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Totternhoe Knolls
Totternhoe Knolls is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Totternhoe in Bedfordshire. It is also a local nature reserve, and part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site is owned by Central Bedfordshire Council and leased to the National Trust. Most of the site is maintained jointly by the National Trust and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN), and is part of the WTBCN Totternhoe nature reserve, which also includes Totternhoe Chalk Quarry and Totternhoe Stone Pit. The SSSI also includes Totternhoe Castle, the earthworks of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle which is a Scheduled monument. Part of the site was formerly a quarry where Totternhoe Stone, a strong type of chalk that was used in Westminster Abbey, was mined. This part is now grassland with a rich variety of plant species, including some that are now rare; these are characteristic species of chalk downland and include kidney vetch, horseshoe ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council was abolished in 2009. Bedfordshire is bordered by Cambridgeshire to the east and north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east and south. It is the fourteenth most densely populated county of England, with over half the population of the county living in the two largest built-up areas: Luton (258,018) and Bedford (106,940). The highest elevation point is on Dunstable Downs in the Chilterns. History The first recorded use of the name in 1011 was "Bedanfordscir," meaning the shire or county of Bedford, which itself means "Beda's ford" (river crossing). Bedfordshire was historically divided into nine hundreds: Barford, Biggleswade, Clifton, Flitt, Manshead, Redbornestoke, S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and since Edward the Confessor, a burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all coronations of English and British monarchs have occurred in Westminster Abbey. Sixteen royal weddings have occurred at the abbey since 1100. According to a tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, a church was founded at the site (then known as Thorney Island) in the seventh century, at the time of Mellitus, Bishop of London. Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of Henry III. The church was originally part of a Catholic Benedictine abbey, which was dissolved in 1539. It then served as the cathedral of the Dioce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chalkhill Blue
The chalkhill blue (''Lysandra coridon'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk. Males have a pale blue colour, while females are dark brown. Both have chequered fringes around their wings. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''Lysandra coridon coridon'' * ''Lysandra coridon borussia'' (Dadd, 1908) – (Urals) * ''Lysandra coridon asturiensis'' (Sagarra, 1922) – (Spain) Ecology Description ''Lysandra coridon'' has a wingspan of .Simon CoombeCaptain's European Butterfly Guide/ref> These small butterflies present a sexual dimorphism. The males having pale silvery-blue upperside of the wings with a submarginal line of grey spots on the hindwings and a thin brown and white chequered fringe. Females have dark brown upperside of wings, with marginal orange spots and also with chequered fringes. The underside of the wings show a light ochre colouration, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Blue
The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with a black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots. Taxonomy and phylogeny This species was first described by Siegmund Adrian von Rottemburg in 1775. Vernacular names that have been given to ''P. icarus'' include little blew argus, blew argus, mixed argus, selvedg’d argus, ultramarine blue, caerulean butterfly, and alexis. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''P. i. icarus'' (Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia) * ''P. i. mariscolore'' ( Kane, 1893) (Ireland) * ''P. i. fuchsi'' ( Sheljuzhko, 1928) (South Siberia, Transbaikalia) * ''P. i. omelkoi'' Dubatolov & Korshunov, 199 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neottia Ovata
''Neottia ovata'' (formerly ''Listera ovata''), the common twayblade or eggleaf twayblade, is a terrestrial orchid widespread across much of Europe and Asia Description The flowering stems are typically tall, occasionally up to . There are two large opposite basal leaves, long. A variable number of flowers is borne on the stems, usually more than 15 but less than 100. The flowers are small and yellowish-green in colour. The sepals and the two side petals form a fairly open hood, 5–6 mm (0.2 in) long; the labellum or lip (the central petal) is long and is divided at the end into two lobes. Due to its slender profile, small flowers and green colour this species can be hard to spot. Distribution and habitat Found across much of Europe including the British Isles, as well as Siberia, Central Asia, Southwest Asia and the Himalayas. It has been introduced into Ontario, Canada, where it has been called the eggleaf twayblade. (as ''Listera ovata'') ''Neottia ovata'' ... [...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] |
Dactylorhiza Fuchsii
