Wild Flowers

Addenda 2011

 

 
 

from January 2011

Link to Trees 2009-2011
Adur Nature 2011

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

Sussex Wild Flora
Wild Flora on Chalk  on  flickr

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More images may be found on the Adur Wild Flower Blog

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Wild Flowers 2012

21 December 2011
Flowers observed in the wild in Lancing included Sow Thistle and Yarrow.

14 December 2011
Flowers observed in the wild in Old Shoreham on the edge of the Waterworks Road included fresh-looking Alexanders and bedraggled Green Alkanet.

2 December 2011
Flowers observed in the wild in Shoreham and the outskirts included Dandelion, Sow Thistle, Ox-eyed Daisy (one), Cornflowers (one), Yarrow and Ragwort. There were plenty of Haws, but only the occasional Sloe on the thorn bushes in Old Shoreham, adjacent to the cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge.
 

25 November 2011 This Broom, Cytisus scoparius, was growing on chalk on the edge of the towpath by the Ricardo complex, north-west of the the Toll Bridge at Old Shoreham. On favourable soil it would grow into a large bush. Earlier in the year there would have been more flowers.  ID by Wolfgang Hofmeier on facebook Wildflowers & Arthropods

13 & 15 November 2011
 

Melilot	Smooth Sow Thistle	Smooth Sow Thistle	Spear Thistle	Ploughman's Spikenard

18 October 2011
 

Rosebay Willowherb	Chicory	Sea Aster	Creeping Thistle

A small clump of Marjoram was still in flower along the edge of the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath just north of the Toll Bridge at Old Shoreham.

> 17 October 2011
 

Glasswort	Yellow Wort	Ragwort	Wild Basil

  9 October 2011
 

Devils' Bit Scabious
Mill Hill

29 September 2011
 

Goldenrod	Hogweed		Burnet Saxifrage

25 September 2011 This plant was flowering in my Shoreham front garden in a crack in the concrete path. It was about 20 cm high with narrow green leaves.  I think this is a White Flax, Linum suffruticosum, flower, an arable crop called Linseed. The blue anthers look wrong for Linum suffruticosum. I suggest that it's a very pale-flowered Flax, Linum usitatissimum. This might be from bird seed.    ID by Robert Burton on UK Botany

16 September 2011
 

Carline Thistle	Greater Knapweed	Melilot	Yarrow

Mill Hill

9 September 2011
 

Glasswort	Spear-leaved Orache	Ivy-leaved Toadflax	Water Mint	Sea Aster	Common Toadflax

2 September 2011
 

Sea Aster	Sea Aster	Sea Mayweed	Ox-eye Daisy

Adur Levels

The Sea Purslane, Halimione portulacoides, is a small greyish-green shrub abundantly found on the mud flats of the River Adur that are even covered twice daily by the neap tides, but also nearer the high tide margins. It is a halophyte with leaves with a silvery sheen filled with air (not sap) and are dead when the plant reaches maturity. Halimione = Daughter of the Sea (Greek)

1 September 2011
 

Glasswort & Sea Aster	Sea Aster	Sea Spurrey

Widewater Margins

29 August 2011
 

Ragwort	Teasels	Perforate St. John's Wort	Yarrow & Marjoram	Devils' Bit Scabious	Ploughman's Spikenard

Mill Hill

On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, Devils' Bit Scabious and Ploughman's Spikenard were noted in flower for the first time this year.

