A 2009 plant-hunter's diary

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

Unidentified photos1:
2:

Some kind of stonecrop, on a wall in a North Somerset village; even though there's no flowers the foliage looks quite distinctive, but I haven't been able to find a match in Alien Plants of the British Isles

4:

Likewise, I can't decide whether this is Fat Duckweed, Lemna gibba, or Greater Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza)

2. Not a Stonecrop but rather a Saxifrage

3. Fat Duckweed

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

2. Not a Stonecrop but rather a Saxifrage

3. Fat Duckweed

Thanks, Tiggrx

Out of interest, what distinguishes No. 2 as a saxifrage rather than a stonecrop?

[davidbr]

With thanks to Tiggrx, then, that's another one for the list; Fat Duckweed (Lemna gibba)

I've also managed to add three more over the past couple of days; this Hjelmqvist's Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii), growing by the side of a suburban road, I'd previously dismissed as just another Cotoneaster horizontalis until I decided it was worth a second look

(Hjelmqvist's Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii)

The glabrous (hairless) leaves on this one identify it as "common" Mock-orange (Philadelphus coronarius); every plant I've found in this area before has turned out to be Hairy Mock-orange, P x virginialis, with densely pubescent leaves.

(Mock-orange, Philadelphus coronarius)

And this rose, which had scrambled over a sizeable section of bramble hedge alongside an old railway line near Cheddar, north Somerset, I've identified as Noisette Rose (Rosa noisettiana) - I'd presume it must have been bird-sown, a very attractive plant anyway, the flowers gradually fading from pale yellow to white as they age

(Noisette Rose, Rosa noisettiana)

[davidbr]

I've still got quite a few I need help on, though



This currant bush might just be a Red Currant (Ribes rubrum), except it seemed much sturdier than the Red Currant bushes that were common in the area and, as you can see, it was still in full flower when all others had finished.



This Jasminum plant was self-seeded on an old wall; I've posted it before, but thought I'd have another go

There are only three species listed in my Alien Plants of the British Isles, and it isn't either one of those



And does anyone know what sort of Nemesia this is?

[KeenTeen17]

Not so good on the first 2 but the Nemesia could be N. fruticosa.

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

Not so good on the first 2 but the Nemesia could be N. fruticosa.

I don't suppose you know where I could find a photo of it, do you, KT? I can't find one on Google Image

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by davidbr

This Jasminum plant was self-seeded on an old wall; I've posted it before, but thought I'd have another go

There are only three species listed in my Alien Plants of the British Isles, and it isn't either one of those

Having checked through the RHS's Plant Finder, it looks like this one is Showy Jasmine, Jasminum floridum

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

I don't suppose you know where I could find a photo of it, do you, KT? I can't find one on Google Image

Try spelling it as Nemesia fruticans

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

Having checked through the RHS's Plant Finder, it looks like this one is Showy Jasmine, Jasminum floridum

Jasminum floridum should have acute leaf-tips which I don't think your plant does.

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

Try spelling it as Nemesia fruticans

Thanks, I'm sure that's the one. What originally threw me is that the first page of images show blue flowers, but of course like all these common garden plants there's a range of cultivars and some do seem to have pink flowers. The general shape of the flower certainly seems to match

Nemesia fruticans it is, then

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

Jasminum floridum should have acute leaf-tips which I don't think your plant does.

Damn; I thought I'd cracked it

I'm really running out of ideas on this one

[davidbr]

I've been struggling to identify this spurge species for quite a while, and have posted it on here a couple of times without success. Yesterday I e-mailed the photos to Don Witton, holder of the national collection of Euphorbias, and he very kindly & quickly identified it for me

Apparently it's Balkan Spurge, Euphorbia oblongata, which Don says "seeds prolifically in a garden setting" - it looks like it'll certainly become a permanent addition to the flora of the Bristol area, at any rate

Originally Posted by davidbr

Unidentified photos

I'm hoping that someone can help me put a name to these ...

