Adur Wild Flowers 2012

To see a World in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour

William Blake

Marjoram was just beginning to flower on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the plants on this infertile soil were small, hardly bigger than the abundant Wild Thyme.

New umbellifers were begin to flower. I think I identified Cow Parsley and the deadly poisonous Hemlock Water Dropwort. I also spotted a single flower of Corn Cockle in Ray Hamblett's south Lancing garden. Rough Clover was noted to be abundant on the shingle of Shoreham Beach (I had overlooked this plant before).

In the blustery condition (Force 6 gusting to Force 7) first flowers of Buddleia were swaying constantly in the wind on the verges of the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath near the Cement Works end. The verges were dominated by flowering Ox-eye Daises, Melilot, Hardheads, in flower with ample Lady's Bedstraw with clumps of Viper's Bugloss and patches of the diminutive Hop Trefoil with notable Creeping Cinquefoil, the first flowering Great Mullein of the year, Purple Toadflax, Rosebay Willowherb, Restharrow, Scarlet Pimpernel and Pyramidal Orchids. The flowerheads (not the purple flowers) could be seen on Teasel and one plant was at least 170 cm (1.7 metres) in height.

The stonecrop has been tentatively identified as White Stonecrop seen adjacent to the towpath between the Riverbank Industrial Estate and the River Adur. It is larger than the English Stonecrop and it mostly in bud with just a few flowers appearing. This is the first record of Hare's-foot Clover on these web pages.

Other plants noted in flower for the first time this year in breezy conditions were Yarrow, Field Bindweed and Rosebay Willowherb. Other just starting in flower but seen earlier in the month included Purple Toadflax, Common Bindweed and Wild Carrot. Teasel plants appeared showing the capitulum (pseudanthium or flower head) but not yet the purple flowers. Cleavers and Lady's Bedstraw were seen earlier in the month, I just forgot to note these very common flowers down before.
Adur Stonecrops
Adur Teasels

Life cycle
All species of Euphrasia in the British Isles are hemi- or semi-parasitic annuals, that is, they are attached and partially dependent upon the roots of host plants of a different species for some of their nutrients. In most cases they occur within permanent or semi-permanent grassland communities.

Perforate St. John's Wort was budding next to the cyclepath in Old Shoreham. The flowers of Everlasting Pea were seen in their usual location south-west of the Toll Bridge. Greater Knapweed was seen in flower next to the road by the bridge over the A27 to Mill Hill. (I did not visit the upper part of Mill Hill.) Wild Mignonette was noted on waste ground.

Greater Bird's Foot Trefoil was spotted in flower, identified by its tall appearance. Meadow Buttercups and Herb Robert had spread all over my front garden in Corbyn Crescent.
Adur Stonecrops
Adur Orchids

7 June 2012
Silver Ragwort and Scentless Mayweed were noted in flower for the first time this year near Southwick Beach where the flowers of Kidney Vetch were abundant (adjacent to the back, north side, of Carat's Cafe).

3 June 2012

BEACH WILD FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY WALK

The annual guided Wild Flower Photography Walk, organised by the Friends of Shoreham Beach (FoSB), takes place on Sunday 3 June.

As usual, a botanical expert will be on hand to identify and talk about the fascinating variety of plants that flourish on our shingle beach. There will also be a professional photographer to offer advice on how to capture stunning pictures of the beachside flora.

The walk, part of the Adur Festival, sets off at 2.30 pm from the Old Fort, finishing around 3.45 pm, after which participants can relax over a cream tea served in a beachside garden.

The event is free to FoSB members, with a nominal charge for non-members.

Nature lovers, keen photographers and those who just enjoy a seaside stroll will all find something to fascinate in this popular annual walk across Shoreham’s beach which was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2006 due to its unusual shingle habitat.

Joy Daintree from FoSB said: “There are some beautiful plants on the beach at this time of year, including Red Valerian and Sea Kale. We don’t always appreciate the striking flowers that survive in what might seem like a most inhospitable environment. The annual walk not only shines a spotlight on the wonders of nature but is also a highly sociable community event at which everyone is welcome.”

FoSB will have a stand at the World Oceans Day and Environment Festival on Coronation Green on Saturday 9 June. There will be live marine creatures, craft and quiz activities for children as well as stands from various environmental groups.

For more information contact Joy on 01273 462584.

