Luzula pilosa

Common name: Hairy Wood-rush
Scientific name: Luzula pilosa 
Genus:  Luzula 地楊梅屬
Family: Juncaceae 燈心草科, rush family

Remarks: There are two genus in Juncaceae in UK, there differences are as follows:

a/ Juncus 燈心草屬 (rushes): leaves usually cylindrical or channelled; glabrous;

b/ Luzula 地楊梅屬 (wood-rushes): leaves grass-like; hairly at base, at least when young 

Origin: native

Date:  25th & 27th March

Several plants are living together; can grow to 30 cm high.

Leaves are grass-like, hence it is belonged to Luzula 地楊梅屬.

Note the leaves are hairy; basal leaves 3-4 mm wide (vs basal leaves 1.5-3 mm wide in Luzula forsteri, the southern wood-rush)

upper side (adaxial surface) of the leaf

lower surface (abaxial surface) of the leaf (the leaf slightly below the middle of the photo)

leaf on the stem (see the green structure in the middle of the photo)

stipule (the green leaf-like structure beside the inflorescence)

Flowers borne singly in inflorescence (vs in groups of 2 or more in other Luzula spp.). Note the inflorescence branches are spreading, i.e. in different direction (vs inflorescence branches dropping to one side in Luzula forsteri, the southern wood-rush)

enlarged below to see the flowers:

flower bud, closed flower or female stage of the dark brown flower ?

fully opened flower; 6 stamens; 1 style

enlarged below:

enlarged below:

This is an older flower with the anther already split and stigma withering a little bit

enlarged below:

5 petals, 5 stamens. 1 style

fruits

Veronica hederifolia 睫毛婆婆納

Common name: Ivy-leaved Speedwell
Scientific name: Veronica hederifolia 睫毛婆婆納
Genus: Veronica 婆婆納屬
Family: Plantaginaceae 車前草科, 車前科, plantain family

Remarks: Veronica was formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae 玄參科, figwort family.

There are two subspecies of Veronica hederifolia 睫毛婆婆納. Their differences are as follows:

Ssp. hederifolia: apical leaf lobe wider than long; pedicel 3-4 times as long as calyx; corolla mostly equal to or more than 6 mm across, whitish blue; anthers blue.

Ssp. lucorum: apical leaf lobe longer than long; pedicel 3.5-7 times as long as calyx; corolla mostly equal to or less than 6 mm across, whitish pale lilac; anthers white-pale blue.

Origin: Archaeophyte (established before 1500 AD). It has a European Southern-temperate distribution.

Date:  25th & 28thMarch

A prostrate plant.

Plant is leaning against the fence.

Leaves with 1-3 large teeth or lobes (could see 5 lobes in the above photo); apical leaf lobe wider than long, hence it is the Ssp. hederifolia (vs apical leaf lobe longer than long in Ssp. lucorum)

The flower bud. Note the pedicel is 3-4 times as long as calyx, hence it is the Ssp. hederifolia (vs pedicel is 3.5-7 times as long as calyx in Ssp. lucorum)

However, the petal is whitish pale lilac, it indicates that it would be the  Ssp. lucorum ? Very confusing.....hybrids?  (vs whitish blue petals in Ssp. hederifolia)

2 anthers , 1 style in the above photo; anthers are white-pale blue, also indicates it is the Ssp. lucorum ? (vs anthers are blue in Ssp. hederifolia)

flower solitary in axil of leaves

capsule

glabrous fruit

Viola reichenbachiana 早花犬堇菜, 里氏犬堇菜，林地犬堇菜，木紫蘭香

Common name: Early Dog-Violet
Scientific name: Viola reichenbachiana 早花犬堇菜, 里氏犬堇菜，林地犬堇菜，木紫蘭香
Genus: Viola 堇菜屬
Family: Violaceae 堇菜科, violet family

Remarks:  The name "early" refer this species flowers first, about three weeks before the common dog-violet, V. riviniana 里文堇菜. "Dog-violets" are so-called because they are scentless, as opposed to sweet violet, V. odorata 香堇菜, and were therefore considered as fit only for dogs. Dog, like horse, is a common English prefix for distinguishing an inferior species from its superior relative. The specific name reichenbachiana comes from a German Botanist, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, who specialised in Orchids.

Origin: native

Date:  18th March

plant with basal rosette of leaves

leaves ovate

flower bud

sepal lobes smaller, <1.5mm; corolla spur darker than petals
(vs sepal lobes smaller, >1.5mm; corolla spur paler than petals in V. riviniana 里文堇菜, the common dog-violet);

petiole glabrous

flower looked from below: spur not notched at tip; 2 lateral petals spreading horizontally

Prunus laurocerasus 桂櫻

Common name: Cherry Laurel
Scientific name: Prunus laurocerasus 桂櫻
Genus:  Prunus 李屬
Family: Rosaceae薔薇科, rose family

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is native of the Balkan peninsula 巴爾幹半島. It was being cultivated in Britain by 1629 and was known from the wild by 1886. It is now commonly planted for amenity.

Date:  25th March

A evergreen shrub or small tree to 10m.

Leaves evergreen, glossy and leathery. (vs leaves deciduous in P. serotina, 野黑櫻, 晚花稠李 Rum Cherry or Black Cherry (Neophyte)).

Leaves evergreen, oblong, abruptly pointed at the tips and broadest below halfway. (vs. Leaves evergreen, oval to elongated-oval, pointed tip and broadest above the middle in P. lusitanica, 葡萄牙桂櫻, 萄萄牙月桂樹, 盧李梅 Portugal Laurel (Neophyte)) 

leaf leathery, with distant tiny teeth

(vs there are dense orange or white hairs bristling from the prominent lower midrib in P. serotina, 野黑櫻, 晚花稠李 Rum Cherry or Black Cherry)

Photos above and below: erect raceme of flower buds of different stages.

flowers in many-flowered, elongated and erect racemes

5 sepals, 5 petals