Tuesday 3 May 2016

More Survivors

Three-cornered Leek, Allium triquetrum.  Hayes, 25 April 2016.
Three-cornered Leek, Allium triquetrum.  Hayes, 25 April 2016.
Some plants just need a very little open ground to thrive.  This Three-cornered Leek gets its name from the fleshy leaves, which are more or less triangular in cross-section.  It's an invasive pest in woodlands but bright and cheerful in unregarded corners like this one.

It is edible in all parts and tastes garlicky.  So this is one plant that no-one should feel guilty about foraging from the woods.  But don't take it from places like this, because the chances are that dogs have peed on it.

Cleavers, Galium aparine.  Tiepigs Lane, Hayes, 26 April 2016.
Cleavers, Galium aparine.  Tiepigs Lane, Hayes, 26 April 2016.
Shoots of Cleavers appeared as interlopers in two photos in my last post.  This is what it can do if given a little space to grow.

Some of these survivors will flower later in the year, and are already well on their way.
Purple Toadflax, Linaria purpurea.  Hayes station, 10 April 2016.
Purple Toadflax, Linaria purpurea.  Hayes station, 10 April 2016.
The edges of car parks are good places to look for these often unregarded plants.  Purple Toadflax - no relation to the Ivy-leaved Toadflax in the last post - is quite happy under this fencing.

Common Mallow, Malva sylvestris.   Hayes station, 10 April 2016.
Common Mallow, Malva sylvestris.   Hayes station, 10 April 2016.
This Mallow doesn't need much space, either.

Petty Spurge, Euphorbia peplus.  Tiepigs Lane, Hayes, 26 April 2016.
Petty Spurge, Euphorbia peplus.  Tiepigs Lane, Hayes, 26 April 2016.
Although it doesn't look it from afar, this Petty Spurge is in full flower.  The flowers are small and green, a common feature of the Euphorbiaceae.

Next time I'll post just a couple more of the really tough ones.

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