Wild Flowers

Addenda 2007

 

 

from January 2007

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Wild Flowers 2008

26 December 2007
The remnants of flowering Scentless Mayweed still occurred on the verges of the Downs Link Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge.

24 December 2007
Scentless Mayweed, Yarrow, a Dandelion and one of the Ragworts were in flower between the Cyclepath and Widewater Lagoon. Greater Periwinkle was still in flower in my neighbour's wild garden in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham town.

14 December 2007
A Wild Carrot and Hawkweeds were in flower on Buckingham Cutting south.

12 December 2007
Dandelion and Common Mallow were in flower on the path from the River Adur to Botolphs.

11 December 2007
Around Carat's Cafe on Southwick Beach, bedraggled Scentless Mayweed, at least one battered Thrift flower on the seaward side, and a few flowers of Silver Ragwort on the northern sheltered side of the cafe were spotted.

> 7 December 2007
I was extremely disappointed to discover that the extreme southern end of the Downs Link Cyclepath had been trashed for its wildlife interest (the railway company had previous sold of the land at auction to a private owner).
 

The area has featured frequently on Adur Nature Notes and it was noteworthy for Brown Argus and Common Blue Butterflies with Grass Snakes occasionally recorded in the vicinity. The Small Blue Butterfly was recorded here on at least one occasion, only one of two locations in Shoreham where it has been seen and at least one Large Skipper, Small Skippers, Holly Blues, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Peacock Butterflies, Comma, Clouded Yellows, Large Whites, Small Whites, Green-veined Whites and Speckled Woods were regularly seen during their flight periods. It was only known area in Shoreham and the downs north of the town where Wild Marjoram grew in profusion. Wild Marjoram is an important nectar plant for butterflies. Wild Thyme, Hemp Agrimony, Fleabane, Meadow Vetchling, Bird's Foot Trefoil and Kidney Vetch also grew there.
Google Search on Nature Notes for some Wildlife Entries for this area
Adur Levels 2007
Adur Butterfly List 2007

3 December 2007
In my neighbour's wild garden in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham town, Greater Periwinkle was still in flower.

2 December 2007
On the Downs Link Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge, Hawkweeds, Ox-eye Daisies and Yarrow were all seen in flower battered by the gales.

23 November 2007
On the Adur Levels, the flowering plants were exiguous, the inevitable Hawkweeds were widespread, a few Yarrow, partially closed Common Mallow, Dandelions and Ragworts here and there, Scentless Mayweed on the verges of the Downs Link Cyclepath.

15 November 2007
Very few wild flowers showed, the inevitable Hawkweeds were widespread, a few Yarrow, Dandelions and Ragworts here and there, a few Ox-eye Daisies on the verges of the Downs Link Cyclepath and on south slopes of Anchor Bottom (Dacre Garden entrance), there was a Hardhead (=Lesser Knapweed) and a few Lesser Centaury.

14 November 2007
Thrift, Dandelions, Ragwort and Hawkweeds were still seen in flower around the Old Fort. Scentless Mayweed was noted by the cyclepath that runs parallel with Widewater.
Adur Coastal 2007
 

8 November 2007 Plants in flower along the cyclepath by Widewater spotted as I cycled past included Red Valerian (one), Viper's Bugloss, Cow Parsley, Yarrow, Hawkweeds, Scentless Mayweed and one unknown Brassica (photographed to the right).  The illustrated flower is a Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima. This was a garden escape. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Azores).   ID of Wallflower by Ray Hamblett on  flickr ID by species by CA Floristics on  flickr

My investigation to check the yellow plants revealed them to be one of the Hawkweeds, Hieracium. These plants are all over the place on wasteland, by the edges of paths. This photograph was taken on the Widewater margins.  There are many different species of Hawkweeds but it it is not practical for anybody but a specialist to tell them apart. The leaves of the different yellow-flowered daisies are described in the Reader's Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain on pages 360 & 361.  Adur Hawkweeds

7 November 2007
Flowers were rather sparse on a trip on the bridlepath from Slonk Hill Farm (north Shoreham) to Southwick Hill.
 

Field Scabious	Meadow Buttercup	Red Star Thistle	Red Star Thistle

Bridlepath: Ribbed Melilot, Hawkweeds, Greater Knapweed, Common Vetch, Red Clover, Yarrow,  Ragwort, Small Scabious, Common Rock Rose, Hardheads (=Lesser Knapweed)
Southwick Hill: Red Star Thistle (a Knapweed), Scentless Mayweed, Wild Parsnip, Gorse.

6 November 2007
Dandelions on Mill Hill and Scentless Mayweed on a field from the Adur Levels underneath the A27 Flyover were added to the list of 4 November 2007.

4 November 2007
Flowers were rather few, the occasional one amongst the dead heads everywhere.
Buckingham Cutting:  Ribbed Melilot, Kidney Vetch
Pixie Path:  Common Mallow, Lesser Centaury
Various Locations:  Hawkweeds, Wild Basil, Greater Knapweed, Red Clover, Yarrow, Autumnal Hawkbit, Ragwort
Mill Hill: Carline Thistle (one plant with green leaves), Small Scabious (one), Nipplewort, Great  Mullein, Wild Carrot Hardheads (=Lesser Knapweed), Autumnal Hawkbit (very frequent).
Adur Levels: Bramble, Ox-eye Daisy, Bristly Ox-tongue, Spear Thistle, Viper's Bugloss, Herb Robert, White Deadnettle. On

2 November 2007
Plants in flower on the Lancing Ring meadows and edges included Greater Knapweed, Red Clover, Dove's Foot Cranesbill (one flower),Germander Speedwell (one flower), Wild Basil and Hawkweeds.
 

