Briza maxima 大凌風草, 鈴茅

Common name: Greater Quaking Grass
Scientific name: Briza maxima 大凌風草, 鈴茅
Genus: Briza 凌風草屬*
Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) 禾本科, grass family

Remarks*:

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of the Mediterranean region. It was introduced by 1633 and recorded in the wild by 1860.

Date: 1st July

A loosely tufted, non-tillering annual, can reach up to 60 cm.

Leaf 3-8 mm wide. Ligules 葉舌 2- 5 mm, with blunt, torn tip. (could not be seen in above photo)

A panicle 圓錐花序 of characteristically flattened, oval pendulous, 1-12 spikelets 小穗 (9 spikelts on above photo) on long, slender stalk that would quake in the breeze.

Side view of the spikelet -- look like a caterpillar

Photo enlarged below to see the details of one spikelet.

One spikelet.

G: glume (外/內) 穎, L: lemma 外稃. There are 17 lemma and hence most probably 17 florets in this spikelet 小穗. 

Rubus tricolor 三色莓

Common name: Chinese Bramble
Scientific name: Rubus tricolor 三色莓
Genus: Rubus 懸鉤子屬*
Family: Rosaceae 薔薇科, rose family

Remarks*:

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of China (in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces). It was first cultivated in 1908 and was then reported in the wild in 1976.

Date: 3rd July

An evergreen, scrambling, creeping shrub. This is a very young plant just appear above the soil. 

The stem can arch between 30 cm and 60 cm high. 

A branch in search of places to root. The stem are full of red hairs.

The tip of the stem where new leaves are forming. It could root when they touch the ground.

Tomentous stem, with dense yellow-brown (red) bristles. A pair of stipules could be seen above.

The older stem turned red.

Glossy green leaf (some with shallowly lobes), unevenly coarsely sharply serrate.

Pale green underneath, with white hairs (red hairs for mature leaves).

Flower buds on the stem. 

Flower buds solitary or few-flowered clusters.

Flower buds at later stage.

Flower buds with five red-haired sepals.

A dropping white flower.

Side view of the flower showing the green sepals with red hairs.

5 white petals, 5 green triangular sepals. Photo enlarged below to see the details.

Numerous stamens outside and styles inside. The anthers are withering.

Umbilicus rupestris 臍景天, 葡萄臍, 玉盃

Common name: Navelwort, Pennywort
Scientific name: Umbilicus rupestris 臍景天, 葡萄臍, 玉盃
Genus: Umbilicus 臍景天屬*
Family: Crassulaceae 景天科, stonecrop or orpine family

Remarks*: 

Origin: native

Date: 15th June

An erect, glabrous, unbranched perennial, can reach up to 40 cm.

Leaves are mostly basal, stalked, circular, peltate and 1.5 - 7 cm across.

The many-flowered spike.

The flower bud.

The side view of the flowers and the stipules (the small leaf-like structure at the base of each flower).

The side view of the tubular flower showing the petals, the green sepals, the pedicel and the stipule.

The flowers, enlarged below to see the details.

5 petals, 10 stamens arising from the inside of the petals (each with a very small filament with yellow anthers) and 5 styles (each with a small stigma)

This plant has a red inflorescence. Probably it is a later stage of it so that the flowers and the flower stalks turn red.

Hypericum maculatum 斑點金絲桃

Common name: Imperforate St John's-wort
Scientific name: Hypericum maculatum 斑點金絲桃
Genus: Hypericum 金絲桃屬
Family: Hypericaceae 金絲桃科, St. John's wort family

Remarks: 

Origin: native

Date: 24th (& 27th Aug)

An erect, glabrous, rhizomatous perennial, can reach up to 60 cm. (27th Aug)

Another plant, but it is still young without flower. Photo enlarged below to see the details of the stem. (27th Aug)

Stem with 4 raised lines, square in section. (vs stem with 2 raised lines in Hypericum perforatum 貫葉金絲桃, 貫葉連翹, 聖約翰草, perforate St John's-wort) There are black dots on the stem.

Another plant, see again the stem with 4 raised lines, square in section. (see the left part of the stem above)

Note the black dots on the margin of the leaf.

Note the black dots on the margin of the underside of the leaf.

Leaves are narrowed to base, not clasping stem. 18 (27th Aug)
(vs leaves with abundant small yellowish translucent glandular dots in Hypericum perforatum 貫葉金絲桃, 貫葉連翹, 聖約翰草, perforate St John's-wort)

The inflorescence, enlarged below to see the flower bud.

Sepals and petals with black glands. Sepals are blunt. (vs sepals are acute in Hypericum perforatum 貫葉金絲桃, 貫葉連翹, 聖約翰草, perforate St John's-wort)

Side view of the flower.

Flower is bright yellow, about 2 cm across.

Flower with numerous stamens, 3 styles.

The underside of the flowers. Photo enlarged below to see the details.

Petals are longer than or equal to 2 times of sepals.

The fruits are forming, with withering stamens.