Oryctolagus cuniculus 穴兔

Common name: European Rabbit

Scientific name: Oryctolagus cuniculus 穴兔

Genus: Oryctolagus 穴兔屬

Family: Leporidae 兔科,  rabbits and hares family

Order: Lagomorpha 兔形目

Remarks: 

Status: It originates from Spain and Portugal and was introduced to UK by the Normans, initially kept in warrens for food and fur. It became widespread from about 1750. It is listed as least concern by the IUCN. It is an offence to release or allow to escape into the wild.

Date: 30th May

Halichoerus grypus 灰海豹

Common name: Grey Seal
Scientific name: Halichoerus grypus 灰海豹
Genus: Halichoerus 灰海豹屬
Family: Phocidae 海豹科,  earless seals, true seals family
Order: Carnivora 食肉目

Remarks: 

Status: It is listed as least concern by the IUCN but it is legally protected in Britain and Ireland. 

Date: 30th May

[189]

[197_1]

[191_1]

[195_1]

Polygonatum multiflorum 多花黃精

Common name: Solomon's-seal
Scientific name: Polygonatum multiflorum 多花黃精
Genus: Polygonatum 黃精屬
Family: Asparagaceae 天門冬科*, asparagus family

Remarks*: It is previously belonged to the Liliaceae 百合科, the lily family.

Origin: native

Date: 18th May

[367] Glabrous, rhizomatous perennial, can grow up to 80 cm. Stem arching.

[364] Leaves all cauline (莖生葉), alternate.

[372]

[372_1] Leaves 5-12 cm.

[358_1] Underside of the leaf showing the veins.

[363] Stem smooth (vs stem distinctly angled in Polygonatum odoratum 玉竹、萎、尾參、地管子、鈴鐺菜, angular Solomon's-seal). Leaves cauline.

[371]

[356]

[361] Flowers in 2-5-flowered axillary clusters (see the red numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 above) (vs flowers in clusters of 1-2 in Polygonatum odoratum 玉竹、萎、尾參、地管子、鈴鐺菜, angular Solomon's-seal).

[361_2] Enlarged photo above to show a 5-flowered cluster. The flowers had probably finished flowering. Greenish ovaries could now be seen at the bottom of the flowers probably because they are fertilized and enlarged a little bit..

[353] Side view of the flowers.

[353] Flowers tubular, 9-15 mm, contracted in middle (vs flowers 15-30 mm, not contracted in middle in Polygonatum odoratum 玉竹、萎、尾參、地管子、鈴鐺菜, angular Solomon's-seal). 

[349_3] Ready to open flower bud.

[349_2] Flower bud that open a little. Note the white hairs of the tip of the petals. 

[348_4] Perianth segments 6 , valvate, connate proximally and forming a tube, stamens 6.

Pinus sylvestris 歐洲赤松

Common name: Scot Pine
Scientific name: Pinus sylvestris 歐洲赤松
Genus: Pinus 松屬
Family: Pinaceae 松科, pine family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門

Origin: native

Date: 11th and 8th May (male and female cones) 

An evergreen tree, can grow up to 40 m. The following 4 photos [404-407]
showing the tree trunks from the base to the top:

[407]

[406]

[405]

[404] Tree barks on the stem.

[410] Look at the upper trunk. This photo is taken at the lateral branch.

[410_1] The distinctive orange-brown (B) trunk, shed in peeling scales.

[411] Another lateral branch.

[411_1]  The distinctive orange-brown (B) trunk, shed in peeling scales.

[183_1] Needles at the base of the male cones.

[401_1] Needles in pairs.

[184_1] Needles 4-8 cm, twisted and rather blue-green (glaucous 淡灰綠色，表面有一層白霜的).

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[190] A lot of male cones. (taken on 11th May)

[400] A lot of male cones at the base of new shoot.

[400_1] Enlarged photo above showing one male cone (strobilus) with microsporophylls.

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[408] Some female cones are found at the tips of new shoots. Note that Pinus sylvestri is monoecious, so both male and female cones could be seen on the same tree.

[408_1a] Female cones (red structures above) are found at the tips of new shoots.

[408_1b] Female cones (red structures above) are found at the tips of new shoots. An green immature cone could also be seen above.

[408_2a] Another position of the tree: female cones (red structures above) are found at the tips of new shoots.

The following 3 photos [414, 415, 415_1] were taken from another young plant showing the new shoot.

[414] New shoots developing.

[415] New shoots.

[415_1] Enlarged above to show the tip of new shoot, new needles are emerging from brown leaf sheaths. Female cones may appears at the tip of the new shoot afterwards.

[408_2b] Another position of the tree: female cones (red structures above) are found at the tips of new shoots.

[408_3a] Female cones (red structures above) are found at the tips of new shoots. An green immature cone could also be seen above.

[408_4] Yellow male cones and green immature cones could be seen above.

[408_3b] An green immature cone.

[398] A mature (female) cone 3-7 cm, with woody seed scales already opened to release the seeds. The cone scales (seed scales) are not spine-tipped.

Juniperus communis 歐刺柏

Common name: Common Juniper
Scientific name: Juniperus communis 歐刺柏
Genus: Juniperus 刺柏屬
Family: Cupressaceae 柏科, cypress family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門

Origin: native

Date: 11th and 8th May (male and female cones)

[158] An evergreen tree or shrub, can grow to 10 m. (taken on 11th May)

[489] Another individual, in a prostrate spreading shrub. (not like a tree)

[488] Male cones could be seen in this individual, it is a male plant.

[391] Stem.

[157_1] Young vegetative bud. It is a bit orange in color. (taken on 11th May)

[383] Young vegetative bud.

The following photos are also different stages of vegetative buds:

[486_1]

[390_1]

[388_2] Vegetative buds and scales on the stem.

[390_2]

[388_3]

[387] Leaves are arranged in whorls or three (as indicated as red numbers 1, 2 and 3 above).

[485_1] Base of leaf is jointed or articulated.

[384_1] Leaves 5-15 mm, narrow, stiff.

[384_2] Leaves sharp-pointed. Inner surface with a vertical white stomatal band.

[383_2] Outer surface of leaves.

[382] Older twig showing the scales left on the stem.

[282_1] Enlarged photo above showing the scales left on the stem.

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Juniperus communis is dioecious, the following photos come from male plants:

[486] Male strobili on male plant.

[486_4] Enlarged photo above to show more clearly the male stobili.

[486_3] Very young male strobilus.

[486_1] Side view of a male strobilus. The purple structure is the microsporophylls whereas the attached orange ball-like structures are the microsporangia.

[486_2]

[482_1] The top view of an open male strobilus (top of the above photo)

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The following photos showing different stages of female strobili of female plant.

[392] Different stages of the female strobili of female plant.

[381] Young female strobili.

[394] Ripe female strobili, ready to open to expose the three micropyles and secrete the pollination drops to receive pollens from male plants.

[394_3] Enlarged photo above showing one female strobilus (megastrobilus). 

[394_2] Probably fertilized, as the terminal portion enlarged now.

[395] Side view of another fertilized female strobilus (seed cone).

[384] Further developing of the female seed cone.

[392] Maybe a later stage of the female seed cone as the uppermost scales seems to fuse together more tightly and the cone changes to purple in color.

[380] 6 scales fused together to form a fleshy female cone, resembling a berry. It is now covered with a white coating. The cone is green when young and beceomes blue-black when mature (took 18months to ripe, and have smell of gin)