Common Gromwell and Common Calamint

This will be the last blog for a while as I am largely seeing only what I have already focused upon. 

It seems appropriate that by chance it will cover two species that despite their names are not particularly common and in the case of Common Calamint declining. 

• Common Gromwell, Lithospermum officinale
• Common Calamint, Clinopodium ascendens

Common Gromwell

I found this by chance at the end of a walk in the Cannop area of the Forest of Dean. I only saw the one plant and knew I'd not seen it before, but luckily from the similarity of the one flower to a Forget-me-not and therefore the Boraginaceae family, identified it from Simon Harrap's Wild Flowers. Thanks to the #Wildflowerhour community on Twitter for confirming it. 

It grows in some southern parts of the UK but is less common elsewhere. It is native to Europe and Eastern Asia and has been introduced to other regions including North America.

 

The cream flower is so small it is a key ID feature. The plant is tall, hairy, with alternate, narrow and  spear-shaped leaves. The veins are conspicuous.

A few days later after heavy rain I went back hoping to find a colony and I did. Over 400 metres or so of the open woodland ride there are many plants. There were thousands of seeds which bodes well for the future here.

The 5 narrow sepal teeth clasp around the fruits. Sepals have longish hairs on the outside. The hard egg-shaped fruits change colour as they mature, the shiny white like porcelain being the last stage.

The rather mysterious name comes from the Old French gromil, modern French grémil. The gré suggested grey and the fruits themselves grains of mil or millet. Gromwell also came known as milium solis, 'millet of the sun'. It grows here on a largely cleared woodland hillside in full sun.

Its local name in the north of England, Stony-hard, reflects its herbal medicine use in the sixteenth and seventeenth century against stones. It may have been the lithospermon or 'stone-seed' of Dioscorides and indeed can be called European Stoneseed. It has been used widely, for example against gout, as a diuretic and as a contraceptive.

Common Calamint

I first found this hairy herb from the Lamiaceae family in the Forest of Dean Cannop area last year and returned hoping to find it again. I think it had increased at the top of the spoil heap, a dry area that suits it well. Again thanks to the #Wildflowerhour expert who agreed the ID.

The flowers are whitish-pink with small purple spots on the lower lip. The leaves, with shallow and blunt teeth, are short-stalked with curved veins and smell distinctly of mint. The upper lip of the corolla is flattish and has a notch at the top. The lower lip is short and three-lobed. There are four stamens, two unequal stigmas and one style.

The calyx has five teeth, the lower two are slightly longer and narrower. I hope that can be seen here along with the hairs.

It was a very windy day so I took a tiny piece for macro pics at home leaving plenty behind. It is a plant that is decreasing in its range. The reasons include lack of control in its grassland habitats and changes in road verge management. However, it is now better recorded particularly in East Anglia and Somerset. 

It is native to temperate areas of Europe and used as a culinary herb in Italy. In Madeira, where it is known locally as neveda, it is used as a mouth freshener and to alleviate headache and toothache. It was known to Culpepper who writes of its usefulness in easing brain afflictions, leprosy, convulsions, cramp and yellow jaundice.

Acknowledgements

Simon Harrap's Wildflowers

Stace 4

Rose The Wild Flower Key

Grigson The Englishman's Flora

www.researchgate.net/

www.brc.ac.uk/

www.wildflowerfinder.org.uk/

www.wildflowerweb.co.uk/

www.geograph.org.uk/

www.first-nature.com/

Scarlet Pimpernel, Sticky Groundsel and Black Nightshade

 These three were found near the railway station in Lydney, Gloucestershire and photographed over a couple of months to catch the seed heads.

• Scarlet Pimpernel, Lysimachia arvensis
• Sticky Groundsel, Senecio viscosus
• Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum

Scarlet Pimpernel, Lysimachia arvensis

This native plant, usually an annual, from the Primulaceae family has a number of names that refer to its sensitivity to light: Poor Man's Weatherglass in Somerset, Weatherflower in Dorset and Wink-and-Peep in Shropshire. The flowers open in good light at about 8am and close about 3pm. They will close or remain closed in dull, wet, or humid conditions.