1 November 2007 Autumnal Hawbit, Leontodon autumnalis, on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.The leaf shape denotes a Hawkbit and the species is assumed from the time of the year.  Other wild plants in flower on Mill Hill and its approaches included Common Mallow, Greater Knapweed, Carline Thistle, one of the Hawkweeds and an unidentified umbellifer.

7 October 2007
Students of the Landscape Studies advanced education course by the University of Sussex were surveying the riverbank around the high tide mark (at low tide) for flora upriver from Cuckoo's Corner. I was able to identify Spear-leaved Orache, Atriplax hastata,  amongst the Sea Couch Grass.
 

5 October 2007 This small yellow plant looks familiar and with its four petals, I have provisionally identified it as one of the crucifers. It was on the verge of on the Downs Link Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge. I think this is Charlock. Spear Thistle was also in flower. Adur Thistles

21 September 2007 A water plant flowering in the stream by the Downs Link Cyclepath south of the Cement Works.  I originally thought this could be Water Cress. I think the leaves in the photograph may belong to another plant, possibly Fool's Water Cress. It was difficult to get closer to have a proper look.

9 September 2007 On the plateau north of the Reservoir on Mill Hill, Autumn Gentian was abundant (over a thousand plants) growing out of the shallow chalk soil and turf. Most of the plants were not in flower and had turned brown. Other examples of the flowers that had ceased on the Mill Hill Cutting appeared a dark purple, when seen in passing.

4 September 2007 Devil's Bit Scabious was in flower on the the lower slopes of Mill Hill. All over Mill Hill Autumn Gentian was poking up in the short turf and amongst the herbs and was beginning to flower. There were well over a hundred plants seen in passage.

3 September 2007 This plant was seen on the pebbles on Shoreham Beach by (north of) the beach huts by the toilet block on Shoreham Beach Green. This looks like the Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea, Lathyrus latifolius.  I suspected a garden escape at first and this plant is available as a nursery grown plant.   Flora of Shoreham-by-Sea (List)

29 August 2007 Sea Aster at Cuckoo's Corner at high tide. This attractive plant fringes the tidal Adur north of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge.

26 August 2007

On a half an hour trek on the southern (north-facing) slopes of Anchor Bottom (Dacre Garden entrance), Upper Beeding,  I stumbled over the first Autumn Lady's Tresses of 2007, and there were half a dozen of these small easily overlooked orchids in a small area and were probably only a small proportion of a much larger number in the same general area the other orchids were found. Occasional Harebells were noticed amongst the long grass.
Adur Orchids
 

August 2007 Field Scabious and Small Scabious from the downs.

24 August 2007
Autumnal Hawkbit was now flowering on the Pixie Path and Buckingham Cutting south.

19 August 2007
The Hawthorn was in berry on the Downs Link Cyclepath. Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea, Water Mint, Hemp Agrimony, Fleabane, Ragwort and Musk Mallow were seen in flower as well as plenty of the omnipresent Common Mallow.

17 August 2007
 

There were large expanses of the white flower of  Yarrow in flower at the southern end of Adur Recreation Ground.
Three flowers were growing wild by the towpath as it goes under the Railway Viaduct in Shoreham-by-Sea next to the River Adur. They look like naturalised introductions and their photographs and identities can be found on the web link below.
More Flowers

11 August 2007
The Water Mint appeared by the duck-weeded covered small pond in my front garden in Corbyn Crecent. It probably occurred a few days earlier.

9 August 2007
Carline Thistle was beginning to flower on thelower slopes of Mill Hill.
 

2 August 2007 I have lost the note when the poisonous berries of Arum first appeared, but it was probably two months ago. They are now to be found on the outskirts of town widespread in shady areas.  24 August 2007 Nearing the end of the month the same bunch of Arum berries had turned red as shown in the second photograph.

1 August 2007
On the Downs Link Cyclepath, I noted Mugwort, Canadian Goldenrod, Wild Thyme and Hemp Agrimony in flower south of the Cement Works and I have not noted these down before. The yellow flowered umbellifer Wild Parsnip was plentiful everywhere. On the Buckingham Cutting south, some of the Greater Knapweed had lost all their petals and appeared just as a disc on the stem. Stemless Thistle was widespread and flowering over Mill Hill.

31 July 2007
 

Harebell	Mugwort	Purple Loosestrife

The Lancing Ring dewpond was reasonably full of water after the recent rain, with the flowers of the Purple Loosestrife making a find show. On the western slope of Lancing Clump, Harebells and Vervain were frequently seen as the path winds up the hill, where the shrub Mugwort, Artemesia vulgaris, was also in flower. A single Round-headed Rampion was in flower at the eastern end of the Chalk Pit.

29 July 2007
The first Autumn Gentian was spotted in flower on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Canadian Goldenrod was in flower on the southern bank of the Slonk Hill Cutting where the linear path opens out into a meadow-like habitat. On Mill Hill some of the purple-flowering Greater Knapweed had already turned white.

27 July 2007
Greater Burdock was beginning to flower on the verges of the Coombes Road by the Ladywells Stream.

26 July 2007
One Hairy Violet, Viola hirta, was seen on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. There could have been more.
Adur Violets

23 July 2007
On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, just north of the path that winds its way through the lower slopes, there were large patches of Eyebright which seemed to be new this year. The Wayfaring Tree was showing its red berries by the path. The first signs of Carline Thistle appeared.