3 June 2012
A steady Fresh Breeze (Force 5) was not conducive to the Shoreham Beach Wild Flower Photography Walk, organised by the Friends of Shoreham Beach (FoSB). At least the rain that was promised by the weather forecast the previous week was not present on the windy coast, but conditions were still very difficult for photography.


Sea Campion	Viper's Bugloss	Sea Thrift

Swathes of Red Valerian in flower dominated the shingle on east Shoreham Beach with the contrasting leaves of Silver Ragwort which was beginning to bud, and the patches of Sea Kale which were showing their first flowers. Starry Clover, Trifolium stellatum, was flowering on the grass and herb banks of the Old Fort and on the shingle. Other flowers noted for the first time this year were Mouse-eared Hawkweed, and unidentified Hawkweed on the same herb strewn bank.
Adur Campions

Yellow-horned Poppy flowers were blown silly in the wind and these were noted for the first time on the shingle this year as well. Other prominent wild flora were the woody stems of Tree Mallow swaying wildly in the breeze, Slender Thistle (sometimes called Shore Thistle) and the slender Viper's Bugloss on the grassy banks and shingle, with patches of Sea Thrift, Kidney Vetch, Sea Campion and Bird's Foot Trefoil, on the shingle.

But the sky filled with clouds before midday and the butterflies went into hiding. It needed a careful look to spot the first of the tiny Small Blue Butterflies this year, amongst the flowering Kidney Vetch on the southern bank of the Buckingham Cutting, where the Spotted Orchids were beginning to flower.

This Geranium was discovered growing wild in my front garden. It may be the Bloody Cranesbill ?

New wild plants in flower on the outskirts of Shoreham included Cornflower, Common Poppy, Hardheads, Columbine, Dog Rose, Creeping Cinquefoil, Purple Toadflax, an early Common Toadflax and the small flowers of Herb Bennet.

The tiny Scarlet Pimpernel and White Clover were noted but I had seen these earlier in the month. Teasel was in leaf. It was too breezy for close-ups of the smaller flowers.

28 May 2012
Viper's Bugloss and Common Mallow were spotted in flower on Shoreham Beach.

27 May 2012
With the fine weather continuing, Mill Hill was bathed in sunlight under an almost clear blue sky. The Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was more extensive than four days previously, with thousands of fresh flowers but also a considerable number (thousands) of drooping and faded flowers. Violets were more numerous than normal at the end of May and it appears that both Sweet Violets and Dog Violets were having a second flowering with hundreds, well over a thousand scattered over the lower slopes. Dropwort was budding and beginning to flower and the first Bramble flowers were noted.

Marsh Marigolds and a Geranium (almost identical to Herb Robert) was spreading all over my front garden.

25 May 2012
Meadow Buttercup was noted flowering and shaking in the breeze on Beach Green, Shoreham Beach (on the introduced soil between the toilets and the shingle. Sea Campion was also flowering bountifully.

24 May 2012
On the shingle of Shoreham Beach and by the Church of the Good Shepherd there were great swathes of Red Valerian in flower. Of greater interest, further east, the large patch of Kidney Vetch was notable because this plant was not yet flowering on the road verges of Buckingham Cutting (south) where it is prevalent and flowers later.

Dropwort was budding on Mill Hill. Herb Bennet flowered on the outskirts of Old Shoreham and Opium Poppy was first noted by Ropetackle. The first single petal of Kidney Vetch appeared on Buckingham Cutting (south).

I made an afternoon trip to Mill Hill to check out the extent of the Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, which was not so extensive in previous years and nearly at its peak. The first Lesser Hawkbits, Leontodon taraxacoides, of the year, was seen on the lower slopes. Hounds-tongue was beginning to flower and the first Wild Mignonette was spotted on the upper plateau of Mill Hill, with White Campion on the roadside. Elderflower was budding with the first flowers noted.

In the Hawthorn, Crataegus oxyacantha, when a flower first opens, the anthers are large and a bright red colour. In less than twenty four hours the anthers appear to shrink, and take on a dark brown coloration. The red structures do not have pollen on their surfaces – but that the smaller brown structures do! It may be that what I have referred to as red anthers, were in fact “anther caps”, that disintegrate to reveal the actual brown anthers beneath! (?)
The anthers contain pollen sacs. The sacs release pollen on to the outside of the anthers that brush against insects on entering the flowers. The pollen once deposited on the insect is transferred to the stigma of another flower or the same flower. The ovule is then able to be fertilised.
Parts of a Flower

The first Ox-eye Daisies were seen in flower. At least fifty were seen so I know they have been flowering for a few days.

