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Calstone And Cherhill Downs
Calstone and Cherhill Downs () is a 128.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1971, including downland at Calstone Wellington and Cherhill. It provides one of the best examples in Wiltshire of unimproved downland. The site forms part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site lies towards the western edge of the Marlborough Downs, has a narrow plateau of the Middle and Upper Chalk and descends steeply to the north and more gently to the south. The south-facing slope has a complex structure of narrow, steep-sided dry valleys and coombes and has a mixture of grasses, sedges and forbs. Here grow a typical calcareous community including glaucus sedge, sheep’s-fescue, meadow oat-grass, heath-grass and common quaking-grass, together with cowslip, salad burnet, rock-rose, betony, field fleawort, bastard-toadflax, round-headed rampion, small scabious, devil’s-bit scabious, horseshoe vetch, kidney vetc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is about and one hectare contains about . In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the ''are'' was defined as 100 square metres, or one square decametre, and the hectare ("hecto-" + "are") was thus 100 ''ares'' or km2 (10,000 square metres). When the metric system was further rationalised in 1960, resulting in the International System of Units (), the ''are'' was not included as a recognised unit. The hectare, however, remains as a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI and whose use is "expected to continue indefinitely". Though the dekare/decare daa (1,000 m2) and are (100 m2) are not officially "accepted for use", they are still used in some contexts. Description The hectare (), although not a unit of SI, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helianthemum Nummularium
''Helianthemum nummularium'' (known as common rock-rose) is a species of rock-rose (Cistaceae), native to most of Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia .... Description It is an evergreen trailing plant with loose terminal clusters of bright yellow, saucer-shaped flowers. In the flower centre is a tight cluster of orange stamens, which are sensitive to the touch, and spread outwards to reveal the tall stigma in the middle. The plant is common on chalk downs, and occasional in other grasslands, always on dry, base-rich soil. The wild species has yellow flowers, but garden varieties range from white through yellow to deep red. Though the individual blooms are short-lived, the plant produces a mass of flowers through the summer. It needs a dry, sunny place, like a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ophrys Apifera
''Ophrys apifera'', known in Europe as the bee orchid, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae. It serves as an example of sexually deceptive pollination and floral mimicry, as well as of a highly selective and highly evolved plant–pollinator relationship. Description ''Ophrys apifera'' grows to a height of . This hardy orchid develops small rosettes of leaves in autumn that continue to grow slowly during winter. Basal leaves are ovate or oblong-lanceolate, and upper leaves and bracts are ovate-lanceolate and sheathing. Leaves exhibit parallel venation. The plant blooms from mid-April in continental Europe, but in the United Kingdom it flowers June to July. A flower spike is produced, composed from one to twelve flowers. Three large, purple sepals surround the base of the flower, which can easily be mistaken for petals. The true petals lie just above the sepals as two short, pubescent green structures protruding laterally from a central column. A third, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gymnadenia Conopsea
''Gymnadenia conopsea'', commonly known as the fragrant orchid or chalk fragrant orchid, is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae native to northern Europe. Etymology The name of the genus ''Gymnadenia'' is formed from Greek words (', "nude") and (', "gland") and refers to the characteristics of the organs for secreting nectar. The specific Latin name "conopsea" derives from the Greek ' ('), literally meaning "mosquito-like", probably because of the similarity of the long spur of the flower with the mouthparts of a mosquito. The scientific binomial name of this plant was initially ''Orchis conopsea'', proposed by the Swedish naturalist and botanist Carl von Linné (1707–1778) in his ' of 1753. The name has been subsequently amended to the one currently accepted (''Gymnadenia conopsea''), by the British botanist Robert Brown (1773–1858) in 1813. In German, this plant is called ' or '; in French, is called ' or '; in Italy, it is called ' ("pink hand"); in Croatian, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neotinea Ustulata
''Neotinea ustulata'' (syn. ''Orchis ustula''), the burnt orchid or burnt-tip orchid, is a European terrestrial orchid native to mountains in central and southern Europe, growing at up to elevation. The plant is considered Endangered in Great Britain and Least Concern internationally based on IUCN Red List criteria. The burnt-tip orchid was voted the county flower of Wiltshire in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife. Description ''Neotinea ustulata'' grows from two spherical tubers with thick roots. Old sources believed that the plant could grow underground for 10–15 years before the first stem appears. Plants have leaves with prominent veins, along with a couple of leaves typically around the flower stem, which can reach , though typically less than tall. Flowers are born in a dense cylindrical pattern, with individual plants capable of producing up to 70 flowers. The sepals and petals form a hood that is reddish-brown, over a white crimso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orchis Mascula
