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  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    135134.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    134662.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    133187.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    132298.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    135418.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    132301.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) - Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    157448.jpg
  • Cultivated Apple Malus domestica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 15m. A familiar orchard tree producing copious quantities of edible fruits. BARK Usually brown and fissured. BRANCHES Tangled unless pruned. The twigs are downy. LEAVES Up to 13cm long, elliptical and rounded at the base with a slightly pointed tip and toothed margin. They are slightly downy on the upper surface and normally very downy on the lower surface. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are white or tinged with pink and, in some varieties, produced abundantly in short-stalked clusters. The fruits are normally larger than 5cm in diameter and indented at the pedicel. A great variety of shapes, sizes, tastes and colours exist. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Almost al¬ways found in cultivation in orchards and gardens across much of Britain and Ireland. Occasionally naturalized, or found in isolated places where human habitation once occurred, or where apple cores, containing  seeds (‘pips’) have been discarded. Cultivated Apple is a hybrid species, probably between the wild Crab Apple M. sylvestris and M. dasyphylla, and possibly M. praecox.
    135207.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    132277.jpg
  • Common Pear (Cultivated Pear) Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. A normally upright and slender deciduous tree with a stout bole and a dense framework unless pruned. BARK Dark-brown and breaking up into small square plates. BRANCHES Ascending in young trees, but becoming more spreading in older specimens; some branches may bear a few spines. Young twigs are reddish-brown and sparsely hairy, but they become smoother with age. LEAVES Up to 8cm long, and usually oval to elliptic in shape, but there is always some variation; the margins have numerous small teeth, and the leaves are smooth and almost glossy when mature. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The flowers are pure white and open before the leaves have fully expanded, typically two to four weeks earlier and cultivated apples flower in the same location. A pear orchard is a spectacular sight on a sunny spring day. The pear-shaped fruits may be up to 12cm long, with a soft, but slightly gritty, sweet-tasting flesh. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of western Asia originally, but cultivated for millennia and now widespread across Europe, including Britain and Ireland
    132297.jpg
  • Cultivated Pea - Pisum sativum subsp. elatius
    162484.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    143306.jpg
  • Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Tall, slender to slightly conical deciduous tree with one main trunk. BARK Grey-brown, corky and deeply ridged in mature trees. BRANCHES spreading with long, greenish-brown shoots, which in turn bear shorter brown shoots. LEAVES Yellowish-green to dark-green, fan-shaped, divided at least once and up to 10-12cm long; radiating veins reach margins. Leaves on long shoots widely separated; those on the short shoots close-packed. FLOWERS Male catkins yellow, in small upright clusters; female flowers grow singly on a 5cm-long pedicel. Flowers seldom seen in Britain; most mature trees in our region are male. FRUITS to 3cm long and usually ovoid, containing a single seed inside a harder shell. Green at first, yellowing with age, becoming foul-smelling. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Chekiang Province of China. Endangered in the wild but widely cultivated.
    135424.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    135209.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    135127.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    135128.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    133875.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    133873.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    133833.jpg
  • Peach Prunus persica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Small, bushy and rounded deciduous tree. BARK Dark brown. BRANCHES Straight, with smooth, reddish, angular twigs. LEAVES Alternate, lanceolate, finely toothed, often creased into V-shape. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pink flowers, to 4cm across, are usually solitary; open at same time as leaf buds; yellow-tipped anthers. Fruits is familiar peach, to 8cm long, rounded and downy, flushed pink; sweet, juicy flesh when ripe. Seed contained inside a woody, thickly ridged ‘stone’. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Probably native to China but long cultivated elsewhere. Here, it does best in a walled garden.
    133776.jpg
  • Peach Prunus persica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Small, bushy and rounded deciduous tree. BARK Dark brown. BRANCHES Straight, with smooth, reddish, angular twigs. LEAVES Alternate, lanceolate, finely toothed, often creased into V-shape. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pink flowers, to 4cm across, are usually solitary; open at same time as leaf buds; yellow-tipped anthers. Fruits is familiar peach, to 8cm long, rounded and downy, flushed pink; sweet, juicy flesh when ripe. Seed contained inside a woody, thickly ridged ‘stone’. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Probably native to China but long cultivated elsewhere. Here, it does best in a walled garden.
    133744.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    133004.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    117572.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    108899.jpg
  • Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Tall, slender to slightly conical deciduous tree with one main trunk. BARK Grey-brown, corky and deeply ridged in mature trees. BRANCHES spreading with long, greenish-brown shoots, which in turn bear shorter brown shoots. LEAVES Yellowish-green to dark-green, fan-shaped, divided at least once and up to 10-12cm long; radiating veins reach margins. Leaves on long shoots widely separated; those on the short shoots close-packed. FLOWERS Male catkins yellow, in small upright clusters; female flowers grow singly on a 5cm-long pedicel. Flowers seldom seen in Britain; most mature trees in our region are male. FRUITS to 3cm long and usually ovoid, containing a single seed inside a harder shell. Green at first, yellowing with age, becoming foul-smelling. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Chekiang Province of China. Endangered in the wild but widely cultivated.
