[151] Fucus vesiculosus, Bladder-wrack

[151] Fucus vesiculosus, Bladder Wrack – and other Brown Algae

Introduction

Fucus vesiculosus, Bladder Wrack or (Bladder-wrack), is a very common seaweed. To be more precise it is a species of Brown Algae and I will consider other Brown Algae in this blog.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Chromists

Superphylum – Heterokonts/ Straminopiles (or Stramenopiles)

Phylum – Ochrophyta (Mostly photosynthetic heterokonts with red-algal plastids)

Class – Phaeophyceae (Brown Algae)

Subclass – Fucophycidae

Order – Fucales

Family – Fucaceae

Genus – Fucus

Scientific Name – Fucus vesiculosus

See text for other species.

Name

Wrack is cognate with wreck and used to mean anything washed ashore from a seawreck, and hence, anything washed ashore such as seaweed.

The Latin fucus meaning lichen or a red dye comes from Ancient Greek phukos meaning seaweed. Vesicula is a diminutive from the Latin vesica meaning bladder.

Brown Algae

I have to say something about Brown Algae. The ones we see are common types of seaweed and most people would normally think of them as plants – but the taxonomy is complex, as you may remember from [079] Carrageen, which considered Red Algae.

Of the three types of Algae that we normally consider as seaweed, Red Algae and [352] Green Algae just creep into the edges of what are normally considered to be plants but Brown Algae comes outside. Don’t ask me why.

Brown Algae form a Class, Phaeophyceae. I will not attempt to explain Heterokonts or any of the taxonomic levels above and below Phaeophyceae but will just say a little about a few species, with some pictures.

[As you may have guessed, one reason for not trying to explain is that I really don’t understand myself.]

All of my Brown Algae pictures come from the intertidal areas of the Isle of Wight coast. The first four species listed below are the most common forms of seaweed found on the British coasts.

(1) Fucus vesiculosus, Bladder Wrack

Fucus vesiculosus has other names including Dyer’s Fucus and Red Fucus. It was the original source of Iodine, discovered in 1811 and has been used to treat diseases related to iodine deficiency.

It is between dark brown and olive brown and has long, flat fronds, with almost spherical air bubbles that give it its name.

Bladder Wrack is the most common seaweed found all around the shores of the UK. It can also be found on the coasts of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the northern coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is only found between high tide and low tide levels. I found a large quantity of it on the rocky shore just below Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

(2) Fucus spiralis, Spiral Wrack, comes from the same Genus.

It has the same area of natural distribution and its fronds are similar in colour but it doesn’t have the air bladders of Fucus vesiculosus.

(3) Fucus serratus, Serrated Wrack (or Toothed Wrack), also from the same Genus.

This species is similar to Fucus spiralis but its fronds have serrated edges.

(4) Ascophyllum nodosum, Egg Wrack, from the same family, Fucaceae.

This genus only has one species. It is very similar to Bladder Wrack but the air bladders are more egg-shaped than spherical.

(5) Halidrys siliquosa, from the same Order, Fucales,Family Sargassaceae. (No common name.)

This another very common seaweed with long fronds, somewhat thinner than the first three. It has some air bladders and is native to just the coasts of the British Isles.

(6) Dictyopteris Polypoioides, from another Subclass, Dictyophycidae,Order Dictyotales, Family Dictyotaceae.

This seaweed is flatter and thinner and is found on the southwestern coasts of the UK and elsewhere.

There are many other species of brown algae that are difficult to identify without expert knowledge and microscopic examination. I have decided not to show any pictures because of uncertainty about identification.

See Also

As noted above, Green Algae will come a lot later.

[150] Fraxinus excelsior, Ash

[150] Fraxinus excelsior, Ash

Introduction

Fraxinus excelsior, the Ash, is a common and widespread deciduous tree, which produces bunches of long, flat fruits.

There are about fifty species of Fraxinus, mostly called Ash, so it won’t surprise you that Fraxinus excelsior can be called the Common Ash or European Ash.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Lamiales

Family – Oleaceae

Tribe – Oleeae

Subtribe – Fraxininae

Genus – Fraxinus

Section – Fraxinus

Scientific Name – Fraxinus excelsior

Name

Ash comes from an ancient Indo-European word for the tree, while Fraxinus, via Latin comes from an Indo-European word for [142] the Beech tree. Both words also used to mean spear as the wood was good for shafts.

Excelsior is the Latin for taller.

Description

Fraxinus excelsior is a Tree.

Its leaves are instantly recognised. Technically, they are pinnately compound with 7-13 leaflets – informally they look like a long twig with separate alternating leaves.

The edged of the leaves are finely serrated.

I don’t have any pictures of the flowers but their sex is interesting. They can produce both male and female flowers but it is more usual for the tree to be completely male or female. But a female tree can change to a male tree the next year or vice versa.

The fruits are much more noticeable than the flowers as its large bunches may stay on the trees over winter. they are long flat samaras, often called ash keys. They start green and turn to dark brown.

Habitat and use

Fraxinus excelsior is native to most of Europe including the UK. It is widely cultivated.

It has been widely used for timber and fuel and is the traditional wood for bows, hammers and axes, tennis racquets and snooker cues.

The light colour and grain of the wood makes it attractive for furniture and wood flooring.

Other Notes

The immense tree Yggdrasil, central to Norse mythology, is an Ash tree.

See also

Other non-native species of Ash may be cultivated, particularly Fraxinus angustifolia, the Narrow-leaved Ash, which does have narrower leaves. Some of the pictures above could be Fraxinus angustifolia.

[149] Fratercula arctica, Puffin

[149] Fratercula arctica, Puffin

Introduction

Fratercula arctica, the Puffin, is a seabird that develops an impressive coloured bill in its breeding form. Together with its relatives the Guillemot, Razorbill and Black Guillemot it is only found in remote parts of the UK when it visits to breed. There are two species of Fratercula found in the Pacific, so the formal name Atlantic Puffin may be used for Fratercula arctica.

It should not, of course, be confused with the Manx Shearwater, Puffinus puffinus.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Animals

Phylum – Chordates

Class – Aves (Birds)

Order – Charadriformes (Sea Birds and Waders)

Suborder – Lari (Gulls, Terns, Auks, Skuas and others)

Clade – Alcoidea

Family – Alcidae (Auks including Guillemots, Murres)

Subfamily – Fraterculinae (Puffins and Auklets)

Tribe – Fraterculini (Puffins)

Genus – Fratercula

Scientific Name – Fratercula arctica

Names

Puffin was originally the name of the Manx Shearwater, which has been given the Scientific Name Puffinus puffinus. It meant puffed or swollen for the fatty, salted meat from young birds. The name transferred much later, possibly because of similar nesting habits, to the bird we now call a Puffin. Fratercula is Medieval Latin for a friar from its black and white plumage resembling monastic robes.

