Wild flowers

The veined leaves in the closer view are from a Green Alkanet, a plant with a smallish blue flower. The Garlic leaves are the narrower strap-like ones.

This was growing in a thick mat in a drainage channel in the Ouse Estuary.

This escapee from cultivation is becoming something of a weed in some areas.

The first of a small group of wild flower photos, taken alongside the Buckle By-pass in a cutting between Seaford & Bishopstone. I had spotted what I thought were Pyramidal Orchids, as I passed by on a bus. So I went back to discover a wide range of wild flowers on the side of the cutting that the road passes through. The south-facing side of the road has no foot path, but has a wide grass verge before the bank climbs steeply 30ft +. As well as the flowers uploaded there were swathes of Valerian, mainly red and pink, but including some white, clumps of Wild Marjoram, Vetches, Clover, Thistles and Apple trees. All-in-all a lovely discovery, to which I must return.

Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

I am fairly sure that these are Oxeyes, but they seem a bit small. Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

These are what caught my eye passing by on a bus. I had to come back and check out what I had seen. There is a lot of Valerian in the area and I thought it could be odd plants of that. There were probably twenty or so of these Orchids, about 70 metres to the right of the bus-stop in the inset picture.

Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

Please see www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/33792605 for the background to this group of wild flowers pictures.

I think that this may be the Common Restharrow, but the stems seem to be too long. I shall be very happy to change the caption if a more knowledgeable wild flower enthusiast can provide the correct species. Thanks to Fortesque28's efforts this has now been identified as Sainfoin, This looks like an early, not-fully-formed flower head. Generally they are larger and more conical, which is why I didn't find it in Sarah Raven's large 'Wild flowers' book.

Looking at these three views, I was puzzled by this plant. I could see similarities with Viper's-bugloss, but the leaves didn't look the same and the stamens are pale blue rather than red. I use Sarah Raven's large tome 'Wild Flowers' for trying to identify wild flowers - strangely enough! No other plant seemed close. However when I discovered I had taken another shot with the buds 'unwinding' it looked much more like Viper's-bugloss as described by Sarah. www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/38271266 shows what I mean. The stamens are still pale blue, but there are touches of pinky-red around the buds. As always I am very happy to be put right by people more botanically minded than I am.