Allseed

Allseed (Radiola linoides) is a plant that is relatively unknown because it is easily overlooked. It is a heathland plant that favours damp patches and is found throughout Great Britain, but more particularly on the heaths of Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey.

It is a very small plant, growing no higher than three inches (7.5 centimetres) above the ground and is therefore often dwarfed by taller grasses and other plants. It has a bushy habit, with the stems branching repeatedly. The leaves grow in opposite pairs up the stems.

The tiny flowers, which appear in July and August, grow at the ends of the stems. The white petals are about the same length as the sepals. Each seed-pod has four compartments, each of which produces two minute seeds. Given the profusion of flowers on each plant, allseed certainly lives up to its name.

© John Welford