp. (sallow)


21. Salix sp. (willows)


22. Scrophularia sp. (figwort)


23. Typha sp. (bulrush)


24. Ulmus sp. (elm)


25. Veronica sp. (speedwell)

Introduction

A florula is a small flora; that is a description of the plants present in a small area. The purpose of this blog is to document the plants I observe growing wild in the next town to the east of the town in which I live.

This used it be an urban district, and is now part of a larger borough. The boundary of the area can conveniently by taken as the administrative boundary on three sides, and a dual carriageway to the south.

The area is mostly urban, but there is a large, mostly informal, in the park, and a large area of farmland to the west (which however is not an area I visit).

There will be gaps in the florula, at least until I educate myself on additional groups of plants. For the time being I will restrict the scope to seed plants. I will not attempt to disentangle the Cardamine pratensis, Rubus fruticosus and Taraxacum officinalis aggregates. Although I have now cracked Veronica there remain other genera in which I have difficulty distinguishing species, including Cerastium, Chenopodium, Rosa, Rumex, Salix, Stellaria, the medick/trefoil group, the mayweed/chamonile group, yellow-flowered crucifers, and several genera of cichorioid daisies.