More coastal plants for id please!

[JennyS]

Took the chance to get out before the next deluge hit, and once again came back with flower photos that I'd be glad of help with....

Below: 1. Some sort of cinquefoil...



2. An unfamiliar cranesbill....(most of the other flowers on it had 5 petals)



3. I checked out salsify and chicory, but these leaves look more lettuce-like?



4. There were Common Mallow growing nearby, so I wasn't sure whether this was just a ground-hugging version of Common, or if it was Dwarf?



5.Annual Seablite?



6.Umm, have I finally come across Seaside Centuary...



7.Some sort of speedwell? (theres a very tiny blue flower in there somewhere)



8.The leaves on this vetch look much wider than on the Bitter-vetch I've been seeing....



All clues very welcome!

[aeshna5]

Can't see enough detail on Potentilla, but it could be the hybrid between Creeping + the other 2 small ones?
2 looks like Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Geranium molle
3 Chicory, Cichorium intybus
4Common Mallow, Malva sylvestris , flowere to big + showy to be M.neglecta, prostrate forms of former occur
5 Annual Seablite, Suaeda maritima
6Common Centaury, Centaurium erythraea
7 Looks bit like American Speedwell, Veronica peregrina, only thing that puts me off is this is generally hairless + your photo shows hairy margins, Whereas Wall Speedwell has toothed leaves which yours doesn't.
8 Bitter Vetchling,Lathyrus lilnifolius

[Tiggrx]

I agree with Aeshna5 except.

1. This looks like the plant is upright to me so I don't think it is a hybrid of Creeping Cinquefoil. The leaves and flower resemble Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) except that usually has pale yellow flowers.
2. Cut-leaved Crane's-bill (Geranium dissectum)

[josie m]

Hi, new to the forum,
Was the centaury small as I think it could be sea centaury- I saw lots last year at Seaford Head on the cliffs and they were much smaller than common centaury and the photo looks similar to the ones I saw.

[Pete Collins]

I'm new to wildflowers, but for what it's worth I agree with Tiggrx that 2 is Cut-leaved Cranesbill, rather than Dovesfoot Cranesbill. I'll be interested to know if other people disagree, as I've seen this flower a lot here in the Chilterns and so I'd like to know if I've misidentified it!

There are a few photos of Cut-leaved Cranesbill in the Gallery which seem to confirm the identification. Strangely there don't seem to be any of Dovesfoot Cranesbill (I might submit my own photo later, but I'm not sure the quality's good enough).

I have to say that the two wildflower books I've got don't seem as helpful as they might be with regards the leaves on Dovesfoot and Cut-leaved Cranesbill.

[JennyS]

Thanks folks for the id help - and a couple of questions....

1. Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) seemed to be closest on that - it wasn't clear whether it had arrived under its own steam (so to speak) or been planted - will check further on that one.

2. Still not sure on the Cranesbill as the basal leaves seemed more 'solid' on this one than on the other Cut-leaved Cranesbills I've been finding, and it had a very prostrate growth form - how variable are the beasties! And how much does soil/location have to do with one rather than other?

3. Chicory - but the leaves don't match any illustration (book or online) that I can find......aarrghh!

6. Centuary - how narrow are the basal leaves for Sea Centuary compared to Common, and what are the other deciding factors in telling the difference?

Again thanks for help, must stop tearing my hair out or I'll be bald by the end of the summer!

[Tiggrx]

1. Sulphur Cinquefoil is not a native but is occasionally grown in gardens where it can become a serious weed. It occasionally escapes from gardens into the wild and sometimes becomes established.

3. You're right - the leaves do look odd, but it is definitely Chicory.

6. Seaside Centaury has stem-leaves more or less parallel sided which is the best distinction for this species. Common Centaury is quite variable - especially by the sea - and produces many dwarf forms.

Originally Posted by JennyS

Thanks folks for the id help - and a couple of questions....

1. Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) seemed to be closest on that - it wasn't clear whether it had arrived under its own steam (so to speak) or been planted - will check further on that one.

2. Still not sure on the Cranesbill as the basal leaves seemed more 'solid' on this one than on the other Cut-leaved Cranesbills I've been finding, and it had a very prostrate growth form - how variable are the beasties! And how much does soil/location have to do with one rather than other?

3. Chicory - but the leaves don't match any illustration (book or online) that I can find......aarrghh!

6. Centuary - how narrow are the basal leaves for Sea Centuary compared to Common, and what are the other deciding factors in telling the difference?

Again thanks for help, must stop tearing my hair out or I'll be bald by the end of the summer!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by JennyS

Thanks folks for the id help - and a couple of questions....

1. Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) seemed to be closest on that - it wasn't clear whether it had arrived under its own steam (so to speak) or been planted - will check further on that one.

2. Still not sure on the Cranesbill as the basal leaves seemed more 'solid' on this one than on the other Cut-leaved Cranesbills I've been finding, and it had a very prostrate growth form - how variable are the beasties! And how much does soil/location have to do with one rather than other?

3. Chicory - but the leaves don't match any illustration (book or online) that I can find......aarrghh!

6. Centuary - how narrow are the basal leaves for Sea Centuary compared to Common, and what are the other deciding factors in telling the difference?

Again thanks for help, must stop tearing my hair out or I'll be bald by the end of the summer!

cut leaved cranesbill is quite variable but it does just seem to have a greater leaf to flower ratio than many esp than dovesfoot. I think small flowered is more similar to dovesfoot, the one in your pic certainly looks like cut-leaved to me

[PeterJL]

I'd go for Veronica arvensis (Wall Speedwell) Jenny. The margins can be hairy (just looked at one on my path) and the leaves can be serrated or entire (utoothed).

Agree about Potentilla recta (Sulphur Cinquefoil).

What about Geranium pusillum? - it looks a bit like G. dissectum to me but the fairly dissected leaves with three prongs each are what I see with G. pusillum as well as G. dissectum. G molle however is very, very variable.

On balance G. dissectum I think, possibly.

[JennyS]

Yes, Wall Speedwell fits - I found another picture that showed lower leaves so thats that one sorted!
But now I'm a bit worried about about the cranesbills that I've previously identified as Small-flowered Cranesbill?