Hypericum calycinum is a very common garden plant often used in hedges and sometimes called Rose of Sharon. It is also known as Aaron’s Beard, Great St-John’s Wort, Creeping St-John’s Wort and Jerusalem Star. To be honest, as a garden plant it is generally called Hypericum.
Rose of Sharon is commonly quoted as an example of the ambiguity of common names as it is also used for Hibiscus syriacus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and varieties of Malus domestica and Paeonia lactiflora. In some English versions of the Bible the expression Rose of Sharon is used for what may be a Crocus, Tulip, Narcissus (Daffodil) or Lilium candidum.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Malphigiales
Family – Hypericaceae
Genus – Hypericum
Section – Ascyreia
Scientific Name – Hypericum calycinum
Name
The name ‘Rose of Sharon’ appears in the Bible and seems to have been adopted by several plants with no justification. From another Biblical quotation, Aaron’s beard comes from the many stamens in the open flowers.
See tomorrow for St John’s Wort.
Hypericum is probably Latinized from the Greek hyper-eikon meaning above-picture, from the tradition of hanging plants over religious icons on that day. Calycinum comes from calyx, the botanical term for the sepals of the flower.
Description
Hypericum calycinum is described as a low growing, creeping bushy plant but cultivated varieties grow to the stature of a shrub and can be used as hedges. The stems are reddish. Leaves are dark green in what we think of as a typical leaf shape.
The undersides of the leaves ate net-veined.
Its distinctive flowers, which can be profuse and long-lasting, are fairly large, bright yellow and in the form of an open five-petalled star. There are many obvious long stamens.
Fruits are in the form of a capsule which splits to release the seeds.
Habitat and use
Hypericum calycinum is native to Bulgaria and Turkey and adjacent areas.
It has been traditionally used as a herbal remedy to reduce muscle spasms and for asthma.
It is widely cultivated as a garden plant. Some of the five hundred species of Hypericum are also cultivated and there are many hybrids and cultivars. Almost all varieties have yellow flowers.
See also
We will see a wild relative, St John’s Wort, tomorrow.
Hylotelephium telephium, Orpine, is a common garden plant with many common and scientific names.
Its other common names include Livelong, Frog’s Stomach, Harping Johnny, Life-everlasting, Live-forever, Midsummer-men, Orphan John and Witch’s Moneybags.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Saxifragales
Family – Crassulaceae
Subfamily – Sempervivoideae
Tribe – Telephieae
Genus – Hylotelephium
Scientific Name – Hylotelephium telephium
It has over fifty synonyms including its original name Sedum telephium.
There are many varieties and named cultivars.
Name
Opine come via Old French from Latin auripigmentum meaning gold-colour.
This plant has been known as telephion to the Ancient Greeks, so it was originally called Sedum telephium. It was split off with several other species to become Telephium telephium before becoming Hylotelephium telephium. (Current rules do not allow the species epithet to be the same as the genus for plants, although it is allowed and fairly common for animals.) the prefix hylo- means wood. The Greek telephion seems to come from a surgical term for an ulcer, which in turn comes from King Telephus, who suffered from a spear wound that would not heal.
Description
Orpine grows as a large bush with serrated, succulent leaves.
The large inflorescences of tiny buds grow into flowers coloured various shades of purple-pink.
Habitat and use
Orpine is native to Europe and Asia but has been introduced and naturalized elsewhere, especially North America where it is considered invasive.
It was known as early as the First Century. Its young leaves can be eaten raw and the leaves and tubers are eaten cooked.
The Romans used it to treat wounds and later for ulcers.
It is now widely cultivated as a garden plant in many varieties.
See also
The genus Sedum still has hundreds of species but is still considered to be widely polyphyletic, despite many of its former species being moved within the subfamily Sempervivoideae. See [312] Stonecrop.
Hyacinthus orientalis, the (Common) Hyacinth, is an early Spring flowering bulb plant, common as an indoor houseplant but also grown in gardens. It may be called the Garden Hyacinth or Dutch Hyacinth but it is usually just called a Hyacinth.
We have the usual problem with names. Apart from other species of Hyacinthus, watch out for Muscari, Grape Hyacinth (See below); Lablab purpureus, Hyacinth Bean; Eichhornia Crassipes, Water Hyacinth; Anodorhynchus hyacinthus, the Hyacinth Macaw and the Hyacinth breed of Pigeon!
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Clade – Monocots
Order – Asparagales
Family – Asparagaceae
Subfamily – Scilloideae
Tribe – Hyacintheae
Subtribe – Hyacinthinae
Genus – Hyacinthus
Scientific Name – Hyacinthus orientalis
There are many cultivars.
Name
You will not be surprised when I reveal that Hyacinth was a figure in Ancient Greek Mythology, Hyakinthos. He was a Spartan prince and a lover of the god Apollo. Apollo accidentally killed Hyacinth in a game of quoits and created the flower Hyacinth from his dying blood.
He was later resurrected by Apollo and became immortal. In Sparta he has celebrated in an annual festival in the summer month of Hyacinthia.
The flower is said to be deep blue with an inscription resembling ‘AI’ on its petals, but this now seems to be another plant, the Larkspur (Delphinium.) You will remember from yesterday why [178] the Bluebell has the epithet non-scripta.
[I know we wouldn’t believe these tales nowadays but Greek Mythology was a long time ago.]
Description
By now you will expect me to describe the Hyacinth as a typical Monocot. Well, it produces a single spike with flowers, surrounded by a ring of long thin vertical leaves – yes, it’s a typical monocot. And you all know what a Hyacinth flower looks like. (It’s actually a collection of smaller florets but informally we would call it a single flower.)
In the wild it produces a few florets but cultivated varieties are more robust with a dense array of flowers, typically blue or purplish.
It is now available in cultivated in forms with pink or white flowers and is also yellow, orange or violet.
Habitat and use
The Hyacinth is native to part of the Eastern Mediterranean but are now widely cultivated elsewhere. It is naturalized over much of Europe and North and Central America.
As early as the Eighteenth Century, this plant was grown commercially in the Netherlands with over two thousand cultivars. It is noted particularly for its strong fragrance.
In cultural references the Hyacinth is, not surprisingly, associated with Spring and rebirth.
They are sometimes forced to flower early, in time for Christmas.
Grape Hyacinth
Muscari armeniacum, Grape Hyacinth, is a closely related species, widely cultivated as a garden plant where it naturalises easily. The small blue flowers can be seen as a bit like clusters of grapes. It is widespread in Eastern Europe, getting its name from Armenia. (I have to put in the usual disclaimer. Species of Muscari are very similar and I can’t guarantee the exact identity of any of my pictures.)
The name Muscari comes from the Greek moschari from muschos referring to its musky scent. I think it has kept a Greek ending and it is treated in Modern Latin as a neuter form.
It has many cultivars, generally with blue flowers but some are white or pink.
(Liriope muscari is not a close relative but takes its species epithet from a loose similarity in appearance.)
Other Notes
The Hyacinth is much more impressive as a houseplant when carefully managed cultivars are produced from bulbs. As an outdoor plant it reverts to the more natural form with a shorter stalk bearing just a few scattered florets.
Muscari, on the other hand, are not plants that I have seen indoors. I have had them in my garden where they naturalize and spread.
See also
Other close relatives include [178] the Bluebell and other familiar Spring bulbs that we have seen already.
Still to come is [234] the Daffodil or Narcissus, another Spring bulb that is fairly obviously not a close relative.
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, the Bluebell, is a very common and widespread spring flowering bulb plant associated with ancient woodlands. It may be called the Common Bluebell, English Bluebell, British Bluebell, Wild Hyacinth or other common names.
All the species of Hyacinthoides are called Bluebells. So are several unrelated plants that look superficially similar.
Campanula rotundifolia, the Harebell, may be called the Scottish Bluebell and, in Scotland is sometimes just referred to as a Bluebell.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Clade – Monocots
Order – Asparagales
Family – Asparagaceae
Subfamily – Scilloideae
Tribe – Hyacinthae
Genus – Hyacynthoides
Scientific Name – Hyacynthoides non-scripta
It was originally Scilla non-scripta and has been Hyacinthus non-scriptus and Endymion non-scriptus before becoming a species of Hyacinthoides. See Names for a note about the Latin endings.
Name
Hyacinthoides obviously comes from [179] the Hyacinth, which we will meet tomorrow. Non-scripta means unlettered or unmarked and is a reference to Greek mythology. The classical hyacinth of mythology (almost certainly not the modern hyacinth) sprang from the blood of the dying prince Hyacinthus. As a sign of his grief, the god Apollo shed tears that marked the flower’s petals with letters spelling ALAS.
Scilloideae
As for most plants now, the taxonomy of Scilloideae (sometimes treated as a family Hyacinthaceae) is fluid and under discussion. It does include the clearly related species Hyacinthus (Hyacinth,) Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) and Hyacynthoides (Bluebell.) All species are bulbous monocots.
Bluebells
By now, I am sure you will expect me to start by pointing out that the Bluebell is a typical monocot. Well, it is a typical monocot and you know what that means. It starts with a circle of long, thin leaves that we don’t really notice. Then the single flower stalk grows vertically in the centre. The stalk bears up to about a dozen flowers that generally cause the stem to droop at the end.
Flowers are a vivid blue and are shaped like a bell. That should not have come as a surprise!
Occasionally, the flowers are violet or white.
Habitat and use
The Bluebell is native to parts of Europe, particularly to all of the UK. It is associated almost exclusively with ancient woodlands but is still found in some areas that were ancient woodlands a few hundred years ago. They produce their flowers before the woodland canopy grows overhead.
Hyacynthoides non-scripta and the non-native Hyacynthoides hispanica, the Spanish Bluebell are both widely cultivated. In places the Spanish variety has been allowed to naturalise and a hybrid of the two species is also found.
Other Notes
This species produces bulbs and can spread vegetatively. In Bluebell woods it can dominate the area when in flower.
See also
You can compare this plant with [104] Crocus, [154] Snowdrop, [234] Daffodil, [016] Wild Garlic, and of course the Hyacinth, coming tomorrow.
Campanula rotundiflora, the Harebell or Scottish Bluebell, is not related. It is neither bulbous nor a monocot, buts flowers are similar. It does occur in Britain but is much less common than the Bluebell. It is probably more common in Scotland.
Hordeum vulgare, Barley, is a very widely cultivated species of cereal crop that has been domesticated for about ten thousand years.
There are about fifty species of Hordeum, some of which are called barleys.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Clade – Monocots
Clade – Commelinids
Order – Poales
Family – Poaceae
Subfamily – Pooideae
Supertribe – Triticodae
Tribe – Triticeae (Wheat, Barley, Rye and other crops)
Genus – Hordeum
Scientific Name – Hordeum vulgare
It has at least fifty named cultivars.
Name
The Old English word for Barley was bere, which is cognate with the Latin farina meaning flour. Hence it became bærlic (‘of barley’) and barley. The word barn is cognate, originally meaning barley-house.
Hordeum comes from an old word meaning bristly.
Description
Cereal grain crops – such as barley, oats, rye and [345] wheat, are extensively cultivated in large fields – and in the UK they are known generically as corn. (The word corn in US usage generally means what we call [364] maize.)
Fields of corn look much the same at a distance – tall, strong grasses that turn brown as the seeds ripen before harvesting.
Closer in, when you can see the individual ears, differences emerge. I can’t find the botanical name for them but each spikelet of Rye on the cereal ear has a very long bristle. The ears are generally approximately horizontal.
Here are some more pictures of the crop.
Habitat and use
Barley has been cultivated for about ten thousand years, probably starting in the Fertile Crescent (modern Iraq, Syria, Israel, Jordan and Egypt) with the beginnings of settled farming. It has been used as fodder for animals and to make malt for beer.
For human consumption it can be put in soups and stews and some types of barley bread.
Worldwide it comes fourth in the lists of grains produced by volume – after [364] Maize, Rice and [345] Wheat.
Hordeum vulgare is presumed to have come from Hordeum spontaneum, Wild Barley, which is native to the Middle East and adjacent areas.
Historically in England barley has been used as a measure, with three barleycorns to an inch.
Other Notes
Nothing to do with this species but while rye, wheat, corn and barley are generally singular uncountable nouns, the word oats is always treated as plural.
See also
Hordeum murinum, Wall Barley or False Barley, is widespread and common as a wildflower (or weed) through most of England and Wales, mainly in coastal areas. It is like a shorter version of Hordeum vulgare.
[176] Holcus lanatus, Yorkshire Fog and Other Grasses
Introduction
Holcus lanatus, Yorkshire Fog, is a very common grass and is used here as a typical example of the seven hundred species that have been recorded in the UK. I will not pretend to be able to tell them all apart.
This post takes a general view of Yorkshire Fog and many other common species.
Common names are never very useful with reference to species. Many types of grass have no common name. Holcus lanatus can also be called Tufted Grass, Meadow Soft Grass or (Common) Velvet Grass.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Poales
Family – Poaceae
Subfamily – Pooideae
Supertribe – Poodae
Tribe – Poeae
Subtribe – Holcinae
Genus – Holcus
Scientific Name – Holcus lanatus
See text for other species.
Name
I would hazard a guess that this species was first identified in the County of Yorkshire in England, and that its appearance is vaguely reminiscent of fog. Holcus is the Latin for a sort of grain crop, coming from Ancient Greek holkos meaning attractive or trailing. Lanatus is Latin for woolly.
The etymology of other species is considered below.
We have also seen [097] Pampas Grass and [146] Blue Fescue and more spectacular ornamental species are coming –
[229] Chinese Silver Grass and [263] Bamboo.
There are of course some grasses grown as cereal crops. [177] Barley comes next and we will see [345] Wheat and [364] Maize later.
Two other very tall species, only seen near water are [261] Common Reed and [349] Bulrush.
That leaves everything else – meadows and pasture for livestock, most common land, parks and gardens, football grounds, lawns, golf courses and bowling greens, and much, much more.
There are many species that I have seen and not identified and you won’t find any species included here that I have seen on bowling greens or golf course greens. (I think the USA would call them putting greens or putting surfaces.)
Yorkshire Fog
Holcus lanatus is native to Europe and nearby areas and has naturalised in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia. It is considered invasive in Australia and the USA.
It’s a pretty typical sort of grass, with a glaucous colour, much taller than the grass you would find in a lawn. Its inflorescences are quite large. I won’t attempt to describe what makes it different to other grass species.
As for all grasses it spreads by runners – stems that grow horizontally along the ground and put out roots.
Other Species
I will list a few more species that have been identified by my app, with some pictures and some notes.
I can’t guarantee that the pictures match the species. (This includes the Yorkshire Fog pictures.)
Timothy, Phleum pratense.
A common grass found in Europe, probably named after Timothy Hansen who introduced it to the USA in the Eighteenth Century, where it was widely used for cattle.
Ten species of Phleum are found in Britain. Phleum is Latinized from Greek phleos, a type of grass. (Pratense, of course, means meadow.)
Squirreltail, Hordeum jubatum.
Barley, Hordeum vulgare, is coming next. Several other species of grass are called Squirreltail.
Reed Meadowgrass, Glyceria maxima.
Native to Europe and parts of Asia, this species is found in wet areas such as ponds.
Seven species of Glyceria are found in Britain. The word glyceria is probably derived from the Greek glyco- meaning sweet.
Smooth Brome, Bromus inermis, and Great Brome, Bromus diandrus.
Bromus inermis, found in Europe has about twenty common names (all including ‘brome.’)
Bromus diandrus is native to the Mediterranean but has been widely introduced elsewhere.
27 of the three thousand species of Brome are found in Britain. The common names come from the Latin from Greek roots for a type of grass.
Colonial Bent or Common Bent, Agrostis capillaris.
Native to Eurasia, this is a common species in meadows, agricultural areas, roadside verges and open grassland.
There are hundreds of species of Bent grass and hundreds more have recently been reassigned to other genera. They include types of grass used for lawns and all parts of golf courses. About twenty species are found in Britain.
Bent is an Old English word from Germanic roots for reeds or rushes.
Agrostis, from the Greek for a forage plant is ultimately derived from agros, a field.
Orchard Grass, Dactylis glomerata.
Another widespread common grass in temperate Eurasia, the only Dactylis species. Its scientific name looks as if it means ‘fingers, closed in a ball.’
Reed Canary Grass, Phalaris arundinacea.
A tall grass found throughout the Northern Hemisphere besides water.
One of eleven species of Phalaris found in Britain. Its name in Latin and Ancient Greek was Phalaris. Arundinacea means cane-like.
Tall Oat Grass, Arrhenatherum elatius.
A tall, common and widespread grass, one of three species of Arrhenatherum found in Britain. I can’t make sense of arrhenatherum but elatius means taller.
Tufted Hair Grass, Deschampsia cespitosa.
Common and widespread, one of four British species from this genus, often called tussock grasses.
I was going to guess that Deschamps was French for fields but the name actually comes from a French naturalist Louis Auguste Deschamps (1765-1842). Cespitosa means tufted.
Bermuda Grass, Cynodon dactylon.
Widespread and common, not native to Bermuda, widely cultivated.
Hirundo rustica, the Barn Swallow, is a summer visiting bird that spends almost all of its life in flight. Delichon urbicum, the (Common) House Martin and Riparia riparia, the (European) Sand Martin (or Bank Swallow) are two similar species.
About a hundred species in the family Hirundinidae are called either swallows or martins. There is no real distinction between the two terms but species with longer pointed tails tend to be called swallows.
Within most of Europe, Hirundo rustica is our only species of swallow so it us usually just called a Swallow.
Superfamily – Sylvoidea (Mostly small, Old World insectivores)
Family – Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
Subfamily – Hirundininae (Almost all Hirundinidae)
Genus – Hirundo
Scientific Name – Hirundo rustica
See text for other species.
Name
Swallow is an old name for the bird comi,ng from Old Norse and Germanic roots. Martin comes from the male given name, which comes from the Roman god Mars.
Hirundo is the Latin for a swallow and rusticus (feminine rustica) means ‘of the country.’
Delichon is an anagram of Chelidon, coming from Ancient Greek khelidon meaning the swallow. [A bit of taxonomic redefinition moved species from what used to be the genus Chelidon.] Urbicus means urban or ‘of the town.’
Riparia is Latin for ‘of the river banks.’
Hirundines
We can consider the three UK species together. They are small birds with a streamlined shape that enables them to fly continuously catching insects to eat. They have excellent vision and are very manoeuvrable in flight.
When birdwatchers go out together, they like to call out species to add to their group list for the day. It is fairly common to identify these birds in flight and call them hirundines, leaving more precise identification to closer inspection through binoculars.
They come to Britain to mate, nest and rear their young and then leave.
All three of our species disappear completely in winter and until relatively recently we did not know where they went. I remember about twenty years ago reading that millions of Martins had been ringed in Britain but none of the ringed birds had ever been found abroad. Now we have much better knowledge of their movements.
Swallows
Hirundo rustica has long, deeply forked tail that distinguishes it from our two martins. The differences are clearer if you can see a settled bird. Its upperparts are a dark blue, the front of its face is dark red and its underparts are white.
Unlike the two Martins, you may see Swallows resting, normally high up in trees or on telegraph wires. They may do this in small flocks and are often seen resting soon after their arrival in Spring.
The Swallow spends its time catching insects in flight and is often seen in groups flying very low over water or open land. Sometimes you can see them drinking over water by skimming the surface in flight.
It builds a cup-shaped nest from mud, often in buildings like stables. They generally produce two broods.
Here are two pictures of a recently fledged Swallow and one of a bird gathering mud for its nest.
In summer Swallows are found all over Eurasia except the Arctic North and the Far South of Asia, and North America. In winter they move to the Southern half of Africa, India, southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Northern edge of Australia, and South America. There is a very small margin of overlap where they may be found all-year round. There are six subspecies covering six geographical areas.
The Swallow is the National Bird of Austria and Estonia
House Martin
Delichon urbica lacks the Swallow shaped tail but is otherwise very similar in shape and behaviour. It has very dark blue and black upperparts and white underparts, with a white rump that is evident in flight.
It builds a cup-shaped nest, often outside buildings.
They tend to build a group of nests together and normally rear two broods each year before departing back to Africa.
The House Martin has a distribution similar to the Barn Swallow but is not found in the Americas. They are widespread in Britain but much rarer than Swallows.
The species is close enough to Hirundo to occasionally produce hybrid offspring.
Sand Martin
Riparia riparia has dark brown upperparts and white underparts with a narrow dark band just below its neck.
Its summer range is Europe, Northern Asia and North America and it winters in Southern Africa and South America,
They nest in tunnels by riverbanks, much like [014] the Kingfisher. Their distribution in the UK is limited by the need to fid suitable locations to nest. Some wildlife reserves with wetland locations have nesting boxes for them.
I find them most often in the area of the Cotswold Water Park.
See also
The (Common) Swift, Apus apus, comes from a separate family called Apodidae, which means without feet. This puts them closer to hummingbirds than passerine birds. They have very small feet, which they don’t use for most of their lives. When a newly fledged Swift leaves the nest, it will probably not leave the air for at least three years – and then only to nest and feed young chicks. They are larger than swallows and martins and have longer bodies and wings. Otherwise, convergent evolution has made them similar.
They tend to fly and hunt much higher in the sky but you may see them, generally in small groups, and hear their screeching calls in flight but you will never see one on land (unless you are lucky enough to have a swift nesting box.) They nest in holes and crevices as well as nesting boxes. They cannot take flight from ground level.
They winter in southern Africa and visit the UK (and much of Eurasia) to breed in Summer. They are always the last of our Summer visiting species to arrive and the first to leave. Round about the First of August they gradually congregate in larger flocks before leaving.
Swift has always been the name of this bird and the word has always meant fast. I am not sure which meaning came first.
Heracleum sphondylium, (Common) Hogweed, is one of the largest wildflowers in the family Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae,) generally considered an unwanted weed. It is sometimes known as Cow Parsnip.
Other members of the genus are called Hogweed, particularly Sphondylium mantegazzanium, Giant Hogweed, considered an invasive species across Europe.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Apiales
Family – Apiaceae
Genus – Heracleum
Scientific Name – Heracleum sphondylium
Name
Hogweed apparently comes from the pig-like smell of its flowers.
Heracleum comes via Latin from Greek Heracleios, from the mythological figure Heracles (or Hercules.) Sphondylium is the Latin for a vertebra (a bone in the backbone) from Ancient Greek spondylos. This comes from the segmented shape of the stem.
Apiaceae
There are about 4 000 species in the family Apiaceae including well over a hundred that are common in Britain.
The family name comes from the species Apium, named from the Latin for parsley or celery and it includes many cultivated herbs and vegetables such as carrot and parsnip. Its former name Umbelliferae means umbrella-bearing and relates to its flowers, which are always in an umbrella shaped inflorescence.
Description
Hogweed is a large plant with large, dark green convoluted leaves.
The thick stems are hairy and segmented with leaf-bearing side stems emerging at the junctions of the stems.
The flowers emerge from a large opening bulbous shape.
There are umbels (like small umbrella shapes) that are grouped to make a larger umbel of tiny white flowers.
The heart shaped fruits are covered in hairs.
Habitat and use
Heracleum sphondylium is native to Europe, the Western half of Asia and parts of North Africa. It has been introduced to parts of North America.
It is found in meadows and grassland and other wild places such as road verges and railway embankments.
It has been used in Eastern European countries as an aphrodisiac and to treat impotence, fertility and gynaecological problems. Its seeds are also used as a dried spice much like cardamon.
A similar species, Heracleum maximum, which is found in North America, also sometimes called Cow Parsnip, is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of Heracleum Sphondylium.
Other Notes
This supposedly a perennial but I see in in meadow areas in local parks where it cut down every year.
See also
There are many similar related species found in Britain. All have the same umbrella shaped swathe of white flowers and all, especially Anthriscus sylvestris, Cow Parsley, look very similar to Hogweed.
Sphondylium mantegazzanium, Giant Hogweed, is one of the three most unwanted invasive plants in the UK. See also [185] Himalayan Balsam and [298] Japanese Knotweed.
Helminthotheca echioides, Bristly Oxtongue (or Ox-tongue), is one of many common and widespread weeds that look like Dandelions.
The four other species of Helminthotheca (all much more local to the Western Mediterranean area) are also called Oxtongue.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Asterales
Family Asteraceae
Tribe – Cichorieae
Subtribe – Hypochaeridinae
Genus – Helminthotheca
Scientific Name – Helminthotheca echioides
Name
The name Bristly Oxtongue comes, obviously from the spiky leaves. Helminthotheca comes from its traditional use as a treatment for worms.
Echioides relates to the genus [121] Echium, which derives its common name by circular reference! As you will remember, Echium vulgare is Viper’s Bugloss and Bugloss comes from the Ancient Greek for ox-tongue!
Description
The tribe Cichorieae has about two thousand species and is sometimes called the Dandelion Tribe as most of them look superficially like [338] Dandelions.
(We have already met [081] Chicory, with blue flowers that are not confused with Dandelions,)
Bristly Oxtongue in flower look very much like Dandelion but the leaves, stems and branches are covered in spiky bristles.
Habitat and use
Bristly Oxtongue is native to the Mediterranean area but has widely naturalised in the South and East of England.
Helminthotheca echioides has traditionally been used as a treatment for worms.
See also
As I have said before there are thousands of similar species in the Aster family.
Helix pomatia, the Roman Snail is the largest snail found in England. It is an air-breathing land snail introduced by the Romans.
It is also known as a Burgundy Snail, Edible Snail or Escargot when used in cooking.
I will also look at Cornu aspersum, the Garden Snail; Cepaea nemoralis, the Grove Snail and other British Snails.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Animals
Phylum – Molluscs
Class – Gastropods (Slugs and Snails)
Order – Stylommatophora
Family – Helicidae (Typical Snails)
Genus – Helix
Scientific Name -Helix pomatia
Name
Not surprisingly the Roman Snail derives its name from the fact that it was introduced by the Romans about two thousand years ago as a food. The word ‘snail’ comes from Old English and earlier Germanic and Norse roots.
The Latin word ‘helix’ from Ancient Greek denotes something twisted and is used for anything spiral in shape like the shell of a snail.
I can’t find any explanation for ‘pomatia’ but Google Translate suggests that it may from a place called Lens in France or Belgium, perhaps where the species was first defined by zoologists. Sometimes nobody knows where scientific names come from.
Description
I won’t go into a detailed description of a snail with its familiar shell, eyes on stalks, and single large foot that leaves a trail of slime. Among snails, the Roman Snail is very obvious in its appearance. Apart from its creamy coloured shell and very light-coloured body it’s the largest snail seen in Britain – with a shell up to five centimetres across.
Habitat and use
The Roman Snail is an endangered species but is still found in many countries across Europe. It survives in Southern England only in undisturbed grassy or bushy wastelands.
They used to be eaten both by the Ancient Greeks and the Romans and are still liked in France but cultivation is very difficult.
Other Snails
Cornu aspersum, the Garden Snail is in the same family and also eaten as ‘Escargots.’ For two hundred years it was known as Helix aspersa, in the same genus as the Roman Snail but has now been moved to a different genus. [If you haven’t studied Latin don’t worry about aspersa becoming aspersum. It’s part of the syntax of gender agreement and masculine, feminine and neuter nouns.]
I won’t go into gastropod anatomy but snails are hermaphrodite – simultaneously male and female. If you imagine both male and female sexual organs where you might expect the right ear to be, you have a first approximation of snail reproduction. The snails in the picture above are mating.
Cepaea nemoralis, The Grove Snail (or Brown-lipped Snail or Lemon Snail) is another species that has been moved out of Helix. It is one of the largest and most common snails of Europe and comes in various markings – reddish, brownish, yellow or white, with or without one or two darker bands.
See also
I wanted to include all the British land snails but any attempt at generic taxonomy gets very complicated. Wikipedia describes them as terrestrial, pulmonate, gastropod molluscs, which is not an easy definition. Some groups have gills to breathe underwater and some have a kind of lung that enables them to breathe air but neither of these two types is monophyletic. (That means that evolution has made the same split more than once.)
Snails have diverged so that some live in the sea, some in fresh water and some on land. Some sea snails have lungs and some land snails have gills!
We tend to think of snails as having a large shell into which they can hide, and slugs having no shell. (See [038] Slugs.) There is little otherwise to distinguish these gastropods.
Anyway, a quick Internet search shows that there are about 100-150 types of land snail that may be found in Britain. I’ve tried to identify some of my old photographs but I’m left with some that I can only call snails.
Helianthus annuus, the Sunflower, is a plant in the Aster family well-known for the impressive size of its flower heads (inflorescences.)
It won’t surprise you that other species of Helianthus are called sunflowers, or that Helianthus annuus is more formally known as the Common Sunflower.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Asterales
Family – Asteraceae
Subfamily – Asteroideae
Supertribe – Helianthodae
Tribe – Heliantheae
Genus – Helianthus
Scientific Name – Helianthus annuus
Name
Sunflower may be derived from the shape of its flower head or from its heliotropic nature. In summer the flowers turn to face the sun.
You have probably absorbed enough Latin and Ancient Greek by now to know that heli-anthus means sun-flower. Helianthus has a number of perennial species, so the Common Sunflower derives its species epithet from its annual status.
Description
The wild Sunflower is a many-branched plant, with many flower heads but the cultivated version has a single tall stem with a single large inflorescence.
As a typical Aster, the flower head has an outer circle of ray florets, that look like petals. These are infertile and usually yellow (But cultivated varieties come in other colours.)
The inner disk florets each develop into a sunflower seed. These consist of interlocking spirals, typically 34 in one direction and 55 in the other. There can be as many as 89 and 144. [You may notice a developing Fibonacci sequence here.]
Habitat and use
All Helianthus species come from the Americas and they have been cultivated in Central Mexico for at least four thousand years It was originally grown for its edible seeds but is now also very widely cultivated as a source of sunflower oil, as a forage crop, and for birdseed.
It is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden plant or show plant and has named varieties and cultivars. many varieties are hybridized with other Helianthus species to make them perennial.
Other Notes
I can’t remember if I have seen farmed Sunflowers in this country but I have certainly seen fields of them in Italy and elsewhere.
I have certainly seen a specimen plant three or four metres high within a hundred metres of my home.
A Fibonacci sequence drives its terms by adding the previous two terms. If you start with two ones it goes: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, …
See also
I don’t need to add to what you already know about the Aster family.
You will remember that in [111] Artichoke, we mentioned the Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, a similar plant native to North America and widely cultivated there for its tuberous roots as a food. Its roots taste somewhat similar to the Artichoke and Jerusalem is derived from girasole, the Italian for the sunflower. (Gira-sole means turn to the sun)
I am sure you all found the Common Carder Bee, [052] Bombus pascuorum, collecting nectar and pollen from one of the flowers.
Hedera helix, (Common) Ivy, is a rampant evergreen, climber that can be an attractive cultivated garden plant or an unwanted weed.
There are several other geographically separated species of Hedera also called Ivy. Several unrelated species such as Toxicodendron, Poison Ivy, are also called Ivy.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Apiales
Family – Araliacieae
Genus – Hedera
Scientific Name – Hedera helix
Several cultivars are available.
Name
The name Ivy comes from old Germanic roots with unknown meaning. Hedera is the Latin name for the plant, coming from Ancient Greek meaning ‘clinging.’
Helix means spiral, as we will see in two days’ time.
Note than in US English this plant would be called a ‘vine.’ In the UK we call it a climbing plant (or climber) and reserve the word vine for grapevines.
Description
Ivy is unusual in that its habit depends on exactly where it is, even within the same plant.
On level ground it is a very low, creeping ground-cover plant but when it has the opportunity, when it meets walls, trees or rocky outcrops, it can climb upwards to at least thirty metres above the ground.
When climbing its leaves have the recognizable lobed structure that we know as ivy, but at the top of its climb they become simple and heart-shaped.
Its shoots also change. While climbing, small aerial roots help it to hold on, and elsewhere the shoots are self-supporting.
Flowers, which come from summer to late autumn, are small and inconspicuous, pale (almost white) greenish-yellow. Fruits are berries, gradually turning dark purple or black.
The leaves, flowers and fruit support many species – such as Colletes hederae, the Ivy Bee; [347-8] Thrushes, Blackcaps and [090] Woodpigeon; Angle Shades, Willow Beauty and several other moths. Ivy also allows birds to nest and invertebrates to overwinter in its dense foliage.
Habitat and use
Hedera helix is common and widespread over most of Europe.
There are many cultivars available, some with variegated leaves, some with bushy rather than climbing forms.
Cultivars of other species of Hedera are also cultivated. Some, like Hedera canariensis, may have larger variegated leaves.
Other Notes
This plant is seen in so many gardens that it is tempting to see it as a deliberately cultivated plant. Having had it for many tears in my garden, I would describe it as a weed that is impossible to eradicate. Sometimes it is allowed to grow as it is more attractive than the walls and fences it covers. Once it is established, the long and difficult task of cutting it all back produces only temporary relief – every centimetre of its spreading root structure also needs to be removed.
See also
The closest relative of this plant is [145] Fatsia japonica, which even forms an inter-generic hybrid.
Its superficially similar plants are other climbers such as [065] Large Bindweed, [091] Field Bindweed, [084-5] Clematis, [143] Bukhara Fleeceflower, [213] Honeysuckle and [306] Bramble – a mixture of wild and garden flowers and possibly unwanted weeds.
Harmonia axyridis, the Harlequin Ladybird, is an invasive ladybird that has recently spread across Britain.
It is also called the Multicoloured Ladybird or Asian Ladybird and has many other names. It has been called the Many-named Ladybird!
As noted with [086] the Seven-Spot Ladybird, these insects may be called Ladybugs, Ladybird Beetles or Lady Beetles. In context Harmonia axyridis may just be called a Harlequin.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Animals
Phylum – Arthropods
Class – Insects
Order – Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family – Coccinellidae (Ladybirds)
Genus – Harmonia
Scientific Name – Harmonia axyridis
Its original name was Coccinella axyridis.
Name
The well-known Harlequin character is noted for his colourful, chequered coat.
In Greek mythology, Harmonia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, was the goddess of harmony.
I can’t trace ‘axyridis.’
Description
As all beetles, this species is holometabolous. Apart from a very occasional caterpillar, this is the only insect you are likely to see in its larval stage. To be honest, if you look around you at plants in the summer you are very likely to see a few of these.
They have five instar stages of which the last two are more often seen. They are mostly black with some orange markings and spiny defences along their backs. (The Seven-spot Ladybird has a similar larval stage with less orange markings.)
They just roll up and pupate where they are on a leaf.
The adult insect is similar in size and shape to the Seven-spot Ladybird and may be similar in its colouring, but it has a number of different forms. It is said to have a common form with various shades of orange to red elytra and from zero to twenty-two spots of variable size – but this covers a large number of different forms. Other forms may be black, with or without a number of spots, or more complex patterns of black, orange and red.
The pronotum usually has a pattern with more areas of white than the Seven-spot Ladybird and this can be a useful identification feature.
[Note: The thorax of an insect is formed of three parts, each connected to a pair of legs. The front section is called the prothorax, while the other two segments bear the wings or, for beetles, elytra. The prothorax consists of the upper pronutum, the lower prosternum and two lateral propleurons. All of this means that what entomologists call the pronutum is what you might think of as its ‘shoulders,’ or the part of its back in front of the wings.]
It is generally considered to be one of the worst invasive insects worldwide. In Europe is spreads to the detriment of native species. It competes with and may even eat other ladybird species.
It was first sighted in the UK in 2004 and was declared the fastest invading species in 2015. It has led to a significant decline in native British Species such as the Seven-spot Ladybird.
They feed voraciously on Aphids.
Habitat and use
The Harlequin is native to parts of East Asia but has been very widely introduced elsewhere to control [217] Aphids. where it has been introduced it tends to spread rapidly and become Invasive.
Other Notes
You can find these insects on Summer by looking around on plants that might have aphids. They are easier to spot that the aphids they might have eaten.
See also
There are several other species of Ladybird that may be found in Britain, generally much smaller than the Seven-spot and Harlequin. See [278] 14-spot Ladybird.
Haematopus ostralegus, the Oystercatcher, is a relatively large, common wading bird, easily recognisable by its long orange bill.
We should really call it the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Pied Oystercatcher or Palearctic Oystercatcher, to distinguish it from a few other geographically separated species of Haematopus.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Animals
Phylum – Chordates
Class – Aves (birds)
Order – Charadriformes (Sea Birds and Waders)
Suborder – Charadrii (Plover-like waders)
Family – Haematopodidae (Just one genus)
Genus – Haematopus (Oystercatchers)
Scientific Name – Haematopus ostralegus
Name
Oystercatcher comes from the American species, described as eating oysters, and it replaced its older name Sea Pie. (Pie means black and white as in [265] Magpie and [231] Pied Wagtail.)
The scientific name comes from Latinized Greek haima-pous meaning blood-foot, and Latin ostrea-legere meaning oyster-pick.
Description
Birds found in Europe come from the subspecies Haematopus ostralegus ostragegus, with two other geographically separate subspecies.
Apart from its long bright orange bill, Oystercatchers also have an orange eye and vivid pink legs and feet. The body is black on top and white underneath.
They don’t just eat oysters. Depending on location they may eat bivalves (including mussels and oysters,) gastropods, limpets, echinoderms (starfish and sea urchins,) fish and crabs. Inlands they mainly eat worms and insect larvae.
Their distinctive piping call is easy to note in flight.
Habitat
Haematopus ostralegus can be found all year around the coasts of the UK and the southern coasts of the North Sea and English Channel. There are also migratory populations. Breeding areas include inland wetlands in Britain, Scandinavian coasts, central Eurasia and the Far East. Wintering ranges include the North east coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean coastal areas.
In Britain many birds breed in the North and winter in the South.
(Other species of Haematopus come from America, Australasia and South Africa.)
Other Notes
You may notice in one of my pictures a bird with only one foot. I have seen birds from several species manage to survive like this, as long as they can fly when necessary.
See also
There are many other species of wading birds found in the UK but none of them are very similar to the Oystercatcher.
Gunnera manicata, Brazilian Giant Rhubarb, and Gunnera tinctoria, Chilean Rhubarb, are two similar species cultivated for their impressive, very large leaves. As garden plants they are normally called Gunnera, but they are too large for most domestic gardens.
They are, of course, nothing to do with Rhubarb, Rheum x hybridum, but the large leaves have a superficial resemblance.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division- Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Gunnerales (Gunnera and two obscure species)
Family – Gunneraceae (Just Gunnera)
Genus – Gunnera
Scientific Names – Gunnera manicata , Gunnera tinctoria and other species
Name
John Gunnerus (1718-73) was a Norwegian bishop and botanist
Manicata is Latin for long-sleeved. Tinctoria, also Latin, means to do with dyeing.
Description
Some but not all species of Gunnera have large leaves. Gunnera manicata has the largest, with leaves up to two metres across. Gunnera tinctoria is similar but not quite so large.
Each leaf is on a very long stalk that looks similar to a stalk of rhubarb. The stalks and the undersides of the leaves are covered in small spikes.
They have erect spikes of conical inflorescences with tiny florets. They turn to tiny, spherical fruits with about 80 000 seeds per spike.
As always, cultivated varieties come in various forms and may have leaves of different size, colour or patterning. Pictures above show both species. The next two are Gunnera manicata with reddish flowers.
Habitat and use
Gunnera species come from Latin America, New Zealand, Indonesia, some Pacific islands and parts of Southeast Africa. Specifically, Gunnera manicata comes from southern Brazil and Gunnera tinctoria comes from southern Chile and Argentina.
Plants are generally found near still water.
Gunnera manicata has been traditionally used to treat sexually transmitted diseases. In native Chile Gunnera tinctoria stalks are eaten much as rhubarb. Other Gunnera species have been eaten in various ways and used to treat obstetric and digestive complaints and to dress wounds.
Other Notes
These plants are too large to fit into most ordinary gardens but may be seen in display gardens open to the public. I have seen them in places such as Batsford Arboretum.
It should not surprise you by now that my favourite Gunnera specimens, which are Gunnera manicata, come from Slimbridge. It fits in with their wetland environment.
See also
I suppose I have to mention Rhubarb again. You may see it, it’s not related, and I haven’t done a blog about it.
Grus grus, the (Common) Crane, is a very tall, long-legged bird, almost extinct in Britain but part of a reintroduction programme. It is also known as the Eurasian Crane
All fifteen members of the family Gruidae are called Cranes.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Animals
Phylum – Chordates
Class – Aves (Birds)
Clade – Gruimorphae
Order – Gruiformes (Rails, Cranes and others)
Suborder – Grui
Superfamily – Gruoidea
Family – Gruidae (Cranes)
Subfamily – Gruinae
Genus – Grus
Scientific Name – Grus
Name
Crane is an Old English word that was used for the bird long before the similarly named mechanical lifting devices. The Latin grus is cognate, both coming from Indo-European roots derived ultimately by onomatopoeia from its hoarse cry.
Description
If you only consider still living species, then the taxonomy of Gruiformes is much simpler than the taxonomic tree above suggests. Gruiformes consists of Rails and Cranes and a few fairly obscure small families. But Rails are very different to Cranes.
This means that the closest relatives of Cranes are birds like [152] the Coot, [157] the Moorhen and [293] the Water Rail, that seem superficially to be more like ducks; and they are less related to other long-legged birds like flamingos, storks and herons.
Based on their general appearance, all cranes might be seen as larger versions of Herons. (See [034] Grey Heron and [122] Little Egret) They have longer legs, necks and bills and are considerably larger and heavier.
Grus grus is mainly a plain slate grey coloured with a red patch on the top of its head. The head and upper neck are almost black with white cheeks extending down the side of the neck. The tail has dark coloured plumes of feathers. Male and female birds differ only in size.
They are omnivorous. They feed in shallow water but also on land
Habitat
They mainly breed in the forests of Russia and Scandinavia, and winter in China, northern India and a few locations in parts of Europe and northern Africa. Until two hundred years ago its range extended through Britain and Ireland.
They also inhabit some marshy wetlands, especially in winter.
There are sometimes a few breeding pairs in Norfolk and an increasing number on the Somerset levels following an extensive reintroduction project as Slimbridge WWT. There is also a recovering population in Germany
Other Notes
The reintroduction programme started with some chicks reared at Slimbridge. From 2010 about a hundred birds have been reintroduced to the Somerset Levels. Some of these birds and other cranes with them now visit Slimbridge and some of these have attempted to breed. The picture below shows the first chick at Slimbridge,
This chick did not survive but there have been successful breeding results in Somerset and in Norfolk
Gonepteryx rhamni, the (Common) Brimstone, is a common and widespread pale yellow-green butterfly.
Sometimes we have to call it a Brimstone Butterfly to distinguish it from Opisthograptis luteolata, also called the Brimstone or, more precisely, the Brimstone Moth.
There are fifteen species of Gonepteryx, all called Brimstones but in a UK context we don’t normally have to call Gonepteryx rhamni the Common Brimstone. It’s just a Brimstone.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Animals
Phylum – Arthropods
Class – Insects
Clade – Endopterygota (Holometabolous)
Order – Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Suborder – Rhopalocera (Butterflies and one obscure genus)
Superfamily – Papilionoidea (Butterflies)
Family – Pieridae (White, Yellow or Orange Butterflies)
Subfamily – Coliadinae (Yellow Butterflies)
Tribe – Goniopterygini
Genus – Gonepteryx
Scientific Name – Gonepteryx rhamni
Name
Brimstone, meaning burn-stone, is an old name for sulfur, (previously known as sulphur in the UK) relating to its colour.
Gonepteryx looks like Ancient Greek for angle-wing, perhaps from the shape of the wings, which is not quite the typical butterfly shape. Rhamni relates to the genus Rhamnus – see below.
Description
The male Gonopteryx rhamni is a large butterfly. The female is coloured a very pale green or yellow-green and can appear white when in flight.
The Male is a brighter yellow colour.
Only one brood per year is produced. The adults overwinter in woodland areas where their colour provides good camouflage against evergreen plants. They return in spring to more wetland habitats to breed.
Habitat
The Brimstone is common throughout Eurasia. In the UK its range, which depends in the availability of its food sources, corresponds to England except the most northern areas and some parts of Wales.
