Category: David

These are the cultivated variety of hawkbit, pictured early in the morning before they opened up.

The cold wet weather this summer has been bad for a lot of plants as well as animals. But some meadow flowers seem to have thrived. One such is yellow rattle. There has been a fine crop alongside clovers and grasses in the Barley Field in the Smestow Valley LNR.

The “rattle” part of the name comes from the seed-bearing stage later in the year. The actual seeds are held loosely in seed cases. As they ripen, the plant can be shaken to make a noise like a baby’s rattle.

Almost a month ago, flowers at all stages on a blackberry bush. Some were just coming into bud. Others had already been fertilized, and the fruit were on the first stage of ripening – there is one just peeping into the bottom of the frame in the picture below.

The pictures were taken early in the morning on a dull day.

The seeds were beginning to ripen in their seed-cases.

The dogwood was right next to the rose bush which featured in a post yesterday.

The flowers had begun to  lose their petals (actually, they are bracts). Some of the fruits were starting to develop. (Once again, that’s not strictly accurate: they are drupes, each of which has a couple of seeds).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davea2007/7495305734

This insect was staying feeding on the flower with its body almost hidden behind the folded wings.