James Common

Chuffed to stumble across a troop of rather pristine Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) on today's woodland wander. Right on time for #UKFungusDay! 🍄

Pavement Parsley! Petroselinum crispum growing from the base of a wall during yesterday's @nenature.bsky.social Weed Walk. #pavementplants

Guernsey Fleabane (Erigeron sumatrensis) is a relatively new arrival in Newcastle but already seems to be replacing Canadian Fleabane in several parts. Wonder when the others will arrive! #urbanflora

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A quick detour on the way home today turned up a new species for me in Rigid Buckler-fern (Dryopteris submontana). No need for a hand lens to see those glands! #ferns

A nice supporting cast of commoner ferns on today's wander, including heaps of Lemon-scented Fern (Oreopteris limbosperma). Matt trying and failing to be patient with me... 😅

Couldn't resist a later season visit to see the North East's only remaining population of Forked Spleenwort (Asplenium septentrionale). #ferns

Collared Earthstar (Geastrum triplex) today in Jesmond Dene 🍄

Nope, for once! Natural morph and one of those that might be split out in due course (I think) 😬

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An interesting fern from today's wander in Throckley Dene - Dryopteris borreri morph. foliosum. A great big untidy looking thing with crimped pinnules. Certainly stood out! #ferns

Marginal veins of Nymphaea alba (left) and Nymphaea candida (right) for comparison.. Veins of candida join to form closed loops, those of alba end at the leaf edge. Of course there’s a hybrid too, which is common where they meet.

Been a while since I looked but yes, believe both are there 😁

It’s been a while since I went out looking for #ladybirds, but with the recent surge in Hieroglyphic Ladybird records from unusual spots across the North East, I felt obliged to try and find one myself... 🐞🔎

IRecord would be great if at all possible! 😁

Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum, with unripe berries (they will ripen to black). Seen on the approach path to Staines Reservoir. #WildflowerHour

A collage of nine photos of members of the Nightshade family in a three by three array: Solanum dulcamara, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. triflorum, Atropa belladonna, S. chenopodioides Datura stramonium, Hyoscymus niger, Lycium barbarum.

Nine Nightshade family members from #Cambridge and #Suffolk:
Woody, Black, Green,
Small, Deadly & Tall Nightshades,
…plus Thorn Apple, Henbane & Duke of Argyll's Tea Plant.
Scientific names in ALT.
#WildflowerHour #Fruits

A few healthy patches of Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) from coastal masonry at Tynemouth. #urbanflora

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) with a sea view at Cullercoats. A surprisingly frequent part of Tyneside's #urbanflora 😅

With this one, I'm not sure but the family I believe was used in centuries past. Whether they have any actual benefit I'm unsure 😅

Sea Spleenwort (Asplenium marinum) from yesterday's stroll on the coast at Cullercoats 🌿 #ferns

Some rather large examples of Red Goosefoot (Oxybasis rubra) on today's #urbanflora ramble. Common elsewhere, this one is actually on the Rare Plant Register for VC67! 🌱

Soil heap where developers have cleared to make way for houses 😆

I’ve spent quite a bit of time observing ‘weeds’ while working on the #urbanflora, but this one might just take the biscuit… 😅

Presenting Hemp (Cannabis sativa) in all its glory, growing on a patch of dumped soil in Walker.

A good day for Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarella) yesterday on Cronkley Fell. #botany

A few more fabulous #ferns from yesterday's Teesdale trip with Parsley Fern, Mountain Male-fern, Beech Fern and Brittle Bladder-fern. #botany

Plenty of Green Spleenwort (Asplenium viride) squirrelled away in nooks and crannies on today's yomp. I do like this one! #ferns #botany

A bonny example of Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) spotted while perusing lunch spots in Teesdale today. Makes a change from supermarket carparks... #botany

Some rather chonky examples of Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia selago) from Cronkley Fell today. Well worth the sore knees! #botany #teesdale

Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis) from today's @nenature.bsky.social trip. One of a slightly flumoxing 17 species seen at Hareshaw Linn 🌱