Caterpillars feed only on two species of plants, Rhamnus carthartica, Common Buckthorn, and Rhamnus frangula (also known as Frangula alnus), Alder Buckthorn. Adult butterflies feed on a much wider range of plants.
[Rhamnus is Latinized from the Greek rhamnos. It has second declension Latin endings but is treated as feminine.]
See also
Here is the Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata.
It is quite large for a moth but smaller than the Brimstone Butterfly and perhaps slightly yellower. As for most moths, the only time I have seen them is in my house as overnight visitors.
Gladiolus species, hybrids and cultivars are widely cultivated as late-flowering specimen garden plants.
They can be called Sword Lilies but are usually called Gladioli (singular Gladiolus) from the genus name.
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Clade – Monocots
Order – Asparagales
Family – Iridaceae
Subfamily – Crocoideae
Tribe – Gladioleae
Genus – Gladiolus
There are well over a thousand hybrids and named cultivars.
Name
Gladiolus is a diminutive form of the Latin gladius, a sword.
Description
Gladioli are fairly closely related to [104] Crocuses. Like Crocuses they grow from corms but they develop much later in the year. The almost vertical stem can be a metre or two in height. They often lean slightly because they hold an impressive row of large flowers all on the same side. The trumpet shaped flowers open from the bottom upwards and come in a variety of colours.
They are generally lifted in the autumn, kept over winter and replanted in spring.
Habitat and use
There are about 300 species, coming mostly from the South of Africa. As garden plants they have been extensively hybridized, with many varieties coming from four or five species.
See also
This is nothing similar likely to be found in Britain.
Ginkgo biloba, usually just called a Ginkgo, can be seen as a living fossil, the sole member of a side-branch of the tree of life, which has long been virtually extinct in the wild.
It can also be spelled as Gingko (as it is usually pronounced) and is also known as the Maidenhair Tree.
It is a tall, erect tree but neither produces flowers nor cones. It produces seeds.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Plants
Division: Ginkgophyta
Class: Ginkgoopsida
Order: Ginkgoales
Family: Ginkgoaceae
Genus: Ginkgo
Scientific Name: Ginkgo biloba
Apart from ferns and mosses, plants are either Angiosperms (producing flowers), with about 300 000 species or Gymnosperms (producing seeds) with about 1000 species. Gymnosperms are split into four groups – Conifers (600 species), Cycads (about 300), Gnetophytes (about 70), and the Ginkgo, the sole living representative of the Ginkgophytes.
As you can see the Division, Class, Order, Family and Genus all consist of just one species! It does have many closer fossil relatives in prehistory but all of them have been extinct for millions of years.
Name
The name (both common and scientific) derives from a mis-spelling of the Japanese ‘gin kyo’, meaning ‘silver apricot’, which comes from the Chinese where it has been used for hundreds of years in herbalism
Description
For a tree with such an unusual place in biology, they are relatively nondescript in appearance. I have walked past one in the pavement of a local street many times without noticing it. They tend to grow vertically at first, becoming tall and thin, and then they develop almost horizontal branches.
On closer inspection the leaves are fan-shaped and unique, with a smooth almost plastic appearance. The veins in the leaves may split but they do not re-join.
Habitat and use
The Ginkgo has survived in the wild only in some very small areas of China and it may have done so only with the help of Chinese monks. But it has been widely cultivated in China for hundreds of years. It has been introduced through Europe and America without becoming naturalized.
It is slow growing and resilient with some specimens over two thousand years old. The nearest living things to survive at Hiroshima were six Ginkgo only about a kilometre from the bomb. All six are now alive and growing.
They are still used in China for cooking and for medicinal uses.
It is established in the UK and has several cultivars available.
Other Notes
I was surprised to find out that we have a local specimen in Pittville Park, but even more surprised to find others. I am beginning to lose count but I think it’s around eight so far within walking distance of my home. They are all relatively young, very tall and thin.
See also
It should not surprise you that there are no remotely similar trees to compare with a Ginkgo.
[162] Geranium robertianum, Herb Robert and Others
Introduction
Following yesterday’s post, this post will consider the wild species Geranium robertianum, Herb Robert, and all other Geranium species. Herb Robert (or Herb-Robert) may also be called Red Robin, Stinking Bob, Robert’s Geranium or several other names.
There are over four hundred species of Geranium and many hybrids and cultivars. They are generally called cranesbills or hardy geraniums. Confusingly most species of Pelargonium, a closely related genus, are also known as geraniums.
[I will use the word cranesbill throughout where other orthography includes crane’s-bill or other variations.]
Taxonomy
Kingdom – Plants
Division – Vascular Plants
Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)
Order – Geraniales
Family – Geraniaceae
Genus – Geranium
Scientific Names – Geranium robertianum and see Text
There are too many species, hybrids and cultivars to list.
Name
See [161] Meadow Cranesbill, for the names Cranesbill and Geanium.
Herb Robertwas named after Robert of Molesme (1028-1111) was an abbot and herbalist, one of the founders of the Cistercian Monks, later canonized as a saint.
When first named by Linnaeus the genus Geranium included all the species now known as Pelargonium, which were split off in 1789. (Pelargonium is derived from the Greek pelargos meaning Stork by analogy with the derivation of Geranium and some Pelargoniums are known as Storksbills.)
Horticultural usage tends to go by the genus, without bothering too much about species, and it is slow to adjust to changes. So many of the thousands of species, hybrids, cultivars and varieties of Pelargonium are still informally called Geranium.
Herb Robert
Geranium robertianum is common and widespread in Great Britain and native to most of Europe and eastern North America. It is found in woodland and hedgerows.
Its leaves are convoluted but smaller and simpler than the two species we met yesterday. Stems are reddish and the leaves turn red in late summer. The flowers are small and pink with five petals.
As for almost all common plants it has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years – to treat diarrhoea, toothache and nosebleeds; and to improve the functions of the liver and gallbladder.
Oxford Geranium
Geranium x oxonianum is a hybrid species originating from a cross between Geranium endressii and Geranium versicolor in 1932
It has attractive almost round, pink flowers, often veined, and is cultivated in gardens. Several cultivars are available.
Other Geranium Species
In the wild, you may also see Geranium molle, Dove’s-foot Cranesbill; Geranium sanguineum, Bloody Cranesbill; Geranium purpureum, Little-Robin or about forty other species that are native to Britain or naturalized. There are also many cultivated species.
See Also
There are about three hundred species of Pelargonium, a closely related genus (sometimes called Geraniums.) Most are not hardy so may be more common as house plants, but many are cultivated in gardens.
The Species of Britain 