Stewart Robert Hinsley writes
In message , K
writes
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes

My preferred references for identification at the moment are Garward
and Streeter (illustrations and field marks)

Is that the Collins one?

No - coffee table size book published by Midsummer Press, bought from a
remainder book shop.

I couldn't find it on Google or Amazon

and Sterry (photographs, field marks and portable, but lacking
complete coverage).

Sterry I've seen but didn't like, but not sure why

Sterry is the (a?) Collins publication.

It's generally well thought of, isn't it? Must be irrational prejudice
on my part ;-)


For photos, I've got some of the little books by Roger Philips, all
sadly out of print now and very hard to come by.

I'd forgotten I had a copy of Philip's Wild Flowers of Britain. It's in

I haven't got that one. But he did a little series "mountain and
moorland" "Roadsides and waste places" "weeds" "coastal" etc. The
pictures are better than his big book. Like the big book, they're
arranged in approximate order of flowering, which can be handy when you
haven't a clue where to start. "Weeds" has pictures of the seedlings too
- ideal for the gardener!


I think I've just cracked the difference between Myosotis arvensis and
Myosotis sylvatica

Ah ... arvensis has smaller 'grey blue' flowers compared with larger
'sky blue' flowers. Arvensis flowers are slightly concave ("saucer
shaped") whereas sylvatica are flat. Arvensis is usually annual,
sylvatica is perennial. Sylvatica calyx is flightly flared at the top to
reveal the nutlets. Situation slightly complicated by existence of
garden forms of sylvatica and a shade subspecies of arvensis - is that
about what you gleaned?

which leaves the other terrestrial species around here as Myosotis
ramosissima.

Smaller flowers, flowering stem has very short leafy section and very
long flowery section?

My alternative to a hand lens is a macro photograph, but it doesn't
always focus properly.

I've got a 'supermacro' on my camera, but without flash. So I need good
light for fast shutter speed. And the focusing is difficult if the
flower is delicate - too easy to focus on the background not the flower.
Piece of paper (or a hand) behind the flower can help, by bringing the
background to the flower.

Part of the knack is learning to see differences between plants and to
use more traits than just the flowers.

I know. I was browsing through the Stace key for Geranium and noticing
that shining geranium, which is recognisable at 20 paces with or without
flowers, doesn't key out until almost the end. And I irritate my husband
by pointing out flowers to him and having to confess that actually,
they're not in flower yet, it's just the leaves, but they *will* look
beautiful in a couple of months time ;-)

(Fruits are useful with trefoils and crucifers.)

I had a great time in S Portugal earlier this year looking at legume
seed pods. Some really strange ones.

Another technique is learning field marks, which is why books with
field marks are handy.

What are field marks?

--
Kay