London Meeting June 30th to 2nd July 2006

Polypogon viridis Polypogon viridis(Water-bent)

Rumex conglomeratus Rumex conglomeratus(Clustered Dock)

Scutellaria galericulata Scutellaria galericulata(Skullcap)

Verbena officinalis Verbena officinalis (Vervain)

Atropa belladonna Atropa belladonna(Late Cotoneaster)

Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Harlequin Ladybird)

Nymphaea alba Nymphaea alba (White Water-lily)

Malva moschata Malva moschata (Musk Mallow)

1st July : Regent's Canal

Stopping somewhere in the same dockland region (vaguely) on the way back from Mudchute Park we intended to see what was growing on the two path of one of London's many canals. First though we thoroughly confused ourselves trying to find the start of the afternoon walk and strolled all round the basin where various waterways meet.

Eventually we got back to where had started from and looked up to see a sign which had all missed pointing the way. The first plant would have been easily missed by many: Polypogon viridis (Water-bent) is a casual increasingly found in the south of England. There was much discussion over the identity of a geranium species which I have to admit I recognised when we eventually found a good specimen. Geranium pusillum (Small-flowered Crane's-bill) is so common where I normally do my day-to day botanising in Cheshire that it never occurred to me to take a photo.

Much less common for me was the Atropa belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) growing by the towpath. It always seems strange that this plant is so often confused in the minds of many non botanists with Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet) which has small completely different flowers (purple and yellow) with green-yellow-red fruits as they ripen. Deadly Nightshade really doesn't look anything like it but they both share one property: they are very poisonous.

Also on the Deadly Nightshade we found a strange looking ladybird which Phil Budd immediately recognised as the invasiveHarmonia axyridis (Harlequin Ladybird). This is a vigorous foreign species which will out-compete our smaller native ladybirds and consume the eggs of moths and butterflies.

Further along the path we found Verbena officinalis (Vervain), Rumex conglomeratus (Clustered Dock) which proved a great attraction for damsel flies, Nyphaea alba White Water-lily and in some grassland on the way to our final site, Malva moschata (Musk mallow)