In message , Muddymike
writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , Chris Potts
writes
Muddymike wrote:
Inspired by the wonderful comments on my garden pictures I have uploaded
a few more. Some showing the overgrown mess we took on two and a half
years ago.
Further to the Ivy Broomrape, I have discovered a virtual forest of the
stuff, see first picture at
http://www.twango.com/channel/Muddymike.Garden
Must mow the lawns.
Mike
Hello Mike

I don't think it is Ivy Broomrape! It is Common Toothwort (Lathraea
squamaria). Ivy Broomrape is taller with a much more open spike; it
flowers in late June/July. There is a good picture of Toothwort at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothwort. It flowers in April, so just
right.

All the best,

Chris Potts

I hadn't considered Lathraea, as the plant didn't look at all like
lLathraea clandestina. However, Lathraea squamata is typically parasitic
on elm and hazel, rather than ivy. However it seems to occur on many
genera.

According to Stace, the key characters separating Lathraea and Orobanche
are

Lathraea: rhizomatous; flowers pedicellate (stalked); calyx with 4 equal
lobes;

Orobanche: not rhizomatous; flowers seesile (unstalked) except rarely near
the base of the inflorescence; calyx with 2-4(5) teeth arranged in 2
lateral lips.

Looking at the original photograph the calyx characters may be correct for
Lathraea. If Mike could check the details, and what plants other than ivy
are growing in the vicinity ...
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Its quite crowded in there, plants include hazel certainly, laurel, yew,
privet, holly, and more that I am unable to name are also in quite close
proximity.

Mike


Ah well, it seems quite likely that it's Lathraea squamaria parasitising
hazel, rather than Orobranche hederae parasitising ivy. I should have
thought to ask the question what the ivy was growing over.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley