A briefer introduction, been inside most of the day (and knew I would be) so I recorded a wild plant on my way out. Here it is…
What: Ivy Hedera helix L.
When: 9th January 2019
Where: Chester Road, Poynton, Cheshire (VC58), UK
Who saw it? Me
How was it recorded? Will be posted to iRecord. http://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/home
Is it larger than a blackbird? Yes
What is it? A creeping evergreen plant that characteristically climbs trees, poles and houses. Although the plant I took a photo of today was on the ground. Unlike most UK native flora this plant flowers in the Autumn months where it provides a late-season source of nectar for a large variety of insects.
A fact I learned about the species: In folklore is seen as both a cursed and beneficial plant. In some areas of the country it was believed you could cure warts by pricking the leaves as many times as the patient had warts and then pinning the pricked leaves to a thorn (Mabey, 1996)
Is it charismatic? Hard to tell if plants are charismatic or not to be honest. But I’d say it was in this case. Anything that is a little out of the ordinary, like a plant that flowers counter to anything else, and a plant that has drawn that much superstition through the ages must have bit of charisma I’d say.
A Species a Day 