    104341.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    135037.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    135038.jpg
  • Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Tall, slender to slightly conical deciduous tree with one main trunk. BARK Grey-brown, corky and deeply ridged in mature trees. BRANCHES spreading with long, greenish-brown shoots, which in turn bear shorter brown shoots. LEAVES Yellowish-green to dark-green, fan-shaped, divided at least once and up to 10-12cm long; radiating veins reach margins. Leaves on long shoots widely separated; those on the short shoots close-packed. FLOWERS Male catkins yellow, in small upright clusters; female flowers grow singly on a 5cm-long pedicel. Flowers seldom seen in Britain; most mature trees in our region are male. FRUITS to 3cm long and usually ovoid, containing a single seed inside a harder shell. Green at first, yellowing with age, becoming foul-smelling. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Chekiang Province of China. Endangered in the wild but widely cultivated.
    133837.jpg
  • Peach Prunus persica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Small, bushy and rounded deciduous tree. BARK Dark brown. BRANCHES Straight, with smooth, reddish, angular twigs. LEAVES Alternate, lanceolate, finely toothed, often creased into V-shape. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pink flowers, to 4cm across, are usually solitary; open at same time as leaf buds; yellow-tipped anthers. Fruits is familiar peach, to 8cm long, rounded and downy, flushed pink; sweet, juicy flesh when ripe. Seed contained inside a woody, thickly ridged ‘stone’. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Probably native to China but long cultivated elsewhere. Here, it does best in a walled garden.
    133743.jpg
  • Quince Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 7.5m <br />
Small, irregularly spreading, deciduous tree with a flattened crown. BARK Greyish brown. BRANCHES Dense. The shoots are noticeably woolly at first, but lose this as they become older. LEAVES Up to 10cm long with entire margins; the upper surface is green and mostly smooth, and the lower surface is greyer and markedly downy. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Attractive pink-tinged white flowers, which are at their best in April–May, are up to 5cm in diameter and bowl-shaped, containing yellowish anthers and stigmas. Fruit is up to 3.5cm long, resembling a small pear, greenish at first and becoming golden-yellow when mature with a pleasing fragrance. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but long cultivated elsewhere, including in our region, for its fruits.
    135129.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    135103.jpg
  • Peach Prunus persica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Small, bushy and rounded deciduous tree. BARK Dark brown. BRANCHES Straight, with smooth, reddish, angular twigs. LEAVES Alternate, lanceolate, finely toothed, often creased into V-shape. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pink flowers, to 4cm across, are usually solitary; open at same time as leaf buds; yellow-tipped anthers. Fruits is familiar peach, to 8cm long, rounded and downy, flushed pink; sweet, juicy flesh when ripe. Seed contained inside a woody, thickly ridged ‘stone’. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Probably native to China but long cultivated elsewhere. Here, it does best in a walled garden.
    134548.jpg
  • Peach Prunus persica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Small, bushy and rounded deciduous tree. BARK Dark brown. BRANCHES Straight, with smooth, reddish, angular twigs. LEAVES Alternate, lanceolate, finely toothed, often creased into V-shape. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pink flowers, to 4cm across, are usually solitary; open at same time as leaf buds; yellow-tipped anthers. Fruits is familiar peach, to 8cm long, rounded and downy, flushed pink; sweet, juicy flesh when ripe. Seed contained inside a woody, thickly ridged ‘stone’. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Probably native to China but long cultivated elsewhere. Here, it does best in a walled garden.
    134529.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    134443.jpg
  • Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Tall, slender to slightly conical deciduous tree with one main trunk. BARK Grey-brown, corky and deeply ridged in mature trees. BRANCHES spreading with long, greenish-brown shoots, which in turn bear shorter brown shoots. LEAVES Yellowish-green to dark-green, fan-shaped, divided at least once and up to 10-12cm long; radiating veins reach margins. Leaves on long shoots widely separated; those on the short shoots close-packed. FLOWERS Male catkins yellow, in small upright clusters; female flowers grow singly on a 5cm-long pedicel. Flowers seldom seen in Britain; most mature trees in our region are male. FRUITS to 3cm long and usually ovoid, containing a single seed inside a harder shell. Green at first, yellowing with age, becoming foul-smelling. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Chekiang Province of China. Endangered in the wild but widely cultivated.
    132715.jpg
  • Fig Ficus carica (Moraceae) HEIGHT to 5m<br />
Deciduous tree with distinctive fruits and leaves. BARK Pale grey, smooth, sometimes with finer lines. BRANCHES Thick, forming a spreading domed crown. LEAVES Alternate, to 20cm long, on a 5–10cm petiole; deeply lobed, usually in 3 segments, sometimes 5. Feel rough and leathery with prominent veins on underside. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are hidden, produced inside pear-like fleshy receptacle that is almost closed at apex. This ripens in second year into a familiar fleshy, sweet-tasting fig. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Asia, possibly also S and E Europe. Long cultivated in Britain, thriving in walled gardens
    108898.jpg
  • SCILLY BUTTERCUP Ranunculus muricatus (Ranunculaceae) Height to 30cm. Associated with cultivated bulb fields; an established introduction. Its flowers are yellow and 12-15mm across (Apr-June), and its seeds are prickly. The species occurs occasionally in Cornwall as well.
