Common Figwort - Scrophularia nodosa

Ok, so i've got figwort in twice. But i really like this picture, and i've misplaced my camera and haven't had a chance to take any new pictures for a while. Don't be angry!

Enchanter's Nightshade - Circaea lutetiana

Yet again I couldn't get a very good snap of this, the flowers are tiny and tricky to photograph without shaking all over the place and i was in a bit of a rush as i was meant to be carrying out a plant survey. It's a really pretty little plant though. The colour is a little hard to define, it's such a pale purple that it's almost white. It has those little fruits with hooked bristles that always end up getting stuck on your clothes, hair and down your boots.

Common figwort - Schrophularia nodosa

I love the flowers on this plant, they look like really tiny little foxgloves. It was a bit tricky to take a photo of this plant because the flowers are so small and it was quite gloomy in the wood, i kept shaking the camera about. There are a few different types of figworts and they tend to vary on their leaf, stem and sepal shape. For example, the aquatic figwort has more rounded leaves.

Honeysuckle - Lonicera periclymenum

I really wanted to take a picture of this flower but the light levels were so low where i found it it was proving impossible (i never bother taking a tripod with me and have to rely on my steady hands instead). This was the best out of a bad bunch of pictures but i'm still not really satisfied with it. I learnt the other day that you can suck out the nectar in honeysuckle just like in Nasturtiums. I wonder if you could eat the whole honeysuckle flower?

I'm off to Yorkshire for a week so there'll be a break from posting for a week or so I'm afraid.

Ragged Robin - Lychnis flos-cuculi

This plant can also be found growing in damp meadows and fens. I found it along a woodland ride where there were large clumps of it growing. The small pearl bordered fritillary is said to be fond of this plant but sadly i didn't see any of them flying around. I did see a massive dragonfly hunting along the ride but it was too quick to identify.

Foxglove - Digitalis purpurea

These appear soon after a woodland has been cleared when light floods down to the ground layer. There were hundreds of these flowers in a recent clearing when I went to visit Abbott's wood.

Spotted or Perfoliate St Johns Wort - Hypericum punctatum

This species has pairs of opposite facing leaves which, when held up to the light, appear to have tiny pinpricked holes pierced straight through them. I found this growing on the edge of a woodland ride at Abbot's wood, near Hailsham

Dogwood

Dog's mercury at Stanmer Park

Sun spurge

Sun Spurge, stanmer park

Dog's mercury

This plant has tiny little yellow flowers

Hornbeam

Picture of hornbeam seeds

Lords and Ladies - Arum maculatum

Ths was found growing in a wood near Sussex University. The purple spathe gives off a smell that attracts small flies. The flies get caught in the swelling at the base of the flower until the flower is ready to release pollen. The flies then fly off, carrying the pollen away to other flowers.

Hedge Garlic

Not a very good photo i'm afraid, the flower is out of focus.

Red Campion

Native bluebell - Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Note the curled out tips of the petals and the yellow stamens

Black Bryony

Only British member of the yam family

Cowslip - Primula veris

These were found growing in a woodland close to Sussex University. The latin word Primula refers to this plants tendancy to flower early in the season, veris refers to spring time.