1:

A spurge, naturalised along a back lane and in a riverside park in suburban Bristol

3:

I can't decide whether this is Common House-leek, Sempervivum tectorum) or Mountain House-leek, S. montanum...

Likewise, I also e-mailed photo No. 1 to Don Witton; his opinion is that it's Upright Spurge (Euphorbia serrulata, syn, E. stricta).

I also sent the photos of the Sempervivum to Howard Wills at Fernwood Nursery, who hold the national collection, and he tells me it's Sempervivum tectorum - the commonest naturalised species

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by davidbr

This currant bush might just be a Red Currant (Ribes rubrum), except it seemed much sturdier than the Red Currant bushes that were common in the area and, as you can see, it was still in full flower when all others had finished.

I'm now convinced this is Downy Currant (Ribes spicatum)

The cup-shaped flowers, that you can see in the photos on this site seem to match, whilst the petals of Red Currant aren't recurved ((Red Currant, ribes rubrum, flower)

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

I'm now convinced this is Downy Currant (Ribes spicatum)

The cup-shaped flowers, that you can see in the photos on this site seem to match, whilst the petals of Red Currant aren't recurved ((Red Currant, ribes rubrum, flower)

However, the separated anther-lobes are typical of Red Currant, in Downy Currant they would be contiguous.

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

However, the separated anther-lobes are typical of Red Currant, in Downy Currant they would be contiguous.

So you think it's most likely to be Red Currant, then?

[davidbr]

28th May 2009

A couple of finds from a brief local exploration yesterday;

The Hairy Canary-clover (Doryncium hirsutum) bush is now in flower at Abbey Wood Station, Filton; a fine sight, worth a visit for anyone who's within range of the North Bristol area

(Hairy Canary-clover, Doryncium hirsutum)

Also coming into bloom here were Tall Tutsan (Hypericum x inodorum), and this Smoke-tree (Cotinus coggygria); it may have been planted when the station was first built some 15-plus years ago, but it's certainly made itself at home

(Smoke-tree, Cotinus coggygria)

A surprise find, and another addition to the station's list of aliens, was this beautiful Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)

(Sulphur Cinquefoil, Potentilla recta)

whilst the honeysuckle bush I've yet to identify was showing something approaching a fully-opened flower...

(Honeysuckle, Lonicera sp.)

and this fuschia, a relic in nearby Stoke Park Woods, is also confusing me; it could well be a cultivar of F. magellanica in a colour I've just never seen before, but I've not yet decided

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

and this fuschia, a relic in nearby Stoke Park Woods, is also confusing me; it could well be a cultivar of F. magellanica in a colour I've just never seen before, but I've not yet decided

I would say it is Fuchsia magellanica var. molinae

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

So you think it's most likely to be Red Currant, then?

Yes

[davidbr]

29th May 2009

Just the one new addition for today - another cotoneaster species, Procumbent Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster prostratus), growing on the churchyard wall in the village of West Harptree, in north Somerset (near Chew Valley Lake).

Yet again, for reasons I totally can't understand, the site won't let me upload any photos (I really wish we were able to use a file-hosting site like Photobucket on here... ). This was quite a noteworthy one, though, because it's the 1100th species on the photo list

I've also been looking at dozens of pictures of various jasmine species; the only one I can find that matches my mystery plant is Primrose Jasmine, Jasminum mesnyi - so unless anyone with more expertise can tell me why it isn't, that's what I'm putting it down as

[davidbr]

30th May 2009

An interesting afternoon today at Sand Bay, near Weston-super-Mare on the North Somerset coast, where a wide variety of colourful aliens are naturalised on the coastal sand-dunes.

