Anser anser 灰雁、大雁、沙鵝、灰腰雁、沙雁、黃嘴灰雁

Common name: Greylag Goose
Scientific name: Anser anser 灰雁、大雁、沙鵝、灰腰雁、沙雁、黃嘴灰雁
Genus: Anser 雁屬
Family: Anatidae 鴨科, the ducks, geese and swans family
Order: Anseriformes雁形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident. occasional migrant.

Date: 25th May

180 Large, big-headed, heavily built; pale brown with large, pale orange bill (paler at tip). Breast pale.

192_1

181_1 Legs pale pink (some pale to bright orange, at least in introduced flocks)

175 Juvenile.

193

Ardea cinerea 蒼鷺, 灰鷺

Common name: Grey Heron
Scientific name: Ardea cinerea 蒼鷺, 灰鷺
Genus: Ardea 鸊鷉屬
Family: Ardeidae 鷺科, the herons, egrets and bitterns family
Order: Pelecaniformes 鵜形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident. occasional migrant.

Date: 19th May

019 Body pale grey, blackish 'shoulder'.

041 White head with black band above eye to thin crest, bill yellow, dagger-like. Legs yellow-brown.

051

045

038

052

Dioscorea communis 漿果薯蕷、黑瀉根、黑眼根、黑旋花

Common name: Black Bryony
Scientific name: Dioscorea communis 漿果薯蕷、黑瀉根、黑眼根、黑旋花
Genus:  Dioscorea 薯蕷屬
Family: Dioscoreaceae 薯蕷科, yam family

Origin: native

Date:  25th May

The following photos are male plants:

119 Climbing, dioecious (male plant above) perennial with large, subterranean tuber (could not be seen above). Stems can reach up to 20m or more.

121 Younger and smaller leaves towards the tip of the stem.

113 The tip of the stem with very young, small leaves.

111 The stem.

111_1 Stem enlarged to show the ridges.

105 Leaf 3-15 x 2-10cm, dark glossy green, ovate, base cordate.

112 Underside of the leaf.

110 Young leaf with flower behind.

115 Twigs with flowers.

109 Stem gives rise to petiole and flowers.

109_1 Photo enlarged above to show a pair of stipules (bracts?) on the axil of flower and leaves. Note the axillary inflorescence.

104 Lax, spike-like raceme, to 15cm.

100_1 Male flower buds and open flower (top left one) showing the outer surfaces of the tepals, with brown stripes in the middle.

097_1 Open male flower and flower buds.

103_1 6 tepals and 6 stamens in male flower.

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The following photos are female plants:

138

140 Leaf of female plant plant is much sharply pointed at the tip than that of the male plant.

141 Underside of the leaf.

135 Twig with flowers.

145 Long inflorescences.

132 Young inflorescence emerge from the young leaf axil.

128 Raceme.

134_1 Different stages of flower buds and flowers.

127_1 Flower buds each with a pair of bracteoles at the base.

126_1 Partially open female flower.

131_1 Later view of the flower showing the outer surfaces of the tepals and the location of the ovary (swollen part near the base of the flower)

128_1

133_1 6 tepals, 6 rudimentary stamens and 1 style with 3 stigmas of the female flower.

Prunus cerasifera 櫻桃李

Common name: Cherry Plum, Myrobalan
Scientific name: Prunus cerasifera 櫻桃李
Genus:  Prunus 李屬
Family: Rosaceae 薔薇科, rose family

Origin:  Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of south-eastern Europe (Balkan Penninsula), south-western and central Asia. It was known in cultivation by 1597 and was not recorded until the 20th century.

Date:  4th March (flowering) & 24th April (fruiting)

010 Sometimes thorny, deciduous shrub or small tree, can grow up to 8m.

015 Flowers appearing with leaves (vs flowers appear before leaves in Prunus spinosa 黑刺李, 刺李, blackthorn).

007 Young twig with flower buds.

009

009_1 Note the green (or reddish), shiny and glabrous 1st year twig (vs brown, more or less hairy new growth twig of  Prunus spinosa 黑刺李, 刺李, blackthorn) and the persistent bud scales (B Se) at base of the flower buds. Sepals (Sl).

011 Flower usually solitary.

006 Side view showing the brown bud scale at the base of the flower, the reflexed  green sepals and the white petals.

005 5 sepals.

005_1 Reflexed blunt, tongue-shaped, serrated sepals. (vs patent, triangular, entire or sparsely toothed sepals in Prunus spinosa 黑刺李, 刺李, blackthorn)

008_1 5 petals, numerous stamens and 1 pistil.

002_1 A fresh flower. Petals 7-11mm.

013_1 Petals had dropped, leaving the green reflexed sepals, numerous stamens and the pistil at the center.

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The following photos were taken on 24th April of the same plant:

034 The tree trunk.

033 More leaves and fruits are forming now.

032 The arrangement of the leaves on the twig.

028

028_1 

025_1

024

027_1 Leaf 3-7cm, glabrous, rather glossy above.

030_1 Underside of the leaf.

021

021_1 Fruit 2-2.5cm, (yellow or reddish when ripe) smooth.

023_1