Spindle Bush

The Spindle Bush (Euonymus europaeus) is an unassuming plant. It grows well hidden in an neglected hedge. It is rather shapeless, the leaves are not remarkable at all and its green branches blend in with their surroundings.



But in November it has a complete change-over. Now it shows fluorescent pink fruits with contrasting brilliant orange berries inside. And certain hedges are pink all-over, now!

Pubescent Oak

About ten species of oaks grow in Perigord. Some of them look alike a lot, and to make things more complicated, they also interbreed easily. Often you can find intermediate trees.

Those here below are Pubescent Oaks (Quercus pubescens), the most common species on dry limestone soils. It is a deciduous tree, but mostly the dry brown leaves stay on the branches during winter. The trees are not very big, and often stunted with convoluted branches.



It is well adapted to dry circumstances; the backsides of the leaves are slightly velvety.

















The small acorns grow in bunches and sit directly on the branches.

Two maples

The Montpellier Maple (Acer monspessulanum) grows on limestone hills. Mostly it is a shrub, but in some places you can find magnificent trees about fifteen metres high. Early in autumn, when the nights are getting colder, it changes its colour. The green turns into a blazing orange-red.

But not this year. Now, beginning November, the small three-lobed leaves are still green, turning just yellow or salmon. May be the real autumn colours are still to come?

The Field Maple (Acer campestre) is another small-leaved maple. In autumn its colours changes into yellow, nearly never into orange. The leaves are more or less irregular, with at least five lobes.

Regarding the soil where it grows, the Field Maple is not as difficult as the other species, it grows nearly everywhere.

Field Maples are often planted in gardens and parks, often the leaves of cultivated trees are slightly larger than those of truly wild trees.

 

Yellow Bartsia

This 50 centimeter high plant with its thin stiff branches flowers in abundance in September.

 

The Yellow Bartsia (Odontites lutea) has chlorophyl and thus can provide its own energy and nutrients through photosynthesis. However, it shows also parasitic behaviour: it attaches itself to the roots of neighbouring plants to take minerals and water from them. Especially grasses are attacked, but also vineyards can suffer severely from the presence of Yellow bartsias.

White Lace Flower

Here are the typical fruits of an umbellifer. They are ovals, more or less elangated and split up in two parts, each containing a seed. In the picture below the fruit is covered with white hairs that stiffen when the seed ripens. The pink protrusions are the remnants of pistils, two in every single flower.



They are the fruits of a White Lace Flower (Orlaya grandiflora).


















It flowered in June on a poor and dry soil, and it looked like, well, lace.

Large Yellow Restharrow

A little bush not yet 20 centimeters high, it is easy to miss it. Only when you take the time to really look you notice the Yellow Restharrow (Ononis natrix) has beautiful flowers.



When the butterfly-like flowers open they show fine lines in red on yellow. The greyish down in the picture are the glandulous hairs that cover leaves and stem; if you touch the plant it sticks on your fingers. And you'll discover the smell, a bit nasty. Maybe the rabbits don't like it either!









Restharrows are perennial plants with long and tough roots, farmers don't like to find them in their fields.

Narrowleaf Crimson Clover

Most clovers are rather small, but this one is higher than the surrounding vegetation. Everything is long with the Narrowleaf Crimson Clover (Trifolium angustifolium). It has trifoliate leaves, like other clovers, but here the leaves are really long and thin. They are covered with very short downy hairs to protect the plant from drought. A necessary precaution because it grows in dry, often sandy, places.

The flower heads are also elongated, up to ten centimeters.

After flowering they are really decorative!

Small Broomrape

Their season is nearly over, but it is still easy to find Broomrapes. They are parasites without chlorophyl that live on the roots of other plants. Here is the Small Broomrape (Orobanche minor), surrounded by its host, Black Medick (Medicago lupulina) with small yellow flower heads. The Small Broomrape also 'eats' other clover-like plants.



Most stalks in this image are already dead, but the one at the right is still alive and in flower.

Dutchman's Pipe

2012 is a good year for the Dutchman's Pipe (Monotropa hypopitys). This smal ivory-coloured plant is not common at all in Perigord, but this summer it can be found in relative abundance. Maybe it enjoys the rains of this year after a very dry 2011.



The Dutchman's Pipe is a parasite on Pine trees. It has no chlorophyll but instead uses the tree to provide it with nutrients. In a pine wood, often only one or two trees are infested by Dutchman's Pipe, and as often as not those do not appear to suffer from their parasites. Maybe there is some reciprocity and the parasites do have also small favours on offer.