22 July 2007
On Anchor Bottom, Upper Beeding (Dacre Garden entrance) I made a brief flowering herb list amongst the long grasses, and in order of prominence it was as follows: Small Scabious, Ragwort, Stemless Thistle, Ox-eye Daisies, Lady's Bedstraw, Rough Hawkbits, Self-heal, Thyme, Red Clover, White Clover, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Yellow Wort, Lesser Centaury, Black Medick, Yarrow, Wild Carrot, Kidney Vetch and others overlooked. There were exiguous numbers of Pyramidal Orchids, Hoary Plantain and Restharrow.

18 July 2007
Purple Loosestrife was in flower next to Lancing Ring dewpond. This should not be confused with Rosebay Willowherb. Meadow Cranesbill was in flower inside the wooden fence perimeter of the dewpond.

15 July 2007
Round-headed Rampion was seen in flower for the first time this year on the upper part of Mill Hill. Some of the Yarrow on the Slonk Hill Cutting (south bank) had pink flowers.

13 July 2007
Common Hogweed was noted in flower on the footpath to New Erringham and Mill Hill passing by Slonk Hill Farm. Rock Rose was in flower at the Stonechat Junction, east of Mossy Bottom, New Erringham.
Other herbs at Stonechat Junction: Field Scabious, Field Speedwell, Field Bindweed, Common Toadflax, Cleavers, Common Mallow, Perforate St. John's Wort, Self-heal, Yarrow, Meadow Vetchling, Scentless Mayweed, Lady's Bedstraw, Wild Carrot, Red Clover, Common Poppy, Black Medick, Scarlet Pimpernel and others I have forgotten or overlooked.

12 July 2007
 

The vegetated shingle patch outside Carat's Cafe, Southwick Beach, alongside the road on the north side was full up with a selection of wild plants notably Silver Ragwort, Kidney Vetch, Melilot, Yellow-horned Poppy, Sea Beet, Rock Samphire, Sea Campion, Tree Mallow, Scentless Mayweed, Rough Hawkbit, a Thistle, Dock, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Black Medick, Sea Heath and many others I did not note.
Adur Thistles

11 July 2007
Teaselwas now in flower showing a few rims of purple and the first Fleabane of 2007 was seen on and around the Downs Link Cyclepath by the Toll Bridge. There was also a bright clump of Dotted Loosestrife*, Lysimachia punctata, a garden escape naturalised next to the cyclepath north of the Toll Bridge.

* ID by Ray Hamblett on flickr Sussex Wild Flora

8 July 2007
Great Mullein was flowering frequently in the former horse paddock at the southern end of Mill Hill. This field is not now grazed and is full of Creeping Thistles, Ragwort, Self-heal, Stinging Nettles etc. I ate my first wild Blackberry. In the shade of the north-west part of Mill Hill, a clump of Self-heal was much taller and larger than the dimunitive herb on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. On the Downs Link cyclepath south of the Cement Works the Small Skippers were mostly around the Melilot and Wild Basil which was abundant. Red Bartsia was common and a few Honeysuckle as well as the herbs listed before.

7 July 2007
The tiny yellow flowers of one of the Oraches, Atriplex, was seen on waste ground notably near the Eastern Avenue railway crossing gates. This common plant is easily overlooked and has probably been in flower for at least a month.

4 July 2007
The first Stemless Thistle and Field Scabious were noted in flower on Mill Hill.
 

The plant on the right growing on the Mill Hill Cutting (South-west) was a bit of a problem to species name: three votes (including mine) for Narrow-leaved Bird's Foot Trefoil, Lotus glaber  One vote for  Common Bird's Foot Trefoil. Two votes for  Dragon's Teeth, Tetragonolobus maritimus.

The single flowers points to Dragon's Teeth, but this species has not been recorded in Sussex (according to the Sussex Plant Atlas) and the Narrow-leaved Bird's Foot Trefoil has not been recorded in Shoreham, but there are occasional records in Sussex.

I don't think it's Dragon's-teeth, though I have seen that on some respectable chalk grassland (Noar Hill near Selborne, Hants). Dragon's-teeth has flowers of a much paler yellow, without any of the orange tendency of the Birds Foot Trefoils.

Comment by Rodney Burton on the UK Botany Yahoogroup

Lotus glaber (Narrow-leaf Bird's-foot Trefoil) is a flowering plant of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western and southern Europe and southwest Asia. Some botanists treat it as a subspecies of Lotus corniculatus, as L. corniculatus subsp. tenuifolius.

Comment from Wikipedia

PS: 8 July 2007.
A closer examination indicates this to be a species of Bird's Foot Trefoil, displaying hundreds of much narrower leaves than is normally seen with this species.

3 July 2007
Red Bartsia was seen flowering on the edge of the the Pixie Path. I had probably seen it before, but I neglected to note it. The first Teasel was noted on the path on the south side of the Slonk Hill Cutting.

1 July 2007
On the Downs Link path, the flowering Buddleia attracted frequent butterflies including Comma, Red Admiral and Peacock. After the recent rain a few Marbled White and occasional Large White Butterflies fluttered over the verge meadows full of a fresh selection of wild flowers including Hardheads (=Lesser Knapweed), Viper's Bugloss, Ox-eye Daisies, Scentless Mayweed, Pyramidal Orchids, Creeping Thistle, Common Mallow, Rough Hawkbits, Perforate St. John's Wort, Meadow Vetchling, Lady's Bedstraw, Melilot, Great Willow-herb, Rosebay Willowherb, Self-heal, Wild Basil, Common Ragwort (occasional), Yarrow, Eyebrights (occasional), Great Knapweed (occasional) and many others I have forgotten or overlooked.
 

