Annual wall-rocket

Annual wall-rocket (Diplotaxis muralis) is a common wild flower in southern England but is found more rarely in northern England, Scotland and Wales. It grows on waste ground, particularly in sandy soils, and also on old stone walls, hence part of its name. However, the “annual” part is less accurate because it can be biennial as well as annual.

It grows up to 24 inches high, having unbranched stems and lobed leaves. It has yellow flowers that appear from May to September. The sepals of the flowers spread slightly. The cylindrical seed-pods grow on long stalks that stick out at an angle from the stem. The yellow-brown seeds grow in two rows within the pods.

An alternative name for annual wall-rocket is “stinkweed”. This becomes apparent if you crush a stem between your fingers – the juice has a foul “bad eggs” smell similar to that of hydrogen sulphide. The flowers, however, are fragrant and it is these that attract insect pollinators.

© John Welford

Surf-perch

Surf-perches are perch-like fish that belong to the Embiotocidae family. They inhabit the North Pacific coast from California to Alaska and some species are found in Japanese waters.

They are never found far from the shoreline and may be seen, for example, in rock pools.

The most remarkable feature of surf-perches is that they give birth to live young. The eggs, which can vary in number from three to 80, are fertilized in the ovarian follicles but then remain in the ovaries until fully formed, being fed by secretions produced in the ovaries.

Young males do not leave the ovaries until they are themselves sexually mature. In the shiny surf-perch (Cymatogaster aggregate), which is found abundantly in California, the males mate almost immediately after they are born.

The illustration is of a Californian striped surf-perch (Embiotoca lateralis).

© John Welford

Procumbent pearlwort

Procumbent pearlwort (Sagina procumbens) is common throughout Britain on lawns, banks and grass verges. It is also found alongside footpaths.

The connection to pearls is not immediately apparent when viewing the plant, although it might have been thought that the seed-pod or unopened flower was similar in shape to a pearl. “Procumbent” simply means that the plant grows along the ground.

Procumbent pearlwort has been associated in legend and tradition with Jesus Christ, as being the first plant he trod on when rising from the dead. In the Highlands of Scotland it used to be believed that the plant had been blessed by St Bride and St Columba, as well as Christ.

Traditions involving pearlwort include hanging it from the door lintel to ward off fairies. Another is that if pearlwort is inserted between the “toes” of a bull’s hooves it will confer protection against all ills on the cows with which it mates and the calves that are subsequently born. If it is eaten by a cow, anyone who drinks the cow’s milk will not be troubled by fairies.

Pearlwort also acted as a love charm, in that a maiden who drank an infusion of pearlwort would attract the man she wanted, and he would be bound to her forever if she had a piece of pearlwort in her mouth when she kissed him. You might almost imagine that there was a “Pearlwort Marketing Board” at work here!

With all these advantages, one might expect procumbent pearlwort to be a somewhat spectacular plant. Far from it! It is a mass of slender stems that branch out from a central rosette, with pairs of small leaves growing along the length of each stem. The plant can reach a height of 8 inches (20m centimetres) above the ground.

The flowers, which appear from May to October, are tiny and are borne on long stalks. The flowers consist of far more sepal than petal and therefore have little colour other than green. The sepals form a cross-shape in fours. The flower stalks droop after flowering but become upright again as the fruit ripens.

© John Welford

Scotch argus butterfly

The scotch argus butterfly (Erebia aethiops), despite its name, is not particularly common in Scotland, although it is found there. It occurs mainly in eastern Europe with scattered colonies in other places. It inhabits open grassland close to pine forests and hillsides up to 2000 metres. It flies only when the sun shines in late summer.

Its wingspan reaches a maximum of 5.2 centimetres. The scotch argus is very dark brown with an orange-brown band on each wing marked with black and white eye-spots. The underwings are similar but paler. Females are paler than males.

The caterpillar is pale brown with a darker line along the back and sides. It feeds at dawn and dusk on various grass food plants, later pupating in a flimsy cocoon in the leaf litter.

© John Welford

Gold-of-pleasure

Gold-of-pleasure (Camelina sativa) grows on arable land and waste ground, although it is not widespread in Great Britain. It is not a native species, having arrived from continental Europe centuries ago, probably as seeds that had contaminated a commercial product such as flax seed.

It is known to have been cultivated as a crop in various parts of Europe going back as far as Neolithic times, probably for its oil which resembles olive oil. It may also have been cultivated for its tough fibres for use in brushes.

The plant grows erect to around 24 inches (60 centimetres) in height, branching out from the upper part of the stem. The long, slender leaves have an arrowhead shape, clasping the stem at their base.

The flowers are small and yellow, the four petals forming a cross shape. They appear in June and July. The seed pods grow on quite long stalks and are pear-shaped. It is the seeds that can be used to produce an oil that is edible and can also be used for burning in lamps and for cosmetic purposes.

© John Welford

Fairy flax

Fairy flax (Linum catharticum) grows widely in Great Britain on well-drained soils. It is found in several habitats including fenland, grassland, moors and heaths.

It is a delicate plant with slender, wire-like stems, and does not look much like its close relative, the much sturdier flax plant that is cultivated for linen production.

Fairy flax produces upright stems to a maximum height of eight inches. The flowers, which appear from June to September, grow in a loose, branched flower head. Each flower has five narrow white petals.

The Latin name translates as “purging flax” which derives from the plant’s former use as a purgative, made from bruised stems simmered in wine. However, it tended to produce such violent results that other preparations became preferred as remedies.

© John Welford

Smith's pepperwort

Smith’s pepperwort (Lepidium heterophyllum) is known by several other names, including “Smith’s cress” and “hairy pepperwort”. The Smith in question was the botanist Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828) and the plant was named in his honour by the first director of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, namely Sir William Hooker.

Smith’s pepperwort grows alongside roads and paths, and on arable land, in England, Wales and southern Scotland. It is generally regarded as a weed, although some members of the pepperwort family have been cultivated for the peppery taste of their leaves. The cress of “mustard and cress” is a pepperwort.

The stems of Smith’s pepperwort grow upright, often branching from near the ground. The narrow triangular leaves grow straight off the stems, without stalks. The tiny white flowers grow in clusters and can be seen from May to August. The seed-pods form on stalks as the flower-stems grow higher. The maximum height of the plant is 36 inches (90 centimetres).

© John Welford