    118010.jpg
  • Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) HEIGHT to 28m<br />
Tall, slender to slightly conical deciduous tree with one main trunk. BARK Grey-brown, corky and deeply ridged in mature trees. BRANCHES spreading with long, greenish-brown shoots, which in turn bear shorter brown shoots. LEAVES Yellowish-green to dark-green, fan-shaped, divided at least once and up to 10-12cm long; radiating veins reach margins. Leaves on long shoots widely separated; those on the short shoots close-packed. FLOWERS Male catkins yellow, in small upright clusters; female flowers grow singly on a 5cm-long pedicel. Flowers seldom seen in Britain; most mature trees in our region are male. FRUITS to 3cm long and usually ovoid, containing a single seed inside a harder shell. Green at first, yellowing with age, becoming foul-smelling. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Chekiang Province of China. Endangered in the wild but widely cultivated.
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  • Scarlet Pimpernel - Anagallis arvensis. Creeping. Low-growing, hairless annual of cultivated and disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 10-15mm across with 5 scarlet or pinkish orange (sometimes blue) petals fringed with hairs; flowers open wide only in bright sunshine and are borne on slender stalks (Jun-Aug). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are oval and usually in pairs. STATUS-Widespread and generally common throughout the region, except in Scotland.
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  • SHARP-LEAVED FLUELLEN Kickxia elatine (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Creeping, hairy and branching annual. Grows in cultivated soils and on disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 8-12mm long, yellow with a purple upper lip and a straight spur; borne on slender stalks arising from leaf axils (Jul-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are triangular to arrow-shaped. STATUS-Local, mainly S and E England.
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  • CUT-LEAVED CRANE’S-BILL Geranium dissectum (Geraniaceae) Height to 45cm. Straggly, hairy annual found on disturbed ground and cultivated soils. FLOWERS are 8-10mm across with pink, notched petals; borne on short stalks (May-Sep). FRUITS are downy. LEAVES are deeply dissected to the base, the lobes narrow and jagged. STATUS-Generally common throughout although scarce in N Scotland.
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  • Sun Spurge - Euphorbia helioscopia. Height to 50cm. Upright, hairless and yellowish green annual. Found on disturbed ground and in cultivated soils. FLOWERS lack sepals and petals and are yellow with green lobes; borne in flat-topped umbel-like clusters with 5 leaf-like basal bracts (May-Nov). FRUITS are smooth. LEAVES are spoon-shaped and toothed. STATUS-Widespread and common.
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  • Coriander Coriandrum sativum Height to 60cm. Hairless, aromatic annual. Grows on bare ground. Flowers are pinkish-white, with long outer petals and no bracts; in flat-topped umbels, June-August. Leaves are pinnate and variable; slender near top of plant, broader near base. Status-Widely cultivated as a herb, and occasionally naturalised.
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  • CORN MARIGOLD Chrysanthemum segetum (Asteraceae) Height to 50cm. Attractive, hairless and upright annual that grows in arable fields and cultivated ground, usually on acid, sandy soils. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 3-6cm across, with orange-yellow disc florets and yellow ray florets; heads are solitary (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are narrow, deeply lobed or toothed, and slightly fleshy; upper leaves clasp the stem. STATUS-Possibly introduced to the region but now widespread, although range and abundance is decreasing.
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  • GREY FIELD-SPEEDWELL Veronica polita (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Straggling, hairy and branched perennial. Similar to Common Field-speedwell; note differences in flower and leaf colour. Grows in cultivated ground, often on chalky soil. FLOWERS are 8-12mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and entirely blue; solitary and borne on stalks arising from leaf axils (Mar-Nov). FRUITS are flattened and broad capsules with rounded lobes. LEAVES are grey-green, oval, deeply toothed and paired. STATUS-Widespread and fairly common throughout the region, least so in the N.
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  • THYME-LEAVED SPEEDWELL Veronica serpyllifolia (Scrophulariaceae) Height to 20cm. Delicate and often downy perennial, with creeping stems that root at intervals, and typically hairless, upright flowering stems. Grows on bare and disturbed ground including short grassland, cultivated land and woodland clearings. FLOWERS are 5-7mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and pale blue or white; borne on short stalks in loose spikes (Apr-Oct). FRUITS are flattened and rather oval capsules. LEAVES are thyme-like, small, oval and untoothed. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • THORN-APPLE Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) Height to 1m. Distinctive and almost unmistakable, branched annual. Grows on cultivated and disturbed ground. The whole plant is poisonous. FLOWERS are 7-10cm across, white and trumpet-shaped with 5 lobes (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are distinctive, green capsules, up to 5cm long, armed with strong spines. LEAVES are long-stalked, up to 20cm long and ovate to triangular with toothed lobes. STATUS-Widely naturalised but its occurrence is unpredictable and annual success is weather-dependent, doing best in warm summers.
