Cerastium pumilum - Dwarf Mouse-ear

Cerastium pumilum and Cerastium semidecandrum are similar with the bracts being the best feature to separate the two. C. pumilum has a narrow translucent border and C. semidecandrum has a much larger translucent area.

Cerastium pumilum

Cerastium pumilum bract

Polygonum aviculare - Knotgrass

I found this plant today which I knew was Knotgrass but thought it would be fun to find out which. As it turned out it was rather more difficult than I imagined. It was the key in Stace that got me to the conclusion in the end by the 3mm length of the achene (dry fruit of a flowering plant). There was a mention of silvery sheaths later turning brownish in Domino Guides which I could see. Polygonum arenastrum (Equal-leaved Knotgrass) is the one I had most trouble with. P.arenastrum is said to have leaves on the stem and branches roughly the same but the leaves on the stem were different sizes making this feature difficult to determine. Maximum size of achene on P.arenastrum is said to be 2.5mm therefore not my plant.

Polygonum aviculare achene 3mm in length

Polygonum aviculare

Charmouth 1st August

I spent the morning near Charmouth looking for some local specialities namely Slender Centaury, Cliff Tiger Beetle and Sea Heath. To my delight I managed to find all three and some additions too. Being a beginner I found the Centaury group a little tricky to get the hand of but pointers that helped included looking for the presence of a basal rosette, whether the branches along the whole stem or just the top half and the leaf shape.

Lesser Centaury

Sea Heath

Slender Centaury

Asaphidion pallipes

Cliff Tiger Beetle

Stagonospora atriplicis

Brean Down 29th July

I've hardly been to Brean Down this year so thought it would be a nice change to have a look round and see what I could find. As it turned out there were a few discoveries of things new to me including: Weissia brachycarpa, Dermatocarpon miniatum, Ochesella villosa, Cryptocephalus fulvus and Squamapion atomarium.
I started off by examining the wall next to where I parked and found Bilimbia sabuletorum plus two bryophytes that looked like Ulota crispa and a Tortula sp. At the bottom of the steps I ran into Bugloss for the first time this year. This plant stood out with it's large prickly leaves and small blue solitary flowers. Half way up the steps I strayed on to the grass and instantly started to find some interesting things. Here I found the Weissia brachycarpa growing on soil on an overhang. The leaves were 1mm long and the old capsules still present which helped with the identification. I also found three Cryptocephalus fulvus in this area, a very striking beetle but very small so crawling round on hands and knees recommended. The crescent shaped gemmae cups weren't visible so perhaps not a feature to be looked for all year round.
Eventually I reached the top and made my way westwards but only managed a short distance before finding a new lichen, Dermatocarpon miniatum. This is a distinctive brown foliose lichen with lots of brown dots which I presume are the 0.3mm perithecia.
I also found here Black Meddick which intially gave me trouble identifying as I thought it was Clover to start with but the leaves end in a small point.

Black Meddick

Cryptocephalus fulvus

Weissia brachycarpa

Dermatocarpon miniatum

Viper's Bugloss

Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare from Wiltshire in June.

Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare

Common Fumitory

Not had this confirmed yet but looks a close match to Common Fumitory. I found it on the side of the road whilst broken down test riding a potential new motorcycle.

Common Fumitory

Russian Comfrey

Birding quiet again today but I did bump into this Russian Comfrey today on the side of the road.

Russian Comfrey

Cuckoo Flower

Taken on 23rd April 2014 on the Mendips, these were the first of many I've seen dotted about the countryside this year.

Cuckoo Flower

Green-winged Orchid

Found on Sand Point on 2nd May 2014. There were several of these around the top of Sand Point this morning, quite a surprise. Taken with the Samsung Galaxy S3. This phone seems ideally suited for plant photography.

Green-winged Orchid

Botanising on the driveway

Here are some common plants I've found on my driveway this morning.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

Petty Spurge

Pineappleweed

Spiraea x vanhouttei

An unusual shrub to find out in the wild but this one has been thriving for some time on the patch. ID has taken several days not only because of being non-native but also from the different types of Spiraea. So far it's been narrowed down to Spiraea x vanhouttei.

Spiraea x vanhouttei

Hedge Woundwort and Shieldbug

Good fortune today when I found some Hedge Woundwort. This is a new plant for me and as luck would have it Woundwort Shieldbug's were found mating amongst the flower heads.

Woundwort Shieldbug

Hedge Woundwort

Sedge's and Broomrapes

I've been having a go at some of the flora on the patch and here are some of yesterdays finding:

Broad-leaved Willowherb

Common Broomrape

Crested Dog's-tail

False Fox Sedge

Glaucous Sedge

Lesser Spearwort or Sea Aster

Glaux maritima

Silver Maple Acer saccarinum

Whilst waiting outside the local Tesco I happened to notice some larval activity overhead on Silver Maple Acer saccarinum. I took it home for further investigation and found a spun white case of Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana.

Case of Pandemis cerasana

Leaves of Silver Maple Acer saccerinum