Orpine (Sedum telephium)

Orpine that is a sort of herbaceous wild flower widely survives in woodland garden, hedgerows or crevices which are mostly shade or semi-shade, surely, in sunny sites, they can grow so well. And they have strong resistence-either acid or neutral or alkalinesoils of which  Orpine may tolerant.(The Reader’s Digest Association Limited, 1981)

This plant also have another commen name-‘livelong’-deriving from its tolerance. In accordance with its such feature, there used to be a traditional costom, a maiden often hangs it up in her house, if they thrive together, then this girl would have a good prospect to chose a husband; if there is one among  them dies ahead, a foretaste of death would be illustrated, although it is superstitious.

Orpine’s leaves with shallow jagged edge are flat and succulent, which facilitates to survive during drought. Its light green leaves that are alternate are against the pink flusters of flowers with purple spikes, which looks freshy and elegent.The segments that always do not unfold are gathered together on long and uplight stems to shape a globle-shaped flower-heads. The holistic plant is approximately 20-60cm tall; it may be sowed in spring or early summer, bloom from July to Sep.(Plants For A Feature, 1996)

Not only Orpine contributes a lot to natural beauty, but it is used to in medicine-it has astringent function and remedy for diarrhoea as well. Its edibility is acknowledged.

Reference

Plants For A Feature. (1996) Plants For A Feature. [Online] [Accessed in 1996] http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sedum+telephium

The Reader’s Digest Association Limited. (1981) Wild Flowers Of Britain. London: Great Britain.

Scentless Mayweed(Matricaria perforata)

This species of wild flowers is distributed throughout Britain, it is fairly common annual or biennial wild flower. Scentless Mayweed thrive in wasteland, embankment, and agricultural

area, meanwhile, it is a garden weed as well. Scentless Mayweed abounds in widespread lowland soils expect chalky soils.

Scentless Mayweed, this name seems to come from month of May, in fact, this sot of plant used to be freqently used  as a matorpher of a maiden’s complaint. Furthermore, it do not bloom in May, but from June to October. This race dislikes high tempreture, and also is intolorant as in places of waterlogging and drought(The Reader’s Digest Association Limited, 1981)

Concretely, its flower-head is round with more than ten white petals arund a yellow centre; is stem is always upright and leaf is deeply splitted into numerous narrow and long segments, finnaly converge into a terminal point on the stem.

Scentless Mayweed has a variety of size and habit, some have possessed strong resistant to certain herbicdes, so as garden weed, it is perfect species, but in arable land, it is irritating. Its taste is not accepted by livestock, but it can be a source of nector and pollen for beneficial insects(Garden Oganic, 2007)

Corn chamomile is an ajacent race which can be differentiated from Scentless Mayweed by some feature, as it has a sort of faint smell, and it would like to grow in chalky soils.

Reference

The Reader’s Digest Association Limited. (1981) Wild Flowers of Britain. Londen: Great Britain.

Garden Oganic. (2007) Organic Weed Management. [Online] [Accessed on Oct 2007] http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=51