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. 

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

Family: Aceraceae / Sapindaceae (APG)

Common name: Sycamore

Scientific name: Acer pseudoplatanus

Date taken: 28/8/2022

Notes: Introduced to the country in the 16th century and has since established itself as one of the most common tree species in the UK. As the scientific name Acer pseudoplatanus suggests, this maple has leaves that resembles Planes (Platanus sp.) trees. Like other maples, fruits of Sycamore are winged for wind dispersal. Also note how the petiole attaches the leaves to the branches and the domatia (structures to house mutualistic arthropods such as mites) at the bases of secondary veins. 

Dewberry (Rubus caesius)

Family: Rosaceae

Common name: Dewberry

Scientific name: Rubus caesius

Date taken: 3/9/2022

Notes: Superficially resembles a smaller version of the more common Bramble (R. fruticosus). Leaves trifoliate. Stems weak, prickly. Berries distinctive and looks like dew droplets. Changes from green to dark purple with waxy coating when ripe.

Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

Family: Convolvulaceae

Common name: Hedge Bindweed

Scientific name: Calystegia sepium

Date taken: 3/9/2022

Notes: Compared with Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), it is larger, with papery instead of leathery leaves, and has two epicalyx of 2 bracteoles. Compared with Large Bindweed (Calystegia sepium), the two epicalyx barely overlaps. Flowers are snow white. Very common in wastelands and scrubs.