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
Most of our native trees are evergreen and I have to say I miss the beautiful Autumnal colour changes you get in Europe. Just spectacular.
ReplyDeleteLovely, the leaves at the feet of the tree form a reflecting pool of gold.
ReplyDeleteI could almost say snap, but ours is orange! And our lawn is burgundy, as the Prunus has suddenly decided to drop most of its leaves in one whoosh.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see your yellow. There's nothing like autumn colour :-D
PS Thanks for embedding the comment form - I do like to be able to scroll up and look at the post while I'm commenting on it. Having suggested it, I now need to do the same myself ...
Liz - thank you :)
ReplyDeleteHillwards - you have added some lovely words to my 'Wordless' :D
Juliet - I love how there's enormous pools of colour on the ground at the moment. It'll soon be swept away here as our forecast says windy for tomorrow. Your part of the country is about the only bit not covered by a flood warning on the Env Agency's map at the moment!
There's pros and cons with the Comment Form options - I don't like how there's an enormous gap to my comments welcome and policy on this form, but both you and Karen quite rightly pointed out I was making you remember what I'd written by using the Full Page option, so Embedded it shall be for now.
Oh such golden deliciousness VP.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful picture! I am finding that autumn can be just as beautiful as spring!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna and Sandie :)
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