The extreme southern end of the Downs Link path added the flowery beginnings of Marjoram and Hemp Agrimony. Lesser Burdock was in flower near the river towpath.
Full Butterfly Report
Adur Levels 2007

28 June 2007
Common Gromwell, Lithospermum officinale, was noticed on the Waterworks Road verges for the first time.

27 June 2007
Wild Carrot is now in flower, first seen on the southern bank of the Slonk Hill Cutting. Of course, both the Common Bindweed and Field Bindweed are now flowering profusely in waste areas that are fertile enough.

21 June 2007
Great Willow-herb and Creeping Jenny was just beginning to flower in my Shoreham front garden.

20 June 2007
 

New flowers seen for the first time this year included the first Wild Basil and Nipplewort on the Pixie Path, the first Giant Hogweed at the Top of The Drive, Squinancywort and Dropwort on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, Welted Thistle and Field Scabious in amongst the scrub of Mill Hill, Meadow Vetchling and Meadow Cranesbill in the upper meadows of Mill Hill, and Wild Mignonette on the short grassy slopes of Mill Hill.

17 June 2007
Tufted Vetch on the southern part of the Slonk Hill Cutting and Lesser Centaury on the ridge of Mill Hill were added to the plants seen in flower for the first time this year. Goat's Beard was noted in flower on Buckingham Cutting south.

15 June 2007
Bittersweet has probably been in flower for several weeks, but it has not been previously mentioned.

13 June 2007
The flower illustrated on the left was growing wild amongst the tall vegetation and Stinging Nettles on the western verge of the southern footpath section of the Waterworks Road, Old Shoreham. It was a Hedge Woundwort*, Stachys sylvatica. I had never seen one in flower before. Woundworts have been recorded from Mash Barn Lane, Lancing.

* ID by Ray Hamblett on flickr Sussex Wild Flora

12 June 2007
On the south (north-facing) bank of  Anchor Bottom, 48 Fragrant Orchids were seen in approximately the same three acre area that the Green-winged Orchids are found earlier in the year. This area contains evidence of cattle use.
Adur Orchids
Alfalfa or Lucerne, Medicago sativa and an inconspicuous and common ground dwelling plant known as Self-heal was first recorded on the Downs Link (north of the Toll Bridge) but both were likely to have been flowering for some time and simply not been noted.
 

Common Mouse-ear	Lesser Stitchwort	Common Mouse-ear

As you can see quite well on the pictures of Prof. Busselen, the petals of Stellaria media are almost completely divided, whereas those of Cerastium fontanum vulgare are only 'cut in half'. The leaves of the first one have a more 'succulent' aspect (don't know if that's the correct word in English), and don't have the hairy aspect that has the second. I see know that the latter is called 'Common Mouse-ear' in English... that's of course because of those hairs on the leaves....

ID confirmation and comments by Anne Tanne on flickr

Adur Mouse-ears & Chickweeds

11 June 2007
The tiny flowers of the Lesser Sea-spurrey, Spergularia marina, were seen on the edge of the Sea Purslane and the towpath north of Cuckoo's Corner.

10 June 2007
On the southern road bank of the Slonk Hill Cutting, a clump of Peach-leaved? Bellflowers, Campanula persicifolia, showed bright blue and they were very distinctive. They were right next to the main road. Yellow Rattle was flowering well and Agrimony was beginning to flower on the Buckingham Cutting. Tutsan was just beginning to flower in the scrub next to the path on the southern side of the Slonk Hill Cutting.
Frequent Hoary Plantains, Plantago media, were seen on the plateau south of the upper car park on Mill Hill.
A few, but by no means all, of the Musk Thistles were in flower on Mill Hill. Spear Thistle was in flower on the edge of the pavement north of the Hamm in Shoreham town. Dog Violets were still common on the lower slopes of Mill Hill and so was the small flower called Fairy Flax.
Adur Plantains
Adur Thistles
Adur Violets

8 June 2007
Two Fragrant Orchids were seen in flower for the first time this year on Anchor Bottom. This species is infrequent locally.
Adur Orchids
 

Flowers first seen this year on the Downs Link Cyclepath included Common Toadflax, Greater Knapweed and Perforate St. John's Wort.  A single flowering Bee Orchid stalk was noticed in the long grass and herb meadow south of the Cement Works. Kidney Vetch and the signs signs of flowering in the Yellow Rattle were noticed on the Buckingham Cutting, north Shoreham. A few Hoary Plantain, Plantago media, were seen on the Downs Link Cyclepath and Anchor Bottom.
Downs Link Cyclepath Flora
Anchor Bottom Flora
Plantains of Lancing (by Ray Hamblett)

7 June 2007
A dozen plus plants of Kidney Vetch were in flower at the extreme southern end of the Downs Link Cyclepath by the Adur Riverbank Industrial Estate where Sheep's Sorrel was noted.

5 June 2007
Restharrow was noted in flower for the first time on the Slonk Hill Cutting North (not an area noted for this flower) with only two Kidney Vetch were seen in flower where there are usually many more. Trailing Bellflower, Campanula porscharskayana, was noted as an alien garden escape in the linear wood between the gardens and the road embankment on the south side of the Slonk Hill Cutting.
A half a dozen or so Bee Orchid stalks were in flower on the verge in Mill Hill Road. A few Pyramidal Orchids were beginning including one on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.

