Top tips for the two species, so that the more tricky hybrids can be more easily winnowed out. HYBRIDS. In areas where both species grow, natural hybrids will occur, though the situation is less hopeless than pessimists might think, as … Continued

Two of the three subspecies are frequently found in Herefordshire, a slightly unusual situation, subspecies segetalis and subspecies nigra. They are sometimes tricky to name, but much more commonly partition well on the basis of their general appearance and habitat … Continued

Elm is perhaps the most significant group of plants in Britain where taxonomic consensus is weak. As botanists we generally work to the taxa published in Stace’s New Flora of the British Isles (edn. 4); here 7 elms are listed. … Continued

Eared Willow Salix aurita looks to be over-recorded in Herefordshire and it would be good to have more botanists understand it in order to confirm whether or not this is the case. It is a plant of peaty soils, or … Continued

Laying aside the Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa, a large plant of base-rich ground with distinctive leaves and hairs, there may be up to three taxa bound up in the plants most of us pass over as ‘knapweed’, Centaurea nigra sl. … Continued

I’ve found three new sites for the greatly under-recorded Brown Bent Agrostis vinealis this year, so thought I would post a first account of the four pasture species. The next few weeks are probably still good for finding vinealis. Common … Continued

Calling all vc36 field botanists! Please help improve our understanding of these familiar but difficult plants by taking a close look at those that grow in your area! Difficult (some would say impossible) because there is a combination of species … Continued

A recent study has suggested we ditch the common name Crab Apple for Malus sylvestris in favour of Wild Apple 1. This is hard to do: it appears all over the place, not least in the field botanists’ bible Stace … Continued

Starved plants of lesser trefoil Trifolium dubium may pose problems of identification for slender trefoil, Trifolium micranthum. The picture helps by showing the two alongside one another. Note the diagnostic longer central leaflet stalk of dubium (top arrow) and its … Continued