There is a profusion of flowers at the moment so it is hard to know where to start. A walk on the golf course had this glorious collection:
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| Yellow Rattle, Hogweed, Pignut, Wood Geranium and Globeflower |
I was on my way to look at the orchids but kept stopping to admire other flowers. The Globeflower (
Trollius europaeus) is like a very posh buttercup with round flowerheads.
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Globeflower
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| Globeflower - looking as if it has no sepals underneath. |
The extra "petals" are really yellow sepals which enclose the actual petals inside. On the track (Walk 4a if you have my book) were lots of Bulbous Buttercup (
Ranunculus bulbosus) which does have sepals - and they are bent back towards the stalk (which is the easiest way to distinguish it from the other common buttercups).
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| Bulbous Buttercup showing reflexed sepals |
On the same track was Alpine Bistort (Persicaria vivipara). This is a small flower which hedges its bets by producing flowers at the top and little bulbs below (bulbils) so that it can grow from the bulbils if the flowers do not get pollinated and fail to produce seeds.
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| Alpine Bistort |
And finally.... the orchids at last...
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| Northern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella) |
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Greater Butterfly-orchid (Platanthera chlorantha) in bud
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Fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia borealis)
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