Cornish Botany August 2019 - Part 2

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I hope you enjoyed Part 1, but if you missed it, just scroll down past this blog to see some beautiful wildflowers and views from Cornwall. Of course, any trip to Cornwall isn't complete without a trip to Land's End and while the majority of the tourists were in the shops and taking selfies by the famous mileage signpost I went for a short walk to take in the flora.


Heather, Bell Heather, Gorse and assorted yellow daisy composites made for a breathtaking display all around the area.


These photos really don't do the colours justice, but it was a joy to take it all in along with lungfulls of fresh and unpolluted oceanic air.




Look a bit closer between the plants mentioned above and you could see the pastel blue flowers of Sheep's Bit, an uncommon plant in Kent, but prolific here.


 




Jasione montana









A close up view of Heather, so common in the north and west of the UK yet now on the Kent RPR due to its rapid decline in our county - we have very few habitats left for it now.











Calluna vulgaris















Goldenrod found in these coastal areas are always short, stumpy and densely covered in flowers, no doubt due to strong salty winds blowing in from the sea. The inland form almost seems like a different species as it is tall, straggly and with the flowers all well spaced apart. I think I prefer the coastal form as shown below.

Solidago virgaurea



The local bumblebees preferred it too and simply crawled from flower to flower without taking off


There was another tiny plant in between the bigger plants, Wild Thyme 
Thymus polytrichus


Near to this rock were several gone to seed remains of Heath Spotted Orchids which would have been nice to see. It is worth noting that landscapes and floras change throughout the year as seasons change so there is always something new to see, even at familiar sites.



A blaze of colour from the assorted wildflowers of Land's End


I hope you enjoyed Part 2 - Part 3 will follow soon and is the concluding instalment of the flora I found in Cornwall.

Take care
Dave

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