4 June 2007
On the western slope of Lancing Ring, I made a note of the smaller chalkhill herbs in flower which were thinly spread and included Bulbous Buttercups, Horseshoe Vetch, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Dove's-foot Cranesbill, Ground Ivy, Milkwort, Thyme, Germander Speedwell, Hairy Violet, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Rough Hawkbits, Dandelions, White Campion and other plants not mentioned. McIntyres Field added Grass Vetchling, Meadow Buttercups, and Bush Vetch*. All these plants were frequently seen and undoubtably common. The Chalk Pit added a few flowering Kidney Vetch. *Most of the Bush Vetch was seen in the Malthouse Meadows in Sompting.
Of the larger plants, I made a note of the Common Gromwell, Lithospermum officinale, for the first time and frequent on the western slopes of Lancing Ring.

ID of the Common Gromwell by John Crellin (Flora Images) on the UK Botany Yahoo Group

Alex Bennett says "The old English name for this herb is Grummel."  I found this in Sheridan's Dictionary of 1745.

Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris, and Opium Poppy were seen growing on the shingle verges of the cyclepath that runs parallel with Widewater.
Mill Hill Grasses

3 June 2007
 

Gladioli	Pyramidal Orchid	Common Gromwell	Rough Hawkbit	Bee Orchid

A single Pyramidal Orchid was seen in flower on the grassy verges next to the Downs Link Cyclepath just south of the Cement Works. The red Gladioli flower on the far left above was discovered near the towpath on the River Adur, just south of the Cement Works. It looked incongruous as though it had been planted. Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus.  This garden plant seeds frequently. Rosebay Willowherb was also beginning to flower.

Gladiolus ID by Ray Hamblett on the UK Botany Yahoo Group

Adur Levels
 

Salad Burnet	Ribbed Melilot	Purple Toadflax	Yellow Wort

The flowers above were recorded from Slonk Hill, south (1) and north (2-4). Small amounts of Eyebright were also in flower.

Selected Grasses

31 May 2007
Kidney Vetch was flowering on Shoreham Beach just to the east of the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Yellow-horned Poppies, Red Valerian, Viper's Bugloss and Sea Campion were all flourishing.

25 May 2007
The White Bryony, Bryonia dioica, was discovered on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. This plant is poisonous. The first Bee Orchid of the year was seen on the verge in Mill Hill Road.

23 May 2007
Sainfoin was beginning to flower on the Downs Link Cyclepath north of the the Toll Bridge, where a Common Spotted Orchid was seen and the larger Bird's Foot Trefoil (species not discerned) was noticeable.  It was interesting to note that Scentless Mayweed and Ox-eye Daisies were flowering next to each other where the stile and footpath cross under the A27 Fly-over. These flowers are similar until you look closely.
Hawkbits and Mouse-eared Hawkweeds were in flower on the southern and northern banks of the Slonk Hill Cutting respectively. On the northern road verge the first and only Kidney Vetch so far of the year was seen in flower.

22 May 2007
The Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was fading on the lower slopes of Mill Hill: the peak must have occurred during the gales at the beginning of May.
A few Hawkbits* were in flower and these had dandelion-type leaves (but not the outer bracts of dandelions) and I will have to discover what species these are?
(* Possibilities:  Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, or Lesser Hawkbit, Leontodon saxatilis).
Adur Hawkbits
 

Hawkbit

A few clumps of bright blue-violet Hairy Violets, Viola hirta, were recognised in flower on the steep (45°) slopes near the rabbit warrens at the top of the steep part of the lower slopes (NW of the Reservoir) of Mill Hill on land of about an acre that is exiguous in Horseshoe Vetch, disturbed and deeper soil and many more Violet leaves, all small, but the largest nearer the entrance to the burrows.
Adur Violet Report

21 May 2007
Common Poppies and Yellow-horned Poppies are in flower in the rain on Shoreham Beach.
  20 May 2007
A mild day and the breeze had died down. New flowers recorded included Salsify, Yellow Wort, Common Spotted Orchids (one seen in full flower and others budding), Grass Vetchling, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Wild Thyme, Bramble, Hounds-tongue (just about), Scarlet Pimpernel*, Common Poppy (one) and Eyebright. I have failed to make a note of the first flowering Common Mallow, but it was probably flowering from the middle of May.
(*Probably seen before and not mentioned.)
 

24 May 2007 Tree Mallow on Shoreham Beach near the Old Fort	20 May 2007 Cuckoo Spit on Salad Burnet	16 May 2007 Allium white garden flowers in the shade of the linear copse on the southern side of the Slonk Hill Cutting (eastern end).  ID by Ray Hamblett	22 May 2007 Hairy Violets  at the top of the steep part of the lower slopes (NW of the Reservoir) of Mill Hill.

17 May 2007
Viper's Bugloss was seen in full flower on the Shoreham Beach shingle and scores of Slender Thistle was just beginning to flower on ther margins between the shingle and the disused road. I only noticed one plant of Viper's Bugloss, but there were probably more.

16 May 2007
Ox-Eye Daisies were now flowering profusely on the Downs Link path (the name has changed) south of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge. Bittersweet was in flower on Mill Hill.
 

Shoreham Bank The Horseshoe Vetch seems less in  flower than at the end of May 2006	Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris	Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris

There was also a Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris in flower on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. This is probably a garden escape.