At the base of Sand Point, this Himalayan Spiraea (Spiraea canescens) is apparently a remnant of a pre-war tea garden that used to be where the National Trust toilet block now stands. It's quite a spectacular bush, yet when it's not in flower you'd barely notice it



This very tatty Night-scented Stock (Matthiola longipetala), and this patch of Pinks (Dianthus plumarius) were both along the coast road and provided new finds for me

(Night-scented Stock, Matthiola longipetala)

(Pink, Dianthus plumarius)

Clumps of Flag Iris (Iris germanica), Oriental Poppy (Papaver pseudoorientale) & Eastern Gladiolus (Gladiolus byzantinus) were all naturalised in the dunes along the coast road.

(Flag Iris, Iris germanica)

(Oriental Poppy, Papaver pseudoorientale)

(Eastern Gladiolus, Gladiolus byzantinus)

Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) & Garden Catmint (Nepeta x faasenii), were both established, the latter on the dunes and the former abundant on walls & roadsides

(Garden Catmint, Nepeta x faasenii)

(Seaside Daisy, Erigeron glaucus)

This Red-hot-poker (Kniphofia uvaria), one of three plants present, made a striking sight, as did the large patches of Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) all over the dunes

(Red-hot-poker, Kniphofia uvaria)

(Japanese Rose, Rosa rugosa)

[davidbr]

Then, there were these three I'm still to definitely identify

This speedwell (the flower colour is true to life), a roadside weed, probably isn't anything unusual; it's just I'm having a brain-freeze on them at the moment



These two, though, were definitely out of the ordinary; I think the allium is Allium giganteum, but I've absolutely no idea on the succulent "mesembryanthum" (which doesn't match any of the entries in my Alien Plants of the British Isles). Both were along Weston-super-Mare seafront, where I've recently found a fine selection of Mediterranean aliens; at the moment, the colony of Estoril Thrift (Armeria pseudoarmeria) is in full bloom

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

Then, there were these three I'm still to definitely identify

This speedwell (the flower colour is true to life), a roadside weed, probably isn't anything unusual; it's just I'm having a brain-freeze on them at the moment

Green Field-speedwell (Veronica agrestis)

Originally Posted by davidbr

These two, though, were definitely out of the ordinary; I think the allium is Allium giganteum,

I'm pretty sure this is Allium christophii

Originally Posted by davidbr

but I've absolutely no idea on the succulent "mesembryanthum" (which doesn't match any of the entries in my Alien Plants of the British Isles). Both were along Weston-super-Mare seafront, where I've recently found a fine selection of Mediterranean aliens; at the moment, the colony of Estoril Thrift (Armeria pseudoarmeria) is in full bloom

Looks like Delosperma nubigenum to me. It is quite commonly sold in garden centres but I have never heard of it escaping before

[davidbr]

Thanks, Tiggrx

Having checked some more images of A. giganteum, I can now see I was way out; although the flower is kind of similar, it's an absolutely massive plant three or more feet tall

The Delosperma nubigenum seems well-established at this site, on a wall along Weston-super-Mare seafront (next to the Crazy Golf park, if anyone either knows Weston or wants to visit it ). I'd never seen it before, either in cultivation or in the wild.

[ceterach]

Originally Posted by davidbr

The Delosperma nubigenum seems well-established at this site, on a wall along Weston-super-Mare seafront (next to the Crazy Golf park, if anyone either knows Weston or wants to visit it ). I'd never seen it before, either in cultivation or in the wild.

You would have to go to southern Africa to see it in the wild!

[davidbr]

A couple more I could use some advice on, too;

Is this Subterranean Clover (Trifolium subterraneum)?



And last year, when it wasn't flowering, I'd ID'd this as Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) - but it's only about six inches tall? Anything else it could be?

[Tiggrx]

Originally Posted by davidbr

A couple more I could use some advice on, too;

Is this Subterranean Clover (Trifolium subterraneum)?

No not T. subterraneum - maybe T. scabrum but not too sure from a picture

Here is T. subterraneum to compare

Originally Posted by davidbr

And last year, when it wasn't flowering, I'd ID'd this as Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) - but it's only about six inches tall? Anything else it could be?

Looks good for E. cyparissias to me. Six inches sounds a fairly normal height for it.