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24th March

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Original Hedgerow - Leg 1.

 

Sun early, then wet.

I spotted this fungus - Ustulina deusta - at the base of a dead Hawthorn. During my research, when I was looking for an identification, I found the answer to a long-term puzzle. The right hand image shows the black remains of older specimens, and I'd always wondered what that black deposit was. Left hand sample about 3 cm. across (and taken with flash). 

    

Two insects on yellow backgrounds: The Common Carder Bee - Bombus pascuorum - on the left and that stalwart hoverfly, Melanostoma scalare.

    

The Greater Stitchwort - Stellaria holosta - appears quite suddenly, since the leaves (shown on the right) are very narrow and can look like grass.

    

 

I walked past this Fumitory and didn't give it a second glance - I'd shown Common Fumitory on 20th February. Something shouted "go back", so I did, and it turns out to be White Ramping Fumitory - Fumaria capreolata.

I found this two years ago, but hadn't seen it since. Distinguishing features are the paler flowers with bracts that cover nearly half of the corolla tube, and the more creeping/sprawling habit of the plant, although this specimen was young and hadn't sprawled much, yet. The flower is also longer (about 12mm, compared with 9mm for the Common).

Two emergers: Yellow Archangel on the left and Hart's Tongue fern on the right.

    

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