Beautiful, serene Lesser Water-plantain (Baldellia ranunculoides) in the New Forest.
Moments after taking this photo, I looked down and realised my movements had attracted Medicinal Leeches. At least three were climbing over each boot.
An early morning taxonomy black hole. After discussing Valeriana officinalis agg, I tried to trace how the traditional British taxa fits current POWO treatment. V. officinalis ssp. sambucifolia is now placed within V. excelsa, apparently reflecting the relationship with the higher-ploidy aggregate.
Very pleased to bump into Narrow-leaved Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia) while surveying a stream today in the New Forest. It doesn't seem to spread from seed, so the clump will likely be there when I comeback to resurvey that section. A good marker.
And Greater Spearwort (Ranunculus lingua)- probably not planted at this location.
Attractive sedges in the New Forest yesterday. Waders on and out in the water.
Cyperus Sedge (Carex pseudocyperus)
Bladder-sedge (Carex vesicaria)
An ugly fruit.
Medicinal Leech, realising my boots aren't worth bothering with.
Video
Branched Bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) in full flower today in the New Forest. It was striking that the early-season flowers had failed to set in the cool spell we had, but the current ones are producing fruit.
More intriguingly, subsp. collina (2n = 28) appears to belong among the lower-ploidy elements. My suspicion is that we're not really in a position to assign the British collina concept with complete confidence without cytological & ideally molecular data interpreted alongside morphology and ecology.