The five petals have a reddish-purple base and there are five sepals and five stamens with bright orange anthers.

It has a square stem, the leaves are opposite and always face the light with the solitary flowers on stalks in the leaf axils.

The seed capsules are urn shaped splitting around the circumference to divide into two halves to enable the wind to scatter the seeds. The stalk, which is initially straight, curves back as the seed ripens. The stalk curve and the developing split can be seen here.

Grigson describes the split seed capsule hinging backwards like a crested skull-cap. I can see what he means!

Herbally it was used against many afflictions: toothache, snake bites, epilepsy, kidney problems to just begin. 

It was credited with relieving eye problems. In Ireland it was a "blessed herb" and if held in the hand it was said to give second sight and hearing, plus allowing the holder to understand the speech of birds and animals.

It appears in the Herbals and Vocabularies of the sixteenth century as Bipinella and its use as a cosmetic herb persisted until the nineteenth century when Pimpernel Water was used to bleach freckles.

Pliny refers to its value in treating liver complaints and the former botanical name Anagallis , given by Dioscorides, is said to be derived from the Greek to laugh and indeed the herb was used to dispel sadness. 

Local names in Somerset include Laughter Bringer and Shepherd's Delight.

If you were in any doubt about the effect of this plant here is an unattributed rhyme:

No heart can think, no tongue can tell

          The virtues of the Pimpernel. 

 

There will be new plants in bloom again next April.....

Sticky Groundsel,  Senecio viscosus

I saw this growing in a classic habitat for it: disturbed ground on gravel in a man-made habitat: a railway car park. At first I just thought it was a stunted Ragwort but then I realised it was the locally common - but never before seen by me - Sticky Groundsel. The fine ray-florets which quickly turn downwards are key to ID.

 The stem is wavy and well branched. 

The foliage is covered in sticky glandular hairs which can be seen too on the calyx above .

I read about the naming of the genus Senecio from senex meaning old man. A sixteenth century herbalist wrote:

The flower of this herbe, hath white heere, and when the wind bloweth it away, then it appereth like a bald headded man therfore it is called Senecio.

In the photos below you can see exactly what he meant. The seed-heads leave behind a round head-like shape which is slightly shiny.

The seeds are brown, cylindrical and ribbed.

 This member of the Asteraceae family is a naturalised neophyte. It was recorded in Britain by John Ray in 1660 who noted it was plentiful in the Isle of Ely. It may be native on sandy and gravelly soils. 

Here it probably came in on the gravel/ chippings for the car park and it is thriving. Several plants are in the vicinity of this one.

It has the following local names: Ashwort which is interesting, Stinking Groundsel interesting and helpful, and Sticky Ragwort probably unhelpful! 

Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum

A member of the Solanaceae family this is a native and introduced. Here it sprawls through a hedge near the old railway line down to Lydney Harbour. It is a common annual and a cosmopolitan one spreading almost around the globe in appropriate habitats. Wikipedia says it is native to Eurasia and introduced to the Americas, Australasia and South Africa.

It has white petals initially spread flat then bent back. The anthers are long and yellow. There is a single lime-green semi-globular style protruding from the anthers.

The stem is a dark purple-black, variably hairy and the leaves dark green, wrinkly and variably toothed.

 

It has the reputation of being poisonous and it was called Petty Morel by the older herbalists to distinguish it from Great Morel - Deadly Nightshade. Culpepper warns "Do not mistake the deadly nightshade for this, if you know it not, you may then let them both alone"! It contains Solanine in varying strengths according to the season. Most cases of poisoning result from eating the leaves or unripe fruit. The green unripe fruit can be seen forming here. The berries turn a shiny black when ripe.

It has a long history of medicinal use but was considered a risky remedy. One or two grains of dried leaves were infused with boiling water and used to induce sweating. Bruised fresh leaves applied externally were said to ease pain and inflammation. In the Middle East the leaves were applied to burns and ulcers.  

Surface applications are considered much safer than internal ones!