''Orchis mascula'', the early-purple orchid, early spring orchis, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Description ''Orchis mascula'' is a perennial herbaceous plant with stems up to high, green at the base and purple on the apex. The root system consists of two tubers, rounded or ellipsoid. The leaves, grouped at the base of the stem, are oblong-lanceolate, pale green, sometimes with brownish-purple speckles. The inflorescence is long and it is composed of 6 to 20 flowers gathered in dense cylindrical spikes. The flower size is about and the color varies from pinkish-purple to purple. The lateral sepals are ovate-lanceolate and erect, the median one, together with the petals, is smaller and cover the gynostegium. The labellum is three-lobed and convex, with crenulated margins and the basal part clearer and dotted with purple-brown spots. The spur is cylindrical or clavate, horizontal or ascending. The gynostegium is short, with reddish-green ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polygala Calcarea
''Polygala calcarea'', the chalk milkwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygalaceae, native to western Europe. It is a delicate mat-forming evergreen perennial growing to tall by broad, with spikes of small, vivid deep blue flowers in spring, and leathery, oval leaves. Etymology The specific epithet ''calcarea'' means "growing in lime", though this plant will grow in a range of soils. Cultivation It prefers sharply drained conditions, and is suitable for cultivation in an alpine garden. Cultivars The cultivar 'Lillet' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit .... References {{Taxonbar, from=Q163756 calcarea Flora of Europe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthyllis Vulneraria
''Anthyllis vulneraria'', the common kidneyvetch, kidney vetch or woundwort is a medicinal plant native to Europe. The name ''vulneraria'' means "wound healer". Description ''Anthyllis vulneraria'' reaches of height. The stem is simple or more often branched. The leaves are imparipinnate, glabrous or with scattered hairs on the upper face and silky hairs on the underside. The flower heads are spherical in shape and long. The petals are yellow in most sub-species, but red in ''A. vulneraria'' var. ''coccinea''. Flowering takes place between June and September. The fruit is a legume. The fruits ripening takes place from July to October. Kidney vetch is the food plant of the small blue butterfly larvae and the leaf miner, '' Aproaerema anthyllidella''. Distribution and habitat This plant is sporadic throughout Europe, from Iceland to the Mediterranean, in Asia Minor up to Iran, in North Africa and in Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮá ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippocrepis Comosa
''Hippocrepis comosa'', the horseshoe vetch, is a species of perennial flowering plant belonging to the genus '' Hippocrepis'' in the family Fabaceae. Description The overall appearance depends on its habitat: sometimes it forms upright clumps of flowers; at other times, it sends prostrate leafy runners over a wide area; sometimes it distributes itself as single flowers. The flowers are small, yellow or sometimes orange/red (becoming yellow as they mature), and of typical shape for the family Fabaceae: these appear for a period of two weeks around May.. Propagation The rate of seed production is variable: relatively low and sometimes negligible seed production. Seedlings remain the predominant method of extending its range. It has a low germination rate in the wild, although this can be improved in nurseries. Distribution ''Hippocrepis comosa'' is found in the UK, predominantly in the south.. Habitat ''Hippocrepis comosa'' is a calciole (found only on chalk and lim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Succisa Pratensis
''Succisa pratensis'', also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field scabious have five lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate genus in the same family. It also grows on damper ground. Name Species of scabious were used to treat scabies, and other afflictions of the skin including sores caused by the bubonic plague. The word scabies comes from the Latin word for "scratch" (scabere). The short black root was in folk tales bitten off by the devil, angry at the plant's ability to cure these ailments, in anger against the Virgin Mary, or as part of some 'devilish plot'. The Latin binomial nomenclature, specific epithet ''pratensis'' literally means "of the meadow". Description ''Succisa pratensis'' is a herbaceous perennial plant, perennial up to 1m tall, growing from a basal rosette of simple or d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scabiosa Columbaria
''Scabiosa columbaria'', called the small scabious or dwarf pincushion flower, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the genus ''Scabiosa'', native to Europe, Africa, and western Asia, from Sweden to Angola. In the garden it is a short-lived deciduous perennial plant, perennial. In the wild in Europe it prefers to grow in calcareous grasslands. Growing to tall by , it has simple branched grey-green leaves, and pale lavender or blue multi-petalled flowers from summer to autumn. Subspecies The following subspecies are currently accepted: *''Scabiosa columbaria'' subsp. ''banatica'' (Waldst. & Kit.) Diklic *''Scabiosa columbaria'' subsp. ''caespitosa'' Jamzad *''Scabiosa columbaria'' subsp. ''columbaria *''Scabiosa columbaria'' subsp. ''pratensis'' (St.-Lag.) Braun-Blanq. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q159263 Scabiosa, columbaria Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants described in 1753 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phyteuma Orbiculare
Phyteuma orbiculare, common name round-headed rampion or Pride of Sussex, is a herbaceous perennial plant of the genus ''Phyteuma'' belonging to the family Campanulaceae. Description ''Phyteuma orbiculare'' reaches on average of height. A deep blue, almost purple wildflower that is not as it seems: each head, rather than being a single bloom, is actually a collection of smaller ones, huddled together. The stem is erect, simple, glabrous and striated, the leaves vary in shape on a single plant, with larger, broader, ovate to lanceolate, serrated, petiolated leaves at the base of the stem and smaller, narrower, lanceolate to linear cauline leaves. The head-shaped inflorescence is a dense erect panicle of about of diameter, with usually 15 to 30 flowers. The petals are blue or violet-blue and form small tubes with an opening at the top. The outer bracts are lanceolate and usually two to four times longer than wide. The flowering period extends from May to August. The fruit is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
