The Flora of Castlewarden

Latin:  Stellaria graminea Irish:  Tursarraing bheag   This is a hairless, native perennial that is regularly found in grassland, hedges and marshes. It has a straggling growth habit with weak stems that are more-or-less square in cross section.  The hairless leaves (15-25mm long) grow in opposite pairs, have an elongated spear-like shape and are attached directly to the stem. It produces numerous small white flowers during June-August.  The flowers measure 10-15mm across and they have 5 petals that are divided almost to the base – so

Latin:  Stellaria media Irish:  Fliodh Chickweed is one of the most abundant weeds of cultivated ground and waste places.  The Stellaria genus comes from a large family (Caryophyllaceae) that includes cultivated ornamentals such as Pinks, Carnations and Baby’s Breath (Gypsophylia). It has a straggling growth habit with slender stems up to 40cm long.  The leaves are small and oval and the small white flowers, which can be produced at any time of the year, have 5 petals that are lobed almost to the base.  The

Latin:  Sonchus asper Irish:  Bleachtán colgach   This a native species that is frequent in waste places and roadsides.  It is an annual that grows about 80 cm high and although it looks very like other thistles it has shiny, soft leaves that are far less prickly than they appear.  Starting in June it produces many yellow flower heads (the flowers of many of the other thistle species are purple). The name “Sow Thistle” has come from a folk belief that it was very good for lactating

  Latin:  Solanum dulcamara Irish:  Fuath dubh This native perennial is a relative of the Potato and the Tomato and is sometimes called Woody Nightshade.   It is a climber without hooks or twining stems that simply climbs by leaning on other plants in hedges, woodland margins and waste places.   The leaves are 4–12cm long, roughly arrowhead-shaped, dark green to purplish in colour and often lobed at the base. Flowers, with the same form as those on potato and tomato, are produced from June onwards.  They

Latin:  Sisymbrium officinale Irish:  Lus an óir   This member of the Cruciferae family is widespread in Ireland but is not native .  It is a stiffly erect annual or biennial which is commonly found in waste ground, hedgerows and on disturbed ground. It has tough stems that grow up to 80cm high and its tiny (3mm across), yellow, 4-petalled flowers appear from May to October. This cluster of flowers elongates as the fruit develops as hairy pods (6-20mm long) that are closely pressed into the

Latin:  Sedum album Irish:  Grafán bán na gcloch   This is a species that grows profusely on the walls surrounding the machinery yard at Castlewarden. This is a species from a family called the Crassulaceae that has thick, fleshy leaves and are often referred to as “succulents”.  These plants are generally regarded as being super efficient in their use of moisture – a characteristic that enables them to thrive in very dry conditions. White Stonecrop is not a native species and is probably a garden escape.  It

Latin:  Rumex obtusifolius Irish:  Copóg shráide This a close relative of Curled Dock and the twp species are alike in many respects.  However, Broad Dock, as the name suggests, has large, broadly oblong leaves in contrast with the more elongated leaves of curled dock.   In addition, this species does not have conspicuous curling along the edges of the leaves and it tends to come into flower about a month later than Curled Dock.  There are less apparent morphological differences in the flowers of the two

Latin:  Rumex crispus Irish:  Copóg chatach   This is a very common native species that grows on roadsides, meadows, arable fields and waste places.  In fact, it is so adaptable to different environments that it is said to be one of the five most widely distributed plants in the world. It is deep-rooted perennial that is extremely difficult to eradicate or control even with modern herbicides.  It’s status as an especially difficult weed led to it being categorised as a “Noxious Weed” and landowners allowing it

Latin:  Rumex acetosa Irish:  Samhadh bó   This is an abundant native perennial that grows as a clump on grassy banks and in pastures.  The leaves are elongated oval in shape and have two lobes at the base that point backwards. In June and July reddish-green flowers are produced on whorled spikes up to 60cm tall.  Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants (dioecious) and are wind pollinated. The leaves have a high oxalic acid content which gives them a sour, acid-lemon, thirst-quenching taste

Latin:  Rubus fruticosus agg. Irish:  Sméara dubha Rubus fruticosus agg., or Bramble, is the name given to an aggregation of native species differing in details of stem angles, thorn, hair or leaf shape and demanding considerable expertise for accurate differentiation and identification.  This complexity is due to the bizarre reproductive behaviour of Bramble.  These plants, even though they do produce pollen, can produce seeds without pollination taking place so that individual plants can give rise to distinctive populations or species. Rubus fruticosus, sometimes referred to as