See text for some notes on the etymology of other birds in the Auk family.

Sea Birds

It won’t come as a surprise that there is no agreed definition of what constitutes a Sea Bird but the term can be used for birds that more or less spend their lives at sea and feed in saltwater. It normally includes the following.

• Sphenisciformes, Penguins.
• Procellariformes, Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Petrels.
• Suiformes, Gannets and some relatives but not Cormorants.
• Charadriformes, Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Auks but not waders.

Phalaropes, Divers (Loons in USA terminology,) Grebes, sea ducks, waders and Herons are normally considered to be water birds but not sea birds.

We have already met [080] Black-headed Gull, and will come later to see [195] Herring Gull, [196] Lesser Black-backed Gull, and [325] the Common Tern, all of which spend some or all of their life far from the sea in Britain.

Most true sea birds only just touch the UK when they have to land for breeding purposes.

Auks (Alcidae)

Birds in the Auk family are in some ways similar to Penguins. They are so good at swimming that they almost fly underwater. They have little need to fly and are clumsy when trying to walk on land. But they don’t have to walk. They generally nest on cliffs.

The Auk family, Alcidae, is quite small but has several levels of taxonomy. Its species have several names, generally differing between the UK and the USA. Auk, via Icelandic from Old Norse means a sea bird.

The Tribe Alcini, calles Murres in the US, include what we call the Guillemot and Razorbill.

The Tribe Cepphini, called True Guillemots in the USA, includes the Black Guillemot.

Some, like Puffins, dig burrows on the cliff top. Most of them, like Guillemots, just lay an egg on a bare rock ledge without a nest.

See below for details of some other Auk species.

Puffin

The Puffin basically spends its life at sea and feeds by diving and swimming underwater. Male and female birds look identical with a slight difference in size. We know them for their large unusually shaped black, white and orange bills, but these only appear in the mating season. The colourful outer part drops off after breeding when the birds return to the sea.

It breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Canada, and parts of Britain. Most of the locations it vits in the UK are Scottish islands but they are also found on the Farne Islands, Northumberland; Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire; Skomer Island in Wales and the Scillies.

I was lucky enough to visit Fair Isle (midway between Orkney and mainland Shetland) for very close views of Puffin,

In clifftop colonies it digs a burrow and lays a single egg. Both adults catch sand eels to feed to their chicks and they are able to carry large numbers in their beaks at the same time.

When the chicks fledge, they make their way to the sea by night and will not return to land for several years.

They have historically been a source of food in some isolated parts of Iceland and the Faroe Islands. I am not sure if this continues.

Guillemot and Razorbill

These two are very similar black and white sea birds without the spectacular bill of the Puffin. They lay their eggs on cliff edges rather than in burrows. There is no actual nest and the eggs have a sort of conical shape so they do not roll off the edge.

Uria aalge is the (Common) Guillemot (UK) or Common Murre (US), also called the Thin-billed Murre. It has a long, pointed bill. Guillemot comes from a French form of the name William. Uria comes from the Ancient Greek ouriaa, an unknown waterbird. The Danish aalge is cognate with auk. Murre is of unknown origin but may be onomatopoeic.

Alca torda is the Razorbill or lesser Auk. Its large, flat bill is distinct and gives it its name. Auk and Alca both come from the Norwegian alke, and torda comes from tӧrd a Swedish dialect word. Both words refer to this species.

Both birds are gregarious and breed together. They can be seen at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, where Guillemots vastly outnumber Razorbills. You are unlikely to get near to them but may discern which is which with good binoculars.

Black Guillemot

The UK distribution of Cepphus grylle, the Black Guillemot, is different and it is found mostly along the west coast of Scotland around rocky islets. It is also found on the Isle of Man and the island of Anglesey. I have seen them in Ayr harbour.

Cepphus comes from Ancient Greek kepphos, a pale waterbird mentioned by Aristotle and others. Grylle was a local dialect name for the bird in Gotland.

They are not gregarious like Guillemots and Razorbills and will spend the winter quite near to their summer breeding locations.

See Also

While you are in isolated island or cliff environments look out for these.

• [230] Gannet.
• Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, a smaller much more sea-going version of the [255] Cormorant.
• Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, a tube-nosed Gull-like bird occasionally seen on coastal cliffs.
• Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla, a marine Gull that occasionally nests on cliffs.

[148] Forsythia x intermedia, Border Forsythia

[148] Forsythia x intermedia, Border Forsythia

Introduction

Forsythia x intermedia, Border Forsythia, is a shrub or small tree widely cultivated for its very early display of yellow flowers. It is usually just called Forsythia.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Lamiales

Family – Oleaceae

Tribe – Forsythieae

Genus – Forsythia

Scientific Name – Forsythia x intermedia

There are several named cultivars.

Name

William Forsyth (1737-1804) was a Scottish botanist, a royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Description

The genus Forsythia comes within Oleaceae, the Olive family, which also includes Jasmine, [208] Privet, [150] Ash and Lilac.

There are about a dozen species of Forsythia, mostly of Asian origin. Most of the cultivated varieties come from just two species and Forsythia x intermedia is believed to be a hybrid between these two.

Forsythia x intermedia is a hybrid very specifically defined as Forsythia viridissima crossed with F. suspensa var. fortunei and it owes its origins to the Gӧttingen Botanical Garden, Germany, in 1878, where a seedling plant was discovered. It is usually propagated by cutting but some later attempts to regenerate the hybrid have produced several different cultivars.

It is noticeable for its bright yellow flowers, which are among the earliest to appear in spring. As for many trees the flowers emerge before the leaves.

Habitat and use

Forsythia viridissima and F. suspensa both come from China. The hybrid and both original species are widely cultivated as garden plants.

Other Notes

I feel that Forsythia is one the plants that has its brief moment of glory in the gardening year. When it is not in flower it goes unnoticed.

See also

The Olive family, as noted above is very diverse. We will meet Privet and Ash later and neither of them could be mistaken for Forsythia – or for Olive.

[147] Flavoparmelia caperata, Greenshield Lichen

[147] Flavoparmelia caperata, Greenshield Lichen

Introduction

Flavoparmelia caperata, (Common) Greenshield Lichen, is a common flat Lichen found on trees, rocks and walls.