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  • SPEAR MINT Mentha spicata (Lamiaceae) Height to 75cm<br />
Almost hairless perennial that is the most popular cultivated culinary mint. Grows in damp ground; outside the garden context, it is found in meadows and on verges. FLOWERS are 3-4mm long and pinkish lilac; borne in tall, whorled terminal spikes (Jul-Oct). FRUITS are nutlets. LEAVES are narrow-ovate, toothed and almost unstalked. STATUS-Popular as a garden plant but also naturalised locally across the region.
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  • SHARP-LEAVED FLUELLEN Kickxia elatine (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Creeping, hairy and branching annual. Grows in cultivated soils and on disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 8-12mm long, yellow with a purple upper lip and a straight spur; borne on slender stalks arising from leaf axils (Jul-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are triangular to arrow-shaped. STATUS-Local, mainly S and E England.
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  • SCENTLESS MAYWEED Tripleurospermum inodorum (Asteraceae) Height to 75cm. Scentless, hairless and often rather straggly perennial of disturbed and cultivated ground. FLOWERS are borne in clusters of solitary, long-stalked heads, 20-40mm across, comprising yellow disc florets and white ray florets (Apr-Oct). No scales between disc florets. Receptacle is domed and solid. FRUITS are achenes tipped with black oil glands. LEAVES are feathery and much-divided. STATUS-Widespread and common.
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  • RIBWORT PLANTAIN Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae) Height to 15cm. Persistent perennial that grows on disturbed grassland, cultivated ground and tracks. FLOWERS are 4mm across with a brownish corolla and white stamens; borne in compact heads, 2cm long, on furrowed stalks up to 40cm long (Apr-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are lanceolate, up to 20cm long with 3-5 distinct veins; borne in spreading basal rosettes. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • SCARLET PIMPERNEL Anagallis arvensis arvensis (Primulaceae) Creeping. Low-growing, hairless annual of cultivated and disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 10-15mm across with 5 scarlet or pinkish orange (sometimes blue) petals fringed with hairs; flowers open wide only in bright sunshine and are borne on slender stalks (Jun-Aug). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are oval and usually in pairs. STATUS-Widespread and generally common throughout the region, except in Scotland.
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  • The cultivated Greengage is now regarded as a distinct subspecies Prunus domestica ssp. italica; the fruits are yellowish green.
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  • CORN MARIGOLD Chrysanthemum segetum (Asteraceae) Height to 50cm. Attractive, hairless and upright annual that grows in arable fields and cultivated ground, usually on acid, sandy soils. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 3-6cm across, with orange-yellow disc florets and yellow ray florets; heads are solitary (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are narrow, deeply lobed or toothed, and slightly fleshy; upper leaves clasp the stem. STATUS-Possibly introduced to the region but now widespread, although range and abundance is decreasing.
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  • CORN MARIGOLD Chrysanthemum segetum (Asteraceae) Height to 50cm. Attractive, hairless and upright annual that grows in arable fields and cultivated ground, usually on acid, sandy soils. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 3-6cm across, with orange-yellow disc florets and yellow ray florets; heads are solitary (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are narrow, deeply lobed or toothed, and slightly fleshy; upper leaves clasp the stem. STATUS-Possibly introduced to the region but now widespread, although range and abundance is decreasing.
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  • CORN MARIGOLD Chrysanthemum segetum (Asteraceae) Height to 50cm. Attractive, hairless and upright annual that grows in arable fields and cultivated ground, usually on acid, sandy soils. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 3-6cm across, with orange-yellow disc florets and yellow ray florets; heads are solitary (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are narrow, deeply lobed or toothed, and slightly fleshy; upper leaves clasp the stem. STATUS-Possibly introduced to the region but now widespread, although range and abundance is decreasing.
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  • NIPPLEWORT Lapsana communis (Asteraceae) Height to 1m<br />
Upright, much-branched annual with stiff stems that do not produce latex when broken. Grows in cultivated and disturbed ground, and often in gardens. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 1-2cm across, with yellow florets; carried in open clusters (Jul-Oct). Flowers are nipple-like in bud. FRUITS are hairless. LEAVES are oval to lanceolate, toothed and short-stalked. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • BLACK NIGHTSHADE Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae) Height to 60cm. Straggly annual that is usually hairless; stems sometimes blackish. Grows in cultivated and disturbed soils. FLOWERS are 7-10mm across with white corolla lobes and projecting yellow anthers; borne in pendent clusters of 5-10 flowers (Jul-Sep). FRUITS are spherical berries, green at first but ripening black, and not partly concealed by sepals. LEAVES are oval and toothed. STATUS-Locally common in S only.
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  • ROUND-LEAVED FLUELLEN Kickxia spuria (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Creeping, softly-hairy and slightly sticky annual. Grows in cultivated soils, particularly around the margins of arable fields. FLOWERS are 8-15mm long, mainly yellow but with a purple upper lip and a curved spur; borne on slender stalks that arise from the leaf axils (Jul-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are oval or slightly rounded. STATUS-Locally common in S England but scarce or absent elsewhere.
