Selection of Wildflowers from Essex, March 2011

[CRM]

Hello! First post here, been looking at this forum for a few weeks now so thought that I should now contribute. I have always been interested in plants particularly and so have photos from time spent (predominantly) in woodlands. But not until now that I've properlly identified them - up for contention of course please do tell me if you disagree with any of my identifications, it will help me learn.

The following are from a visit to Highlands Estate wood (called Southwoods) in Essex on the 31st of March 2011. I wasn't really going 'flower hunting' at the time as I was researching the tree species present, so I didn't rreally spend that much time looking for flowers but couln't help take photos of the following. Please excuse the poorness of the photos (it's only a pont and click and I can never seem to take a photo that's in focus!!). Hope you enjoy.












CRM.

[Dorts]

Hi CRM. A warm welcome to WAB, and to the Wild Flower Forum.

1. Yes- Spurge Laurel. In the 18th. and 19th Centuries, cart-loads of Spurge Laurel was taken from the Beechwoods of Mid-Hants down to Portsmouth, from where it was shipped to many places, and sold as a 'cottage-cure' for cancer.

2. Not Wild Daffodil I'm afraid. Petals too pale. Trumpet too narrow and long.
Your plant is just one of a multitude of naturalised vars.
Here's Wild Daffodil from a very old slide of mine, alongside your plant.



3. Yes.- Celandine. And a particularly narrow petaled form. Some years ago, had circumstances not changed, I was going to apply to be holder of a National Collection of Ranunculus ficaria. I had a very large collection, including many very unusual forms. Your plant is one of the less common, perhaps local forms, but not a named one as far as I know.

4 + 5. Yes - Early Dog-violet, (narrow, dark, un-notched spur. Petals hardly overlapping).

Enjoy the Forums, and do get involved.
Dorts.

[CRM]

Many thanks Dorts

Pleased about the Early Dog Violet confirmation, as always I find at first the decision to what it is can be quite confusing, whereas upon further findings it can be 'obvious' as you know what it is your (not) looking at. I found this as well with fungi identification.

I was not aware of the variety found in R. ficaria but will look out for it when finding it in other areas. Lovely plant, especially when it forms carpets like that. Although I do have a photo I think of it growing mixed with V. reichenbachiana which I'll try and find later.

The Daffodil I suppose is an example of fitting a description to what you are hoping it is Do you have any more information about our native daffodil(s)? How did you know that your find was not just a naturalized variety also?

Thanks again Dorts.

CRM

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by CRM

Many thanks Dorts
Pleased about the Early Dog Violet confirmation, as always I find at first the decision to what it is can be quite confusing, whereas upon further findings it can be 'obvious' as you know what it is your (not) looking at. I found this as well with fungi identification.

I was not aware of the variety found in R. ficaria but will look out for it when finding it in other areas. Lovely plant, especially when it forms carpets like that. Although I do have a photo I think of it growing mixed with V. reichenbachiana which I'll try and find later.

The Daffodil I suppose is an example of fitting a description to what you are hoping it is Do you have any more information about our native daffodil(s)? How did you know that your find was not just a naturalized variety also?Thanks again Dorts.
CRM

Re: Celandine. There is a great variety to be found, including many different double and semi-double kinds. There are also orange and bronze flowered-forms. Leaf size, shape, colour and markings can also vary.

Re: Wild Daffodil. It is very difficult to describe what a true wild Daff. looks like. My pic. is a good guide. Stace says: 'Corona (trumpet) as long as tepals (petals); hypanthial tube (almost) twice as long as greatest width. Tepals paler than corona.' If you look at my pic, you can make out that the petals are paler than the trumpet, but not by much. Flowers are rarely more than 6-8" tall, (often even shorter), discount anything taller.
It is really a case of going to see a known site of our true Wild Daffodils to 'get your eye in'. They really are quite distinct. I was fortunate to live in an area of Mid-Hants where they have been growing 'forever', and were very abundant in hazel coppice woodland and steep banks overlying the Greensand.

Here is a distribution map for Wild Daffiodil:BSBI Maps Scheme: Hectad Map

It is worth noting that recently confirmed plants, (in Blue) are becoming less common. This is partly because many of the previous records were in error. Others because they have dissapeared from many of there old sites for a number of reasons. You can see that Hants, Surrey, Berks, Bucks and Oxon, areas around the Thames valley, are where they are still reasonably common, generally in 'open' woodland.
Dorts.

[CRM]

Here's the image of the V. reichenbachiana with R. ficaria. Now looking at these R. ficaria compared to those posted previously I can see how these petals are not as narrow (or is that just me?) They were in a different part of the woodland.



CRM.

[aeshna5]

Probably irritating to know that the scientific name of Lesser Celandine is now changed to Ficaria verna.

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Probably irritating to know that the scientific name of Lesser Celandine is now changed to Ficaria verna.

Yes, I know, and I do find it very irritating!
I tend to use the old established Latin names without thinking as I'm typing. So many Latin names are changing now that it is almost a better choice to use the vernacular.
I'm sure if I were just starting over again I would be far more up-to-date.
Thanks for pointing it out anyway aeshna5. Not a problem.
Dorts.

[CRM]

Thank you Dorts for that information, very interesting. I shall look forward to the time I come across a true N. pseudonarcissus....!

Regards to the variedness of the Celadine, is this due to it having both diploid and tetraploid ssp.? Does this make them in some way more 'variable' in appearance? I don't know much about genetics and the likes I'm afraid.

Thanks aeshna, I wasn't aware that the name had changed, was this due to it actually being published by Hudson before Linnaeus? but the L. name 'took hold' so too speak, and they are now going back to the first described name? Have many more of our Ranunculus species changed genus?

CRM.

[aeshna5]

None of the other Ranunculus have changed at least in the most recent Stace.

[earthgraham]

Hi CRM out of interest I found these at Hylands Estate in 2010.



I have also found three diffirent types of orchid there

Happy hunting Graham.