There are about thirty species of Flavoparmelia, all called Greenshield Lichens.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Fungi

Phylum – Ascomycota

Subphylum – Pezizomycotina

Class – Lecanoromycetes (Lichenized Fungi)

Subclass – Lecanoromycetidae (Mostly Lichen)

Order – Lecanorales (Mostly Lichen)

Family – Paemeliaceae (Bushy Lichens)

Subfamily – Parmelioideae

Genus – Flavoparmelia

Scientific Name – Flavoparmelia caperata

The photobiont is a species of Trebouxia.

Name

I can’t find the derivation of Parmelia, which is the type species for the large family Parmeliaceae. The Latin prefix flavo- means yellow. Caperata looks as if it could mean taken or captured.

Description

I won’t add much to what I said in [141] Oakmoss about Lichen, as Flavoparmelia comes in the same family. Greenshield Lichens are described as foliose Lichen. This means that they have a leafy appearance but I prefer the analogy of peeling paint.

Habitat

Flavoparmelia caperata is common and widespread in Europe and the USA and found in other countries. It is widespread over all of the British Isles apart from eastern Scotland and the northeast of England.

It occurs mostly on the trunks of deciduous trees

Other Notes

This is very common and the most common form of lichen to find on trees.

See also

You will have to wait until after Christmas for our final Lichen.

[146] Festuca glauca, Blue Fescue

[146] Festuca glauca, Blue Fescue

Introduction

Festuca glauca, Blue Fescue, is one of about five hundred species of Fescue. It is widely grown as an ornamental grass for its bluish colour.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Clade – Monocots

Clade – Commelinids

Order – Poales

Family – Poaceae

Subfamily – Pooideae

Supertribe – Poodae

Tribe – Poeae

Subtribe – Lilinae

Genus – Festuca (Fescue)

Scientific Names – Festuca glauca

There are many cultivars of this and other Festuca species.

Name

The Latin Festuca means stem or stalk. Fescue is cognate coming via Old French. I have only ever seen the English word glaucous used in relation to plants and animals – it means a shade of pale blue-grey.

Description

We have seen [074] Fountaingrass, and [097] Pampas Grass, and there are other grasses to come. The Fescues are generally much smaller than these two ornamental varieties but Festuca glauca is large enough to form a specimen display plant.

It has a clumpy nature and its evergreen leaves are blue enough to be unusual.

The flower stalks are relatively insignificant, certainly not as impressive as Pampas Grass!

Habitat and use

My guess is that the hundreds of species of Festuca have a world-wide distribution but I think Festuca glauca has its origins in the Americas.

Many species of Fescue are used as turf grasses, as pasture or hay for livestock, or as ornamental plants.

There are many cultivars of Festuca glauca, which tend to be named specifically as blue.

Other Notes

There are far too many species of grass for me to cover and most of them are far too difficult to identify. An ordinary garden lawn may have dozens of species. You can take this post as representing all the other smaller ornamental varieties that people have in their gardens – not the Pampas Grass and others that may adorn public parks.

See also

You can guess what is to still come from the grass family. There are a few more …

[145] Fatsia Japonica

[145] Fatsia japonica

Introduction

Fatsia Japonica, formerly known as Aralia sieboldii, is a popular house plant that has become equally popular as a garden plant. Although not a climbing plant, it is a close relative of [170] Ivy and has similar, but much larger, flowers.

Its common names include Castor Oil Plant, Japanese Aralia, Fig-leaf Palm, Fatsi and Glossy-leaved Paper Plant.

Ricinus communis, the Castor Bean, is also known as the Castor Oil Plant, so Fatsia Japonica is sometimes called the False Castor Oil Plant.

As with many garden plants, I will stick to its Scientific Name as a Common Name.

Taxonomy

Kingdom -Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Apiales

Family – Araliaceae

Subfamily – Aralioideae

Tribe – Schefflerieae

Genus – Fatsia

Scientific Name – Fatsia japonica

It used to be Aralia sieboldii

Several cultivars are available.

Name

Fatsi and the genus name Fatsia come from the Japanese word for eight, now normally spelt as ‘hachi,’ from its eight-fingered leaf structure.

The name Aralia, which extends to the family Araliaceae, is of unknown origin.

Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1806) was a German physician and botanist who spent much of his life studying Japanese flora and fauna. (Sieboldius is a genus of dragonflies, Ferania sieboldii is a species of water snake, and about a dozen other plant species are also named after Siebold.)

Description

Fatsia Japonica is grown as a houseplant for its decorative leaves rather than its flowers. The leaves are large and palmately shaped, generally with seven, eight or nine lobes.

When grown outside it becomes an evergreen shrub.

The flowers come in inflorescences of many small flowers. They are not the most attractive of garden flowers but do have the advantage of coming in November and December when there is not much competition. Each flower turns into a small fruit that turns black.

The flowers and fruits are very similar to Ivy, but significantly larger.

Habitat and use

Fatsia japonica is native to southern Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

It is available as a cultivated plant in several varieties.

The hybrid x Fatshedera lizei is an unusual inter-generic hybrid with [170] Hedera helix, Common Ivy. (The ‘x’ comes before the genus to show it is inter-generic.)

Other Notes

I remember buying one of these plants many years ago as a house plant. After a year or two it seemed dead so I transplanted it to our garden. It recovered and over the years it was moved twice in the garden. Later we had a conservatory built at the back of the house. Eventually we had to prune the Aralia every year to stop it overshadowing the conservatory!

See also

Ivy is coming soon.

[144] Felis catus, Cat

[144] Felis catus, Cat

Introduction

Felis catus is the familiar domestic cat we all know, often kept as a pet but not quite as domesticated as a pet dog. Some of my pictures are pets of family. Some I have just seen while out on my walks.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Animals

Phylum – Chordates

Class – Mammals

Order – Carnivora

Suborder – Feliformia (All Cats, Hyenas, Mongooses, Meerkats and others)

Family – Felidae (Big Cats and Felinae)

Subfamily – Felinae (Cheetah, Cougar, Lynx and other cats)

Genus – Felis (Small cats)

Scientific Name – Felis catus

In some circle it is regarded as a subspecies of the European Wildcat, Felis sylvestris catus.

Name

Felis is Roman Latin for cat. Cattus, also meaning cat in Latin seems to have arisen about the Sixth Century, possibly from an Arabic or other Near Eastern language.

Species of Cats

We have a problem in names as happens often in Biology. We can use the word ‘Cat’ to mean a general animal that is cat-like as opposed to dog-like. So, it can refer to all species in Feliformia; or in the family Felidae; or in the subfamily Felinae; or in the genus Felis, or just to the (domestic) cat.

Several things generally distinguish cat-like carnivores from dog-like carnivores, although I won’t be precise at which level these are significant. They are general guidelines.