''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'', the common spotted orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is one of Europe's commonest wild orchids. It is widespread across much of Europe, with the range extending eastward into Siberia, Mongolia and Xinjiang. The species is also reportedly naturalised in the Canadian Province of Ontario. ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is a herbaceous perennial plant ranging from in height. The inflorescence is a dense-flowered spike, produced in June–August, that is at first conical then cylindrical. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots, a symmetrical pattern of dark purple loops or dots and dashes. The lip has three lobes. The bracts are usually shorter than the flower. The lip is smaller than that of the very similar ''Dactylorhiza maculata'' and has three deeper cuts. The middle lobe is more than half as large as a lateral lobe. Some colonies are highly perfumed, attractive t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cirsium Acaule
''Cirsium acaule'' or ''acaulon'' has the English name dwarf thistle or stemless thistle. It is widespread across much of Europe. includes photos and European distribution map It is often found on short, calcerous grasslands. Description ''Cirsium acaule'' is a herb. The leaves are a spreading rosette, spiny, 10 to 15 cm long. There is usually only one |
Onobrychis Viciifolia
''Onobrychis viciifolia'', also known as ''O. sativa'' or common sainfoin () has been an important forage legume in temperate regions until the 1950s. During the Green Revolution it was replaced by high yielding alfalfa and clover species. Due to its anthelmintic properties the common sainfoin is a natural alternative to drugs to control nematode parasitism in the guts of small ruminants. This is the main reason why ''O. viciifolia'' came back to the scientific agenda during the last years.Berard N. C., Y. Wang, K. M. Wittenberg, D. O. Krause, B. E. Coulman, T. A. McAllister and K. H. Ominski, 2011. Condensed tannin concentrations found in vegetative and mature forage legumes grown in western Canada. Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences, 91: 669–675Boschma S. P., G. M. Lodge and S. Harden, 2011. Seasonal production of lucerne and other perennial legumes and herbs in a summer dominant rainfall zone. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 54 (2): 105–114Carbonero C. H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Campanula Glomerata
''Campanula glomerata'', known by the common names clustered bellflower or Dane's blood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Campanula'', belonging to the family Campanulaceae. It is the county flower of Rutland, England. Etymology The etymology of this plant is quite intuitive: the genus Latin name (“campanula”), meaning small bell, refers to the bell-shape of the flower, while the specific name (''glomerata'') refers to the tight grouping of the flowers at the top of the stem. Description ''Campanula glomerata'' is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to a height of , with a maximum of . The stem is simple, erect and shortly pubescent, basal leaves are petiolated, oval-lanceolate and lightly heart-shaped (cordate), while cauline leaves are lanceolate, sessile and '' amplexicaul''. The inflorescence is formed by 15-20 sessile, actinomorphic and hermaphrodite single flowers of about 2 to 3 cm. They are in terminal racemes or in the axils of upper leaves, s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gentianella Amarella
''Gentianella amarella'', the autumn gentian, autumn dwarf gentian, or autumn felwort, is a short biennial plant flowering plant in the gentian family, Gentianaceae. It is found throughout Northern Europe, the western and northern United States, and Canada. Description ''Gentianella amarella'' the autumn gentian, autumn dwarf gentian, or autumn felwort is a biennial herbaceous plant, which only produces a low leaf rosette with elliptical to lanceolate leaves in its first year. In the second year it usually grows a stem from 5 to 30 (3 to 50) centimeters long. The stem is straight or branched just above the base; at flowering time it is without leaves which distinguishes it from similar species. Generative characteristics The flowering period is from July to early October, and the axils produce numerous flowers. The relatively small, hermaphrodite flowers are purplish bells (reddish-violet corolla) are trumpet-shaped between 12 and 22 mm long and have five petals with d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asperula Cynanchica
''Asperula cynanchica'', the squinancywort or squincywort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. Its common name is derived from its former use as a medicinal herb to cure quinsy. It is native to much of southern and central Europe from Spain and Ireland to Russia. In Sweden, the roots have been used as a red dyeing agent. Description and habitat It is a perennial plant and grows in short grassland or sand dunes on calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ... soils. The flowers are small and can be either pink or white. References External linksWorld Checklist of Rubiaceae cyanchica Flora of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{asperula-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_coridon_-_Aberrant_male.JPG "Click for more on -> Chalkhill Blue")