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  • DWARF SPURGE Euphorbia exigua (Euphorbiaceae) Height to 30cm. Slender, low-growing annual that is grey-green, often branching from base. Found on cultivated ground, often on chalk. FLOWERS are yellowish (lack sepals and petals), the lobes bearing horns; borne in open, umbel-like clusters (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are smooth. LEAVES are untoothed and very narrow. STATUS-Locally common in S only.
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  • ITALIAN RYE-GRASS Lolium multiflorum (Poaceae) Height to 90cm. Tufted annual or biennial with rough stems and leaves. Commonly cultivated on farmland to provide grazing for livestock. FLOWERS are borne in unbranched heads, the spikelets brown with long awns (May-Aug). FRUITS are small, dry nutlets. LEAVES are often rolled when young. STATUS-Widespread and common, except in N.
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  • PERENNIAL RYE-GRASS Lolium perenne (Poaceae) Height to 90cm. Tufted, hairless perennial with wiry stems. Grows in meadows but also cultivated on farmland. FLOWERS are borne in unbranched heads, the spikelets green and without awns (May-Aug). FRUITS are small, dry nutlets. LEAVES are deep green and often folded when young. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout.
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  • Barren Brome Anisantha (Bromus) sterilis Height to 1m. Annual or biennial grass. Inflorescence drooping,  with stalked florets and long awns; May-July. Dry, bare and cultivated ground. Widespread but seldom common.
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  • COMMON FIELD-SPEEDWELL Veronica persica (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Straggling, hairy and branched annual with reddish stems. Grows on bare soil, cultivated arable fields and disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 6-8mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and mainly pale blue, but with white on the lower lip; solitary and borne on rather long, slender stalks that arise from the leaf axils (Jan-Dec). FRUITS are broad, flattened capsules, with keeled lobes. LEAVES are pale green, oval, toothed and borne in pairs. STATUS-Probably not native but now widespread and common.
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  • RED DEAD-NETTLE Lamium purpureum (Lamiaceae) Height to 30cm. Branched and spreading, downy annual that is pungently aromatic when crushed. Whole plant sometimes acquires a purplish tinge. Grows on disturbed ground and cultivated soils. FLOWERS are 12-18mm long and purplish pink, with a hooded upper lip and the lower lip toothed at the base and twice the length of the calyx; borne in whorls on upright stems (Mar-Oct. FRUITS are nutlets. LEAVES are heart-shaped to oval, round-toothed and stalked. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout most of the region.
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  • Ground Pine (Ajuga chamaepitys) HEIGHT to 20cm. Distinctive unusual hairy annual. Grows on dry, bare and disturbed ground, including cultivated land, on calcareous soils. FLOWERS 8-15mm long, mainly yellow, with small purple markings; borne at leaf nodes (May-Aug). FRUITS Nutlets. LEAVES Withering early at the base; stem leaves diagnostically deeply divided into 3 narrow lobes that smell of pine when rubbed.
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  • The cultivated Greengage is now regarded as a distinct subspecies Prunus domestica ssp. italica; the fruits are yellowish green.
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  • Dwarf Cherry (Sour Cherry) Prunus cerasus (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. A small deciduous tree with a very short, branching bole and a rounded shrubby outline, often surrounded by suckers. BARK Reddish-brown and twigs are smooth. LEAVES To 8cm long, oval to elliptic and sharply pointed at tip, with a tapering base and toothed margin; on 1–3cm-long petioles. Young leaves are slightly downy below, and upper surface is always smooth and shiny. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Long-stalked white flowers usually open just before leaves in April–May, and grow in clusters of 2–6. Fruits, to 1.8cm long are rounded with a slightly depressed apex, usually bright red or blackish-red. Flesh is soft and tastes acidic, and stone is rounded and smooth. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but widely cultivated for its fruit, which is used mainly in preserves when it loses much of its acidity.
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  • Lilac Syringa vulgaris (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 7m <br />
A small deciduous tree, but sometimes little more than a multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded crown and a short bole surrounded by suckers. BARK Greyish and spirally fissured in older trees. BRANCHES Usually a mass of ascending branches. The twigs are rounded and shiny greenish-brown. LEAVES Short-petioled and opposite, up to 10cm long, ovate or slightly heart-shaped with entire margins and a slightly leathery feel; they are usually yellowish-green with a smooth surface. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The fragrant lilac flowers are borne in dense, paired conical spikes, up to 20cm long, arising from the apical leaf axils; the flowers are at their best in May and June. Individual flowers are up to 1.2cm long and 4-lobed. The fruit is a pointed ovoid capsule up to 1cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of rocky hillsides in the Balkans, growing in open thickets and scrub, but long cultivated in the rest of Europe for its attractive fragrant flowers. In Britain and Ireland, it is a popular garden plant and frequently naturalised as well, spreading by vegetative means (mainly suckers) rather than seed.
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  • SCENTLESS MAYWEED Tripleurospermum inodorum (Asteraceae) Height to 75cm. Scentless, hairless and often rather straggly perennial of disturbed and cultivated ground. FLOWERS are borne in clusters of solitary, long-stalked heads, 20-40mm across, comprising yellow disc florets and white ray florets (Apr-Oct). No scales between disc florets. Receptacle is domed and solid. FRUITS are achenes tipped with black oil glands. LEAVES are feathery and much-divided. STATUS-Widespread and common.
