Common Field-speedwell (Veronica persica)

Family: Scrophulariaceae / Plantaginaceae (APG)

Common name: Common Field-speedwell

Scientific name: Veronica persica

Date taken: 25/2/2023

Notes: Common weed in cultivated fields and wastelands. With solitary, axillary flowers. Similar to Grey Field-speedwell (V. polita), but compared to Grey Field-speedwell, fruits of this species have long glandular hairs instead of a mix of short non-glandular and glandular hairs. Also similar to Green Field-speedwell (V. agrestis), but can be distinuished by flower colour and leaf shape. 

Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)

Family: Lamiaceae

Common name: Red Dead-nettle

Scientific name: Lamium purpureum

Date taken: 26/2/2023, 1/4/2023 (white form)

Notes: Common weed found in cultivated fields, roadsides, and wastelands. 

Note 2: I recently came across a white form of the species (not to be confused with White Dead-nettle Lamium album). The plants were found growing side-by-side with plants with normal pigmentation, which is nice for direct comparison. The white form not only lack pigmentation on the corolla of flowers, but also have bright green instead of reddish young leaves. The plants were also slightly smaller, so I suspect the mutation might carry a slight disadvantage one way or the other.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

Family: Ranunculaceae

Common name: Winter Aconite

Scientific name: Eranthis hyemalis

Date taken: 25/2/2023

Notes: Naturalised garden escape found in woodlands.

Indian Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)

 Family: Balsaminaceae

Common name: Indian Balsam

Scientific name: Impatiens glandulifera

Date taken: 3/9/2022

Notes: A beautiful but invasive species that colonises riverbanks and wet places. Flowers have different colour morphs ranging from white to pink.