8 May 2007
The Tree Mallow was flowering profusely on Lancing Beach (by Widewater) hardly swayed in the gales (Force 6 to 7) and hailstones. One Creeping Thistle was seen in flower on Shoreham Beach for the first time this year on the introduced mounds of earth by the toilets south of Shoreham Beach Green.

6 May 2007
The first Wood Avens and Cotoneaster were seen in flower.
 

5 May 2007 My first Hardhead (=Lesser Knapweed) was seen with a single flower on the Coastal Link Cyclepath south of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge. The photograph on the far right seems like a plant that has been deliberately planted, north of Cuckoo's Corner, as it is not been seen in an area regularly visited for many years. It is the Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum, a pretty plant that has been known in England since 1548. It is not usually thought of as a native plant but it has been naturalised for a long time and known in Sussex for two centuries. This is the first record on these Nature Notes pages.

1 May 2007
Under the Beech on Lancing Ring, there was a patch of Early Purple Orchids, Orchis mascula, but they looked well past their best. Yellow Flag was in flower at Cuckoo's Corner and Spring Dyke.
 

30 April 2007
A Columbine, Aquilegia vulgaris, by the path on the southern edge of Frampton's Field is a native British plant, but I suspect it was probably a garden escape and a single Silverweed flower on the northern bank of the Slonk Hill Cutting were both seen in flower for the first time this year. This is the first record of Columbine on these Nature Notes pages.
 

Sometimes the Milkwort has a distinct rosette of leaves at this base. This is from the the northern bank of the Slonk Hill Cutting  where there is hardly any soil. I have still identifed this as the Common Milkwort, Polygala vulgaris, as the upper leaves are still slender. Milkwort Comparisons (from Shoreham)

29 April 2007
Ox-eyed Daisies were seen in flower. There were large clumps of Bird's Foot Trefoil in flower on the verges of the Coastal Link Cyclepath south of the Cement Works. There are several species of this plant and the luxurious growth was different from this plant on Mill Hill. It may be a different species?

27 April 2007
 

This passing study (above) shows the mosses and some of the flora on the south-west part of the Mill Hill Cutting where it leads up the Pixie Path. I do think any of the Horseshoe Vetch was yet in full flower, but the first signs may have been seen. There was just broken chalk in many places sometimes stabilised with Cotoneaster, and sometimes mosses grow on top of the chalk and ecological succession through mosses to flowering plants can be seen. This was part of the original Mill Hill chalk downland before it was intersected by the A27 By-pass in 1971.

25 April 2007
Common Vetch was seen in flower for the first time this year on the edge of the path on the southern side of the Slonk Hill Cutting

24 April 2007
On the verge by Ladywells (60 metres north of Cuckoo's Corner on the Coombes Road) I saw my first Red Campion in flower this year with the female of the plant which I could not identify immediately. There was also and my first Bristly Ox-tongue, Picris echioides, of the year, and a shrub called the Greater Celandine that I did not recognise at Cuckoo's Corner.
My surmise is that the non-native Greater Celandine was actually planted on the bank, mostly covered in Green Alkanet, by the car park, rather than actually escaped from a garden.
 

Female Red Campion Silene dioica ID by Malcolm Storey (BioImages) on the UK Botany Yahoo Group	Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus ID by Malcolm Storey (BioImages) on the  UK Botany Yahoo Group	Bristly Ox-tongue, Picris echioides Not confirmed

Flowers at Cuckoo's Corner

Common Milkwort, Polygala vulgaris on the lower slopes of Mill Hill	Leaves observation:  No apparent rosette. Leaves nearer the flower are longer and thinner and broader near the base. This indicates the Common Milkwort rather than the Chalk Milkwort,  Polygala calcarea. The Chalk Milkwort is the opposite to this, with broader leaves near the flower. From most general ID flower books, but NOT from experience.

23 April 2007
My first Bird's Foot Trefoil flower of the year, a solitary one was spotted on the flood plain of Widewater Lagoon (west of the bridge) with Ivy-leaved Toadflax and Sea Campion in flower. Later another one was spotted on the towpath north of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge. They seem to be early this year as Bird's Foot Trefoil usually start after Horseshoe Vetch.

22 April 2007
At least some of the Green-winged Orchids were now large enough to photograph succcessfully.

Report and Milkwort Photograph by Ray Hamblett on the UK Botany Yahoo Group

Link to a Photograph of a Green-winged Orchid (by Ray Hamblett) on Wild Flora and Fauna on Chalk  flickr

The first White Campion was seen in flower on the south-west part of the Mill Hill Cutting.

20 April 2007
On an almost barren hillside, apart from the rough grasses, wet and dry cow pats, very frequent Dandelions, occasional Field Speedwell the first Green-winged Orchids of the year were pushing up from the southern side turf on Anchor Bottom.
Primroses were growing in a ditch on the road verge south of the Cement Works. Underneath the A27 Flyover, Red Clover was seen in flower for the first time in 2007.
Adur Orchids
Wild Flora and Fauna on Chalk  flickr
 

A new previously unvisited field (entrance TQ 280 030) was discovered on the east side of the road south of the Cement Works. It looked like a private "improved" pasture and all the signs of cattle grazing were there. Surprisingly, a large amount (at least fifty plants) of Garlic Mustard was seen on the north side of the field but there were no sign of any Orange-tip Butterflies. The trackway was not identified as Public Footpath. (I am not sure if it is Right to Roam or agricultural land?)
 