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  • CORN MARIGOLD Chrysanthemum segetum (Asteraceae) Height to 50cm. Attractive, hairless and upright annual that grows in arable fields and cultivated ground, usually on acid, sandy soils. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 3-6cm across, with orange-yellow disc florets and yellow ray florets; heads are solitary (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are narrow, deeply lobed or toothed, and slightly fleshy; upper leaves clasp the stem. STATUS-Possibly introduced to the region but now widespread, although range and abundance is decreasing.
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  • NIPPLEWORT Lapsana communis (Asteraceae) Height to 1m<br />
Upright, much-branched annual with stiff stems that do not produce latex when broken. Grows in cultivated and disturbed ground, and often in gardens. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 1-2cm across, with yellow florets; carried in open clusters (Jul-Oct). Flowers are nipple-like in bud. FRUITS are hairless. LEAVES are oval to lanceolate, toothed and short-stalked. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • NIPPLEWORT Lapsana communis (Asteraceae) Height to 1m<br />
Upright, much-branched annual with stiff stems that do not produce latex when broken. Grows in cultivated and disturbed ground, and often in gardens. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 1-2cm across, with yellow florets; carried in open clusters (Jul-Oct). Flowers are nipple-like in bud. FRUITS are hairless. LEAVES are oval to lanceolate, toothed and short-stalked. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • GREY FIELD-SPEEDWELL Veronica polita (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Straggling, hairy and branched perennial. Similar to Common Field-speedwell; note differences in flower and leaf colour. Grows in cultivated ground, often on chalky soil. FLOWERS are 8-12mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and entirely blue; solitary and borne on stalks arising from leaf axils (Mar-Nov). FRUITS are flattened and broad capsules with rounded lobes. LEAVES are grey-green, oval, deeply toothed and paired. STATUS-Widespread and fairly common throughout the region, least so in the N.
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  • THORN-APPLE Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) Height to 1m. Distinctive and almost unmistakable, branched annual. Grows on cultivated and disturbed ground. The whole plant is poisonous. FLOWERS are 7-10cm across, white and trumpet-shaped with 5 lobes (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are distinctive, green capsules, up to 5cm long, armed with strong spines. LEAVES are long-stalked, up to 20cm long and ovate to triangular with toothed lobes. STATUS-Widely naturalised but its occurrence is unpredictable and annual success is weather-dependent, doing best in warm summers.
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  • BLACK NIGHTSHADE Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae) Height to 60cm. Straggly annual that is usually hairless; stems sometimes blackish. Grows in cultivated and disturbed soils. FLOWERS are 7-10mm across with white corolla lobes and projecting yellow anthers; borne in pendent clusters of 5-10 flowers (Jul-Sep). FRUITS are spherical berries, green at first but ripening black, and not partly concealed by sepals. LEAVES are oval and toothed. STATUS-Locally common in S only.
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  • THORN-APPLE Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) Height to 1m. Distinctive and almost unmistakable, branched annual. Grows on cultivated and disturbed ground. The whole plant is poisonous. FLOWERS are 7-10cm across, white and trumpet-shaped with 5 lobes (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are distinctive, green capsules, up to 5cm long, armed with strong spines. LEAVES are long-stalked, up to 20cm long and ovate to triangular with toothed lobes. STATUS-Widely naturalised but its occurrence is unpredictable and annual success is weather-dependent, doing best in warm summers.
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  • ROUND-LEAVED FLUELLEN Kickxia spuria (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Creeping, softly-hairy and slightly sticky annual. Grows in cultivated soils, particularly around the margins of arable fields. FLOWERS are 8-15mm long, mainly yellow but with a purple upper lip and a curved spur; borne on slender stalks that arise from the leaf axils (Jul-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are oval or slightly rounded. STATUS-Locally common in S England but scarce or absent elsewhere.
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  • SUN SPURGE Euphorbia helioscopia (Euphorbiaceae) Height to 50cm. Upright, hairless and yellowish green annual. Found on disturbed ground and in cultivated soils. FLOWERS lack sepals and petals and are yellow with green lobes; borne in flat-topped umbel-like clusters with 5 leaf-like basal bracts (May-Nov). FRUITS are smooth. LEAVES are spoon-shaped and toothed. STATUS-Widespread and common.
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  • ANNUAL MERCURY Mercurialis annua (Euphorbiaceae) Height to 50cm. Hairless, branched and bushy annual. Found on waste ground and in cultivated soils, often near the sea. FLOWERS are yellowish green and borne in spikes on separate sex plants (Jul-Oct). FRUITS are bristly. LEAVES are narrowly ovate, shiny and toothed. STATUS-Locally common in the S but mainly coastal.
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  • SCENTLESS MAYWEED Tripleurospermum inodorum (Asteraceae) Height to 75cm. Scentless, hairless and often rather straggly perennial of disturbed and cultivated ground. FLOWERS are borne in clusters of solitary, long-stalked heads, 20-40mm across, comprising yellow disc florets and white ray florets (Apr-Oct). No scales between disc florets. Receptacle is domed and solid. FRUITS are achenes tipped with black oil glands. LEAVES are feathery and much-divided. STATUS-Widespread and common.