26 August 2011
 

Sea Aster	Sea Aster	Rosebay Willowherb	Teasel

Adur Levels

22 August 2011
 

Autumn Gentian	Round-headed Rampion	Carline Thistle	Burnet Saxifrage

Mill Hill

15 August 2011
 

Wild Carrot	Hemp Agrimony	Purple Loosestrife	Greater Knapweed

14 August 2011
 

Carline Thistle	Carline Thistle	Plantain	Vervain

Mill Hill

Wild Carrot and other Umbellifers

12 & 15 August 2011
 

Silver Ragwort	Silver Ragwort	Sea Mayweed	Rock Campion

Shoreham Beach

31 July 2011
 

Small Scabious	Autumn Gentian	Round-headed Rampion	Stemless Thistle

Mill Hill

27 July 2011
 

Teasel	Wild Basil	Fleabane	Carline Thistle

mid- July 2011
 

Goldenrod	Mugwort	White Melilot	Marjoram

Yellow Archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, is to be found on the verges of the Waterworks Road by the metal fence on the footpath section at the bottom of the gardens.

10 - 11 July 2011
 

Lady's Mantle	Lady's Mantle	Restharrow	Yarrow

8 July 2011
 

Teasels	Teasel	Scentless Mayweed	Hogweed

Widewater  Beach Margins

4 July 2011
 

Greater Knapweed	Stemless Thistle	Spear Thistle	Creeping Thistle

Mill Hill

2 July 2011
Clematis was noted flowering for the first time this year.
 

Fairy Flax	Welted Thistle	Welted Thistle	Lesser Hawkbit

Mill Hill

1 July 2011
 

Melilot	Great Willowherb	Marjoram	Red Bartsia

30 June 2011
 

Perforate St. John's Wort	Squinancywort	Eyebright	Common Ragwort

28 June 2011
Spear Thistle was seen flowering for the first time this year.
 

Hoary Cress	White Bryony	Fumitory	Meadow Cranesbill

Fumitory was abundant in an old Flax field south of Lancing College (SE of Hoe Cottages).

25 June 2011
 

Viper's Bugloss	Dotted Loosestrife	Wild Carrot

Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath north of the Toll Bridge

24 June 2011
 

Broomrape*	Field Scabious	Centaury	Yellow Wort	Lady's Mantle	Agrimony

(* In 2012, Brianne Reeve suggested this was Knapweed Broomrape, Orobanche elatior.)
 

Melilot	Meadow Cranesbill	Musk Thistle	Red Bartsia	Lesser Burdock	Broomrape

Mill Hill and surrounds

20 June 2011
 

Restharrow	Wild Carrot	Yarrow	Dotted Loosestrife

New flowers observed for the first time this year on the side of the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath south of the Toll Bridge, included Buddleia and Evening Primrose, and north of the Toll Bridge: Dotted Loosestrife and the beginnings of Hemp Agrimony.

19 June 2011
 

Yellow Rattle	Common  Spotted Orchid	Pyramidal Orchid	Lady's Mantle	Lucerne	Agrimony	Kidney Vetch

The first tiny flowers of Vervain appeared along the edge of the overgrown path on the south side of the Slonk Hill Cutting. Restharrow was frequently seen in flower on the north-facing southern bank of the Buckingham Cutting.
Adur Orchids

18 June 2011
In blustery conditions (Force 6 gusting to Gale Force 8), I failed to discover any Bee Orchids on the grass verge in Mill Hill Road, north Shoreham.
 

Self-heal	Self-heal	Self-heal	Wild Thyme	Wild Thyme	Wild Basil

Mill Hill and surrounds

Agrimony was noted in flower and although not noted before, it had been beginning to flower probably since the beginning of June or even earlier.

15 June 2011
 

Everlasting Pea	Bellflowers ?	Field Mouse-ear	Scarlet Pimpernel	Opium Poppy

New flowers observed for the first time this year on the side of the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath north of the Toll Bridge, included Mugwort, Wild Carrot, Fool's Watercress, the prostrate Creeping Cinquefoil and the diminutive Scarlet Pimpernel.
	Creeping Cinquefoil

14 June 2011
 

Biting Stonecrop	Childing Pink	Dove's Foot Cranesbill	Silver Ragwort	Starry Clover	Duke of Argyll's  Tea Tree

With the sun out for a change and the wind had died down to a manageable breeze, on Silver Sands on the Shoreham Beach peninsular, there was over a hundred Childing Pink in flower, but all of them had just the single flower. Starry Clover was going to seed near the Old Fort.
 

Viper's Bugloss	Common Poppy	Sea Campion	Lady's Bedstraw

The stretch of soil next to the gravel path by the Riverside Industrial Estate now had  Common Poppies and Opium Poppies in flower with the previous selection (including the four species illustrated above) of opportunist wild, arable and garden plants.

5 June 2011
A few Childing Pink with single flowers showed on their only location at Silver Sands.
 

Slender Thistle	White Bryony	Bristly Ox-tongue	Pellitory of the Wall	Silver Ragwort

The Friends of Shoreham Beach Wild Flower Walk took place at the east end of Shoreham Beach. The crowd of about 25 picked a brief interlude of an hour between the rain showers. Flowers seen for the first time this year included Starry Clover, Bristly Ox-tongue, Silver Ragwort, and Hedge Mustard. Tree Mallow was frequently seen.

4 June 2011
 

Fumitory	Bellflower ?	Common Toadflax	Lacy Scorpion Weed

A stretch of soil next to the gravel path by the Riverside Industrial Estate was colonised by a selection of unexpected plants including Fumitory, Lacy Scorpion Weed, Oil Seed Rape, Opium Poppy (not yet flowering), Purple Toadflax, Common Toadflax, a species of Bellflower ? possibly the small flowers of Maiden Pink ? Common Poppy plus escaped garden plants, unidentified small flowers, plants yet to flower, and common species not noted down.
 

Pyramidal Orchid and Ox-eye Daisy	Purple Toadflax	Purple Toadflax	Everlasting Pea

It was too blustery to photograph flowers properly. The first fruiting Apples were spotted on Slonk Hill Cutting (south).

3 June 2011
The first Pyramidal Orchids were beginning to flower on the southern bank of the Buckingham Cutting, but it was too blowy (Force 5) to photograph them.
Adur Orchids

1 & 4 June 2011
 

Unidentified  (Bloody?) Willowherb	Broad-leaved Willowherb	White Clover	Southern Marsh Orchid

The small Willowherb? (illustrated above, far left) was seen on the edge of the Oil Seed Rape field north of Cuckoo's Corner.
 

Epilobium ciliatum	AMERICAN WILLOWHERB
Epilobium hirsutum	HAIRY WILLOWHERB
Epilobium montanum	BROAD-LEAVED WILLOWHERB
Epilobium obscurum	SHORT-FRUITED WILLOWHERB
Epilobium parviflorum	HOARY WILLOWHERB
Epilobium tetragonum	SQUARE-STALKED WILLOWHERB

31 May 2011
 

Common Spotted Orchids	Southern Marsh Orchid	Musk Thistle	Great Mullein	Wild Privet	Yellow Wort

A few Southern Marsh Orchids, Dactylorhiza praetermissa, were flowering on the Mill Hill Cutting (south). On the southern part of Mill Hill, a single Yellow Rattle was showing its first flowers.
Adur Orchids

29 May 2011

Perforate St. John's Wort	Love-in-the-Mist Nigella damascena	Hardheads

25 May 2011
The wind died down and the blue sky was streaked with Cirrocumulus clouds, making it practical to notice plants in passing. Next to the Adur towpath north of Ropetackle in Shoreham there was frequent Fumitory and a blue/lavender-coloured plant I did not recognise. This was the alien Lacy Scorpion Weed, Phacelia tanacetifolia (identified by Colin Knight).
 

Common Mallow	Tree Mallow	Lacy Scorpion Weed	Fumitory

22 May 2011
It was far too breezy (a steady Force 6) to photograph flowers but Red Valerian was abundant on Shoreham Beach and Slender Thistle frequently seen on the shingle, both at the western end near the Church of the Good Shepherd, and including into east Lancing beach by Widewater Lagoon. Tamarisk was beginning to blossom.

21 May 2011
 

Common  Spotted Orchids	Common Poppy	Greater Bird's Foot Trefoil	Salad Burnet

Buckingham Cutting (south)

Yarrow was seen in flower on a residential road verge and it had probably been in flower for some time.

20 May 2011
 

Kidney Vetch	Greater Knapweed	Eyebright	Common  Spotted Orchid

16 May 2011
Eyebright poked their pretty little flowers up from a clump of Bird's Foot Trefoil leaves on an ant's mound in the Triangle middle slopes of Mill Hill. On the top of Mill Hill, a single Greater Knapweed was in almost full flower, and amongst the Brambles I saw a Greater Bird's Foot Trefoil in flower. Broad-leaved Willowherb was noted in flower emerging through a crack in the pavement in Shoreham town. A spike of Purple Toadflax with a few flowers appeared on the ivy-strewn plateau next to the Pixie Path at the top eastern end.

15 May 2011
This year the expanse of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, on the lower slopes of Mill Hill was extremely disappointing. It was already past its prime and the flowers were only showing about 20% of their usual brilliance after an extended dry spring. The spiral horseshoe seed pods were commonly seen. On the lower slopes the first Dropwort was seen in flower.
 

Dropwort	Dogwood	Horseshoe Vetch	Bittersweet	Silverweed

The first appearance of Lesser Hawkbit, Leontodon taraxacoides, this year, was most noted in chalky gardens at the top of The Drive, north Shoreham, with the much smaller naturalised Geranium sylvaticum. The breezy and overcast conditions were inimical to photographing slender plants. Sea Campion was noted for the first time in the Mill Hill Nature Reserve. Fumitory was almost about to flower and this delicate plant was hidden in the undergrowth by the path as it winds its way through the Hawthorn at the northern end of the lower slopes.
Adur Hawkbits

13 May 2011
 

Viper's Bugloss	Sea Campion	Yellow-horned Poppy	Hardhead

Additional new flowers not photographed were Slender Thistle on Shoreham Beach and Tree Mallow (one) on Lancing Beach. Field Bindweed was flowering on the Lancing verges. Comfrey has been in flower for some time.

11 May 2011
The tiny Broad-leaved Willowherb was seen in flower on Kingston Beach by the road verge (well above the high tide mark). Goatsbeard was also flowering, but it had been seen over a week earlier, but not noted on this page.

9 May 2011
 

Red Valerian	Red Valerian	Red Campion	Ground Ivy

8 May 2011
On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the leaves but not the flowers of Yellow Wort appeared. Dropwort was budding on the lower slopes. On the ridge by a warren of Rabbit burrows, Elderberry was beginning to flower. White Campion was in flower near the Reservoir on Mill Hill.
 

Milkwort	Bird's Foot Trefoil Horseshoe Vetch	Elderberry	Hounds-tongue

Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was abundant on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, but at least a week from its full bloom. There were also small amounts on the middle slopes (the Triangle) and on the plateau to the south of the upper car park. The amount on the plateau was much less than before the cattle grazing and included the occasional Bird's Foot Trefoil, the first area on the hill in which this plant was seen in flower. There were still dried cow pats all over the place and they were a great nuisance.
Flowering Dates of Horseshoe Vetch

5 May 2011
 

Sea Kale	White Campion	Red Valerian	Brooklime Veronica beccabunga

On a cycle ride past Shoreham Beach and Widewater and I noted the following plants in flower: Hoary Cress, Red Valerian, Sea Kale, White Campion, and Scentless Mayweed (one). On the grass by Widewater there was abundant Sea Thift and frequent Mouse-eared Hawkweed. Common Mallow, White Clover, Bird's Foot Trefoil and Bramble were seen flowering in Lancing.
Cornflowers were flowering on local garden borders.

4 May 2011
Bittersweet was noted in flower on the verge by Ricardo's on the Airport south side. Red Campion was flowering in large swathes in the Ricardo Test Bed field next to the Coombes Road at the southern end (opposite the Sussex Pad). In contrast White Campion was only seen in small amount on the verges of the Steyning Road, Old Shoreham. Lesser Celandine could occasionally been seen in flower, but most of it had disappeared entirely.

3 May 2011
The black-spotted first leaves of the Common Spotted Orchid were seen on the southern bank of Slonk Hill.
Adur Orchids

1 May 2011
Mouse-eared Hawkweed was spotted in flower in the Old Erringham pasture, by the wire fence next to Mill Hill Nature Reserve. Wild Mignonette was flowering on the upper exposed part of Mill Hill.
 

Horseshoe Vetch	Green Alkanet	Milkwort	Dog Rose

On the edge of Frampton's Field, Old Shoreham, by the wire fence bordering the Pixie Path, Milkwort was found in large patches where the field was not grazed by horses. Horseshoe Vetch was flowering abundantly on the north side of the Slonk Hill Cutting.
 

30 April 2011 The Crosswort, Cruciata laevipes, is a plant found on chalk and limestone soils and is overlooked rather than uncommon. The photograph on the right was taken by Ray Hamblett on Lancing Ring Nature Reserve. It is the first recorded sighting on these Nature Notes pages.

29 April 2011
 

Hounds-tongue	Mouse-eared Hawkweed	Bird's Foot Trefoil	Greater Periwinkle

Other first appearances noted were Bird's Foot Trefoil on the (now) pastures of Mill Hill, NW of the upper car park, and a single White Campion on the Mill Hill Cutting. Greater Periwinkle had been recorded in flower in gardens since at least February. Red Valerian had been budding earlier in the month on Shoreham Beach, and was now seen in full flower in north Shoreham. Annual Wall Rocket was seen in flower in the cracks of the pavements of Shoreham. Dog Rose was flowering at the top of The Drive, north Shoreham.

28 April 2011
Common Mallow was in flower on the roadside edge of Adur Recreation Ground. The small flowers of Herb Bennet were in flower in the area of the Waterworks Road, Old Shoreham.
 

Garlic Mustard	Red Campion	Yellow Flag Iris

Coombes Road, by the Ladywell's Stream

Cow Parsley	Red Clover	Hoary Cress

Towpath to Cuckoo's Corner

Hoary Cress	Hoary Cress	Herb Bennet

Waterworks Road, Old Shoreham

27 April 2011
Common Vetch was abundant on the edges of the Downs-Coastal Link Cyclepath in Old Shoreham with the first Ox-eye Daisies appearing in flower.
 

Hoary Cress	Hawthorn	Green Alkanet	Common Vetch

 Waterworks Road, Old Shoreham

26 April 2011
On the downs and the Adur Levels, the Blackthorn had ceased and the Hawthorn was beginning to flower. New flowers included a single tiny Fairy Flax on the lower slopes of Mill Hill, Field Mouse-ear on the middle slopes (in the Triangle area) and Silverweed on the ridge of Mill Hill near the Reservoir. Hoary Cress was abundant and commonly in flower on the southern part of Mill Hill. The Bulbous Buttercup swathes On the Old Erringham pasture could be seen from Mill Hill.
 

Hawthorn	Field Mouse-ear	Horseshoe Vetch	Milkwort

Creeping Buttercups were seen in disturbed land on the outskirts of Shoreham. Spring Starflower (an alien) could be seen on the eastern verges of Southdown Road, Shoreham.
Flowering Dates of Horseshoe Vetch

24 April 2011
A Creeping Buttercup was seen in flower in Southwick. Most of the Daffodils have now faded but Lesser Celandine was still in flower.

19 April 2011
Swathes of the umbellifer Cow Parsley were noted for the first time between Botolphs and the South Downs Way Bridge across the River Adur. Cuckoo Flower was seen beside a stream east of Botolphs near the River Adur towpath. The white flowers of the Wayfaring Tree were very noticeable by the Steyning Road, north of Old Shoreham..

