Jack Go To Bed At Noon
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl
Groan!
ReplyDeleteHelen - I've wanted to take this picture for ages, but we don't always stop at this particular services when travelling up north.
ReplyDeleteSort of beef it up while you're there and work it off when you get home?
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy - have a look at the name of the service station...
ReplyDeleteI did - I had an image of digging with a trowel when you got home instead of a spade. Extra hard work to compensate for eating junk food.
ReplyDeleteAha :) No junk food for us - we were on a fast day. However, I will be wielding my trowel now it's stopped raining as there's bulbs to plant...
ReplyDeleteI will never drive past again without thinking of gardening implements :-)
ReplyDeleteHi EG - tee hee :)
ReplyDeleteThere are hidden treasures to be found at these pit stops - puns aside. The other week I stopped at the Reading Welcome Break to walk the dog and found the mecca of blackberry bushes. (Well out of dog pee-on zone might I add.)
ReplyDeleteMonica - what treasure! I hope you had time to pick some of them...
ReplyDelete