This is the knapweed Red Star Thistle, Centaurea calcitrapa. The spiky bits are appendages on the involucral bracts, (involucral bracts are also known as phyllaries). Technical information from Malcolm Storey (BioImages) on the UK Botany Yahoo Group.

16 April 2007
Thrift, Red Valerian, Ragwort and Sea Campion were beginning to flower on Shoreham Beach. Cowslips are flowering in the central reservation of the A27 through the Slonk Hill Cutting. There are hundreds of clumps.
 

15 April 2007
New flowers noted included Fumitory (on the edge of the Steyning Road, Old Shoreham) and Herb Robert on the Adur Levels.

13 April 2007
New flowers for the year included the first Horseshoe Vetch and Milkwort appeared on the lower slopes of Mill Hill with a handful seen, plus the first Common Mouse-ear (Mill Hill Cutting).

Chalk Milkwort has its largest leaves crowded together near, but not at, the base of the plant. The Common Milkwort has all its leaves somewhat spaced out, and its largest leaves well up the stems.

Comment by Rodney Burton on the UK Botany Yahoo Group

The Dandelion was growing out of a mat of herbs and grass so it looked as though it did not have any leaves.

Dandelions were already common on the Shoreham Bank. Dove's Foot Cranesbill and Ground Ivy were abundant on verges and wasteland.
A closer look at the yellow Dandelion family plants (Link)

12 April 2007
Although I had almost certainly seen them commonly a week before on the roundabout underneath the A27 Flyover, the first Bulbous Buttercups were occasionally in flower on Mill Hill. Ivy-leaved Toadflax was in flower on a flint wall in Old Shoreham.

11 April 2007
The first Garlic Mustard was seen in full flower north of Cuckoo's Corner, and the first flowers of Hawthorn also appeared. Also the small yellow flowers of either Black Medick or Hop Trefoil or a related species (I did not stop to look closely) were seen on the verges of the Coombes Road at the traffic light junction with the A27.
  8 April 2007
In the sunshine, the Sloethorn was in flower on the Adur Levels where Pussy Willow catkins were noticeable. The four petalled yellow flowers of Annual Wall Rocket, Diplotaxis muralis, was recorded in passing at the base of local town walls.
On the Coastal Link Cyclepath mostly north of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge, Gorse, Coltsfoot, Lesser Celandine, Dandelions, Ground Ivy, Forget-me-Not (south of the Toll Bridge), Field Speedwell, Red Deadnettle and Cowslips were all in the flower. Shamrock Oxalis, White Deadnettle, Lesser Celandine and Green Alkanet were noted in flower on the verges of the Waterworks Road.

5 April 2007 A red/purple five petalled (=pentamerous) flower at the southern entrance to the Waterworks Road is a naturalised garden species of Shamrock, Oxalis.

2 April 2007
Dove's Foot Cranesbill on the town verges and Dog Violets on the lower slopes of Mill Hill were seen in flower for the first time this year. The thousands of violets over Mill Hill were a mixture of Sweet Violets and Dog Violets.
The first buds of Sycamore and the first green leaves of Hawthorn appeared. One Bluebell flower was seen on the southern slopes of Mill Hill. Ground Ivy were flowering on the field between Old Shoreham and the A27 Flyover on the east side of the Steyning Road. Also on the Adur Levels, both Coltsfootand Lesser Celandine were still in flower.
Adur Violets

28 March 2007

Forget-me-Not, Field Speedwell and Red Deadnettle were in flower on the new or disturbed soil used between the gates at the entrance to Mill Hill (although there is a Right of Way Path 3138 and public access land to the south of this gate as well). On the horse pasture between Mill Hill Nature Reserve and the A27 by-pass road, the leaves of Great Mullein can be seen in the disturbed ground. The correlation between disturbance and possible fertilisation by dung and this plant was very clear. It is not unattractive but could be invasive. In the pasture it is a bonus.

 

 

Ground Ivy was seen with the Sweet Violets in the scrub in the north-west part of Mill Hill. Primroses were flowering in the semi-wild garden verges on the Mill Hill road by the houses.

 

This hawkweed was single flowering on the edge of the path in the Hawthorn copse bit a few metres to the north of where the lower slopes turn into dense scrubland. Several shoots grew out from the rosette of smooth (not hairy or serrated) leaves. These are always difficult to identify.

 

27 March 2007

 

 

New flowers spotted for the first time in the sunshine included Blackthorn at the entrance of the Public Footpath 3138 part of the Waterworks Road, and Green Alkanet on the verges (underneath the first footpath sign from the south) of the tarmaced portion of the footpath on the private road.

 

26 March 2007

Garden escape plants in flower decorate the higher (furthest from the sea) shingle parts of Shoreham Beach including Spring Starflower, Ipheion uniflorum, Grape Hyacinths, the first Bluebells of the year and Narcissus.

On the Widewater flood plain, Danish Scurvygrass was noticed in flower, amongst the stems of Glasswort.

 

 

Yellow flowers were virtually the only ones on the Coastal Link Cyclepath north of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge as far as the disused Cement Works with Gorse, Coltsfoot, Lesser Celandine, Dandelions, Daffodils and Cowslips all in the flower. The Coltsfoot was frequent and quite widespread over the shorn verges, but the Cowslips were few and a bit limp.

On the towpath nearer the River Adur, the first Ground Ivy of the year was seen amongst grasses.