17 April 2011
 

Salad Burnet	Horseshoe Vetch	Milkwort	Germander Speedwell

12 April 2011
As the Daffodils begin to fade on Mill Hill, the first Bluebells were seen amongst some cleared scrub on the lower slopes. On the verges in Shoreham, Hop Trefoil was flowering.
 

Ground Ivy	Lesser Celandine	Bluebells	Marsh Marigold

11 April 2011
Sea Thrift on Southwick beach (above the high tide level) and Ivy-leaved Toadflax on a Southwick wall were added to the plants in flower this year.

10 April 2011
A Herb Robert on a verge in Shoreham town was added to the list of plants in flower.

9 April 2011
Seen in flower for the first time: Prickly Sow Thistle (on the towpath by Ricardo Engineering Works). Daffodils, Dandelions and Lesser Celandine were still flowering profusely.

8 - 9 April 2011
 

Garlic Mustard	Blackthorn	Common Daisy	Bulbous Buttercup	Prickly Sow Thistle	Cowslips

Seen in flower for the first time: Garlic Mustard (at the top of Buckingham Park), Ground Ivy, Bulbous Buttercup (one on Mill Hill),  Common Cord Salad, Valerianella locusta (Waterworks Road).

4 April 2011
Nipplewort was spotted in flower in the twitten between Adelaide Square, and Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham, for the first time this year almost certainly first flowering in the last two days. A Marsh Marigold had appeared in flower in my north-facing garden in Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham.

3 April 2011
Dove's Foot Cranesbill was spotted in flower on a verge at the top of The Drive, north Shoreham.
Adur Violets

1 April 2011
 

White Deadnettle	Cowslips	Alexanders	Blackthorn	Green Alkanet	Dog Violets

22 - 25 March 2011
 

Red Deadnettle	Sweet Violets (Mill Hill)	Field Speedwell	Dandelion	Common Mouse-ear

20 March 2011
Cherry and Plum Trees were in blossom. The Ivy berries were withered.
 

16 March 2011 Hairy Bitter Cress was frequently noted on wasteland.

12 March 2011
Two young girls (aged about 8) were making Daisy chains on the small sloping green to the north of Shoreham Library, where I saw my first Field Speedwell of the year on the day of the Farmer's Market. On the still muddy Coastal-Downs Link Cyclepath a small patch of white Sweet Violets were noted, with clumps of Coltsfoot which were smaller than previous years, Daffodils on the verges, occasional Field Speedwell, occasional Lesser Celandine, and flowering Gorse in the usual small area.
 

Field Speedwell	Sweet Violet	Coltsfoot	Daffodils	Lesser Celandine

10 March 2011
A few Holly berries were still be to be seen on the Pixie Path/Mill Hill Cutting boundary.

9 March 2011
The first Lesser Celandine of the year was seen in flower outside Shoreham Community Centre in Pond Road near the centre of the town.

1 March 2011
There were the first Daffodils of the year spotted in flower on the the roundabout at the bottom of Mill Hill Road, north Shoreham, where the junction is with The Street, Old Shoreham. There were the first Sweet Violets seen on the verges of the Waterworks Road. The diminutive Hairy Bitter Cress was also noted on waste ground.
Adur Violets
 

16 February 2011 The Downs Link Cyclepath was so muddy that I returned by the country road by Botolphs where I noted my first clumps of Snowdrops in the churchyard. They were also in flower by the road at Coombes. Ivy berries were noted.

12 February 2011 Underneath the Railway Viaduct the first of the year yellow flowers of a Coltsfoot plant were seen on the eastern side of the River Adur. (This plant was weeded by the workmen.)

2 January 2011
On the verge by the Adur District Council car park in Ham Road, Shoreham, a fresh Dandelion was the first wild flower seen this year.

Wild Flower Reports 2010

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Parts of a Flower

Pollination Power

A Layman's Guide to British Wild Flowers

Botanical Latin

List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland

Hebridean Wild Flowers

flickr

Sussex Wild Flora

Flora & Fauna on Chalk

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