It's a quiet time of the year for flowering plants, but there is always plenty of interest to see, whatever the time of year. The following is a brief resume of some of my early season finds in Cornwall. Many are phone images, so please excuse the quality.
As might be expected in early February the first interesting plant wasn't yet in flower. It was a Rue-leaved Saxifrage rosette on the edge of a tarmac car park at Portwrinkle on the south coast. This species is appearing more frequently in urban habitats and pavements throughout the country. Nearby was a rosette of Common Whitlowgrass, both were new species for the area. The plant at the top of the photo is a young Danish Scurvygrass.
Saxifraga tridactylites
A walk near St. Mewan revealed a few nice plants, including a surprise Sweet Vernal Grass in flowera a good 2 months early. It was growing in a tiny pocket of soil on a wall, so perhaps that's why.
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Early spring is the time for both Barren and Wild Strawberries to start flowering, both are reasonably frost tolerant species.
Potentilla sterilis
Fragaria vesca
With only a few frosts over the winter, it wasn't that surprising to find some of last year's plants still in flower, like this Nipplewort.
Lapsana communis
Ivy-leaved Crowfoot was found growing in its typical habitat of a muddy, water filled field entrance, though no flowers showing yet.
Ranunculus hederaceus
Other plants were flowering too in limited numbers, such as Lesser Celandines, Gorse and Red Campions, but I didn't photograph those. Mid month and on a walk south of Bodmin I chanced upon a pasture field left fallow. There was a nice variety of species, including Sun spurge, Field Madder and this Field Woundwort in flower.
Stachys arvensis
In other areas, the first Oopposite-leaved Golden Saxifrages were starting to flower. It's a common species anywhere that is wet and remains damp throughout the year.
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium
Snowdrops were now in flower, and I have a key saved on my phone to make sure I can identify all the commonly found species. However, this year, nearly all those I found were the Common Snowdrop. I suspect that is the most common species that is naturalised along our road verges and more rural areas. The other species tend to be found in or near churchyards and the like. The Snowdrop below is a double flowered form.
Galanthus nivalis flore pleno
Of course, there are plenty of non native species that naturalise and flower through the winter. Euphorbias are one such genus and one usually sees Mediterranean Spurge naturalised around towns. For a change, I found some Turkish Wood Spurge growing out of a wall near Longstone, with planted parent plants nearby.
Euphorbia amygdaloides subsp robbiae
Green Hellebores are native in the UK, but considered a neophyte in Cornwall, though many colonies have persisted for well over a century according to botanical records. One such colony was visited near the end of the month near Helligan Barton north of Bodmin, with several plants in flower.
Helleborus viridis
My final plant species for February is the endemic to Cornwall, Cornish Ramping Fumitory. I found a few clumps on the road verges and some in an amenity planter by the roadside near Landguard in Newquay. Unfortunately, it's phone picture, so not of great quality. Care must be taken identifying Fumitories in winter as the flowers are often atypical, usually smaller. However, these were a whopping 13mm long and had the white margin to the upper petals (turns pink after pollination). The top petal also has a distinctive spanner shape that the other species don't have.
Fumaria occidentalis
Here's a roadside clump.
That rounds up February. It's mid March as I write this and the wildflowers are really starting to bloom now, so it's a good time to explore your local area and see what is flowering.
Take care
Dave
