Plants were looking particularly good. This Spear Thistle, Cirsium vulgare, was attracting Bumble Bees in particular, and is a useful ecological component despite being classified as a noxious weed under the Weeds Act 1959. .
This is a close-up of the tubular flowers from the infloescence above, with pollen being pushed out of the tips. In at least one I think I can see a y-shaped stigma just protruding. The purity of the colours is just wonderful!
This next photo was taken just at the edge of the inflorsecence - I am unsure of the nature of the more tendril shaped structures.
Looking lower down the inflorescence, the slight cottony fibres covering the surface interspersed with the green bracts somewhat recurved and ending in yellow spines were fairly clear.
The stem is slightly cottony as well.
and the leaves are also notoriously spiny.
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