Читать книгу British Wild Flowers: A photographic guide to every common species - Paul Sterry - Страница 19

Babington’s Orache

Babington’s Orache Atriplex glabriscula PROSTRATE

A spreading, mealy annual. Restricted to stabilised shingle and bare, coastal ground. Stems usually reddish; whole plant often turns red in autumn. FLOWERS In leafy spikes (July–Sep). FRUITS Diamond-shaped, maturing silvery white. LEAVES Triangular or diamond-shaped. STATUS Locally common.

Common Orache

Common Orache

Flowers

Common Orache Atriplex patula HEIGHT to 60cm

Variable, branched annual; sometimes upright but often prostrate. Found on bare ground. FLOWERS Small, greenish, in leafy spikes (July–Sep). FRUITS Diamond-shaped, toothless, lacking warts. LEAVES Toothed; upper ones lanceolate; lower ones triangular. STATUS Widespread and common.

Spear-leaved Orache

Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata HEIGHT to 70cm

Upright annual; stems often tinged red. Favours waste and bare ground near the sea. FLOWERS In rather short spikes (July–Sep). FRUITS Triangular; surrounded by green bracts. LEAVES Triangular in outline; toothed; basal, largest teeth are at right angles to the stalk. STATUS Widespread and locally common.

Grass-leaved Orache

Grass-leaved Orache Atriplex littoralis HEIGHT to 1m

Upright annual of bare coastal ground. FLOWERS Small, greenish, in spikes with small leaves (July–Sep). FRUITS Greenish, toothed, warty. LEAVES Long and narrow, sometimes with shallow teeth. STATUS Locally common.

Sea Beet

Sea Beet Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima HEIGHT to 1m

Sprawling, clump-forming perennial of cliffs, shingle beaches and other coastal habitats. FLOWERS Green, in dense, leafy spikes (July–Sep). FRUITS Spiky; often sticking together in a clump. LEAVES Dark green, glossy and leathery with reddish stems; shape varying from oval to triangular. STATUS Locally common.

Sea Purslane with Common Sea-lavender

Sea Purslane Atriplex portulacoides HEIGHT to 1m

Spreading, mealy perennial that sometimes forms rounded clumps. Entirely coastal, and restricted to the drier reaches of saltmarshes. FLOWERS Yellowish, in spikes (July–Oct). FRUITS Lobed. LEAVES Grey-green, oval at the base but narrow further up the stem. STATUS Widespread and locally common.

Common Glasswort

Common Glasswort Salicornia europaea HEIGHT to 30cm

Fleshy, yellowish-green annual; fancifully recalls a tiny cactus. Often appears segmented. Entirely coastal. A classic saltmarsh plant that tolerates tidal immersion in sea water. FLOWERS Tiny; appearing at stem junctions, of equal size and in 3s (Aug–Sep). FRUITS Minute seeds. LEAVES Small, paired, fleshy. STATUS Locally abundant.

Perennial Glasswort flowers

Perennial Glasswort

Perennial Glasswort Sarcocornia perennis HEIGHT to 30cm

Branched and patch-forming succulent perennial with woody lower stems that turn orange with age. Entirely coastal; restricted to drier reaches of saltmarshes. FLOWERS Small, yellow, appearing at stem junctions, in 3s, the central one largest (Aug–Oct). FRUITS Minute. LEAVES Small, paired, fleshy. STATUS Local in S and E England, and S Wales.

Prickly Saltwort flowers

Prickly Saltwort

Prickly Saltwort Salsola kali HEIGHT to 50cm

Spiky-looking, prickly annual that is typical of sandy beaches, usually growing near the strandline. Occasionally found beside regularly salted roads inland. FLOWERS Tiny, yellowish; appearing at leaf bases (July–Oct). FRUITS Similar to flowers. LEAVES Swollen, flattened-cylindrical, spiny-tipped. STATUS Locally common.