Alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum (2 of 2). Commonly infected by the rust fungus, Puccinia smyrnii

Alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum (1 of 2). Celery- scented. Hairless. Furrowed stem. Shiny dark green leaves. 1-3 pairs of leaflets with stalks. Toothed leaf margin with hydathodes at tips of teeth. Leaf stem might have some hairs (cilia) at its base. White latex

Pellitory-of-the-wall, Parietaria judaica. Red, round, branched stems. Hairy. Alternate, untoothed leaves. Channelled petiole

Marsh Ragwort, Jacobaea aquatica . Basal rosette. Leaves up to 15cm and have large, oval terminal lobe. Often purplish below. Margins wavy and weakly crenate (rounded teeth). Petiole purplish at base

All set up at the Bionet ‘Marvellous Meadows’ conference. Keen to hear what is happening in North Wales and to spread the word about Big Meadow Search. Thanks Andrew for representing us

Our Biological Flora on Wood Crane's-bill is out in @journalofecology.bsky.social. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... A team effort w/ @ruthsk.bsky.social @sandravarga.bsky.social @spp-rich.bsky.social @duncanwestbury.bsky.social, irina Tatarenko & artist Lucy Hulmes on pen and ink.

Common Chickweed, Stellaria media. Stem round with line of hairs on alternate sides. Lower leaves stalked, upper leaves stalkless. Leaves apiculate (with a short point that isn’t usually an extension of midrib).

Woodruff, Galium odoratum. Patch forming. Unbranched, 4-angled stems. 6-8 leaves per whorl with 25-60 forward pointing prickles per side. Stems erect, ending in a flat-topped leaf whorl. Leaves have hay or vanilla scent when crushed.

Winter Heliotrope, Petasites pyrenaicus. Can form extensive patches. Circular leaves up to 20cm with fine teeth. Leaf stalk reddish with glandular hairs. Purple hydathodes. Young leaves have white cobweb-like hairs.

The Botanical Society of Scotland’s Plant of the week is Tutsan botsoc.scot/2026/02/01/h...

For #wildflowerhour this week it’s Lesser Celandine, Ficaria verna. Local names include smallwort, brighteye, pilewort, cheesecups and cream and butter-

Here is a plant ID webinar from Herefordshire Meadows Group m.youtube.com/watch?v=zEMR...

Here we go, month 3 of daily vegetative ID posts……. Sweet Violet, Viola odorata. Often forms patches due to creeping runners. Leaves in rosette (none on flowering stems) with cordate bases and 20-25 teeth per side. Petiole with hairs pointing downwards (retrorse).

Greater Celandine, Chelidonium majus. Sparsely hairy stem with abundant orange latex. Leaves hairy, up to 35cm with 4-7 pairs of leaflets. Terminal lobe can be 3-lobed

Now available on youtube! #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease m.youtube.com/watch?v=RKek...

Red Valerian, Centranthus ruber. Hairless. Opposite leaves. Leaves shiny green or glaucous above, paler below. Sunken white hydathodes along leaf margins. Midrib raised below. Petiole up to 5cm

The Botanical Society of Scotland’s Plant of the Week: Broad-leaved Helleborine botsoc.scot/2026/01/25/e...

It’s coming up to the completion of 2 month’s worth of daily vegetative ID posts. The question is what to do come 1st February 🤔 Do I try another month of vegetative ID posts? Do I try some more botanical words? Or do I put my feet up!

Water Figwort, Scrophularia auriculata. Basal leaves 6-12cm usually with blunt tip and blunt teeth. 25-32 teeth, each with a hydathode, per side. Leaves often have 1 or 2 small lobes at the base of the leaf. Winged petiole.

Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum. Basal Lvs only, hairless, often black blotched, with hastate (spearhead-shaped with basal lobes spreading out) or sagittate (arrow-shaped with backward pointing lobes) base. Lvs rolled when young. Petiole to 20cm channelled & with sheathing base

Red Campion, Silence dioica. Lower leaves stalked, ovate (egg-shaped, widest below the middle). Shiny green above. Hairy at least above. Long-winged petiole. Veins raised below

A very comprehensive review of Common Nettle can be found here besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Common Nettle, Urtica dioica. Patch forming. 4-angled, hollow, purplish stem with opposite leaves. Leaves coarsely toothed with terminal tooth much longer than adjacent teeth. Long stinging hairs with swollen bases. Short non-stinging hairs.

For #wildflowerhour it’s Groundsel, Senecio vulgaris. Local names include Ground Glutton and Wattery Drums

Bush Vetch, Vicia sepium. Scrambling. Tendrils simple or branched. Leaves divided in to 5-9 leaflets finely hairy and with a fine bristle tip. Leaflets widest below the middle. Leaflets folded when young. Stipules semi-sagittate (half arrow shape). Stems 4-ridged

Oxeye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare. Basal leaves up to 5cm and with long petiole. Leaves with 5-10 blunt teeth per side. Midrib raised below.