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  • COMMON COUCH Elymus repens Height to 1.2m<br />
Tough, creeping perennial that grows in cultivated and disturbed ground. FLOWERS are borne in a stiff, unbranched inflorescence with many-flowered, yellowish green spikelets arranged alternately (Jun-Aug). FRUITS are small, dry nutlets. LEAVES are flat, green and downy above. STATUS-Widespread and common.
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  • PETTY SPURGE Euphorbia peplus (Euphorbiaceae) Height to 30cm. Upright, hairless annual that often branches from the base. Found on arable land and cultivated ground. FLOWERS are greenish with oval bracts (sepals and petals are absent); borne in flattish umbel-like clusters (Apr-Oct). FRUITS are smooth. LEAVES are oval, blunt-tipped and stalked. STATUS-Widespread and common almost throughout.
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  • COMMON FIELD-SPEEDWELL Veronica persica (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Straggling, hairy and branched annual with reddish stems. Grows on bare soil, cultivated arable fields and disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 6-8mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and mainly pale blue, but with white on the lower lip; solitary and borne on rather long, slender stalks that arise from the leaf axils (Jan-Dec). FRUITS are broad, flattened capsules, with keeled lobes. LEAVES are pale green, oval, toothed and borne in pairs. STATUS-Probably not native but now widespread and common.
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  • FIELD PANSY Viola arvensis (Violaceae) Height to 15cm<br />
Variable annual found on arable land and cultivated ground. FLOWERS are 10-15mm across and creamy white with an orange flush on the lower petal; sepals are at least as long as the petals (Apr-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES have deeply toothed stipules. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • IVY-LEAVED SPEEDWELL Veronica hederifolia (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Creeping, hairy and much-branched annual that grows on bare ground and in cultivated fields. FLOWERS are 4-5mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and pale lilac-blue; borne on short stalks arising from leaf axils (Mar-Aug). FRUITS are flattened, broadly rounded and hairless capsules. LEAVES are 10-12mm across, kidney-shaped to rounded, and deeply lobed, often rather ivy-like. STATUS-Widespread and common, least so in the N.
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  • CORN CHAMOMILE Anthemis arvensis (Asteraceae) Height to 50cm. Pleasantly aromatic annual with downy stems. Grows on cultivated, calcareous ground. FLOWERS in solitary heads with yellow disc florets and white ray florets (Jun-Jul). Scales present between disc florets. FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES much-divided; lobes broader than in other mayweeds, and downy below. STATUS-Locally common in S only.
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  • GALLANT-SOLDIER Galinsoga parviflora Height to 75cm<br />
Upright, much-branched and hairless annual that grows on waste ground and in cultivated fields. FLOWERS are borne in untidy-looking heads, 3-5mm across with yellow disc florets and 4-5 white rays; in much-branched inflorescences (May-Oct). FRUITS have long hairs. LEAVES ovate, toothed, stalked and borne in opposite pairs. STATUS-Introduced from S America and now naturalised, mainly in S and SE England.
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  • PRICKLY SOW-THISTLE Sonchus asper (Asteraceae) Height to 1m. Upright, mainly hairless annual or biennial that grows in cultivated land and on waste ground. Broken stems exude a milky sap. FLOWERS are borne in heads, 20-25mm across, with rich yellow florets; heads are carried in umbel-like clusters (Jun-Oct). FRUITS are elliptical with pappus hairs forming a ‘clock’. LEAVES are glossy green above with wavy, crinkly and sharp-spined margins, and rounded auricles clasping at the base. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • Blue Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis foemina (Primulaceae) Creeping. Low-growing, hairless annual of cultivated and disturbed ground, mainly on chalky soils. Superficially very similar to blue forms of Scarlet Pimpernel. FLOWERS are 10-15mm across with 5 blue petals that are not fringed with hairs; flowers open wide only in bright sunshine and are borne on slender stalks (Jun-Aug). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are narrow and lanceolate. STATUS-Widespread but commonest in the S.
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  • RIBWORT PLANTAIN Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae) Height to 15cm. Persistent perennial that grows on disturbed grassland, cultivated ground and tracks. FLOWERS are 4mm across with a brownish corolla and white stamens; borne in compact heads, 2cm long, on furrowed stalks up to 40cm long (Apr-Oct). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are lanceolate, up to 20cm long with 3-5 distinct veins; borne in spreading basal rosettes. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout the region.
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  • LARGE-FLOWERED HEMP-NETTLE Galeopsis speciosa (Lamiaceae)  Height to 50cm. Attractive, branched and bristly-hairy annual with a robust appearance. Grows in cultivated land and on disturbed ground, mainly on peaty soils. FLOWERS are 25-35mm long and yellow with purple on the lower lip, and a corolla tube twice the length of the calyx; borne in whorls (Jul-Sep). FRUITS are nutlets. LEAVES are ovate, toothed and stalked.
