Wildflowers - Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
Transcription
Wildflowers - Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
Wildflowers an interactive guide Welcome to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s interactive guide to some of the special limestone loving plants that can be found in the Limestone Journeys area. Simply touch one of the flowers to learn more or swipe through to read through at your leisure - like taking a skip or walk through our digital garden. Key: Woodland flowers Grassland flowers English bluebell Pignut Wild service tree Yellow wort Wood sorrel Dog’s mercury Early purple orchid Wild marjoram Yellow archangel Lords and ladies Wild strawberry Small scabious Sweet woodruff Primrose Kidney vetch Field scabious Great burnet Common rock rose Common spotted orchid Bee orchid Hoary plantain Greater knapweed Oxeye daisy Common centaury Mouse ear hawkweed Common bird’s-foot trefoil Bladder campion Cowslip Lady’s bedstraw Common knapweed Wild carrot Southern marsh orchid Woodland flowers English bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta Click me to find out more Guess what? Bluebell sap was once used to s bind pages into the spine of book and Bronze Age people used the “bluebell glue” to attach feathers to their arrows. Flowers Habitat Narrow tube like dark blue scented flowers with rolled up edges. They flower between April and June. They have narrow leaves (1-2cm) which can help one distinguish them from the invasive Spanish species (with much thicker leaves). They are widely distributed except on mountains and fens, they like shady habitats and as a result are mainly found in woodlands. Oxalis acetosella Click me to find out more Guess what? Oxalis means sour and the lemon h sharp leaves can be eaten althoug they can be slightly toxic in high quantities and are a diuretic. The French used to blend dried wood sorrel leaves with sugar to make “non-lemon” lemonade powder. Flowers Habitat The shamrock-shaped leaves make it easy to identify wood sorrel. When they open flat, they look like three hearts joined at the stem. They have delicate veined white flowers which bloom in spring and tend to last until autumn, although can occasionally be found later. They grow in layered clumps on leaf mould or mossy logs under hedges and in shady woods. Woodland flowers Wood sorrel Woodland flowers Yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon Click me to find out more Guess what? Yellow archangel may well have got its common name from its virtue of not stinging, despite being part of the ‘dead’ nettle family. Flowers Habitat They have heart-shaped or oval, toothed leaves and whorls of yellow flowers that appear up the stem in May and June. They can grow to 45cm. These are ancient woodland plants and are also found on old hedge banks and well drained soils. They tend to emerge once the bluebells start to fade. Galium odoratum Guess what? rless Whilst growing the plants are odou ell but when picked and dried they sm s of freshly mown hay and the leave e retain this scent for months, henc ed the “sweet” name. Bunches of dri ers leaves used to be used as freshen in wardrobes to deter moths. Flowers Habitat They bloom in early May and have tiny chalk white flowers on upright stems with bright green six-leaved ruffs. Woodruff occurs throughout Britain and is generally confined to ancient woodland. In central England it prefers old woodland and hedge banks on chalky soils. Woodland flowers Sweet woodruff Woodland flowers Pignut Conopodium majus Click me to find out more Guess what? The dark brown tubers have the taste of young hazelnuts and children used to hunt for them as a snack. Flowers Habitat Pignuts have fine leaves and delicate branched stems. Small umbrella like clusters of white flowers appear between April and June. Height up to 25cm. Pignuts are umbellifers (members of the carrot family) plants of long established grassland and open woodland and as these habitats have declined, so have the plants. Mercurialis perennis Click me to find out more Guess what? me The mercury part of this plant’s na originates from the legend that the l god Mercury revealed the medicina ks benefits of the plant and the Gree called it Mercury’s grass. Flowers Habitat Spear-shaped, toothed, fresh green leaves carried on upright stems. It produces a foul and rotten smell and bears clusters of small, greenish flowers in spring. Dog’s mercury is a common woodland plant, predominantly found in ancient woods and old hedgerows and often carpets the floor in old ashwoods. Woodland flowers Dog’s mercury Woodland flowers Lords and ladies Arum maculatum Click me to find out more Guess what? The berries are poisonous, but the roots are safe to use. Roots were used to stiffen the elaborate ruffs of the Elizabethan Age and baked. They were also used as a substitute for arrowroot to thicken sauces, soups and stews. Flowers Habitat The unusual flower of this plant has a large pale yellow ‘hood’ and has large arrow shaped leaves. It flowers in April and May then has red berries in July and August. It commonly occurs in mature hedgerows and woodlands. Primula vulgaris Click me to find out more Guess what? niversary of Primrose Day (19th April) is the an Benjamin the death of British prime minister ourite flower Disraeli. The primrose was his fav nd him and Queen Victoria would often se rne House. bunches from Windsor and Osbo his funeral. She sent a wreath