On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 23:36:26 +0000 (UTC),
(Howard Clase) wrote:

In article ,
mel turner wrote:
In article ,
[Mark Sansom] wrote...

Hi,

I have placed a picture on my web site, showing a plant I am unable to
identify. Please see http://www.astrostitch.co.uk/plant.htm.

The plant was situated amongst Common Cleavers and Brambles by the edge of a
nature trail (disused rail track) in Nottinghamshire, England. The picture
was taken on 10th April 2004.

I have looked in 4 different wild flower books and been unable to identify
the plant, the closest being something in the Crucifers (or Brassicae). I
would be grateful if someone could assist me!!

Looks very much like the genus _Lunaria_ to me.

They later have interesting flat fruits.

http://www.4reference.net/encycloped...a/Lunaria.html
http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~st...2000/01555.jpg
http://www.botany.utoronto.ca/course...D1lunaria.html
http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/schoepke/lun_re_2.jpg
http://www.gut-im-bild.at/pages/Lunaria-annua.htm
http://www.plantimag.de/dat/0205078.html
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/imaxxbra.htm

You're right, it is a member of the Brassicaceae.

Hope this helps.

cheers


Yes! I agree, good old "Honesty" - known in N. America as "The silver dollar
plant" and to botanists as Lunaria annua L. It's a garden escape having
been introduced from SE Europe according to Grey-Wilson in "The Illustrated
Flora of Britain & N. Europe". It escapes all over our garden here in
Newfoundland too, just as well it's good looking.

So how can you tell it is Lunaria annua and not Hesperis
matronalis (Dame's Rocket, Sweet Rocket). I always have to
wait for the seed pods to start forming to determine which
of the two it is. Curious...

If Mark is still following along, it (Lunaria annua) is in
several of my "Wildflower" books. Maybe you just don't have
enough books yet ;-)

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
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