Lady’s Smock

March 10th, 2012

Latin:  Cardamine pratensis

Irish:  Léine Mhuire

 

This is a native plant, belonging to the Cruciferous family.  Called Cuckoo Flower in  some areas.  It is a hairless perennial that is frequent in wet habitats such as marshes and damp meadows.

 

Specimens were collected in late April when plants were flowering in the rough at the front-left of 17th tee box but it can be found in many other parts of the course where grass is not regularly and closely mowed.

It has lilac-pink or white 12-20mm flowers that have four petals and appear in April, lasting until June.  Although leaves at the base of the stem are more-or-less round the leaves higher up are narrow with numerous leaflets. Seeds are produced in elongated, thin, pod-like structures (siliquas).  When ripe, the pods burst open, ejecting seeds with such force that they may land more than 3 meters away.

 

It is a plant noted for attracting wildlife such as bees, flies and butterflies.

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