of primroses to placed on his On Primrose Day, primroses are his statue in grave in Buckinghamshire and by front of Westminster Abbey. Flowers Habitat Primroses flowers have five yellow petals which are in a more open arrangement than cowslip flowers. They flower between March and June. Wild primroses can be found in woodlands in grasslands and occasionally along mature hedgerows. Woodland flowers Primrose Woodland flowers Wild service tree Sorbus torminalis Click me to find out more Guess what? The fruits from the wild service tree, once blotted, can be made into jam or stepped in sugar and spirits to become the liqueur or cordial known as ratafia. Flowers and leaves Habitat The flowers of this tree have five white petals which can be seen in May and June. The leaves are pointed maple leaf and are downy white underneath. They are arranged alternately on the twig. Wild service trees are relatively rare, but do occur in ancient woodlands and in mature hedgerows on either clay or lime-rich soils. Early purple orchid Click me to find out more Guess what? nt This species has a variety of ancie and names (including Goosey ganders used Adder’s meat) which suggests it It is to be abundant and well known. ng thought these flowers were the “lo purples” contained with Ophelia’s garland in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Flowers and leaves Habitat The pinkish-purple flowers appear on a spike of up to 40cm. They display up to 50 dark purple to pink flowers arranged in a dense, cone-shaped cluster on a tall spike. The bold leaves of the early purple orchid are glossy and dark green with dark spots, and form a rosette on the ground; they appear from January onwards. As its name suggests, the early purple orchid is one of our earliest flowering orchids, appearing from April to June. This orchid is often found in habitats with non-acidic soils such as hedgerows, banks, ancient woodland and open grassland. Woodland and grassland flowers Orchis mascula Grassland flowers Wild strawberry Fragaria vesca Click me to find out more Guess what? In Derbyshire, strawberries are often warmed by heat reflected from the rock and become soft, fragrant beads of sweet juice. Flowers Habitat It looks just like a strawberry plant with five white petals and leaves in three, like a trefoil. The flowers appear between April and July with the tiny strawberries from May onwards. It grows on grasslands on lime-rich soil and can also be indicative of ancient woodlands. Anthyllis vulneraria Click me to find out more Guess what? A common name for this plant is Granny’s pin cushions. Flowers Habitat Small yellow flowers sit atop of little woolly cushions. The flowers can also be orange and red. They flower between June and September. The leaves are divided into narrow leaflets that are silky and white underneath. Kidney vetch are frequent native perennials of the Magnesian Limestone, they are found on free-draining soils in sand dunes, chalk grassland and cliffs. Grassland flowers Kidney vetch Grassland flowers Yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata Click me to find out more Guess what? e Its Latin name commemorates th London apothecary and botantist John Blackstone (1712-53). Flowers Habitat This plant has distinctive eight-petalled yellow flowers which tend to close up in the afternoon and can be seen between June and October. It has waxy pointed bluishgreen leaves which help retain water in the dry conditions in which it thrives. Yellow Wort is usually found on dry, stony often disturbed areas of chalk and limestone grassland, sand dunes and / or disused quarries. It is almost confined to the Magnesian Limestone. Origanum vulgare Click me to find out more Guess what? o This perennial can grow up to tw feet high and is the same species as oregano, the characteristic Mediterranean herb. Flowers Habitat Wild marjoram has purple or pink flowers, sometimes white, in dense bunches at the top of the stems, with oval leaves that appear in pairs on the reddish stems. The aromatic flowers prove very attractive to butterflies in the summer. Found in dry grasslands, scrub and disturbed ground, generally on infertile calcareous soils. Grassland flowers Wild marjoram Grassland flowers Small scabious Scabious columbaria Guess what? Scabious is derived from the Latin scabiosa herba, the herb for scabies because of the rough stalks. Flowers Habitat Small scabious is smaller and a lighter shade of pink than field scabious. An attractive perennial of dry unimproved grassland and rocky outcrops, on the Magnesian Limestone. Knautia arvensis Guess what? This plant has been connected to l a continental custom where a gir would name each scabious bud r after eligible bachelors. Whicheve developed into the finest flower would be her suitor to marry. Flowers Habitat Also known as pincushion flowers, which is an apt description. The flowers vary in shade from lilac to purple. A common summer perennial of meadows and waysides, on calcareous soils. Grassland flowers Field scabious Grassland flowers Great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis Click me to find out more Guess what? The flowerheads of great burnet were made into wine in Westmorland until the 1950s and their name was changed to the more quirky “Burnip”. Flowers Habitat These are tall herbs, native perennials of damp unimproved meadows with pronounced “blood-clot” flower heads. They are confined to old damp grassland in hay meadows and by