I plan another blog on plants of Gloucestershire soon. Thank you for reading this one.

Acknowledgements

Simon Harrap's Wild Flowers

Stace 4

Grigson The Englishman's Flora

Mabey Flora Britannica

Wikipedia

http://botanical.com/

http://seasonalwildflowers.com/

http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/

http://www.wildflowerweb.co.uk/

www.brc.ac.uk 

Silverweed, Square-stalked St John's-wort and Round-leaved Mint

These three natives grow on woodland rides in Vicar's Allotment at Trellech near Monmouth: the first two within a metre of each other. The Allotment is on Victorian maps but all these plants are on or near modern forestry tracks.

• Silverweed, Potentilla anserina
• Square-stalked St John's-wort, Hypericum tetrapterum
• Round-leaved Mint, Mentha suaveolens

Silverweed, Potentilla anserina

This plant from the Rosaceae family is so common as it is happy to grow in many types of soil and so recognisable I did wonder about including it in the blog but then I discovered its rich history. Botanical details first! The first two photos were taken in late August on a wet track side. The flower is five petalled and the petals are about twice the length of the sepals. This one is looking a little worn and was the last in bloom. 

The uppersides of leaves vary from silvery, especially earlier in the season as here, to dull green. Most silver leaves had faded by mid September.

They are pinnately cut into 3-12 pairs of oval, toothed leaflets interspersed with additional tiny leaflets which can be seen below.

All of the subsequent photos were taken in mid September in order to focus more on the leaves. The underside seems to show the form better.

The underside of the leaves is usually silvery white. In this colony all of them were.  

The underside is covered with very fine white hairs. The saw toothed leaflets are clear here as well as the additional tiny leaflets.

The history of this common plant is amazing. It was reputed to be picked by Roman soldiers and used as a padding in their boots. This perhaps gave rise to the local name Traveller's Ease in Warwickshire. 

Potentilla means powerful despite its size and anserina means pertaining to geese which enjoy it: hence the local name Goose-grass in Somerset, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and many other counties.

Until the end of the nineteenth century the roots were eaten in times of famine especially in the Scottish highlands and islands. It was said in North Uist a man could keep himself fed on a square patch of land of his own length by growing Silverweed. It was cultivated and very important in the diet of people in Scotland before potatoes became common in mid eighteenth century.

Roots were baked, boiled, roasted, dried and ground into a rough flour for bread or porridge. They taste a bit like parsnips.

It has astringent, anti-catarrhal, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. The dried leaves can be used to relieve sore throats, gum infections and mouth ulcers. They can also be used as a compress. Even more detail is available on the Plantlife website: link at the bottom. 

Pass Silverweed with a respectful nod next time!

Square-stalked St John's-wort, Hypericum tetrapterum

This member of the Hypericaceae family is growing within a metre or so of the Silverweed. It too likes the damp edge of the woodland track. The main ID point is the square stalk with narrow but distinct wings on the angles. The stem is also reddish.

Leaves more or less clasp the stem.

The petals are pale yellow while the sepals are narrow and pointed.

In mid September the plant had moved on to fruit and the sepals can be seen very clearly. Perhaps some of the black glands along the leaf edges are clearer too.

Round-leaved Mint, Mentha suaveolens 

From the Lamiaceae family, I believe this to be Round-leaved Mint and it was accepted as such on #Wildflowerhour on 30/8/20 but there are hybrids. Happy to hear from anyone who on examining a larger range of photos has an opinion! 

Leaves are roundish: slightly less than a circle, suborbicular, or oblong-ovate. They are hairy as are the stems which branch frequently.

The leaves are stalkless or have very short stalks.

The following macro photographs were taken in mid September.

The leaves are strongly rugose and appear from above to have rounded teeth but they are bent downwards like cats' claws. No other Mint has this ID feature except for a few hybrids between this and other species of Mint.

The pale flower heads are spike-like and congested. The calyx appears to be bell-shaped and the flowers, in whorls, have 4 petals with filaments tipped by a red to purple anther.

The style is white and splits into two stigmas at the end.

