I walked more locally today, Lady Baggot's Drive in the morning and Glocaenog Wood in the evening after collecting Nain from hospital. It was dry enough in the morning for a few photographs, but too wet in the evening to even get the camera out of the car. The evening walk was still really enjoyable, as these are really good woods that I don't know well enough - really promising for future visits!
Along Lady Baggot's Drive, the path I know best, there were quite a few flowers out, with the remaining spring flowers merging into the up and coming summer ones.
It was nice to see what I took to be Hedge Bedstraw, Galium mollugo ssp mollugo) L, along the track. This is one of the most robust and upright bedstraws, and my favourite in the genus by far. I will need to check that I am not confusing this plant, the Great Hedge Bedstraw, with the Upright Hedge Bedstraw, Galium mollugo ssp erectum, now perhaps more correctly known as Galium album, which is found a bit further East, on the limestone.
The description of the species and two subspecies follows. A perennial herb with stout stock, decumbent to erect, 4-angled, glabrous or pubescent stems, 25-120 cm, ± branched, not blackening when dried. Lvs 8-25 mm, 6-8 in a whorl, linear to obovate, mucronate to cuspidate, 1-veined, glabrous or pubescent, rough on the margins with stout, forward-pointing, ± appressed bristles.
and here is one of the commonest plants along the path, Herb Bennet, Geum urbanum.
Followed by the commonest, Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum, with a hoverfly, Rhingia campestris on the flower behind!
Along Lady Baggot's Drive, the path I know best, there were quite a few flowers out, with the remaining spring flowers merging into the up and coming summer ones.
It was nice to see what I took to be Hedge Bedstraw, Galium mollugo ssp mollugo) L, along the track. This is one of the most robust and upright bedstraws, and my favourite in the genus by far. I will need to check that I am not confusing this plant, the Great Hedge Bedstraw, with the Upright Hedge Bedstraw, Galium mollugo ssp erectum, now perhaps more correctly known as Galium album, which is found a bit further East, on the limestone.
The description of the species and two subspecies follows. A perennial herb with stout stock, decumbent to erect, 4-angled, glabrous or pubescent stems, 25-120 cm, ± branched, not blackening when dried. Lvs 8-25 mm, 6-8 in a whorl, linear to obovate, mucronate to cuspidate, 1-veined, glabrous or pubescent, rough on the margins with stout, forward-pointing, ± appressed bristles.
Infl a terminal panicle of rather lax cymes. Corolla white,tube very short, lobes 4, cuspidate. Fr glabrous, rugulose, blackenng when dry, fr stalks divaricate.
ssp mollugo: Fl stems weak, decumbent or ascending, diffusely branched (mostly >45°), swollen below the nodes.Lvs to 25 mm, obovate, oblanceolate or rarely linear, cuspidate. Fls 3 m diam in a panicle with spreading branches. Fr 1 mm; basal infl branches strongly divaricate in fr.
ssp erectum Syme: Fl stems ± erect with erect branches (mostly <45°) and linear lanceolate, mucronate lvs. Fls 2.5-5 mm diam in a narrow panicle with ascending branches. Fr 1.5-2 mm; basal infl-branches ascending in fr.
Next comes the flowers of the common figwort - note the anthers protruding from the throat.
This is maybe the second Yellow Archangel I have seen this year - well attacked by leaf hopper by the look of it!
and here is one of the commonest plants along the path, Herb Bennet, Geum urbanum.
Followed by the commonest, Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum, with a hoverfly, Rhingia campestris on the flower behind!
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