A Sandwort

A track in an arid calcareous meadow, maybe last winter fourwheeldrives of hunters compacted the soil. A place where the puddles of winter rain stay a little longer.



Those are the rather specific requirements for this tiny white flower, but when all conditions are met, the 'Controversial Sandwort' (Arenaria controversa, no English name) flowers abundantly.

Pyramidal Orchid

Color...



Amidst yellow, red-striped Horseshoe Vetch, a Pyramidal Orchid (Orchis pyramidalis) in full bloom. In Mai the first deep pink flower heads can be seen, and they are round. In the following weeks they grow longer and longer, and in June elongated spikes decorate meadows and roadsides.
Only butterflies can reach the nectar at the bottom of the long spurs, but often other insects visit the flower for a meal of pollen.

Photo exhibition

As you see them when going on a botanical walk...

"Ambiance Nature"

Wild Plants in Perigord


Exhibition of photographs by Corine Oosterlee

Castle of Limeuil (24510), 3 to 30 June 2012, daily from 10.00 to 18.00.

Two Pines

The Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) is planted often between the Sweet Chestnuts on more or less acid soil, or in single-species plantations. But here we consider the two species of Pine also commonly found on calcareous soil, in Oak and Hornbeam forests. They are originally also cultivated species, but they behave like wild trees and grow spontaneously in many places. Now they start flowering, and are easy to distinguish by the form of their male catkins. Yes, this yellow powdery stuff that makes your car look dirty is Pine pollen!



The male catkins of the European Black Pine (Pinus nigra) are rather large and form a crown at the base of the newly developing branches. In this image you see them just before dispersal of the pollen above last year's long green  needles.













The Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) has smaller catkins and those form a kind of cylinder around a new twig. The orange protection sheath that covered young catkins and twig is still visible.














And the female catkins? During summer they will develop into pine cones, as you can see already. Here you see those of an European Black Pine.

Green-Winged Orchid

One of the first orchids in flower is the Green-Winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio). It can be found in dry grasslands, and also on grassy roadsides, sometimes in large amounts. Because it flowers so early, sometimes it has to survive  a freezing cold night. Like now.



No problem!

Hornbeam

The Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a forest tree, often found together with oaks. They often form dense woods and seem to like Northern slopes.



Now the new leaves are unfolding.

Spring Cinquefoil

In the same environment as the previous species grows the Spring Cinquefoil (Potentilla verna).


Here its tiny yellow flowers surround a small Western Spider Orchid (Ophrys occidentalis) that likes the same habitat.















  
Seen from nearby the flowers look, except for their color, like miniature Dog roses. No surprise, the Spring Cinquefoil is a member of the Rose family.

Common Ball Flower

In a sunny place small blue balls appear in the sparse vegetation. The Common Ball Flower (Globularia bisnagarica) can be seen from March to May, and sometimes again at the end of the season. The small spoon-like leaves can be found all year round.



This plant is specific to dry calcareous meadows, an environment rich in flowers, especially in spring. If you find the Common Ball Flower, there is a fair chance you'll also find wild orchids.

Two-leaf Squill

Tiny blue stars under the big white Snowdrops: Two-leaf Squill (Scilla bifolia). Many bulb flowers growing in the wild originate from gardens. But this is a truly wild species.


In the picture you can see whence its name; the flower stalk rises from between two gutted leaves.

















And here 'blue' is really blue, in strong contrast with leaves and ferns around.

Birdeye Speedwell

Minus seven degrees Celsius, this morning. Despite this, the Birdeye Speedwell (Veronica persica) is in full bloom. The tiny fragile flowers do not seem to fear the hoar frost before the afternoon sun warms them. They grow in vegetable gardens, cultivated fields, along roads, almost everywhere.

This picture is taken another year, a month of February less severe.

Field Eryngo

It flowered in July, the Field Eryngo (Eryngium campestre) but some leaves and a stalk with dry flowers and seeds are still visible above the snow.

In winter the prickly leaves turn into different shades of grey and green. Beautiful, even after death!

Winter

At last, winter!

Snowdrops

From the very beginning of this new year the Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are in flower! A decidedly warm december gave them an early start. They are well adapted to cold weather, and will survive the coming snow and frost, if any.



Most Snowdrops you find in nature are escaped from gardens. But those here grow in a deep, isolated valley, far from any human occupation, so maybe they are truly wild.