Hundreds of pretty Green-winged Orchids were strewn amongst the cow pats on the southern north-facing bank of Anchor Bottom (chalk downs at Upper Beeding). These were the first orchids seen this year. The ground-hugging Silverweed was noted in flower for the first time at the back of Dacre Gardens, Upper Beeding.

3 May 2012
These images of the raindrops on the Marsh Marigold sums up the poor weather for the last half of April and beginning of May: generally inclement and overcast with rain almost every day.

(NB: Far right: Canon SX40 Macro setting in Aperture Priority using the screen to centre the flower in the frame, cropped to the left and right, auto-contrast in Adobe Photoshop 7.)

A bright turquoise-blue sky showed in the north and east on a breezy unpromising day, but the sun and some of butterflies came out in the afternoon. I checked out the lower slopes of Mill Hill where my first of 14 Dingy Skippers flitted between the thousands of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, flowers.

Green-winged Orchids were in flower on the southern (north-facing) slopes of Anchor Bottom.

On the outskirts of Shoreham, Bulbous Buttercup, Germander Speedwell and Common Vetch were recorded for the first time this year on the Pixie Path (northern section).

24 April 2012
Hawthorn was now beginning to flower (notably at Cuckoo's Corner). Blackthorn was still in flower along the Coombes Road but on Mill Hill (viewed from the Adur Levels) the flowers had diminished.

Other flowers of note for the first time this year on verges of the Coombes Road (from Ladywell's Stream and south) were Garlic Mustard, Red Campion and Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum, (not Spring Starflower). Next to the cyclepath in Old Shoreham, Cowslips and Wild Strawberry were added to the list. Swathes of Lesser Celandine, Field Speedwell, Bluebells, Ground Ivy, Red Deadnettle and White Deadnettle were commonly in flower. Wild Carrot was budding and the first flowers had appeared.
Adur Campions

19 April 2012
This is my first flower picture of a Greater Periwinkle with my new Canon SX40 camera taken outside a neighbour's wild garden.

16 April 2012
On the lower slopes of Mill Hill the first flowers of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, appeared with another prostrate downland herb Milkwort. The tiny black pollen beetles Meligethes scrambled over the flowers on the bank, especially on Horseshoe Vetch, Dandelions and on a few of the violets. Dog Violets predominated with thousands still present. The thousands of Sweet Violets had all faded, which leaves the identity of some of the fresh violets near the bottom of the slope as a bit of a puzzle. I have tentatively identified it as a Hairy Violet. Salad Burnet was just beginning to flower and their leaves were commonly seen lying prostrate on the bank.
Adur Violets

Blackthorn was flowering near its peak on the top part of Mill Hill and in the scrub. The first Hawthorn flowers were noted on Mill Hill and the first Blackthorn leaves. Red Clover was in flower on the verges of Mill Hill Road.
Blackthorn has flowers before leaves. Hawthorn has leaves before flowers.
What's the difference between Blackthorn and Hawthorn?

15 April 2012
The Blackthorn was past its peak on a chilly breezy white Cumulus day, but there was no sign yet of the Hawthorn flowers. Herb Robert was seen in flower for the first time this year, and Forget-me-Not was prevalent.

13 April 2012
I have been confined indoors through illness and poor weather. (The Hawthorn could be flowering by now.) Ragwort was seen in flower for the first time this year. Green Alkanet and Lesser Celandine were in flower near Shoreham Library.

White Dead-nettle was noted in flower by the towpath on the western wide of the River Adur a 20 metres north of the A27 Flyover. A single Green Alkanet flower showed on the verge of the Waterworks Road at the footpath end by the gate post leading into the spinney. The first blue Bluebells of the year were seen near the Sussex Pad (path to Lancing Ring off the road to Lancing College).

