the evening walk

A couple of favourite plants on my evening walk through the Ind. Est. (Photos taken yesterday.)




First, a rather spectacular colony of hawkweeds (even more spectacular when the sun is high and the flowers are fully open). Judging from the winged petioles of the basal leaves, and the clasping stem-leaves, this should belong to the introduced Hieracium sect. Amplexicaulia, though Stace says this is "very scattered".




Rat's-tail Fescue (Vulpia myuros). Probably native, but always found in man-made environments - an increasing species. Typically, as here, with drooping inflorescences.




Finally out into the countryside. They've just bagged the silage.

[I didn't notice this until a week later, but just the other side of the path from the hawkweeds was a plant I'd never seen before, Pepper Saxifrage (Silaum silaus). Hardly where you'd expect it - but anyway the moral to botanists is, keep a close eye on your local scruffy Ind. Est.!]