Woodland Plants
Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
A beautiful orchid of grasslands and woodlands, Greater Butterfly Orchid is fairly common in Dorset, and southern England as a whole, on calcareous soils.
In woodland habitats, the white flowers seem to glow in the dim light, as they stand on tall stalks above the surrounding green vegetation.
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
The familiar Bluebell needs little introduction! Throughout Britain many people know of a bluebell wood near them, but from my (limited) experience, Garston Wood is the most stunning I have ever seen. An evening walk here in May is an unforgettable experience, the air heavy with the scent of many tens of thousands of bluebells. The plants carpet the floor of the woodland, mixed in some areas with great numbers of Ramsons - it's a bit like walking through a sea of blue and white!
Ramsons (Allium ursinum)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
This familiar plant of damp woodland is widespread in Britain, and when growing en-masse it presents a stunning spectacle, as at Garston Wood.
Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
Characteristic of dry, ancient woodlands on calcareous soils, this attractive plant is a welcome sight when in flower in late spring and early summer.
Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
Well-known to gardeners in its many cultivated forms, Columbine is relatively uncommon in the wild in Britain.
It can be found in lightly shaded habitats on calcareous soils, such as woodland edges and scrub. Within populations there are some colour variations, although most plants are the familiar deep purple-blue colour.
The plant is commonest in southern Britain, although it can be found as far north as the Orkney Islands.
pink-flowered form
Columbine foliage with morning dew
Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides)
The sight of an ancient woodland carpeted with bluebells and wood spurge in May is one of favourite spring sights, and definitely worth the trip to southern England to enjoy.
Wood Spurge is a fairly tall plant, growing to nearly a metre tall, and is common in the right habitat.
Nationally, it has a predominantly southern distribution, with other scattered occurrences from the Midlands northwards.
Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
This common woodland species is described in the
Flora of Derbyshire - the White Peak woodlands section of the site.
Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum goleobdolon)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
A stingless relative of the nettles, Yellow Archangel is a common woodland plant in England and Wales, but rarer in Scotland. It grows on calcareous or nutrient-rich soils.
Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
Bugle is a very important plant in Dorset's woodland as a nectar source for butterflies, especially several fritillaries. Although the flowers are usually blue-purple, although white-flowered forms are occasionally seen, as here.
Common Twayblade (Listera ovata)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
Common Twayblade is fairly frequent in Garston Wood, growing along the woodland rides alongside Common Spotted, Early Purple and Greater Butterfly Orchids.
The species is described in the Flora of East Anglia section of the site.
Corn Mint (Mentha arvensis)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
A common plant of various lowland habitats, Corn Mint can be recognised by its dense, whorled inflorescences in the leaf axils. Individual flowers are bell-shaped with short triangular calyx teeth. These features distinguish it from the rather similar hybrid M. x verticillata (Whorled Mint), of which M.arvensis is one of the parents.
Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
I've described this plant in the
Flora of Hampshire section of the site (where it was growing just over the county border at Martin Down NNR).
Thanks to Fred Rumsey for the identification.
Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
Powerstock Common NR
The deep red flowers with white markings identify this common woodland nettle relative. When bruised, the foliage gives off an unpleasant scent.
Hedge Woundwort is common throughout much of the British Isles in damp, grassy habitats.
White Dead-nettle (Lamium album)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
Easily recognised by its hairy, white flowers and unspotted leaves, White Dead-nettle is a common and beautiful woodland plant.
The name Dead-nettle derives from the nettle-like leaves which are stingless.
Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
There are four cow-wheat species in Britain, and all are annual semi-parasitic herbs. This is by far the commonest species, and is of note as the foodplant (in its Kent colonies) of the nationally endangered Heath Fritillary butterfly.
Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
The commonest legume to occur in woodlands, this scrambling plant is common throughout the British Isles.
The only other woodland-dwelling Vicia is V.cracca (Tufted Vetch), but that species has downy stems, very different from the hairless stems of Bush Vetch. Bush Vetch also bears its flowers in short, rounded, few-flowered racemes, quite unlike the long, many-flowered racemes of Tufted Vetch.
Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
This statuesque umbellifer is a typical plant of damp woodlands and meadows. It can be distinguished from similar tall species by its purplish hollow stems and small individual flowers which have short incurved petals and lack a calyx.
Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana)
sepal details, Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
The commonest of Britain's
Viola species, this plant blooms throughout spring in a variety of habitats, from woodland to grassland.
It is similar to the closely-related Early Dog-violet (V.reichenbachiana), but has a curved spur on the lower petal and strongly-branched dark purple veins near the centre of the flower (on the lower petal). The sepals are long and pointed, helping to distinguish this species from the Hairy Violet (V.hirta), and the appendages at the base of the sepals are large and square, unlike the much smaller appendages of V.reichenbachiana.
Wood Anemone (Anemone sylvestris)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
This early-flowering woodland perennial is described in the
Flora of Derbyshire - the White Peak woodlands section of the site.
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
One of Britain's most familiar woodland plants, this species is described in the
Flora of Derbyshire - the White Peak woodlands section of the site.
Butcher's Broom (Ruscus aculeatus)
Garston Wood RSPB Reserve
An unusual spiny shrub of dry southern woodlands, Butcher's Broom is easy to recognise. What look like spiny leaves are in fact flattened, modified stems used for photosynthesis - the actual leaves are tiny papery scales, not visible in these photos. The insignificant flowers are followed by bright red berries, which persist on the shrub for some time.
White Helleborine (Cephalanthera damasoniorum)
Badbury Rings
This species is described in the
Flora of East Anglia section of the site.
Coastal Plants
Portland Spurge (Euphorbia portlandica)
Broadcroft Quarry, Isle of Portland
Strictly a coastal plant, Portland Spurge can be found around the south and west coast of Britain, from Sussex to Galloway, but it is totally absent in the east. It is also found around all of coastal Ireland.
Visually it is very similar to the more widespread Sea Spurge (E.paralias) - see below - which has fleshier, blunt leaves and smooth seeds.
Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias)
Church Ope Cove, Isle of Portland
Common around the southern and western coasts of Britain, Sea Spurge can be recognised by its fleshy leaves which lack a prominent midrib. The species is abundant on the coastal cliffs of Portland, where plants are often small, due to the consistently dry conditions.
Sea Campion (Silene uniflora)
Ferrybridge, near Weymouth
Common on the shingle of Chesil Beach, this widespread coastal species can be recognised by its erect, single flowers (hence the Latin name) and small, rather fleshy leaves.
Thrift (Armeria maritima)
Durlston Country Park
Chesil Beach, Isle of Portland
This familiar plant of sea cliffs can be seen around almost all of Britain's coastline, where it turns grassy slopes and ledges pink in early summer. The plant can also be seen inland at a few sites, especially on mountain ledges in western Scotland; in mainland Europe
A.maritima ssp.alpina is a common plant of limestone mountains.
Portland
Danish Scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica)
Portland
The most common coastal Scurvygrass,
C.danica can be recognised by its ivy-shaped, stalked stem leaves. Its flowers are also slightly smaller than those of
C.anglica, which is more of a saltmarsh plant.
Thanks to Fred Rumsey for the identification.
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Chesil Beach
A very common plant across Britain, Ribwort Plantain grows in open, dry habitats (including garden lawns). It has typical Plantago inflorescences, and narrow lanceolate (hence the Latin name) leaves on short stalks.
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
Church Ope Cove, Portland
A coastal plant with a mainly southern distribution in Britain, Alexanders is very common around the cliffs of Portland, especially in areas where scrubby vegetation dominates.
It can be recognised by its yellow flowerheads and oval, toothed leaflets and black fruits. The rather similar Wild Parsnip (Pastinacea sativa) has pinnatifid leaves and greenish fruits.
Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum)
Church Ope Cove, Portland
A fleshy-leaved umbellifer found around much of the southern half of Britain, Rock Samphire grows on cliffs and in shingle. In summer it bears flat umbels of yellow flowers.
Thanks to Fred Rumsey for the identification.