• Cats generally have retractable claws. Dogs cannot retract their claws.
• Cats are more completely carnivorous and have different teeth structures.
• Cats can be adapted to tree climbing.
• The key defining difference lies in the structure of the bones surrounding the inner ears.

Of the two main subfamilies, the smaller cats in Felinae can purr but cannot roar. The Pantherinae (often called Big Cats) have a different structure to their larynxes that allows them to roar.

The genus Felis includes the smallest cat species, including the European Wildcat still found in Scotland.

Description

You know what cats look like. They are active in the day but tend towards nocturnal activities and have excellent vision in the dark.

Their claws are retractable and are usually retracted. They are extended in hunting, self-defence, climbing and in the peculiar action known as kneading. [Kneading is the action of sheathing and unsheathing the claws of their front paws, often alternating between left and right. They generally purr at the same time and it may be a remnant of a maternal sign of affection.]

Whiskers are useful sensory devices because a cat can get through any hole if its head can pass through.

The way cats walk is unusual for mammals. It moves the two left feet before moving the two right feet. This enables it to place the hind paw very close to the previous position of its front paw, minimizing the sound it makes and its tracks. It can speed up to a trotting motion, where diagonally opposite legs move together.

A cat has a very good balance and has the ability to always fall on its feet. If it is upside down when falling, it needs less than a metre to turn its body, which it does by rotating the front first.

Habitat and use

Cats were domesticated about 10 000 years ago, initially somewhere in the Near East. They are now widely kept as pets and are very common in the UK and ,amy other countries.

Cats are not like dogs. Dogs either see their owners as other dominant dogs or they see themselves as humans. They fit into the family and get to know and love their owners. They are relatively easy to train to do simple tasks.

Cats are independent and stay fairly wild at heart. They think of their ‘owners’ as conveniences and are more attached to the location than the people. Many cats wander around and adopt three or four owners – they may stay for periods (and be fed) at different houses and move on to the next one when they feel like it. Cats are not easy to train.

If abandoned or just unwanted, cats can easily become feral. A young kitten needs human contact at a critical time, somewhere around from one to two months of age. Without this contact they are effectively wild and almost impossible to domesticate at a later age.

Types and Breeds

About sixty breeds are recognized. Breeds only originated about 1850. There is not the same degree of variation as with dogs but some variation in colouring, size and furriness.

This one is somewhat like a Siamese but I am no expert and it may not be a purebred cat.

Other Notes

Cats come up many times in history, mythology and are, of course, anthropomorphised in children’s literature. They also are associated with many superstitions and been associated with witches, often as familiars.

See also

We don’t have any native species of lions or tigers so you are unlikely to meet any other cat-like animals.

[143] Fallopia baldschuanica, Bukhara Fleeceflower

[143] Fallopia baldschuanica, Bukhara Fleeceflower

Introduction

Fallopia baldschuanica is a rapidly spreading vine plant, native to Asia, and becoming naturalized and invasive in Britain. It has several common names and is sold as Russian Vine or Mile-a-minute Plant, but I will call it Bukhara Fleeceflower. Other names include Chinese Fleecevine and Silver Lace Vine and there are several options about spelling and hyphenation.

It may sometimes still be called by its synonym Polygonum baldschuanica.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Caryophyllales

Family – Polygonaceae

Subfamily – Polygonoideae

Tribe – Polygoneae

Genus – Fallopia

Scientific Name – Fallopia baldschuanica

Synonyms include Polygonum baldschuanicum, Bilderdykia baldschuanica, Fagopyrum baldschuanicum, Tiniana baldschuanica and Reynoutria baldschuanica. (The ending of the species epithet has to change to match the genus gender.)

Name

Its names come from several countries where it was found as a native plant. Bukhara is in Uzbekistan.

The genus Fallopia was first defined by Michael Adanson, (1727-1806) a French botanist, in 1763, who did not explain the name. It is believed to come from the Italian botanist Gabrielle Falloppio (1523-62), superintendent of the botanical garden at Padua. He was also an important anatomist and among other things gave his name to the Fallopian tubes.

I can’t find a definitive origin for baldschuanica, which is also the epithet for a species of Jurinea plant but I think comes from Baldschuwon or Baldzhuvon (БАЛҶУВОН) in Tajikistan, 700 km away from Bukhara. It must come from a place rather than a person because it’s in nominative adjective form in Latin rather than genitive singular.

Description

Many members of the genus Polygonum have recently been moved out into the genera Bistorta, Fagopyrum, Koenigia, Fallopia, Persicaria and Reynoutia. The genus Fallopia now has about a dozen members, a mixture of shrubs and climbing plants.

Bukhara Fleeceflower is a spreading climber. Its leaves are simply shaped and pointed.

It supposedly spreads to ten metres but the following picture from a local park could be single plant.

As you can see, it is covered in white flowers.

You need to look very closely to see the individual flowers.

The fruits are tiny and flat and they eventually turn black.

Habitat and use

Fallopia baldschuanica is native to a large area of Russia and the former USSR.

It is grown as a cultivated plant, often to cover and obscure walls.

Other Notes

I see this plant in wild places where it has escaped but it doesn’t seem to be a major invasive problem yet in Britain.

I wasn’t expecting to have to look up the Tajik language and orthography for this blog.

See also

[298] Reynoutria japonica, Japanese Knotweed, is a close relative that is considered to be invasive in Britain.

[142] Fagus sylvatica, Beech

[142] Fagus sylvatica, Beech

Introduction

Fagus sylvatica, the (European) Beech, is a common and widespread deciduous tree often grown for hedges. It is also called the Common Beech but I will just refer to it as a Beech. Other Fagus species also have names including the word beech.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Fagales

Family – Fagaceae (Beech, Oak, Chestnut and others)

Subfamily – Fagoideae (Just Fagus)

Genus – Fagus (Beech)

Scientific Name – Fagus sylvatica

The Copper Beech is sometimes called Fagus sylvatica purpurea.

Name

The Latin name for this tree is fagus, which is cognate with beech, both coming from something like bhago. The origin of both words has been proposed (as the Beech Argument) as an indication of the geographical origins of Indo-European languages.

(If you look back to [138] Hemp-agrimony you can see how words change over thousands of years.)

The Latin sylvaticus means ‘of the woods,’ which is a bit like saying it’s a tree!

Description

There are many trees in parks and gardens and streets. Beech trees are generally unnoticed with their ordinary leaf-shaped leaves.

The next pictures show lots of shoots trying to emerge from the base of the trunk. I suspect that pruning back these shoots in public park areas just encourages more vigorous sprouting each year.

Copper Beech

The Copper Beech or Purple Beech, sometimes called Fagus sylvatica purpurea, arose as a mutation in 1690 in Germany. About 99% of Copper Beech throughout the World are presumed to come from a single tree. As the name suggests its leaves are coloured a coppery brown or purple, sometimes turning to a dark green.

Habitat and use

Fagus sylvatica is native to much of Europe, excluding Scandinavia and the Iberian area.

The Beech tree is considered to be native to southern England and may have been introduced by Neolithic Man.

Several cultivated varieties are available, many of which are the Copper Beech.

Other Notes

Beech trees are deciduous in the normal sense. In the autumn the leaves turn brown, die and fall off. In spring new leaves are generated.

But for a Beech tree of any height, the leaves of the lower two to three metres stay on the tree over winter. Because of this, they are often used as garden hedges. They continue to form a barrier even in winter.

Apart from these hedges, which I only notice in winter, my impression is that almost all Beech trees in parks and gardens are copper beech. This may because the others are not so noticeable.

See also

There are more trees to come…

[141] Evernia prunastri, Oakmoss

[141] Evernia prunastri, Oakmoss

Introduction

Evernia prunastri, Oakmoss or Oak-moss, is not a moss. It is a common and widespread species of Lichen that grows on trees.

This post will also consider Lichen in general

Taxonomy

See below under Lichen.

Kingdom – Fungi

Phylum – Ascomycota

Subphylum – Pezizomycotina

Class – Lecanoromycetes (Lichenized Fungi)

Subclass – Lecanoromycetidae (Mostly Lichen)

Order – Lecanorales (Mostly Lichen)

Family – Paemeliaceae (Bushy Lichens)

Subfamily – Parmelioideae

Genus – Evernia

Scientific Name – Evernia prunastri

Its original name was Lichen prunastri

The photobiont is a species of Trebouxia, a single-celled Green Alga.

Name

The word lichen, which can be used in an uncountable form, derives from the Ancient Greek word for some types of lichen.

Moss is an old English word that can be used for algae or lichen as well as for true Mosses. We have already seen [079] Irish Moss.

The derivation of the Scientific name is uncertain. Evernia, from Latin or Ancient Greek roots, could mean ‘growing well,’ and prunastri could relate to a tree in the genus Prunus, possibly Prunus spinosa, the Blackthorn.

Lichen

Lichen (either pronounced as ‘liken’ or rhyming with ‘kitchen,’) is a peculiar group of organisms that are hard to define taxonomically because they are actually two (or more) organisms in a symbiotic relationship. Each type of lichen consists of a species of Fungus containing within itself either a species of Green Algae or Cyanobacteria (or sometimes both). The fungus part is called a mycobiont. The other part, which provides food by photosynthesis, is called a photobiont – If it is an alga, it’s a phycobiont; for cyanobacteria, it’s a cyanobiont. There are other types of algae (not just green algae) that can, rarely, be symbionts and there may be more than one symbiont.

[You don’t have to know all this! The Green Algae are mostly single-celled and are not like the seaweeds we will meet later as [352] Green Algae. The Cyanobacteria are even smaller than single-celled organisms.]

The types of lichen that are commonly seen look like tiny plants or peeling paint. They are found on rocks or walls or living trees.

There are about 20 000 species of Lichen fungi but only a hundred species of associated photobionts. They are very slow-growing but also very long-lived and may be among the oldest known organisms.

Taxonomically, Lichens used to be considered separately but they are now defined by their fungal component as if they were simple fungi. As added complications, some fungi may form more than one type of lichen by associating with different symbionts. Both components of the symbiosis usually live together but, in some circumstances, each can survive without the other. 

Description

Oakmoss is described as a fruticose lichen, forming a coral-like shrubby structure. It is found on trees but is not parasitical. The tree just provides a suitable location for the lichen. Its growth rate is of the order of one millimetre per year.

It is very pale green in colour.

You may find different types of lichen together or mixtures with moss. Here is Oakmoss growing with [363] Sunburst Lichen.

Habitat and use

Evernia prunastri is found over western and central Europe and North America. It occurs all over the United Kingdom.

It mainly grows on the trunk and branches of Oak trees but is also found on many other deciduous and coniferous trees.

Oakmoss is commercially harvested over Europe and is extensively used in the perfume industry.

Other Notes

Lichen can grow on any trees, especially established or slow growing ones.

See also

Only three types of lichen were common and recognizable enough for selection in these blogs and the next one will appear within a week …

[140] Eupteryx aurata and other Leafhoppers

[140] Eupteryx aurata, Potato Leafhopper

Eupteryx decemnotata, Sage Leafhopper

Eupteryx urticae

Introduction

Eupteryx is a genus of Leafhoppers, small insects that may be found on leaves. There are about twenty species of Eupteryx that may be found in Britain. They are not usually given common names.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Animals

Phylum – Arthropods

Class – Insects

Order – Hemiptera

Superfamily – Membracoidea

Family – Cicadellidae (Leafhoppers)

Subtribe – Eupterygina

Genus – Eupteryx

Scientific Name – Eupteryx aurata, Eupteryx decemnotata, Eupteryx urticae and others

Name

These tiny insects more or less live on leaves and they have hind legs modified for jumping so they are called leafhoppers. There are about 20 000 species so it is not surprising that they don’t all have common names.

The suffix ‘-pteryx’ basically means wing. The prefix ‘eu-’ means good or true. So, maybe ‘Eupteryx’ means that it really is a true insect (together with a million or so other species!) The Latin species epithets are golden (aurata) ten-marked (decemnotata) and relating to stinging nettle (urticae.)

Description

Like other members of Hemiptera, the leafhoppers are hemimetabolous Insects. They suck the plant sap from plants, grasses and trees. They are widely distributed over the World. Some are very specific as to their plant host and some are more general. There are other related bugs called treehoppers and froghoppers and they all look very similar unless you get a very close view. They are typically about 3 millimetres in length.

Leafhoppers within the genus Eupteryx may need very close examination to determine the species.

Eupteryx aurata

Sometimes called the Potato Leafhopper, this species is most often found on nettles and [306] Brambles.

Eupteryx decemnotata

This is common in Europe but not so common in the UK. It is usually found on Sage and may be called the Sage Leafhopper

Eupteryx urticae

This one is common and, as its Scientific Name suggests, it is most often found on [353] Stinging Nettles.

Other Notes

You will need a good camera with macro facility to photograph these insects but at least they generally keep still. When they do move, it an instantaneous jump and you may have to look hard to see where they landed.

As for most of my insects, I am helped by Facebook groups to identify species.

[139] Euphorbia characias, Mediterranean Spurge

[139] Euphorbia characias, Mediterranean Spurge

Introduction

Euphorbia characias, Mediterranean Spurge, also known as Albanian Spurge, is an evergreen shrub cultivated as a garden plant. It has large complex inflorescences on structures that look like green coloured flowers.

The name Spurge is used in general for the family Euphorbiaceae and for many of its members.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Malpighiales

Family – Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)

Subfamily – Euphorbiodeae

Tribe – Euphorbieae

Subtribe – Euphorbiinae (Just Euphorbia)

Genus – Euphorbia (Spurges)

Scientific Name – Euphorbia characias

It has several synonyms including Euphorbia wulfenii for the subspecies A c wulfenii.

There are many cultivars which may have greyish or blue foliage.

Name

Spurge comes from the Middle English espurge meaning purge, from the use of the milky sap as a purgative.

Euphorbia comes from Euphorbos (52BC – 23 AD), the Greek physician of King Juba II of Numibia (modern northern Algeria), who married the daughter of Anthony and Cleopatra. Juba wrote about a species Euphorbia obtusifolia regis-jubae, which he named after his doctor.

Characias comes from the name for this species, kharakhias, used by the Greek botanist Pedanius Dioscorides (c40-90 AD).

Franz Xaver von Wulfen (1728-1805), was an Austrian botanist with several plants named after him.

Description

Euphorbiaceae is one of the largest families of plants with about 7 500 species in 300 genera.

All those in the subfamily Euphorbioideae (including Euphorbia and the Rubber tree) produce caustic, poisonous milky sap.

Six other closely related species in the subtribe Euphorbiinae have recently all been merged within Euphorbia, which is now the only member of its subtribe. The genus Euphorbia has about 2 000 species. Many species are succulent and can be mistaken for cactus.

Euphorbia species have a unique flower structure. The inflorescence looks like a single flower but is a fusion of many tiny flowers, which have no petals or sepals. The supporting structure underneath this false flower gives the impression of a green flower. The flowers themselves do not produce nectar but this structure underneath, the involucre, does produce nectar.

Mediterranean spurge is a small evergreen shrub.

It has thick bunches of long, thin leaves, slightly bluish in colour, attached to tall, thick stems.

Its complex flowers structures look like large green flowers.

Habitat and use

There are two subspecies, E c characias and E c wulfenii, with different ranges covering most of temperate Europe, but not Britain. Both subspecies are cultivated and both have named cultivars.

Other Notes

This plant is more likely to be seen in public parks and gardens than in domestic gardens.

See also

The familiar Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is a close relative noted for vivid red bracts that look like flowers. Poinsettia is the most widely produced houseplant in the world. About seventy million are produced around Christmas just in the USA.

[138] Eupatorium cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony

[138] Eupatorium cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony

Introduction

Eupatorium cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony (or Hemp-agrimony) is a shrub in the Aster family that produces large inflorescences of tiny pink flowers.

It should be not confused with Cannabis sativa, Hemp (or Cannabis), or Agrimonia eupatoria, Agrimony, both of which are unrelated species.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Asterales

Family – Asteraceae

Subfamily – Asteroideae

Supertribe – Helianthodae

Tribe – Eupatorieae (200 genera, over 2000 species)

Subtribe – Eupatoriinae

Genus – Eupatorium

Scientific Name – Eupatorium cannabinum

Name

Although it is clear what hemp and agrimony are, it is not clear why this plant is called after them both. They are both very far away taxonomically and their flowers are completely different. The long, pointed leaves may have some similarities.

When it comes to Scientific Names it starts to look a bit circular. Eupatorium comes from Mithridates Eupator (135-63 BC), King of Pontus (Turkey and the Black Sea area) and later known as Mithridates the Great. Cannabinum obviously comes from hemp (Cannabis.) I don’t know whether Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) gets its species epithet from Eupatorium or vice versa – or why either of them was named after Mithridates! [Eupator is a sort of nickname, meaning ‘good father,’ that was used for Mithridates VI.]

The ancient Greek kannabis went via very Old German hanapiz and Old English to hemp, so cannabis and hemp are really the same word. So is ‘canvas!’

Description

I won’t go into the taxonomy of the Aster family again but you can get an idea of its complexity from the list of sections above. All 2 000 species in the tribe Eupatorieae have only disc florets and white or almost white petals.

The genus Eupatorium has been considered to contain up to 800 species, most of which have now been moved to thirteen other genera. It won’t surprise you that the taxonomy of the tribe Eupatorieae is currently under discussion.

Hemp Agrimony is a bushy perennial plant that produces large inflorescences of light pink or mauve florets.

Habitat and use

Eupatorium cannabinum is native to much of Europe. The other species of Eupatorium come from Asia or North America. It has been used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent for respiratory diseases.

Eupatorium cannabinum and other species of Eupatorium are available as cultivated varieties.

Other Notes

This species is popular with insects such as butterflies, as for [060] Buddleja.

See also

[309] Santolina chamaecyparissus, Lavender Cotton, will be interesting to etymologists, as it is not related to Lavender or to Cotton or to Chamaecyparis.

[137] Euonymus europaeus, Spindle

[137] Euonymus europaeus, Spindle

Introduction

Euonymus europaeus, Spindle, is a deciduous shrub or small tree, widely grown in parks and gardens for its attractive autumn fruits. It is also known as the European Spindle or Common Spindle.

Other species of Euonymus are also cultivated, including Euonymus japonicus, the Japanese Spindle.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants_

Order – Celestrales

Family – Celestraceae

Genus – Euonymus

Scientific Name – Euonymus europaeus

Name

The wood from Euonymus europaeus was traditionally used in England to make spindles for spinning wool. The Latin name for this plant comes from Ancient Greek euonymus, meaning good-name or lucky. It may have come from a figure in Greek mythology called Euonymus.

The plant may have given the name to the Ancient Greek settlement Euonymeia, which was a significant area in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries BC, but is now incorporated into the urban suburbs of Athens.

Description

The 130 species of Euonymus have many different local names and have various forms.

Euonymus europaeus is a deciduous plant growing to about five metres. In summer the leaves and flowers are insignificant but the fruits develop into colourful purple-pink capsules.

When ripe, the fruit splits to reveal orange seeds.

In the autumn its leaves turn to attractive red colours.

Habitat and use

Euonymus europaeus is native to most of Europe, including the UK.

It is a popular garden plant and is available in a number of cultivars. Several other species of Euonymus are also cultivated.

See also

Euonymus japonicus, Japanese Spindle, is an evergreen species and is sometimes called Evergreen Spindle. It is native to Japan, China and Korea and is widely cultivated. Many of its cultivars have yellow or variegated leaves.

[136] Escallonia rubra, Redclaws

[136] Escallonia rubra, Redclaws

Introduction

Escallonia rubra, Redclaws, is a South American plant with attractive red flowers, widely cultivated as a hedge plant.

It is sometimes just called Red Escallonia.

Other species of Escallonia, with red, pink or white flowers, are cultivated as hedge plants.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Escalloniales

Family – Escalloniaceae

Genus – Escallonia

Scientific Name – Escallonia rubra

It has about thirty scientific synonyms, all of which are Escallonia species or subspecies.

Many cultivated varieties are available.

Name

Escallion was an Eighteenth-Century Spanish traveller who discovered these plants. Rubra means red.

Description

Escalloniaceae is a small family of uncertain taxonomy that has been placed on its own in the order Escalloniales. Two other families have been merged with it, but it still only has seven genera and just over a hundred species About forty of these are species of Escallionia, which are all fairly similar to each other.

Escallionia rubra has attractive glossy, serrated evergreen leaves.

The prominent pink or red, trumpet-shaped flowers give the plant its name, Redclaws.

Habitat and use

All Escallonia are native to South America. Escallonia rubra comes from southern Chile and Argentina.

It is widely cultivated as a hedge plant and has naturized in Europe, the USA and New Zealand.

Other Escallonia species are also cultivated as hedges.

Other Notes

This is one of many species with attractive flowers that are cultivated as hedges so that their flowers are generally lost in regular pruning. This, of course, makes them more difficult to identify but I have found them in a few places locally.

See also

I won’t list all the hedge species but there are a few more to come.

[135] Erithacus rubecula, Robin

[135] Erithacus rubecula

Introduction

Erithacus rubecula, the Robin, is a familiar garden bird that is relatively tame in Britain but not elsewhere.

It is also known as the European Robin.

It should not be confused with the American Robin or other birds called robins or magpie-robins. There is a tendency to call any bird with similar coloration a robin of some sort.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Animals

Phylum – Chordates

Class – Aves (Birds)

Order – Passeriformes (Song birds or Perching birds)

Family – Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers)

Subfamily – Erithacinae (African Forest Robins) or Saxicolinae (Chats)

Genus – Erithacus

Scientific Name – Erithacus rubecula

Until recently the Robin was a member of the Thrush family, Turdidae. As we have seen often, species are being redefined taxonomically by DNA analysis and the Robin is now no longer a Thrush. Its position is uncertain and could be in a subfamily with some African flycatchers, or in the Chat subfamily.

Name

This bird used to be called just a Redbreast and it was named long ago when the colour red included what we now call orange or orange-brown. Then it was anthropomorphised and given the alliterative name Robin Redbreast, which is still sometimes used.

Erithacus comes from the Ancient Greek name of an unknown bird now assumed to be a Robin. Rubecula from Latin roots means red.

Description

Erithacus rubecula is a small bird with dark brown upperparts and light brown underparts. The face and breast are a bright orange colour.

They usually eat insects and small invertebrates but can eat berries and fruit in the winter – or seeds from birdfeeders.

They are fiercely territorial and will often fight to the death to defend their territories. In the Winter pairs separate and the females also become territorial. (The male stays in the same place and the female finds a nearby territory.) Unlike most birds they continue to sing through the Winter to advertise their presence and both males and females sing.

They are found in woodlands but are very much associated with people.

Young birds have mottled brown breasts.

Habitat and use

Robins are widespread and common over Europe. British birds are usually resident all year.

We associate Robins with Christmas and Christmas cards often show pictures of Robins in the snow. The association started in Victorian times when postmen wore red uniforms, so the Robin Redbreast became associated with the delivery of Christmas cards.

Other Notes

As an island nation, our isolated population of Robins seem very tame. They come very close to people, especially in gardens. This has been said to be because it associates us with Wild Boar, which disturb the soil and release insects for the Robins to eat. On the continent of Europe, where they have been hunted in the past, they are much more wary and difficult to approach.

I often see birdfeeders put out in country locations. They may be visited by several Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Dunnock and many other species but there will never be two Robins eating what is offered. They will fight to the death first rather than cooperating.

See also

Look out for other garden birds and birds that come to birdfeeders, such as [067] the Goldfinch, that we have met already. I would have said look out for [348] Thrushes (including [347] Blackbirds) but the Robin is no longer a Thrush.

[134] Erinaceus europaeus, Hedgehog

[134] Erinaceus europaeus, Hedgehog

Introduction

Erinaceus europaeus, the Hedgehog, is a small mammal now rarely seen in Britain, easily recognisable from its spines.

There are seventeen species of Hedgehog. This one is the European Hedgehog or West European Hedgehog or Common Hedgehog. Hedgehogs have also been called hedgepigs, furze-pigs and urchins.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Animals

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Mammals

Order – Eulipotyphia (Hedgehogs, shrews and moles)

Family – Erinaceidae (Hedgehogs and gymnures)

Subfamily – Erinaceinae (Hedgehogs)

Genus – Erinaceus

Scientific Name – Erinaceus europaeus

Name

The name hedgehog comes from Middle English hedge-hog because it frequented hedges and had a pig-like snout.

Furze is an old name for the very prickly plant [351] Gorse. Urchin, coming from the Latin for hedgehog ericius, now survives meaning a mischievous child or ragamuffin, and more often in the name sea urchin. [Sorry, no sea urchins to come in this blog.]

Erinaceus is another form of the Latin for hedgehog.

Description

Much of taxonomy has been completely restructured over recent years following DNA analysis methods. Hedgehogs used to be in the order Insectivora, although they are not insectivores. This general grouping was shown to be paraphyletic and so new orders have been defined. Erinaceidae remains as a family – it consists of hedgehogs and a group of obscure small mammals call moonrats or gymnures.

Hedgehogs are covered in spines, which makes them superficially look like the unrelated species of porcupines and the Echidna. They can roll into a ball, which leaves them well defended by the spines.

They are nocturnal and omnivorous and will eat earthworms, insects, millipedes, slugs and snails and occasionally, mushrooms, roots and berries. They compete with Badgers for food and their man predators are Badgers.

Hibernation

They may hibernate in winter and during hibernation their body temperature reduces from about 30-35 ˚C to 2-5˚C. They may wake once or twice to move their nests during hibernation.

Habitat and use

The European Hedgehog is native to Western Europe but has been introduced elsewhere. It is now an invasive species in New Zealand and in some island in the Hebrides.

They live in a variety of habitats but are rare in coniferous woodland, marsh and moorland. They need suitable locations for hibernation and are now mostly found in gardens, parks and open land near human settlements.

