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Tuesday 22 July 2014

Gorgeous Grasses and other attention-grabbing plants



We will probably see some of this on Saturday (see post below), though it is variable and this was a particularly beautiful stand of it at Copley. Creeping Bent, Red Top or Fiorin. Agrostis stolonifera. It is one of the constituents of grass seed mixes for fine lawns. The packs often refer to it as Brown Top.

At Hardcastle Crags in a rill by the river. I think it's Fen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum, though I haven't compared it with the commoner Marsh Bedstraw Galium palustre.
This has 7 -8 leaves per whorl with minute points on leaf-tips.
Lady Fern top right.

Fen Bedstraw ?

Marsh Hawksbeard Crepis paludosa ?
Grows on rocks by the river in Hardcastle Crags, sometimes mid-stream.

As above.


Musk Mallow Malva moschata . Peachysteve showed us it at Copley.
Flowers about 2 inches (50 mm) across.


2 comments:

  1. Steve, could the bedstraw be Woodruff? Fen Bedstraw should have points along the leaf edge but I can't see any here. Just a thought.
    Steve

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  2. I've never encountered Woodruff in a wild situation, but many times in gardens and near gardens. It didn't look like it,but I admit I didn't check the details. The moisture in the bog and possible extra nutrients could have changed its usual appearance. I'll look carefully at Woodruff, cheers.

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