Wildflowers

It's beginning to become apparent that this area is rich - perhaps exceptionally so - in its variety of wildflowers, partly because there is such a wide range of habitats. Golspie Glen, which is where this Pink Purslane, Claytonia sibirica, lives, seems to be particularly so.

Yet there is no sign anywhere of a group in the area which has an interest in natural history, at least not so I can find it on the internet. Perhaps 'natural history' is the wrong thing to be searching for - it's a bit ancient, like 'nature studies'. This is bugle, Ajuga reptans.

I say 'this is bugle' but I'm not at all sure. At least my researches have unearthed some good identification sites, like this Wildflower Gallery which organises things simply for idiots like me, in colour.

Bugle seems to me to be very similar to this one, which I think, without any great conviction, is Glechoma hederacea, wild ivy. I'm hoping that someone might correct me on any of these identifications if they know I'm wrong.

This flower is very unusual as its the only flower I can remember learning at prep school, not in the Nature Study classes but because I drew it in the Art class, so well - apparently - that it contributed towards my winning an art prize. It's campion.... I hope, or I've been wrong for over sixty years.

This, again, comes from Golspie Glen and is very pretty in a reserved way - perhaps simply because it looks bell-like. It's water avens, Geum rivale.

This is the sort of hedgerow flower that's hardly noticed as there's lots of it at this time of year so it must be a weed. In fact it's rather pretty, delicately so. However, it isn't that easy to identify as there are so many white wildflowers, but I think it's greater stitchwort.

Here again is a flower that I'm pretty certain of, partly because it was very common in the hills around Kilchoan but also because I remember first identifying it from a sheet given us by Ben when we were visiting Balmoral, where he then worked. It's tormentil.