tormentil

yet another example of the tormentil cinquefoil complex, loads of very similar yellow flowers sent to torture amateur botanists, plus visitor.

heath spotted orchid

we went looking for bird's nest orchids in the beech woods but we could only find heath spotted orchids in the meadows. One day we will find a bird's nest orchid.

wood speedwell and pimpernel

wood speedwell, a typical speedwell with a small pale flower with distinctive pale green leaves that stand out on the woodland floor, growing with yellow pimpernel. Below is a close up of marsh stitchwort, a minute but pretty member of the stellaria family. This was a good example of how to look but not see in that we found it at the top of the hill where we have found it before, but as we retraced our steps we could see it growing everywhere by the stream running through these woods and on marshy ground.

bastard balm 2

another picture of the bastard balm, another pink rarity, bluebells fading rapidly swallowed up in the tidal wave of green

bugle is back

bugle is a common woodland plant and is flowering now. It is usually a mauve blue colour (top photo) but very occasionally it is pink and there is a small but persistent patch of pink bugle growing near Old Mill (bottom photo). It is not clear where its name comes from but it is possibly from bugulus, a thin glass pipe used in embroidery but I think this is getting one's etymological knickers in a twist and buegle is nothing to do with bugula. I await the definitive answer with interest. Of particular interest to Spot and me is that it was highly recommended for treating delirium tremens brought on by excessive ingestion of alcohol, and is a mild and effective narcotic. Eat it while it's still legal. (disclaimer ... Spot cannot beheld responsible for the wild ramblings on this site)

buttercup meadows

rampant meadow buttercups in fields below Kit Hill.