Due to ever worsening health issues, I didn't get out much in April. A form of arthritis affected various joints around my body from my thumbs to my knees, so taking photos and walking became increasingly difficult. However, here's what I managed to photograph this month in Cornwall.
In early April, I stumbled upon a Lesser Celandine with all white flowers. Apparently this is a named form and not one I'd seen before. As the yellow flowered forms age, the outer edge turn white and sometimes the whole petal turns white, but there's always a hint of yellow on one or more of the flowers. In this case, there was no yellow colouring at all. It was a bit bedraggled after heavy rain.
Ficaria verna var. albiflora
Mid month and I managed a walk near Wadebridge along some lanes. Little Robin was flowering profusely in the Cornish hedges; for some reason it's quite common around the Wadebridge and Camel Estuary areas. It's more delicate and has smaller flowers than Herb Robert; it has yellow pollen sacs on the stamens and the petals are a slightly deeper purple with no white streaks and no notch at their tips.
Geranium purpureum
Shining Cranesbill was also flowering; this has the same colour flowers and pollen sacs as Little Robin, so pay attention to the leaves to separate the species.
Geranium lucidum
In a field entrance was a muddy wet area full of liquid cow pats. Growing within this sloppy mess was a fine example of Watercress, though not one I'd like to forage that's for sure.
Nasturtium officinale
My first Early Purple Orchids of the year were seen along a roadside bank on this trip too. It's always lovely to stumble across some when not expecting them. Several were growing in a small area botanically species rich with Betony, Wild Strawberry, Common Valerian and Tormentil all within a few yards of roadside bank.
Orchis mascula
Bush Vetch rounded off the plants for this trip.
Vicia sepium
A few days later I recorded the area around Notter Bridge in the south east of the county. The following are some of the plants I found there.
Ajuga reptans - Bugle
Lord and Ladies "in flower".
Arum maculatum
American Wintercress on the A38 road verges. Behind the leaves in the second photo is roadside litter!
Barbarea verna
On a wooded lane was a colony of Wood Spurge, rather uncommon the further west you travel into Cornwall.
Euphorbia amygdaloides subsp amygdaloides
Another plant found along the A38 road verges was White Dead-nettle. It's a very common plant further east, but uncommon in Cornwall.
Lamium album
On a wooded rural roadside was a clump of Three-nerved Sandwort, so called due to the three prominent veins in the leaves. Unlike Common Chickweed, the petals are not notched, are shorter then the scarious bordered sepals and the pedicels lack the line of hairs running down them.
Moehringia trinervia
Bog Stitchwort was flowering on a damp path that led to a sewage works.
Stellaria alsine
There were lots of Greater Stitchwort in flower still, but some were in fruit. I think it's always worthwhile getting to know the look of a plant from a seedling right the way through flowering to its death or winter form. It makes identification much easier when no flowers are present.
Stellaria holostea
My last plant of note from this trip was a surprise Crimson Clover on the A38 road verges again. It was a single clump, in flower, growing with Red and White Clovers and other native species. So how it got there remains a mystery. Seed could have fallen from a tractor or its trailer or it could be a survivor of amenity planting, though that would have been well over 20 years previously.
Trifolium incarnatum subsp incarnatum
My final trip of the month was to Penlyn, near the Duchy Nursery. Here's some of what I found there.
Wood Anemones were still flowering in a few places in the woodlands.
Anemone nemorosa
Bitter Vetch flowering and seeding along the rural road verges.
Lathyrus linifolius
Cuckooflowers were along the road verges.
Cardamine pratensis
Heath Wood-rush now flowering.
Luzula mulltiflora subsp multiflora
Photos of Bluebells are for the most part of carpets of them in woodlands, so I thought it would make a change to see some growing atop a Cornish hedge looking fabulous in silhouette.
Hyacinthodes non-scripta
Changing Forget-me-nots were flowering in the nursery car park.
Myosotis discolor subsp dubia
Ragged Robin on a damp road verge.
Silene flos-cuculi
Finally, a Bilberry flowering along a rural road verge.
Vaccinium myrtillus
After this trip, my left knee had become so inflamed and swollen from the knee to the ankle that I could barely walk, so that was it for April. At present, there is not much hope of getting out and about anytime soon, but hopefully, I will still be able to find a few plants, even if from the car.
Take Care
Dave
