Settle Wildflowers - Day 76 - Blue 12 - Harebell, Common Milkwort, Autumn Gentian near Langcliffe

1. Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Harebell's have been voted "favourite flower" in many areas. I think that is partly because it comes out late - i.e. in the school holidays. It looks very delicate, yet can grow in tough windswept places. The stem leaves are long and narrow - so why is the Latin name Campanula rotundifolia? It is because the basal leaves are round. 

According to the Deborah Stone in the Express "Harebell is a flower of dry, open, windy places from the hills to the sea. It’s one of the species most at risk from ‘fertilizer rain’ – the deposition of nitrogen from the atmosphere. Larger, more thuggish plants flourish under this rain and out-compete the delicate harebell, and it’s now becoming threatened in England."

This picture was taken on 31 Aug (Bank holiday Monday) just above the cattle grid at Winskill Stones Pavement - Plantlife Reserve.

There are some on the closely grazed bank next to the Langcliffe Mill Pond.

2. Autumn Gentian: Gentianella amarella

After I had taken the above picture of the Harebell at Winskill, I was at ground level and in front of my nose were some Autumn Gentians
They have five long narrow sepals and 5 petals.

Autumn Gentian 

Autumn Gentian 

See how the sepal teeth start to narrow as soon as they leave the sepal tube. All the sepals are the same size

If I had had more luck and more time in July I would have searched for Autumn Gentian's much rarer sister plant, the Field Gentian in a site where I have found it before between Langcliffe and Stainforth. However I was too busy then. Field Gentian grows in similar places - shallow limestone soil.

 It only has four petals and four sepals and the sides of the sepals taper.   The two outer sepals are bigger than and overlap the two inner sepals. The picture below is a total cheat - it being from a beautiful heathy meadow in Perthshire, on moraine that was base rich.

3. Common Milkwort: Polygala vulgaris

I wanted to add a third delicate blue flower that also like low nutrient lime rich soils - so I add Milkwort. This picture was taken on 29 May at Lord's pasture. But I feel there is still a chance of finding the odd flower out, if I  keep searching in Limestone Grassland

All its leaves are opposite and are long oval and narrow. (I say this to distinguish if from two other Milkworts which grow six miles from Settle but which I have not yet found within 3 miles of Settle - yet.

The Heath Milkwort which grows on heathy soil and has a few leaves that look as if they are opposite leaves. The rare Bitter Milkwort  grows on tussocks in limestone flushes which has a rosette of spoon-shaped leaves. 

It is possible to find white and pink version of Common Milkwort. Here is a pink one I found on a trip to Malham Tarn... But that's not in my area

Pink form of Common Milkwort

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