Amongst the thousand of Sweet Violets on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the first Dog Violets were in flower. In Shoreham town, Annual Wall Rocket was flowering from the cracks in the walls at ground level by the pavements. I also noted a few Greater Periwinkle growing wild outside of gardens.
Adur Violets

On the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath north of Old Shoreham, the only violets noted were several small patches of the white variety of Sweet Violet. Coltsfoot, Dandelions, Daffodils and Common Daisies were flowering with small patches of Gorse. Blackthorn and the diminutive Ground Ivy were both beginning to flower. Cowslips were in leaf and budding. A few Primroses were in flower at Botolphs on the roadside by the small church.


White Campion	Autumn Gentian	Welted Thistle	Yarrow


Meadow Vetchling	Hogweed	Wild Basil	Ragwort


Great Mullein	Self-heal	Stemless Thistle	Yellow Wort


Common Toadflax	Lesser Centaury	Self-heal	Wild Basil	Stemless Thistle	Agrimony


Meadow Vetchling	Carline Thistle	Hawkweeds ? (could it be Cat' Ear?) & Ox-eye Daisies	Yellow Wort


Musk Mallow	Great Mullein	Teasel	Tufted Vetch	Marjoram	Fleabane


Marjoram	Lady's Mantle	Greater Knapweed	Round-headed Rampion


Restharrow	Purple Toadflax	Wild Carrot	Pyramidal Orchid	Melilot	Yellow Wort


Everlasting Pea	Spear Thistle	Wild Basil	Vervain


Dotted Loosestrife	Great Willowherb	Brooklime, Veronica beccabunga	Dog Mercury


Yarrow	Navelwort Kingston Buci	Navelwort, Umbilicus rupestris Kingston Buci	Evening Primrose Kingston Beach


Greater Knapweed	Broomrape	Broomrape	Self-heal	Wild Thyme


Squinancywort (early flowers)	Bladder Campion	Eyebright & Bird's Foot Trefoil	Meadow Vetchling


Agrimony	Squinancywort	Field Speedwell	Musk Thistle	Musk Thistle


Childing Pink Petrorhagia nanteuilii	Common Mallow	Hare's-foot Clover Trifolium arvense	White Stonecrop	White Stonecrop

Mugwort	Meadow Cranesbill
		Field Scabious


Bristly Ox-tongue	Bristly Ox-tongue	Hop Trefoil


Melilot	Hedge Woundwort	Broom	Creeping Thistle	Hardhead


Scentless Mayweed	Yellow-horned Poppies	Buck’s Horn Plantain Plantago coronopus	Silver Ragwort


English Stonecrop	Perforate St. John's Wort	Lesser Burdock	Hemp Agrimony	Everlasting Pea


Restharrow	Common Spotted Orchid	Greater Bird's Foot Trefoil	White Clovers and Red Clovers


Wild Mignonette	Common Eyebright	Common Eyebright	Agrimony


Yellow Rattle	Dog Rose	Bee Orchid	Southern Marsh Orchid


Verge in Mill Hill Road	Wild Mignonette	Ox-eye Daisies	Sea Purslane leaves + Sea Spurrey


Yellow Wort	Common Eyebright	Thyme	Scarlet Pimpernel	Sea Spurrey


Hop Trefoil	Horseshoe Vetch seed pods	Bee Orchid	Bee Orchid	Privet	Broomrape


Biting Stonecrop	Common Spotted Orchids	Pyramidal Orchid	Bramble


Starry Clover	Viper's Bugloss	Sea Kale	Sea Kale


Broad-leaved Willowherb	Kidney Vetch	Kidney Vetch	Spotted Orchid	Salad Burnet


Cornflower	Herb Bennet	Herb Bennet		Columbine	Common Toadflax


Dropwort	Horseshoe Vetch & Fairy Flax	Milkwort	Horseshoe Vetch


Common Mouse-ear	Fairy Flax	Hounds-tongue	Kidney Vetch


Horseshoe Vetch Hippocrepis comosa	Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys	Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon taraxacoides	Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon taraxacoides


Milkwort	Silverweed	Ox-eye Daisy	Dove's Foot Cranesbill


Bird's Foot Trefoil	Bird's Foot Trefoil	*Oxalis debilis*	Black Medick	Common Corn Salad


Common Spotted Orchid leaves	Nipplewort	Salad Burnet	Bulbous Buttercup	Sedge


Marsh Marigold	Crosswort	Crosswort	Bulbous Buttercup


Red Campion	Garlic Mustard	Ground Ivy	Yellow Flag


Milkwort	Horseshoe Vetch	Hairy Violet	Hairy Violet ?