Rowan, Mountain Ash. Sorbus aucuparia (2 of 2). Larval food plant for at least 35 macro moths including Nut-tree Tussock, Brimstone, Scorched Wing and Herald

2 weeks to go in our countdown to Big Meadow Search 2024. Recording period runs from 1st June to 31st August. Don’t forget road verges are included and can have lots of species to spot

Rowan or Mountain Ash. Sorbus aucuparia (1 of 2). Alternate leaves. 5-7 pairs of leaflets, up to 6x2cm. Dark green above, grey-green below. Leaflets with 13-20 teeth per side. Stipules toothed. Buds conical, dark brown-purplish with 2-5 scales. Clusters of white flowers

Shining Crane’s-bill. Geranium lucidum. Up to 40cm, many branched. Bright glossy green long-stalked leaves often tinged with red.
Leaves are 5-7 lobed with lobes wider above, each with 2-3 blunt teeth. Petals rounded and up to 10mm. Capsules ridged

Find a member of the pea or carrot family, that’s the challenge this week from Wild Flower Hour! Don’t be tempted to eat them up though, as some members of the carrot family are extremely poisonous ☠️ Post your finds for #wildflowerhour this Sunday 8-9pm using #carrotsandpeas !

#PinkFamily #WildFlowerHour
Red Campion. Silence dioica (2 of 2). Look out for Campion Anther Smut fungus, Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae on male flowers.

#PinkFamily #WildFlowerHour Red Campion (1 of 2) also known as Sweet Willie, Adder’s-flower and Jack-in-the-lantern

Sweet Vernal-grass. Anthoxanthum odoratum. Tufted perennial. Leaves up to 6mm wide. Dull above, yellow-green below. Ligule jagged, up to 4mm long. Ring of hairs at junction of sheath with blade. Dense, spike-like inflorescence. Spikelets 6-10mm

I think my AI algorithm is having a melt down!!

3 weeks to go until the Big Meadow Search 2024 starts. Don’t forget, any patch of unimproved grassland can be searched. It doesn’t need to be grand, rare or large. All welcome

Woodruff, Galium odoratum (2 of 2). Larval food plant for at least 5 Lepidoptera species including Flame Shoulder, Green Carpet and Barred Straw

Woodruff. Galium odoratum (1 of 2). Up to 45cm but more typically 15-30cm. Patch forming and creeping. Unbranched, 4-angled stems. 6-9 leaves per whorl with 25-60 forward pointing prickles per side. White flowers with 4 petals. Leaves have hay or vanilla scent when crushed.

Meadow Foxtail. Alopecurus pratensis. Up to 120cm. Hairless. Leaves up to 10mm wide. Ligules up to 2.5mm. Inflorescence cigar-shaped up to 13cm, purplish or green. Awns project 3-5mm from spikelet.
Books often only show inflorescence at one stage so thought these might help

Campion, Chickweed, Ragged Robin, Sandwort, Stitchwort and Mouse-ear are just some of the lovely members of the Pink Family or Caryophyllaceae! Find one blooming for this week’s challenge & share for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #PinkFamily 🌸

Red campion. Silence dioica. Hairy leaves in opposite pairs. Lower leaves stalked, upper leaves either stalkless or with short stalk. Calyx tube hairy, 10-15mm long, 5 styles. Pink flowers with 5 divided petals fused at their bases to form a tube.

Hairy Tare, Ervilia (previously Vicia) hirsuta. Up to 80cm. Trailing. Leaves have 4-10 pairs of strap-shaped leaflets up to 13mm long. Branched tendrils. Flowers white-mauve, 3-5mm long typically in clusters of 2-7. Calyx teeth equal length. (Downy seed pods)