Yellow archangel and bluebells at Penstave Copse. Here and at Devon Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve at Warleigh Point, there is common cow-wheat, an indicator plant showing healthy ancient woodland. Hemlock water dropwort, broom, irises and spindle at Warleigh Point
Tag: hemlock water dropwort
New growth
A couple of weeks ago, under wintery skies, there were already new shoots of hemlock water dropwort, wild garlic and lords-and-ladies in the verge, the first flowers of pink purslane and clumps of snowdrops.
South Brent island
There were loads of common red soldier beetles on hogweed and yarrow at the Island. This is a broad centurion, a type of soldier fly. They are called soldier flies because of their brightly coloured ‘uniforms’. Broad centurion males have bronze abdomens, like this one. Females have blue-green abdomens. This moth is a beautiful golden Y….
Ugborough Beacon to Aish
A lovely varied walk around Ugborough Beacon to Three Barrows and back to Moorhaven via Corringdon Ball and Aish. The grass on the more sheltered eastern face of Ugborough Beacon was full of heath milkwort in colours ranging from ultramarine through white to pink. I checked the bracken above Peek Moor gate to see if…
Things that look like cow parsley, part 4
Some umbellifer seed heads: rough chervil, hogweed, cow parsley, hemlock water dropwort, and ground elder.
Things that look like cow parsley, part 2
Cow parsley is almost over and is gradually being superseded by rough chervil. Rough chervil has similar flowers, and bracteoles but no bracts as with cow parsley. Its distinctive characteristics are hairy stems that are often purple – cow parsley stems are smooth and green – and drooping flower buds. Ground elder is dominating the…
Things that look a bit like cow parsley
The hedgerows are full of cow parsley at the moment. Rough chervil and upright hedge parsley are similar but they flower in succession, after cow parsley. Cow parsley has soft, fern-like leaves, small bracteoles but no bracts. Leigh Lane, just off Wrangaton road between Moorhaven and Green Lane, is a good place to spot umbellifers. Pignut…
Moorhaven to Green Lane 