riversides, in the Midlands, Northern England and South Wales and has disappeared from many sites recently due to agriculture. Plaintain media Guess what? The long flowered spike give the hoary plantain it’s common name of ‘rat’s-tail’, which produces an abundance of seeds. In the winter, sparrows will fight among themselves to get to the seeds. Flowers Habitat White to pinkish fragrant flowers on unbranched leafless stems, growing up to 50cm high. These plants are native perennials of neutral to basic grassland, frequent on Magnesian Limestone. It has been lost from many sites in both the lowlands and the Peak District due to agricultural management of hay meadows. Grassland flowers Hoary plantain Grassland flowers Mouse-ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum Click me to find out more Guess what? It was believed that hawks ate these plants to obtain the milky juice contained within, to sharpen their eye-sight. Flowers Habitat Mouse-ear Hawkweed has lemon yellow flower heads displaying closely packed florets (tiny flowers); the outer florets are red underneath. Its leaves are spoon-shaped and downy and form a rosette at the base of the flower stem. A native perennial of open short grasslands and heaths on well-drained soils, rock outcrops and walls. It is very common in the White Peak area of Derbyshire but has become rare in intensively farmed southern parts. Galium verum Click me to find out more Guess what? In the north of England the yellow flowers were once used to curdle milk. Local names given to it include ‘cheese rennet’ and ‘cheese running’. Flowers Habitat It has frothy yellow flowers that smell strongly of honey. It is short and soft but the tiny yellow flower heads are so dense this plant can often seem to take over areas of grassland in the summer. A common perennial of chalk downs, meadows, heaths and sandy areas. It has declined due to agricultural improvement of grasslands. In the White Peak, it was lost from 94% of hay meadows between the mid 1980s and mid 90s. Grassland flowers Lady’s bedstraw Grassland flowers Common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium Click me to find out more Guess what? family and The rock rose is in the Cistaceae . They they have adapted well to wildfires rminate cast seeds in the soil, but don’t ge rd coating right in the next season. Their ha the seeds is impermeable to the water, and ns or cracks remain dormant, until a fire softe seeds the seed case and the surviving germinate after a fire. Flowers Habitat They have bright sulphur-yellow flowers which appear in June and last until September. This creeping evergreen shrub is virtually confined to calcareous sites – cliffs and rocky hillsides, especially where the grass is short. On limestone pastures it can grow so densely that on warm windy days it scents the air all around. Centaurea scabiosa Click me to find out more Guess what? Historically it was made into an ointment for applying to wounds, bruises and sores. Flowers Habitat This has a dark purple/pink flower head and looks a bit like a thistle, but without the prickles! It is similar to the common knapweed, except this species has a flower head between 3 and 6cm and broader more divided leaves. It flowers between June and August. This is a native perennial, found mainly in limestone areas on rocky grasslands, rock outcrops and cliff edges and on calcareous soils. It is a lowland species, reaching altitude limit of 320m at Matlock. Grassland flowers Greater knapweed Grassland flowers Common bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus Click me to find out more Guess what? Common bird’s-foot trefoil (also known as eggs and bacon) is the caterpillar food plant for the dingy skipper and common blue butterflies. Flowers Habitat A relatively small plant with yellow five petalled pea-like flowers which appear between June and September. Found on grasslands, where it can survive fairly regular cutting such as road verges and trail edges. Centaurea nigra Click me to find out more Guess what? It is a very valuable plant for bees y and also a nectar source for man species of butterfly and other insects. Flowers Habitat It has a dark purple/pink flower head and look a bit like a thistle, but without the prickles! It flowers between July and September (a month later than its similar Greater knapweed) and has a smaller flowerhead of between 2 and 4cm. A fairly common plant of flowerrich grasslands, road side verges and trail edges. Grassland flowers Common knapweed Grassland flowers Common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii Click me to find out more Guess what? The common spotted orchid is the most common orchid in the UK and occurs on a wide variety of habitats from roadside verges to sand dunes. Flowers Habitat Each light pink petal has purple streaks on it. The leaves usually have dark purple spots on them. It flowers between June and August. This can be found in grassland and road verges on either neutral or lime rich soils. Leucanthemum vulgare Click me to find out more Guess what? Oxeye daisies are also known as dog daisies or moon daisies. Historically the leaves and the outer layer of the stem were used as a balm, an astringent and a sedative. Flowers Habitat Looks like a very large daisy, with a central yellow section and white outer parts. It grows much taller than the daisies on your lawn, to 70cm and flowers between May and September Oxeye daisies can be seen on grasslands, roadside