Thursday, November 25, 2021

More than just Boats and Birds

 One thing I have discovered since I've been doing my little photography walks is that, because I have to be careful where I walk (that is I'm a bit unsteady, not so much what I might tread in!) I am more aware of the world at my feet.  There are cracks in the pavement just full of wild flowers and mosses for example.  I don't mean great big grab your ankle and trip you over jungle plants, but little flowers and fungi and such like.  I call them "crack weeds" or sometimes just "weeds".  There are little corners on the pavements and verges which can be fascinating.  And sometimes, a plant turns up that I've never seen before, or even heard of.  So I even went as far as buying a wild flower identification guide.  And the other day, I came across one of these in a little corner of waste ground.  



It is next to a waste sack for context.  Now remember this is the end of November and the weather is cold.  Too cold I would have thought for flowers to thrive.  But here was this little weed to brighten the day.

It took me a while to find out what it actually is, but thanks to my new wild flower identification guide I found it.  It is a small melilot (melilotus indicus) (Latin name even!) and while not uncommon, it is declining in the British Isles.  Was apparently used as a herbal infusion for tired or sore eyes.  Well I discovered something new!



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