White Bush Vetch
Bush vetch has come into flower over the past few weeks
Usually with 4-6 pale lilac flowers
Below is an uncommon variant
Vicia sepium var. ochroleuca
Sepium means "of hedges and fences"
Ochroleuca refers to the colour "Yellowish White"
This is growing by the roadside on Goose Nest Lane, Norland
Interesting - the meaning of "sepium". I tried to use it to help me sort bush from tufted (the two common vetches here), but it was a reversed mnemonic, as I was thinking sepium meant the colour sepia, which is brown, but the seed pods of it are black and it's the seed pods of Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) that are brown!
ReplyDeleteI've seen white Montia(Claytonia) sibirica (Pink Purslane) in two places recently in Copley by the Calder, but that's pure white not "ochroleuca".
A site you might like is Dave's Garden http://davesgarden.com/guides/botanary/ which gives meanings for botanical terms.
ReplyDeleteThe white form of Pink Purslane seems very common here, I've seen it all along the Calder and the Ryburn. Lots of white Herb Robert around my house too.
I have just seen 5 lovely plants of Vicia sepium var.ochroleuca in full bloom in Darlington co Durham. This flower is pure white in colour. Close to this was Vicia sepium with its purple flowers also growing and in full bloom. I could examine both plants.Date of recording 26-11-2020.
ReplyDeleteFalgunee Sarker, Field Botanist.
If the flower is pure white then it's probably var alba. The var. ochroleuca should have yellow/white flowers. There isn't much info that I can find on the subject though.
ReplyDelete