March 2021

With Covid lockdown I'm only able to walk around my local area which I did before anyway but now I really haven't been able to go anywhere else, even occasionally. My walks have yeilded some new plants I hadn't seen before and some new insights on old acquantainces.

My latest new plant is common whitlowgrass (Erophila verna) which I discovered at a location I don't walk to very often as it's 45 mins away but with fewer and fewer plants to see, I was interested in those tiny tiny rosettes the first time I saw them and have been back regularly since to catch them in flower. 

I can't stop taking photos of hedge mustard, so beautiful in its geometric perfection.

sheperd's-purse, so variable but also geometric perfection

eastern rocket, first I've seen this year but lots on this stretch of pavement, hairy bittercress growing through it

hairy bittercress on the left and thale cress on the right

10 days later, the thale cress has sprouted its distinctive hairy stem in the centre

thale cress initial basal rosettes - they are tiny

thale cress rosette with buds just appearing in the middle

thale cress rosette with the centre stem with buds just growing out of the rosette

shepherd's-purse is so variable, leaves below so unlike rosette above (2nd photo)

nipplewort

an update on the swine cress I photographed recently, it now has buds

wall lettuce

bristly oxtongue

it's worth noting that green alkanet can have spots / blisters on the leaves, creeping buttercup underneath

It doesn't take long on my walks to get in view of the Post Office Tower