verges and trail edges. They are often sown as part of roadside verge creation schemes and frequently seen on motorways and A roads. Grassland flowers Oxeye daisy Grassland flowers Bladder campion Silene vulgaris Click me to find out more Guess what? Bladder campion is one of the favourite foods of the froghopper s insect which surround themselve . in protective ‘froth’ whilst feeding Flowers Habitat A flower with five white petals, but each petal is deeply divided, making it look like ten petals. At the back of each flower is a swollen area or ‘bladder. Occurs on grasslands, especially those with lime rich soils. Daucus carota Click me to find out more Guess what? n The flower is also known as Quee te Anne’s lace, because of the delica r heads. leaves and ‘ruffs’ under the flowe aker. Queen Anne was a talented lacem on the It is said that the centre red bloom ne flower is stained so after Queen An e. pricked her finger while making lac Flowers Habitat Tiny white flowers in dense umbrella like clusters. The central flower often has a dark red dot on it. It flowers between June and August. After flowering the flower head folds up into an elaborate open ball. Grows on grassland with lime-rich soil. Grassland flowers Wild carrot Grassland flowers Bee orchid Ophrys apifera Click me to find out more Guess what? It is thought that the bee orchid flower evolved as a decoy to trick bees into mating with its flowers. Flowers Habitat The flowers has three pink back petals and a large front bee shaped and coloured pouch. The relatively small plants can have up to five flowers on each plant. Bee orchids can be found on grasslands with lime-rich soil. Centaurium erythraea Click me to find out more Guess what? Common centaury was used historically to control fever, and as a nerve calmer. Flowers Habitat Has five pink petals in star shape and flowers in June through into October. This plant is mostly found on dry grasslands, including those on lime-rich soil. Grassland flowers Common centaury Grassland flowers Cowslip Primula veris Click me to find out more Guess what? m An ointment historically made fro e cowslip flowers was rubbed on th n skin to promote beauty and lesse freckles, sunburn and wrinkles. Flowers Habitat Cowslips have a yellow trumpet like flower which has five petals and the flowers hang in clusters. Mostly found growing on lime-rich or neutral grasslands and in open woodlands. Southern marsh orchid Guess what? Where this and common spotted orchid grow near each other you occasionally get a hybrid which is very tall (up to 80cm) with dark pinky/purple flowers and spotted leaves. Flowers Habitat Dark pinky/purple orchid like flowers on plants with unspotted leaves. It grows on marshy and damp areas. In the Limestone Journeys area, it often occurs where the natural hydrology has been disturbed by mineral extraction such as Pleasley Pit County Park. Grassland flowers Dactylorhiza praetermissa Photography credits Flower Credit Flower Credit English bluebell Kieron Huston Hoary plantain Debbie Alston Wood sorrel Kieron Huston Common mouse ear Louise Valantine Yellow archangel Kieron Huston Lady’s bedstraw Philip Precey Sweet woodruff Kieron Huston Common rock rose Bruce Shortland PignutPhilip Precey Greater knapweed David Savage Dog’s mercury David Savage Lords and ladies Debbie Alston Common bird’s-foot trefoil Debbie Alston Primrose Debbie Alston Common knapweed Debbie Alston Wild service tree Kieron Huston Common spotted orchid Debbie Alston Early purple orchid David Savage Oxeye daisy Debbie Alston Wild strawberry Debbie Alston Bladder campion Debbie Alston Kidney vetch Kieron Huston Wild carrot Debbie Alston Yellow wort Kieron Huston Bee orchid Debbie Alston Wild marjoram Kieron Huston Common centaury Debbie Alston Small scabious Kieron Huston Cowslip Debbie Alston Field scabious Kieron Huston Great burnet Philip Precey Southern marsh orchid Helen Mitchem Wildflowers an interactive guide Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is one of 47 local Trusts around the UK working to promote and protect local wildlife. We are the only organisation in Derbyshire working to protect all wildlife across the whole county. We manage 42 nature reserves, including moorland, wetlands, woodlands and wildflower meadows. We work with schools, local communities, local authorities, landowners and others to promote and protect the natural environment. We are a Registered Charity, supported by 14,000 members. Limestone Journeys Limestone Journeys was a Landscape Partnership that worked with local people, communities and landowners to look after, learn about and celebrate the landscape and heritage of the area. It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, running from 2011 to 2015. Limestone Journeys focused on the unique landscape and heritage of the North East Derbyshire Magnesian Limestone. The distinctive Magnesian Limestone geology has greatly contributed to the dynamic landscape, varied wildlife and fascinating heritage. Get in touch (quite literally, just ‘touch’ to contact us) facebook.com/pages/Derbyshire-Wildlife-Trust/129791180422671 twitter.com/DerbysWildlife @DerbysWildlife Website www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk If you have enjoyed this, then download the new the new Archaeological Way app to your Android or iPhone and listen to stories from people along the Way. Design by DiTO Creative Design www.ditodesign.co.uk email: studio@ditodesign.co.uk