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central rosette of leaves rather like the runners on a straw-
berry plant. This plant was easily indentified as the mouse-
ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella). It has flowers of a
characteristic pale yellow colour, and is one of the few hawk-
weeds that can be identified to species level without the help
of an expert. Nearby one of the commonest of our species was
growing. This had no normal foliage leaves on its flowering
stem, no stolons and its florets were considerably longer than
the involucral bracts which were of several lengths. When a
head of florets was broken open a number of long scales were
found in between the florets. The florets and scales grow out
of the swollen end of the flower-stalk known as the receptacle.
This plant was the cat's ear (Hypochoeris radicata).
A third example grew in the same spot which lacked the
long scales found between the florets of the cat's-ears. This
turned out to be the smooth hawk's beard (Crepis capillaris).
This is a very variable plant with the involucral bracts in
two distinct rows, the outer ones being much shorter than the
inner ones. It often has leaves on the flowering stem with the
two sides of the leaf bare extending backwards like an arrow-
head. Such leaves are described as being sagitate.
The group now split up to try their hand at using the key
on their own and soon discovered a very characteristic plant.
This was the bristly ox-tongue (Picris echoides) which has leaves
with bristles each growing out of a white blister. The outer
ring of involucral bracts in this plant are large and spread
out to form a cup outside the others. They also discovered a
sow thistle (Sonchus asper). These plants are full of a very
noticeable white latex which oozes out of their broken stems.
This one had the two sides of the bases of the leaves rounded
and if you looked at the surfaces of the ripe fruits there were
no transverse wrinkles to be seen.
We had lunch in the car park and then walked down to the
pond to see two uncommon plants which were not composites. It
was exciting to see the finged Waterlily (Nymphoides peltata)
in flower which, despite its name, is not a Waterlily and is in
fact related to the bogbean. Also growing there was the mare's
tail (Hippuris vulgaris). This plant is often confused with the
horsetails which are not even flowering plants. On the way
another composite was discovered. This one had foliage leaves
on its flowering stem, and the leaves at the base of the plant
were long and grass-like. The flower heads were closed which
explains one of its common names - Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon. It
is otherwise known as goat's beard (Tragopogon pratensis).