Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

Family: Lamiaceae

Common name: Ground-ivy

Scientific name: Glechoma hederacea

Date taken: 1/4/2023

Notes: Common understory herb in woodlands. Leaves give off a flagrant smell when crushed. Stems creeping, strongly angular.

Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

Family: Hippocastanaceae / Sapindaceae (APG)

Common name: Horse Chestnut

Scientific name: Aesculus hippocastanum

Date taken: 18/9/2022 (Flower), 1/4/2023 (New leaves)

Notes: Introduced tree commonly planted in gardens. Normally flowers in May but the flowers below were spotted in September after a long drought. A leaf-miner causes leaves on most trees in the UK to turn brown over summer.

White Dead-nettle (Lamium album)

Family: Lamiaceae

Common name: White Dead-nettle

Scientific name: Lamium album

Date taken: 1/4/2023

Notes: Very common in agricultural fields, wastelands, and roadsides.

White Comfrey (Symphytum orientale)

Family: Boraginaceae

Common name: White Comfrey

Scientific name: Symphytum orientale

Date taken: 1/4/2023

Notes: Could be distinguished from other comfreys by its white flowers, calyx teeth <1/2 length of tube, unwinged stems, and upright stature. This population is found growing naturally on banks of agricultural ditches.

Creeping Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum)

Family: Boraginaceae

Common name: Creeping comfrey

Scientific name: Symphytum grandiflorum

Date taken: 29/3/2023

Notes: A garden escape. Flowers earlier than other comfreys. Flowers buds red but turn to cream coloured when open. Compared to White Comfrey (Symphytum orientale), plant tends to be shorter and leaves glossier.

Equal-leaved knotgrass (Polygonum arenastrum)

Family: Polygonaceae

Common name: Equal-leaved knotgrass

Scientific name: Polygonum arenastrum

Date taken: 28/8/2022

Notes: Differs from Knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare) in having equally sized leaves on flowering and non-flowering branches. Sources also mention the fact that lobes of tepals fuse more (>1/3) in this species, but personally I found that difficult to observe and judge. 

Ivy-leaved Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia)

Family: Scrophulariaceae / Plantaginaceae (APG)

Common name: Ivy-leaved Speedwell

Scientific name: Veronica hederifolia

Date taken: 25/2/2023

Notes: Solitary flowers on leaf-axils. As the common name suggests, the species possesses palmately-loved leaves that, in some sense, resemble that of ivy.