Numbers have been declining in Britain but are still estimated at about a million.

They are a protected species and may not be kept as pets but other species of hedgehog are kept as pets. I think they are more popular in the USA (where there are no native hedgehogs.)

Other Notes

Significant numbers are killed while crossing roads.

It is no surprise to see anthropomorphised hedgehogs in Children’s literature such as Beatrix Potter. I suppose I also have to mention Sonic the Hedgehog, a very popular character in the world of computer games and spinoff films.

It is said that all hedgehogs have hundreds of Hedgehog Fleas (Archaeopsylla erinacei) but those in New Zealand have none. Hedgehogs survived the long journey but the fleas did not.

I have only seen three hedgehogs in the last fifty years but I have been able to photograph two of them. My most recent sightings have been in urban locations within the town of Cheltenham.

See also

We do have moles and some species of shrews but you are very unlikely to see one. To be honest you may never see a hedgehog.

[133] Erigeron canadensis, Horseweed

[133] Erigeron canadensis, Horseweed

Erigeron sumatrensis, Guernsey Fleabane

Introduction

Erigeron canadensis, Horseweed, is an annual plant native to Central and North America but now naturalised and invasive in much of Eurasia and Australia. It is also called Canadian Horseweed, Canadian Fleabane, Coltstail, Marestail or Butterweed.

Erigeron sumatrensis, Guernsey Fleabane, is very similar but slightly larger, probably native to South America, also naturalised and invasive in many countries. Its other names include Tall Fleabane, Broad-leaved Fleabane, White Horseweed and Sumatran Fleabane. It is available as a cultivated garden plant.

I will consider both species together.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Asterales

Family – Asteraceae

Genus – Erigeron

Scientific Name – Erigeron canadensis, Erigeron sumatrensis

Both species have Conyza synonyms.

Names

Common Names are always difficult. There is a genus called Pulicaria, which we call Fleabanes. In particular Pulicaria dysenterica is called Common Fleabane. Americans do it the other way round. They call Erigeron canadensis Fleabane and to them all Pulicaria are False Fleabanes.

I would say, go for Scientific Names, but be careful. For both of these species the genus may be Erigeron or it might be Conyza. Both names are used for both species.

That leaves us with hundreds of species called fleabanes in Erigeron and Conyza and Pulicaria – and other genera – derived from the idea that the dried plants repelled fleas or were poisonous to fleas.

Erigeron comes from Greek ‘eri-geron’ meaning ‘early morning – old man’ from the white hairs of the fruit soon after flowering. Conyza is apparently the Greek for fleabane.

The origins of Erigeron sumatrensis must have been obscure – unless the botanists got Guernsey and Sumatra mixed up.

Description

My first impression of these species is that they are like [041] Mugwort (with a name not completely unrelated to fleabane,) but narrower.

But unlike Mugwort, these two are annuals. They don’t begin to appear until August but they do grow rapidly. A single stem soon reaches a height of a metre or two.

Everything about Erigeron is unimpressive. Long thin stems, long thin leaves, and tiny white flowers that, even in large numbers, are almost unnoticed.

They become a little more noticeable when the flowers turn to seed heads much like tiny dandelion clocks.

Later in the year they spread a bit more and develop more leaves at the base.

• 

There is nothing obvious to distinguish the two species but E sumatrensis does grow significantly larger.

Habitat and use

Both are widespread and seem to grow everywhere. Both are available for cultivation.

Erigeron canadensis seems to spring up particularly from cracks in pavements and the cracks between the road surface and the pavement.

Pictured below is presumably Erigeron Sumatrensis from local public ornamental gardens, where it looks as if they have been planted deliberately.

Other Notes

I can’t see these other than as invasive weeds.

See also

Not one of my favourites but we have some other invasive weeds about. As stated above, [041] Mugwort  has much in common with these species.

[132] Erica carnea and others, Heathers

[132] Erica Species, Heath or Heather

Introduction

Erica carnea, Spring Heath, and Erica lusitanica, Portuguese Heath, are two similar species often just called Heather or Heath. They are cultivated as garden plants as are many other species of Erica and several hybrids.

Erica carnea is also called Winter Heath or Alpine Heath. Erica lusitanica is also called Spanish Heath.

Calluna vulgaris is a very similar species recently removed from the genus Erica, which still has about a thousand species. (There is only one species in Calluna.) Calluna vulgaris may be called (Common) Heather or Ling.

For most purposes I will treat these three species (and others) together.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Ericales

Family – Ericaceae

Subfamily – Ericoideae (Rhododendron, Heathers and others)

Tribe – Ericeae

Genus – Erica

Scientific Name – Erica carnea, Spring Heath

                             Erica lusitanica, Portuguese Heath

There are hundreds of cultivars and hybrids available and hundreds of similar species.

Name

Heather, from Old English, and Ling, from Old Norse, are words for the plant. Heath may be cognate but also has the meaning of open moorland.

Erica is the Latin name for these plants probably from the Ancient Greek ereike. Carnea, from the Latin, means flesh-pink. Lusitanica is the Modern Latin name for Portugal and Spain.

Calluna probably comes from the Greek kalluno meaning to beautify or sweep clean, from its use in household brooms.

Description

Species within the genus Erica are normally small perennial shrubs although specimens in gardens may be too small to be seen as shrubs. They are evergreen and have tiny, needle-shaped leaves that may not be noticed when the plants are in flower.

The small, bell-shaped flowers grow in inflorescences with lots of tightly bunched racemes, which can cover the whole plant.

• Erica carnea is very low, up to about twenty centimetres in height, and may spread as a ground cover plant. Its flowers are usually dark pink or purple. It flowers in spring, sometimes in late winter when still covered in snow. It has over a hundred cultivars differing in flower and leaf colour.

• Erica lusitanica is larger, growing to about two metres, with large numbers of tiny white flowers. It also flowers in winter and spring.

• Calluna vulgaris is often seen in the wild and forms the kind of moorland that can be called heath. It may be managed by sheep, cattle or burning in grouse moors. It normally flowers from July to September.

Habitat and use

Calluna vulgaris is native to Europe and has been introduced elsewhere. The Erica species are all introduced species in the UK.

Erica carnea is native to mountainous areas of central, eastern and Southern Europe. It typically grows in coniferous woodland or on stony slopes. Erica lusitanica is native to Portugal and Spain.

All three species (and other Erica species) are widely cultivated as garden plants and have naturalized in many places.

See also

The nearest relatives of these plants do not look similar to them. The family Ericaceae includes Cranberry, Blueberry and Rhododendron (which includes what we know as Azalea) none of which will appear in this blog.