The quickly warming, south facing bank at the side of the permissive path to Ashton is ablaze with flowers at the moment, Red Campion, with rose -red , pink and occasional white-bloomed plants, forms prominent clumps among the almost continuous Cow Parsley and the occasional very poisonous Hemlock. (The picture used to illustrate the article on Hemlock in Richard Mabey's Flora Britannica was taken from the Weymouth Road with some of the stream side plants in the foreground and the permissive path in the background) . A single plant of Hop has appeared, but most excitingly several specimens of Common Broomrape, Orobanche minor have appeared just past the track up to Clandon farm.
 |
| Common Broomrape. Photo. John Elliott |
Looking more like withered Orchids than anything else, due to their lack of chlorophyll, Broomrapes are parasitic, relying on nutrients derived from other plants, in this case probably from nearby Hop Trefoil and Bird's Foot Trefoil. It doesn't seem to have been recorded in the valley before so I will be entering it.
Butterflies are enjoying this bit of floral wilderness. Species recorded so far are Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock, Green Veined White ,Small Copper, Small Heath, and Painted Lady.
No comments:
Post a Comment