It would be good to hear from anyone who has an opinion on the ID. Hopefully there is enough information to decide. 

This concludes the look at three plants in Vicar's Allotment near Monmouth. The next blog should cover plants found in Gloucestershire.

Acknowledgements

Harrap's Wild Flowers

Stace 4

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk

https://www.first-nature.com/

https://www.naturespot.org.uk/

https://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/

http://www.seasonalwildflowers.com/

http://botanical.com/

Wild Carrot, Wild Angelica and Stone Parsley

 These three natives of the Apiaceae  family have not featured on the blog so far and thus I have the opportunity to look at them over the season from bloom to seed.

• Wild Carrot, Daucus carota
• Wild Angelica, Angelica sylvestris 
• Stone Parsley, Sison amomum 

Wild Carrot, Daucus carota

The umbels are often, but not always, distinguished by a central red flower which may have given rise to the popular name Queen Anne's Lace. There are two theories for this: Queen Anne pricked her finger whilst lace making or the red flower represents her head in the centre of her lace collar. The reddish flower attracted herbalists who used it as a remedy for 'falling sickness'. 

Daucus is an ancient Greek name for this plant and carota simply means carrot. (D. carota ssp sativus, the garden carrot, was introduced from the Mediterranean in the fifteenth century.)

These pictures were taken on 4.8.2020 in Lydney, Gloucestershire

 The other ID features can be seen below. 

There are large conspicuously pinnate bracts below the umbel and as the flower head matures and the seeds ripen it balls into a distinctive shape not unlike a bird's nest. It has the name Bird's Nest in a number of counties including Wiltshire and Yorkshire. Gerard says this name was absorbed into English from the German.

The fruits are egg-shaped, flattened and with long, hooked  spines.

These last two pictures were taken in the same patch of waste ground in Lydney on 9.9.2020.

Herbalists used the whole plant against gout. The seeds were a stimulant and used to treat coughs and jaundice. A poultice of the roots was used to alleviate ulcers.

Wild Angelica, Angelica sylvestris

This is common around Monmouth in damp woodlands and by streams. I look for the distinctive, bulbous, inflated sheath where the leaf and flower stalk joins the stem for the main ID feature. First photo 16.8.2020.

The stems are hollow. The individual five-petalled flowers are usually about 2 mm across. 

Photo below 8.9.2020 on bank of Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Abergavenny.

The fruits are ridged, flattened and have two broad wings. Photo below on edge of Wye Valley woodland ride 4.9.2020.

Angelica means like an angel and here sylvestris means growing wild as opposed to the closely related garden variety Angelica archangelica. 

Angelica sylvestris gives a good yellow dye and until the twentieth century was widely used as a vegetable. Local names include Ait-skeiter in Moray meaning oat shooter and referring to the use of the hollow stems by children to fire seeds at friends and Water Squirt in Somerset which presumably is similar though more uncomfortable!

Stone Parsley, Sison amomum

This finely branched, bushy plant I saw for the first time in Lydney on 4.8.2020. It is very distinctive with many small umbels of 3-6 rays often including, as shown here, a single much shorter ray. Bracts and bracteoles are present and very fine. Petals are notched. Uniquely, the crushed foliage smells of petrol.

I am very pleased to report that on 9.9.2020 the plants had set ample seed on a great tangle of  stems.  

This last photo shows, not very well, the probable late final blooms of 2020 but more importantly, and that is why I have included it, the lower leaves with pairs of leaflets and upper finely cut ones.

This concludes a look at three members of the Carrot family over some weeks. I hope you have found it interesting.

As the summer draws to a close I am unsure how many more blogs there will be this year. I have a few more plants that I have found in or near the unofficial nature reserve that is Lydney Railway Station overflow car park and some from woodland rides near where I live. I plan to do blogs to accompany the various Flower Hunts that BSBI and the Wild Flower Society organise.

Acknowledgements

Simon Harrap's Wild Flowers

Stace 4

Grigson The Englishman's Flora

Rose The Wild Flower Key

Mabey Flora Britannica

http://botanical.com/

https://www.first-nature.com/