Author Topic: Wild Flowers  (Read 36718 times)

BrianI

  • Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Lepidopterist Man!
Wild Flowers
« on: 23 April, 2012, 07:03:29 pm »
A thread for lovely wild flowers:

Pink Purslane - Montia sibirica


Field Forget-me-not - Myosotis avernsis


Red Campion Silene dioica


All taken today on a college trip to the SWT Falls of Clyde Reserve.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #1 on: 24 April, 2012, 10:24:41 am »
Lovely Brian!

I was out on an audax ride yesterday and the verges were marvellous (Lancashire).  If I'd stopped to take pictures (which I often do), I'd never have got round.  Amongst the jewels were:  Bluebells (Spanish and wild), wood anemones, forget-me-nots, purslane, archangel, wild garlic, stitchwort, violets and still lots of daffodils.

Glad you enjoyed your placement!

LindaG

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #2 on: 24 April, 2012, 09:40:49 pm »
Brian, I sadly don't have pictures, but I think you should go to Arran and take some photographs of the grass verges.  Full of wildflowers, and very pretty indeed.  You'd love it.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #3 on: 08 May, 2012, 12:03:10 pm »
They are just starting to get going at the woods, particularly the bluebells.  Here's a few from the weekend.
Greater Stitchwort


Bluebells coming into bloom


Red Campion


Can't wait for the meadows to get going - only need a few mild days and the flowers will be out. 
Spinning, but not cycling...

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #4 on: 08 May, 2012, 12:08:38 pm »
Which lens was that? Looks like a moderately long focal length macro lens. Lovely photos.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #5 on: 08 May, 2012, 12:53:47 pm »
Yep, you're right.  Canon 100mm f2.8 L-series IS macro.  Probably my favourite lens.
Spinning, but not cycling...

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #6 on: 08 May, 2012, 01:13:52 pm »


Pale Pasque Flower.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #7 on: 08 May, 2012, 04:32:26 pm »


Hairy Star of Bethlehem.

I like as much depth of field as I can get, frequently there's some wind as well, so small sensors can work for you.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #8 on: 08 May, 2012, 05:01:45 pm »


Corydalis bulbosa.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #9 on: 08 May, 2012, 09:20:25 pm »
D, where were you?  In the Alps, somewhere, or Pyrenees?

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #10 on: 08 May, 2012, 09:38:32 pm »
The Pasque Flowers were on the run down from the Col de Ves in Tignes.



The others were in the meadows between Val d'Isere and Le Fornet, headed towards the Col d'Iseran. Heather skis with a guide to the wild flowers of the Alps and a small guide to the 'Animaux des Alpes', it's one of the good things about a late ski holiday.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #11 on: 08 May, 2012, 10:00:34 pm »
Thanks, I can imagine many good things about a late ski holiday!

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #12 on: 09 May, 2012, 11:29:49 pm »
So I was enthused to get out and photograph some tonight. Found some Blueberry flowers ( I think) and a few others.
Had a bit of a square crop thing going as well..
Bluebells:

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
Something small and purple

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
Green not really mossy stuff

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
Bracken pretending to be meercats

Meercat bracken by davidmamartin, on Flickr
Blueberries

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
And a wider shot

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
And some things that aren't flowers at all.

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #13 on: 10 May, 2012, 08:09:29 am »
Lovely, David; the something small and purple is a violet.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #14 on: 10 May, 2012, 10:51:59 am »
The not mossy stuff is Polytrichum commune http://bioref.lastdragon.org/Bryophyta/Polytrichum_commune.html
Shooting it from that angle and having sufficient dpof to reveal the trees in the background shows a typical habitat of wet flushes in acidic woodland. We call what you call blueberries 'bilberries' http://pinguicula.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/bilberry.html
Quote
Other (non-microphyllous) members of the Ericaceae may also grow in heath vegetation, notably members of the genus Vaccinium. Thus ecologists may refer to 'bilberry heath', referring to vegetation dominated by Bilberry ('Blaeberry' in Scotland), Vaccinium myrtillus. However, while Vaccinium species do occur in lowland heath, they become dominant primarily in upland and subarctic areas, in vegetation types that may come under the alternative heading of 'tundra'.
http://www.dr-evans.com/advancedbiology/heathlands1.html

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #15 on: 10 May, 2012, 11:00:48 am »
A slightly different view of the Polytrichum (trans. many leaves?)

Untitled by davidmamartin, on Flickr
There is a lot of very wet birch around amid other trees - the heathland has some drainage ditches across it but shows signs of serious amounts of water and is very mossy.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #16 on: 10 May, 2012, 11:30:02 am »
Peatbogs are increasingly recognised as a major component of the carbon cycle.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=peat-and-repeat-rewetting-carbon-sinks
There are a lot of projects to remove tree cover and block drains.
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7VYKVD

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #17 on: 10 May, 2012, 12:08:56 pm »
Isn't that a side effect of the beaver reintroduction? :)
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #18 on: 16 May, 2012, 12:34:38 am »
Anyone know what these are?  I've a quick look at the book we have, but not sure of some.  (pics from Sand Point (NT), Somerset.  Lumix LX3)







Cowslip (Primula veris)


Mallow? Campion?
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #19 on: 16 May, 2012, 11:26:58 pm »
bottom one could be a pink oxalis.

Top one moss campion?

Blue one a speedwell?
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #20 on: 16 May, 2012, 11:46:10 pm »
I think the top two are thrift.

The third one is speedwell.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #21 on: 16 May, 2012, 11:57:19 pm »
I think the top two are thrift.

The third one is speedwell.

I reckon you're right on it being thrift, aka sea pink. A fairly variable flower, so something you'd need to key out, but the setting is a giveaway. Flower 1 in this set is nearest.
http://www.aphotoflora.com/d_armeria_maritima_thrift_sea_pink.html

Nice flat horizon by the way, always difficult to get right.

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #22 on: 18 May, 2012, 12:54:38 pm »
Thanks all. So...

1-2. Thrift/ Sea Pink/ Armeria maritima
3. Speedwell/ Veronica (chamaedrys)
4.  Cowslip
5.  Pink Oxalis/ Pink Sorrel/ Oxalis latifolia ( looks right DM, leaves seem to match as well)*

*Just noticed that Oxalis seems to be Invasive species
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=498
I had an unknown plant in the garden, lighter leaves but same shape, but seems to be Oxalis - need to investigate which sort it is.
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #23 on: 18 May, 2012, 02:42:19 pm »
It was the leaves that kind of confirmed it for me. Most of the other plants with five petals are very different in leaf structure.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Wild Flowers
« Reply #24 on: 23 May, 2012, 09:21:33 pm »
In the garden, I've been creating a perennial bed - and it's nice to see what wild flowers come up too...  How many of these can you id?  I didn't know any of them, so 0/3, until I looked them up...

Easy-ish.

(click to show/hide)

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Interesting, because it can fix nitrogen in the soil. 
(click to show/hide)

Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson