Streams, marshes & bogs
'Fool's Watercress' (APIUM NODIFLORUM)
Druce knew this as 'Common Water Parsnip' (which is a much more descriptive and better common name to my mind) in ditches, shallow, slow streams, marshy meadows and wet places - generally distributed, occurring in all districts of Buckinghamshire a century ago
A procumbent or ascending perennial 30-100cm; stem finely furrowed, slender or stout, flowering ones rooting at base only; leaves simply pinnate, bright green, shiny; segments 1-3.5cm, 4-6 pairs, lanceolate to ovate, serrate or crenate, often slightly lobed, sessile
Umbels leaf-opposed
Umbels sessile or shortly peduncled; rays unequal, spreading or recurved; bracts usually 0; bracteoles c. 5, narrowly lanceolate, as long as the shortly pedicelled flowers; flowers 0.5mm, white
Bracteoles easily seen under flower umbels
Base of leaf-stalk with scarious margin
Hollow stem
'Fool's Watercress' growing abundantly in a small stream between Langley and Datchet
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SYMPHYTUM
A SYMPHYTUM growing beside a stream at Mortimer, Hampshire
This is a difficult genus to identify, complicated by widespread hybridisation, showing many different combinations of the characters of parents; this is probably a form of 'Blue or Russian Comfrey' (SYMPHYTUM X UPLANDICUM)
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IMPATIENS CAPENSIS
Orange Balsam (IMPATIENS CAPENSIS) - flowers strongly blotched or spotted reddish-brown
This balsam, a native of E.North America has escaped along river and stream-banks
Given the serious and detrimental impact of 'Himalayan Balsam' (IMPATIENS GLANDULIFERA) in some habitats, it is noteworthy that I have never seen them growing together - why e.g. has I.GLANDULIFERA NOT invaded the shady banks of this section of the upper Colne Brook?
The 'Orange Balsam' certainly has colourful and attractive flowers; Druce in 'The Flora of Buckinghamshire' (1926) observed it was locally abundant, spreading down the Chess and Colne to the Thames, having colonised in the past 50 years. At that time, 'Himalayan Balsam' was rare but "likely to spread" - an accurate prediction!!
Streamside habitat for IMPATIENS CAPENSIS
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IMPATIENS GLANDULIFERA
Joseph Chadwell photographing Himalayan Balsam (IMPATIENS GLANDULIFERA) in a ditch
Also known as Policeman's Helmet due to resemblance to old-fashioned police hats - introduced from the Western Himalaya into the RHS Garden at Chiswick in the 19th Century, from where it has unfortunately spread, becoming an invasive and troublesome weed.........
Another name is Bees' Bums due to bumble-bees frequenting the flowers - note one deep inside in the image above; as a lot of time, money and effort is being expended attempting to control 'Himalayan Balsam', thought should be given to a greater understanding of where it is growing and where it has not become established; in some ditches which support minimal vegetation near Langley Park, its presence is not necessarily harmful..... this observation in no way underestimates the damage this species has caused in some parts of the country - I particularly recollect viewing its impact on a wetland nature reserve of national importance, when conducting a survey for what was the Wales Field Unit of the Nature Conservancy Council in 1984
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IRIS PSEUDACORUS
Fruiting capsules of 'Yellow Flag' (IRIS PSEUDACORUS) split open (September)
Exposing brown seeds
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MYOSOTIS SCORPIOIDES
Water Forget-me-not (MYOSOTIS probably SCORPIOIDES) - wet places
The slightly notched petals and calyx divided to less than half in flower
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SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE
Comfrey (SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE) - on a shady bank beside a stream
White, funnel-shaped flowers with 5 short, broad lobes; for comparison with SYMPHYTUM X UPLANDICUM see: https://sites.google.com/a/chadwellseeds.co.uk/main/hedgerows
Nodding flowers in terminal forked scorpoid cymes
Young fruits with protruding white styles
Stem winged with decurrent leaf-bases; the plant was once used as a poultice in country districts
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LYTHRUM SALICARIA
Purple Loosestrife (LYTHRUM SALICARIA) - rivers, canals, ponds, wet woods
Many red-purple flowers in spikes
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NYMPHOIDES PELTATA
'Fringed Waterlily' (NYMPHOIDES PELTATA) - yellow flowers, lobes fimbriate-ciliate
Leaves floating, orbicular, deeply cordate at base - ponds and slow rivers
Druce, 'Flora of Buckinghamshire' (1926) found it locally common in the still pools of the Thames
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EUPATORIUM CANNABINUM
Hemp Agrimony (EUPATORIUM CANNABINUM) - at fruiting stage; heads in dense corymbs
Found in marshes, streamsides and wet woods; pappus whitish; mature seeds blackish
Stem leaves 3-5 partite with toothed segments
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TYPHA LATIFOLIA
Joseph Chadwell beside Bulrush (also known as Great Reedmace) TYPHA LATIFOLIA
Growing in a pond in Ditton Park, Langley
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RANUNCULUS SCLERATUS
Celery-Leaved Buttercup (RANUNCULUS SCELERATUS); upper leaves sessile, narrow segments
Petals pale yellow; seeds (achenes) visible on back-board
Lower-leaves long-stalked, the lowest (not shown) palmately 3-lobed
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EPILOBIUM HIRSUTUM
Great Hairy Willow-herb (EPILOBIUM HIRSUTUM) prominent 4-lobed white stigma
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POLYGONUM PERSICARIA
Persicaria, Redshank (POLYGONUM PERSICARIA)
Pink flowers in a dense inflorescence
Found beside a ditch - also common on cultivated ground and waste places
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