Adur Levels 2007

 

25 March 2007

The first Marsh Marigold is seen in flower in my small Shoreham front garden.

 

21 March 2007

There were thousands of battered Sweet Violets on the lower slopes of Mill Hill with white specimens which were in a better condition. They were visited by tiny black flies. One dimunitive Dandelion was seen on the bank. Field Speedwells were seen on disturbed land on Mill Hill.

 

12 March 2007

Lesser Celandine was abundant as usual by Lancing Manor and Sweet Violets next to bridlepath to the north of Lancing Ring where Gorse flowered on the scrubby bits of the Lancing Ring meadows.

 

10 March 2007

Several White Deadnettles were added to the year list, from the borders of the towpath between Old Shoreham Toll Bridge and Cuckoo's Corner. On the verges on the Adur Levels: Sweet Violets (Coombes Road only), Lesser Celandine, Dandelions,

Common Daisies, Daffodils, Chickweed, Red Deadnettles, Field Speedwells (occasionally) Smooth-leaved Sow-thistle (one) and abundant Alexanders were all in flower.

 

9 March 2007

There were scores of Sweet Violets scattered thinly over the lower slopes of Mill Hill, but nothing else of note on the first available day when the path down to the lower slopes had not been too muddy to use. On the Adur Civic Centre grassland there were scores of Lesser Celandine, Dandelions and Common Daisies.

7 March 2007
My first Coltsfoot grew in a clump on a flower bed on Ropetackle almost under the Railway Viaduct over the River Adur.
 

On the Waterworks Road verges under the A27 Flyover in the recently (last autumn) bared ground Field Speedwells, Red Deadnettle and Annual Meadow Grass were in flower. An occasional Dung-fly was attracted to the first flowers of the abundant Alexanders. Cherry was in blossom. Common Daisies were abundant on the road verges.

2 March 2007
On the verges and open front gardens of the old chalkhill near the top of Chanctonbury Drive (SE of the bridge to Mill Hill), swathes of Lesser Celandine and Sweet Violets were flowering. I did not stop to note the probable Chickweed. More Sweet Violets were in flower (over a hundred) on the steep slope beneath the seat on the southern section of Mill Hill. There were a handful seen on the lower slopes of Mill Hill as well.

1 March 2007
St. David's Day

28 February 2007
On the muddy trail (not too muddy it is not well used) of the Slonk Hill Bank, running parallel with the A27 on the south side, there was precious little colour: just the berries of Cotoneaster, one Dandelion and two Greater Periwinkle.

25 February 2007
Danish Scurvygrass, Cochlearia danica, burst into tiny flowers on Shoreham Beach between Ferry Road and the row of beach huts to the west. There is an alternative colloquial name of Early Scurvygrass.
(There is also the Common Scurvygrass, Cochlearia officinalis agg, which has not been recorded from Shoreham. The books say that the flowers are usually white in the Common Scurvygrass and mauve or lilac in the Danish Scurvygrass.)
Flora of Shoreham-by-Sea

My botanical also states that Danish Scurvygrass (Deens lepelblad) has white or lilac flowers, but I haven't seen lilac ones often. They are most often white, sometimes with a hint of lilac, at least here in Belgium. Te upper leaves of Danish Scurvygrass do have stalks, and those of Common Scurvygrass don't.

23 February 2007
The first signs of spring amongst the mud sees the beginning of flowering of Alexanders and some Field ? Speedwells on the Coastal Link Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge.
 

Also a spread of Red Deadnettle on the road verge near Ricardos and a score or so flowers of Lesser Celandine on the road verges of the Coombes Road near Ladywell's to the north of Cuckoo's Corner. A Daffodil and a clump of Snowdrops were also seen near Ladywells, but these were probably planted and not truly wild. The Smooth-leaved Sow-thistle was seen growing next to a wall from a crack in a Shoreham town pavement was now fully in flower.

21 February 2007
A straggly Red Deadnettle was observed in flower on the muddy towpath to the north of Old Shoreham Toll Bridge.
 

10 February 2007 Snowdrops were flowering in the churchyard of St. Mary de Haura, Shoreham. (I am not sure that these should be included a wild plants?)

8 February 2007
Smooth-leaved Sow-thistle was seen growing next to a wall from a crack in a Shoreham town pavement and it was just about in flower.

31 January 2007
On the wildlife road verge near Ladywell's to the north of Cuckoo's Corner on the Coombes Road, I spotted a yellow buttercup-like flower which turned out as expected to be my first Lesser Celandine flower of the year.

26 January 2007
Two straggly and battered flowers of the Ox-eye Daisy were spotted next to the the Coastal Link Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge.

23 January 2007
Although just out of the Adur area, a few Ivy-leaved Toadflax were spotted in flower on a flint wall in Hove cemetery.

15 January 2007
The first confirmed wild flowers of the year were dozens of Common Daisies on the towpath to the north of the Toll Bridge, Old Shoreham, on the east side of the River Adur. Later there were three Sweet Violets still seen in flower on the steep slope beneath the seat on the southern section of Mill Hill.

9 January 2007
Annual Meadow Grass, Poa annua, was probably in flower on the verges of Kingston Lane, Shoreham, but I did not have time to check and confirm.

Flora of Shoreham-by-Sea (List)

Wild Flowers 2006

Pollination Power

A Layman's Guide to British Wild Flowers

Botanical Latin

Sussex Wild Flora

Flora & Fauna on Chalk

Comparative Plant Ecology (book)
Interactive Flora of the British Isles: DVD ROM