Wild strawberry

Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is the plant from which the much-loved domestic strawberry was cultivated in the 18^th century. The so-called Alpine strawberry, which has smaller fruits than those of garden strawberries, is closer to the original wild form.

True wild strawberries grow in Great Britain in woods and on grassland, especially on chalky soil. Some plants that are found growing wild are actually descended from cultivated plants the seeds of which “escaped”.

The name strawberry has nothing to do with any notion of straw being used to provide a bed for the berries and protect them from slug damage. The name goes back to Anglo-Saxon times – before the year 1000 – which was long before the plants were cultivated. In the Anglo-Saxon form of English, one meaning of the word straw referred to small particles of chaff, which could be taken to indicate the scattering of pips on the surface of the fruit. Another meaning is to strew across the ground, which is what the plant does with its creepers.

The upper leaves of the wild strawberry have long stalks and three leaflets that are bright green on top and pale underneath. The lower leaves form a rosette. The plant can grow to anything between 2 and 12 inches in height (5-30 cms). nk!

Flowering is from April to July. The fleshy fruit, which turns red when ripe, is known as an achene. This is equivalent to the central part of a raspberry, to which the seed-containing fruits are attached, but in the case of the strawberry the seeds are on the outside of the fruiting body and not contained within.

Strawberries also reproduce by sending out runners to form new plants.

© John Welford

Tormentil

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) grows widely in Great Britain, preferring light acid soil.

It grows up to 20 inches high, the upper leaves having three leaflets and two leafy stipules.

The flowering stems grow from a rosette of leaves that often wither before the flowers appear, which is between May and October.

The yellow flowers, which look a bit like those of buttercups, have four sepals and four petals. They produce a nectar that attracts insects, but the plant can also self-pollinate.

Each flower produces up to twenty fruits in a small solid receptacle.

Tormentil was used medicinally in past ages. In a book published in 1616 a powder made from tormentil roots was recommended as a cure for toothache.

The plant was also used as a source of red dye and its highly astringent roots could serve as alternative to oak bark in the tanning of hides.

© John Welford

Silverweed

Silverweed (Potentilla anserine)  is a variety of cinquefoil that has the more usual yellow flowers, and its silvery leaves are divided into up to 12 leaflets.

It was an important crop plant in earlier times before the introduction of potatoes. The starchy roots were eaten raw, baked or boiled, or ground down to make porridge or bread.

Traditional names for silverweed include “bread and butter”, “bread and cheese” and “seventh bread”.

It also had medicinal uses, being used to treat mouth ulcers, sore throats and internal bleeding.

© John Welford

Marsh cinquefoil

Marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris), as the name suggests, grows in wet places such as bogs and peat. It is more common in northern areas of the British Isles than further south. In the Isle of Man it has the name “bog strawberry”.

Cinquefoil is French for “five-leaved”, although this refers to the arrangement of leaflets within a single leaf.

Marsh cinquefoil grows to between 6 and 18 inches high. A creeping underground stem produces upright stems on which grow the largish leaves, divided into five leaflets as mentioned above.

The plant flowers from May to July, the flowers being reddish in colour, which is unusual for cinquefoils in that most varieties have yellow flowers. The flower sepals are much longer than the petals. The fruits are carried in a spongy receptacle.

©John Welford

Ichthyosaurs

Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles that were plentiful in the Triassic and Jurassic periods (252-145 million years ago) but became rarer in the late Jurassic and died out during the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago.

The first ichthyosaurus fossil was found in 1811 by the fossil hunter Mary Anning in the cliffs near her home in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England. Since then, ichthyosaur remains have been found in many parts of the world including North and South America, Europe, Russia, India and Australia.

Ichthyosaurs (the name means “fish lizard”) looked similar to both modern sharks, which are fish, and dolphins, which are mammals. Some fossils have been found with embryos inside them, showing that they gave birth to live young, like mammals but unlike fish.

They resembled fish by waving their tails from side to side to swim. Their large ear bones suggest that they were able to pick up underwater vibrations caused by their prey.

Ichthyosaurus (a commonly found ichthyosaur) could grow up to two metres (6.6 feet) long and has been estimated to have weighed up to 90 kg (198 pounds). A less common ichthyosaur was Shastasaurus which could grow up to 20 metres (65.6 feet) long and perhaps weighed around 25 tonnes.

© John Welford

Dhole

The dhole (Cuon alpinus), which is also known as the Asian red dog or Indian wild dog, is widespread throughout south, east and southeast Asia, although its overall numbers are in decline. 

It measures up to 90 cm (35 in) in length and weighs 15-20 kg (33-44 lbs). The fur colour is tawny or dark red with a darker tail and lighter underparts. 

Dholes live in packs of 5 to 12 animals, which usually comprise an extended family. The main prey of dholes is medium-sized hoofed mammals, but they will also eat smaller animals, fruit and other plant food. 

© John Welford

Kathiawari horse

The first thing that strikes anyone when seeing a Kathiawari horse is its ears. They point inwards, almost meeting across the top of the head, and with the ability to rotate 180 degrees.

This is a strong, hardy horse breed that is found mainly in the Gujarat region of western India. A typical Kathiawari horse stands 14-15 hands high. It has a fairly long head, a broad forehead and large eyes.

There is a legend that claims that the Kathiawari was introduced to India by Alexander the Great. However, others claim that they are descended from wild horses found in desert regions.

Up to about 100 years ago these were not particularly impressive horses, being small and stunted and narrow in the body. They did, however, possess the attractive qualities of hardiness, stamina and endurance. They could work all day with very little sustenance. They also had tough feet that could deal with hard terrain.

Selective interbreeding with Arab stock has greatly improved the breed in terms of its conformation.

© John Welford