New plant species recorded at school spoil heap

One month on and we have a few more plant species to report at the school.

Here is the plant species list for the school site, with the new additions in red.

Black Medick - Medicago lupulina
Broad Leaved Dock - Rumex Obtusifolius
Broad leaved Willowherb - Epilobium Montanum
Common Field-speedwell - Veronica persica
Common Poppy - Papaver Rhoeas
Hairy Tare - Vicia Hirsuta
Hedge Woundwort - Stachys Sylvatica
Herb Bennet - Geum Urbanum
Meadow Vetch - Lathyrus Pratensis
Oxeye Daisy - Leucanthemum vulgare
Red Campion - Silene Dioica
Red Clover - Trifolium Pratense
Redshank - Persicaria Maculosa
Ribbed Melilot - Melilotus officinalis
Ribwort Plantain - Plantago Lanceolata
Scarlet Pimpernel - Anagallis Arvensis
Small flowered Crane's Bill - Geranium Pusillum
Stinging Nettle - Urtica Dioica
Tufted Vetch - Vicia Cracca
Weld - Reseda Luteola
White Campion - Silene Latifolian Alba
White Clover - Trifolium Repens
White Melilot - Melilotus albus

Lets take a closer look at some of the additions.

This is Black Medick (Medicago lupulina) so called because its small yellow flowers are replaced with a cluster of black sticky seeds.

This is Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica). Its a gorgeous small blue flower found on the south facing slopes of the meadow.

This is Ribbed Melilot (Melilotus officinalis) another member of the pea family. I wonder how did all the pea seeds get into this soil. They must have been dropped by birds because I don't think I have ever seen peas floating in the wind!Similar to this is White Melilot (Melilotus albus) that is also found on the spoil heap. By far the biggest advance for us is that we have identified many insect species at the heap. So far we have recorded 50 species living on the mound. I'll tell you about those tomorrow.