Flowering Plant list - UK 2021 (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

Was planning on a January flowering plant list anyway, and came across this - https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt

Apparently c600 species recorded in the first few days of January in any given year in the UK! Will see what I come up with anyway, and will try and contribute my sightings to the above. Have some plant id books buried in a box somewhere, and will try and sort photos later, but for now -

Jan 1st

Mabe to College Reservoir

1) Bramble
2) Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
3) Winter Heliotrope
Hydrangea
Fuchsia sp. (these two on roadside in woodland between College and Argal Res)
4) Hazel
5) Groundsel
6) Ivy-leaved Toadflax

Mabe Burnthouse - garden

7) Smooth Sow Thistle?
8) Ragwort
9) Annual Meadow Grass?
10) Spurge sp??
(Dandelion)
11) Hairy Bittercress?
12) Red Campion
13) Herb Robert type?
14) Speedwell type?
Comfrey sp. (unlikely to be a native)
15) Primrose

Will also have to decide/find out what is countable as native/naturalised/garden escapes! Saw a clover sp. in flower by the roadside a few days ago but perhaps was hidden under the 'snow' today.

 

[aeshna5]

If it's outside of a garden/park in terms of non-native & it's not deliberately planted you can count it. Wild flowers within them that haven't been deliberately planted can also be counted. Lobelia erinus or Bidens ferulifolia flowering in the paving cracks below the pub hanging basket count as "wild".

 

[Nutcracker]

Self-sown Berberis darwinii in flower in the garden in the snow right now

 

[Ficedula]

I noted 32 species IN FLOWER! in my garden on Christmas day, a combination of garden plants and native species.
Are you just doing plant in flower, or anything identifiable, I presume the 600 figure you quote is the latter and not species in flower?

 

[Xenospiza]

My German inland location at about 30 m asl is already distinctively worse for flowering plants than the banks of the Rhine (at 18 m) just 20 km to the west.
I still managed 39 species in flower over the last two days. I was of course very annoyed by Musk thistle, Hawkweed-oxtongue and Common sowthistle in bud!

 

[dantheman]

I noted 32 species IN FLOWER! in my garden on Christmas day, a combination of garden plants and native species.
Are you just doing plant in flower, or anything identifiable, I presume the 600 figure you quote is the latter and not species in flower?

That's a good total! I have about 3 or 4 that are meant to be there.

Only plants in flower. From that link I understand 1500+ citizen science entrants/many proper botany groups in UK and Ireland. Some people scouring suburban areas finding 40+ escapes, naturalised and weeds. Apparently rather an eye-opener when they started doing it as nothing like that % of the total UK diversity meant to be in flower in Jan.

 

[Xenospiza]

6) Ivy-leaved Toadflax
10) Spurge sp??
13) Herb Robert type?
14) Speedwell type?

Maybe some id hints.
All "my" Herb-robert had gone. Only Common Stork's-bill was in flower (quite surprisingly).
Sun Spurge is by far the commonest one in flower here (some Petty Spurge as well). I also found Common Field-speedwell in flower.

I checked the Ivy-leaved Toadflax in town, but no luck here...

I found Hoary Alison in flower this afternoon. That's a great English name, haha! (The Dutch name translates as "greyherb" – possibly the most boring name in botany). Only two "spring flowers": Common Whitlow-grass and Hazel. It will (hopefully) start to snow tomorrow, so not much chance to add more.

 

[dantheman]

Maybe some id hints.
All "my" Herb-robert had gone. Only Common Stork's-bill was in flower (quite surprisingly).
Sun Spurge is by far the commonest one in flower here (some Petty Spurge as well). I also found Common Field-speedwell in flower.

I checked the Ivy-leaved Toadflax in town, but no luck here...

I found Hoary Alison in flower this afternoon. That's a great English name, haha! (The Dutch name translates as "greyherb" – possibly the most boring name in botany). Only two "spring flowers": Common Whitlow-grass and Hazel. It will (hopefully) start to snow tomorrow, so not much chance to add more.

Thanks. I'm impressed with your total being on continental Europe and that!

I have pics and will post up ... my problem is my phone is full, I used Suzi's, but this laptop wouldn't recognise it, so technology to be overcome, hopefully. I also have a camera, but the macro facility is either naff or not working ...we'll sort something out before too long. Yes, realised it wasn't Herb Robert, but something bigger and brighter, still in geranium family I think.

 

[Nutcracker]

That's a good total! I have about 3 or 4 that are meant to be there.

Only plants in flower. From that link I understand 1500+ citizen science entrants/many proper botany groups in UK and Ireland. Some people scouring suburban areas finding 40+ escapes, naturalised and weeds. Apparently rather an eye-opener when they started doing it as nothing like that % of the total UK diversity meant to be in flower in Jan.