Don’t know about anyone else but this is the densest display of Maidenhair Spleenwort I have ever seen

Common Sorrel, Rumex acetosa. Leaves hairless, shiny up to 15cm long. Lower leaves stalked (upper leaves clasp the stem). Pointed basal lobes pointing downwards, away from the leaf tip (rather than outwards as in Sheep’s Sorrel). Petiole angled

Webinar - Habitat classification & designated sites 12th February 12.30 - 13.30. An overview of UK habitat classifications. We will cover the main NPMS habitat types & hear about designations for important habitats e.g. SSSI's, SPA's SAC's. Led by Neill Talbot with Rachel Murphy.

Shining Crane’s-bill, Geranium lucidum. Glossy green, shallow 5-7 lobed leaves up to 6cm across. Brittle, fleshy stems. Whole plant can turn red.

We're hiring! Could you become our new Wales Officer, lead our Priority Plants Project & support #BSBICountyRecorders across Wales? Apply here: bsbi.org/about/people... Deadline: 23 February Interested but not for you? Please help us spread the word!

Greater Stitchwort, Stellaria holostea. Up to 60cm. Narrow, pointed, grey-green leaves up to 8cm long. Leaves opposite and decussate. Comb-like fringe of hairs on leaf margin. Square stem with prickles on the angles

Groundsel, Senecio vulgaris. Lower leaves lobed, 3-20cm long, indistinct petiole, can be cottony. Lobes toothed with slightly recurved margins and protruding hydathodes

Ribwort Plantain, Plantago lanceolata. Up to 50cm. Basal rosette. Strap-shaped or long oval leaves with 3-5 prominent parallel veins and up to 30cm long. Silky hairs at extreme base

For #wildflowerhour it’s the humble but important to science, Thale Cress, Arabidopsis thaliana. The first plant ever to have its genome sequenced

Thale Cress, Arabidopsis thaliana. Common on disturbed soil. Rosette hairy. Basal leaves up to 1.5cm with simple, forked or trifid hairs. Leaves variably toothed.

Cat’s-ear, Hypochaeris radicata. Hairy basal rosette. Leaves 4-25cm long and narrowed to indistinct petiole. Leaves bristly hairy sometimes with brownish-based hairs on midrib (as shown here)

For anybody wondering about the answer…….it is Harebell

Here is a bit of a necro-botany (if there is such a thing) challenge…..anybody want to hazard a guess?

Purple Toadflax, Linaria purpurea. Erect, round stems, often purplish towards base. Leaves mostly in whorls of 5. Glaucous leaves 4-6mm wide and up to 4cm long. First recorded in the wild in 1834

Pineappleweed, Matricaria discoidea. Pineapple scented when crushed. Much-branched, up to 35cm. Bristle tipped, yellowish-green leaflet lobes.

Hemlock Water Dropwort, Oenanthe crocata. Up to 150cm. Hairless, shiny. Leaves smell weakly of celery/parsley. Sheathed base to petioles. Leaves 3-4 pinnate, toothed. Tuberous roots

Variegated Yellow Archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. argentatum. Introduced, 1st wild record in Britain, 1974 . Typically to 30cm. Patch forming. Hairy. Leaves to 7cm, stalked with large silvery patches on upper surface. Toothed: terminal tooth broad. Stems retrorsely hairy

🌱🌾🌲🌍🌿🍄🌺🌳🌴🌷🪳🐝🧬🥦 🧪 Big month for Botanical University Challenge #BUC2026. New issue newsletter The Thymes available QR code or download: botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/ Also new 23 January deadline for university teams UK & Ireland to sign up. Competition starts 11 February!

The Botanical Society of Scotland’s Plant of the week: Annual Meadow-grass botsoc.scot/2026/01/11/p...

Lesser Celandine, Ficaria verna. Rosettes of long-stalked leaves, glossy and heart-shaped. Leaves up to 4cm often with darker or lighter markings above, paler below. Petiole has 2 channels.

For #wildflowerhour from Carmarthenshire, it’s Barren Strawberry, Potentilla sterilis. Local names include lazy-bones, storytellers and craisey

Our annual UK Moth Recorders' Meeting is back with a fantastic line-up of talks exploring the latest developments in moth research and conservation! 📍 Online 📅 Saturday 31 January Book your place 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-moth-recorders-meeting-tickets-1978136116374 📷: Marian Coburn

Common Stork’s-bill, Erodium cicutarium. Basal rosette of finely cut leaves. Leaves up to 18cm with 4-7 pairs of leaflets that are in turn deeply cut. Leaflets and petiole hairy.