On the previous "Day" we had two of my favourite plants: Melancholy Thistle and Betony. They are a thistle and a labiate. Today we have another thistle and another labiate - but much more common ones - They are still plants that I would classify as "Of interest": Marsh Thistle and Hedge Woundwort
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| Marsh Thistle - See purple base to spines |
There are three common thistles in the fields around Settle: Spear Thistle, Creeping Thistle and Marsh Thistle. I will deal with the first two another day. They are both classified as "Weeds" in the Weeds Act of 1959 that landowners are legally supposed to discourage.
but they have their uses - Goldfinches really enjoy their seeds.
Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre) grows in marshy or damp grassland. The three grow throughout the UK. Blanket coverage.
There are two less common thistles that may grow around Settle but I have not found them yet on my walks: The very similar Welted Thistle (Carduus crispus) - this has a more eastern distribution . I wish I could see one to add to my collection this year. And the larger Nodding Thistle Carduus nutans - which looks very similar to Spear Thistle.
So how do we tell them all apart? Especially when they are not flowering. I looked it up in Poland and Clement: "The vegetative key to the British Flora" which no good botanist should be without.
1a. Basal leaves persistently white cottony at least below - Creeping Thistle. (Its leaf spines are 3mm, and it is very rhizomatous and spreading).
(Also Melancholy thistle and Carline thistle come out here but they look very different)
1b. Basal leaves with at least some hairs on either side, but cottony hairs scarce or absent, at least when young. Go to 2
2a. Leaves spiny to touch (Can pierce skin) - Spear Thistle (and also Musk Thistle but that is rare around here) Go to 4
2b. Leaves weakly spiny to touch (Cannot pierce skin) - Marsh Thistle or Welted Thistle - Go to 3
Well there we have it - just try and see of the spines pierce the skin!!!
3a. Spines along leaf margin 3 to 5 mm - leaves often +- shiny green above; leaves oblanceolate, septate hairy both sides: spines purple at base. Marsh Thistle. Stems to 170cm with continuous spiny wings
3b. Spines along leaf margin 3mm - leaves dull above; leaves elliptic Welted Thistle. Stems to 140cm with narrow spiny wings. cottony.
4a. Leaf spines with swollen yellowish base; petiole base not purplish: Spear Thistle
4b. Leaf spines with sometimes purple base. Petiole base purplish. Musk Thistle
Well all we have today is Marsh Thistle:
Marsh Thistle:
Well some of these spines are more than 3mm. Some more than 5mm
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| Marsh Thistle- Marshy area in field near Stainforth 16 June |
Guest pictures from near Colt Park Wood with Penyghent in the background:
Hedge Woundwort - Stachys sylvatica
If you are not sure if your plant is Hedge Woundwort or not, try crushing the leaves and smelling them.
If it is Hedge Woundwort you will know!!!
This grows in hedgerows and roadsides. 90 percent of our hedgerow walks around Settle have Hedge Woundwort now at the middle of July.
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| Hedge Woundwort |
I invited people to guess which plants I would be doing today.
One person -Andy - suggested Stachys byzantina . "Big Ears or "Lambs Ears - This is another Stachys -It is a garden plant - so I have been looking out for it..
I found some late this evening.. So it too will be coming shortly.
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