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  • WILD PANSY Viola tricolor (Violaceae) Height to 12cm<br />
Also known as Heartsease. Ssp tricolor is an annual of cultivated ground; ssp curtisii is a perennial of dry grassland. FLOWERS are 15-25mm across; yellow and violet in ssp tricolor but yellow in ssp curtisii (Apr-Aug). FRUITS are egg-shaped. LEAVES are lancelolate with leaf-like stipules.
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  • Dwarf Cherry (Sour Cherry) Prunus cerasus (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. A small deciduous tree with a very short, branching bole and a rounded shrubby outline, often surrounded by suckers. BARK Reddish-brown and twigs are smooth. LEAVES To 8cm long, oval to elliptic and sharply pointed at tip, with a tapering base and toothed margin; on 1–3cm-long petioles. Young leaves are slightly downy below, and upper surface is always smooth and shiny. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Long-stalked white flowers usually open just before leaves in April–May, and grow in clusters of 2–6. Fruits, to 1.8cm long are rounded with a slightly depressed apex, usually bright red or blackish-red. Flesh is soft and tastes acidic, and stone is rounded and smooth. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but widely cultivated for its fruit, which is used mainly in preserves when it loses much of its acidity.
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  • Lilac Syringa vulgaris (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 7m <br />
A small deciduous tree, but sometimes little more than a multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded crown and a short bole surrounded by suckers. BARK Greyish and spirally fissured in older trees. BRANCHES Usually a mass of ascending branches. The twigs are rounded and shiny greenish-brown. LEAVES Short-petioled and opposite, up to 10cm long, ovate or slightly heart-shaped with entire margins and a slightly leathery feel; they are usually yellowish-green with a smooth surface. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The fragrant lilac flowers are borne in dense, paired conical spikes, up to 20cm long, arising from the apical leaf axils; the flowers are at their best in May and June. Individual flowers are up to 1.2cm long and 4-lobed. The fruit is a pointed ovoid capsule up to 1cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of rocky hillsides in the Balkans, growing in open thickets and scrub, but long cultivated in the rest of Europe for its attractive fragrant flowers. In Britain and Ireland, it is a popular garden plant and frequently naturalised as well, spreading by vegetative means (mainly suckers) rather than seed.
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  • Lilac Syringa vulgaris (Oleaceae) HEIGHT to 7m <br />
A small deciduous tree, but sometimes little more than a multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded crown and a short bole surrounded by suckers. BARK Greyish and spirally fissured in older trees. BRANCHES Usually a mass of ascending branches. The twigs are rounded and shiny greenish-brown. LEAVES Short-petioled and opposite, up to 10cm long, ovate or slightly heart-shaped with entire margins and a slightly leathery feel; they are usually yellowish-green with a smooth surface. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The fragrant lilac flowers are borne in dense, paired conical spikes, up to 20cm long, arising from the apical leaf axils; the flowers are at their best in May and June. Individual flowers are up to 1.2cm long and 4-lobed. The fruit is a pointed ovoid capsule up to 1cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of rocky hillsides in the Balkans, growing in open thickets and scrub, but long cultivated in the rest of Europe for its attractive fragrant flowers. In Britain and Ireland, it is a popular garden plant and frequently naturalised as well, spreading by vegetative means (mainly suckers) rather than seed.
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  • Coriander Coriandrum sativum Height to 60cm. Hairless, aromatic annual. Grows on bare ground. Flowers are pinkish-white, with long outer petals and no bracts; in flat-topped umbels, June-August. Leaves are pinnate and variable; slender near top of plant, broader near base. Status-Widely cultivated as a herb, and occasionally naturalised.
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  • WESTERN RAMPING-FUMITORY Fumaria occidentalis (Height to 15cm) is similar to Common Ramping-fumitory but with larger, more colourful flowers borne in tall heads (May-Oct). It grows in disturbed and cultivated ground and can also be found, very locally, in Cornwall.
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  • COMMON FIELD-SPEEDWELL Veronica persica (Scrophulariaceae) Prostrate. Straggling, hairy and branched annual with reddish stems. Grows on bare soil, cultivated arable fields and disturbed ground. FLOWERS are 6-8mm across, the corolla 4-lobed and mainly pale blue, but with white on the lower lip; solitary and borne on rather long, slender stalks that arise from the leaf axils (Jan-Dec). FRUITS are broad, flattened capsules, with keeled lobes. LEAVES are pale green, oval, toothed and borne in pairs. STATUS-Probably not native but now widespread and common.
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  • HENBIT DEAD-NETTLE Lamium amplexicaule (Lamiaceae) Height to 20cm. A trailing, branched and often rather straggly annual. Grows on cultivated soil and disturbed ground, typically in dry locations. FLOWERS are 15-20mm long and pinkish purple with a hairy lip and long corolla tube; borne in widely spaced whorls (Mar-Nov). Only a few flowers in a given whorl open at any one time, and some remain small and closed. FRUITS are nutlets. LEAVES are rounded and blunt-toothed, the upper ones almost unstalked. STATUS-Widespread but only locally common and least so in the N.
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