Slender Broomrape

Broomrapes have no chlorophyl and are parasites on other plants. They grow on their host's roots and in spring their stalks appear beside their host. It does not need leaves so it has none, at most there are some small scales. In Dordogne there are about ten different species. Slender Broomrape (Orobanche gracilis) is colourful compared to most other Broomrapes.

It can grow on several leguminose plants. In the pictures leaves and flowers of Horseshoe Vetch are visible. No, the pine cone is only to show how tiny it is.

Slender Broomrape flowers the first days of May, and you do not find it often, even if the plants it can parasitize are very common.

It is easy to distinguish Slender Broomrape from other Broomrapes, the inside of the corolla is a brilliant glistening red, contrasting with the yellow stigma. On the outside there are yellow glandulous hairs (many Broomrapes have glandulous hairs here.)

Common Dog Violet

The blue Violets that flower in April are very much alike. See here the Common Dog Violet (Viola riviniana).





It look rather rectangular. It has to be admitted, violets do show a temperament.






This one grows in woods on neutre or slightly acidic soils in little rather loose bunches. If there is a leaf rosette of a kind, it is not at ground level but halfway up a stalk.





Common Dog Violet has a big white spur and pointed sepals...






... and a striped lower lip.





Here it grows between leaves of a Sweet Chestnut that, like the Violet, does not like calcareous soils.

Burnt Orchid

At sunset in a meadow. Those flower heads look like they got a dark red sunburn, but it is just the colour of the new flower buds. The lower flowers of Burnt Orchid (Neotinea ustulata) open up first, the dark red buds on top of the stalk remain closed much longer. The plant looks a bit damaged, a rabbit has eaten part of the leaves and flowers.





A few days later early in the morning. Nearly all flowers are open now.





This orchid is about 10-20 cm high and is rather common in limestone meadows.





While flowering the plants get longer and longer. Here, on a rainy May day, the first fruits appear.





Every plant is different (as in many orchid species) Nearly always there are one or more red spots on the lower lip, and a dark red upper petal.




The Japanese flag, or a face, or... ?

Greater Stitchwort

To begin with there were only those long leaves that look so much like grass blades, each with its own dewdrop.





But that was a month ago. Now the Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) is flowering.






It is never alone, when there is one flower it is accompanied by a hundred others. This perennial plant lives in groups, it embellishes roadsides and edges of woods or grasslands with large amounts of white flowers.






Everyone of the five petals is deeply divided and has two lobes, there are ten yellow stamina and three pistils, and in every flower it is exactly the same. Who says that flowers can't count?





Transparancy and soft focus... for the time being, in a few weeks the flowering is over and Greater Stitchwort is making fruits, and then it disappears until next year.

Ivy-leaved Speedwell

This Speedwel is one of the first to flower and it is really tiny. It is easy to find on old stone walls, in gardens and on the sides of a walking path. Its leaves look a little bit like those of Ivy, hence its name, Ivy-leaved Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia).





Only when the sun shines the blue flowers open and show their white inside, they are not bigger than half a centimeter.





Like in other Speedwells, the crown has four lobes.





It is end of March and already fruits develop.

Hairy Violet

Normally Hairy Violets (Viola hirta) do not grow in wet places, but here it grows near a stream amongst yellow Lesser Celandines (Ficaria verna).






Small spring violets are much alike. The difference between species is in the details.






The Hairy violet has rounded sepals...






... and, as its name says, hairs. You can find them on the new leaves, but they are very short and nearly invisible if you don't use a magnifying glass.





Here are some plants growing amidst dead ferns at a wood edge, the usual habitat for this species.

Fritillary

The Fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) are in flower!






Every year in March they are having a party.

In wet valleys you can find the purple bells, in a sunny meadow or near the stream under the trees.







Normally they are surrounded by other spring flowers, here with contrasting yellow Lesser Celandines.






Or, to stay with pink and purple, wuth Cuckoo flowers.

Enjoy!