A high proportion I suspect being in/near gardens, and being derived from horticultural selections deliberately chosen for out-of-season flowering.

 

[dantheman]

Poor pics I'm afraid. Can always try and get better/zoom in get features.

1) Red Campion
2) Spurge sp. (is it even in flower?)
3) Geraniaceae sp.
4) ditto, better colour
5) Hairy Bittercress I believe
6) Speedwell sp.?
7) Poa annua - seems to be the common one?
8) Smooth Sow Thistle??
9) Dandelion
10) Smooth Sow Thistle??
11) Ragwort (sp?)

 

[dantheman]

Second lot

15) Primrose
16) Small blue 2?
17) Spurge again
18) Pansy (non-native)
19) Speedwell sp.
20) Heather sp.
21 and 22) Cat's ear/Hawksbit type in lawn -flower and basal roseate. V numerous in summer.

 

[dantheman]

A high proportion I suspect being in/near gardens, and being derived from horticultural selections deliberately chosen for out-of-season flowering.

52 -56% native species as opposed to non-natives over the last 4 years, according to the reports from the link in post #1 !! Of course the urban heat effect having an effect.

 

[aeshna5]

From first batch generally agree but:

2 Petty Spurge
3/4 probably Geranium x oxonianum, but possibly one of the parents- G. endressii; former is far more common as escape.
6 probably Field Speedwell
7 possibly Poa infirma which is similar & is an early flowerer, though P. annua can flower any time
11 not great photo but probably Oxford Ragwort

 

[aeshna5]

Some of the photos in the second batch aren't really good enough for positive ID such as the yellow composites at the end. Agree with Primrose, Garden Pansy, first speedwell looks like Thyme-leaved but not great image, second may be Field Speedwell again, heather will be either Erica carnea or its hybrid E. x darleyenis. Spurge again is Petty Spurge.

 

[Nutcracker]

52 -56% native species as opposed to non-natives over the last 4 years, according to the reports from the link in post #1 !! Of course the urban heat effect having an effect.

Yep, but also the effect of selected early-flowering cultivars of native species (e.g. Primula vulgaris)

 

[Acid John]

Dan if you post on Twitter with the
#WildflowerID someone will help with your ID's
#Wildflowerhour on Sundays 8 till 9 PM is good.

 

[Xenospiza]

The final composite could well be Crepis capillaris, which is still in flower on the chilly continent.
I took note of anything that was in flower from late November, which helped for a few species. White Campion had given up unfortunately!

 

[dantheman]

The final composite could well be Crepis capillaris, which is still in flower on the chilly continent.
I took note of anything that was in flower from late November, which helped for a few species. White Campion had given up unfortunately!

Cheers. Will try for better photos in any case! Saw a white campion today - unfortunately just a campion that was very pale.

 

[dantheman]

Some of the photos in the second batch aren't really good enough for positive ID such as the yellow composites at the end. Agree with Primrose, Garden Pansy, first speedwell looks like Thyme-leaved but not great image, second may be Field Speedwell again, heather will be either Erica carnea or its hybrid E. x darleyenis. Spurge again is Petty Spurge.

Thanks, most of them are not going anywhere, so will try for some better pics in the next day or two.

Last really looked at plants in anger 20 or so years ago,

 

[dantheman]

Here's a provisional species list from a couple hours explore around Mabe area (c110 - 150m asl) this afternoon, including some of the garden ones again. Some work to do on id and photos. Ignored some obvious escapes around people's gardens. No new birds for the year list.

Daisy Bellis Perennis
Periwinkle (white)
Red Campion
Wood Avens
Bramble
Gorse
Q Red (1 below, 6 foot tall or so by water)
Q Compositea (2 below)
Winter Heliotrope
(Q Herb Robert)
Hogweed
Comfrey lookalike (yellow flower, 3 below, dry papery leaves))
Hydrangea
Q Yellow, about 2 foot high in grass (4 and 5 below)
Herb Robert
Red Valerian
Dandelion
Common Field Speedwell
Nipplewort
Self-heal
Red Clover?
Cow Parsley?
Groundsel
Ivy-leaved Toadflax
Petty Spurge
Hairy Bittercress
Pennywort
Ragwort sp. ( 2-3 foot tall)
Annual (or early) Meadow Grass
Smooth Sow Thistle
White Ramping Fumitory
Smooth Hawksbeard?
Also various others not in flower such as Chickweed, Yarrow etc

Various hopefully reasonable pics below. No 6 was actually a it brighter pinkish mauve than in the pic.