Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort)

Monday 24th May 2021 - Hutton Roof Common 

This photo shows below the full Heath Milkwort plant including branch offs and most important shows all below the main junction. Everything above the main junction is usually seen without problem, whereby all below can be hidden in heathland type grass.

The next photo below shows the activity below the main junction and you will note that immediately below the main junction we see clearly the "propeller" type leaves starting up and most of the leaves below this are similar with true opposite side to side, this feature is one of the true identifiers between both common and heath milkwort.

The next photo below shows you the comparisons between both the Heath Milkwort on the left and the Common Milkwort on the right

(above) another good pointer I use to distinguish between both Heath and Common is that the Common (seen right) is far more woodier, especially by looks which can be much darker. I will try and show this more in the next photos.

The next photo below shows the flowerheads with the Common on the right hand side.  Notice with the Heath on the left the sepals are much steeper and sharper than the more blunt on the Common M.

Left is Heath Milkwort

Right is Common Milkwort

Sat 18th May 2019 - Hutton Roof Common and Burton Fell

First job was checking out the large amounts of variable coloured Milkwort which ranged from white, blue and white, green and white to china blue to deep royal blue. The only regular colour I could not find amongst them which would have completed the colours was "pink".

I must have examined over 20 specimens to see if they had opposite side basal leaves and sure enough they all qualified for Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) both on the Hutton Roof Common and again sampled populations on Burton Fell. 

Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows the low down basal leaves set at true opposite sides of the stem (propellers)
which confirms "Heath Milkwort".

 Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows both the leaf structure together with the lower down basal leaves
 set at true opposite sides of the stem which confirms "Heath Milkwort".
A nice royal blue specimen

 Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows the low down basal leaves set at true opposite sides of the stem (propeller)
which confirms "Heath Milkwort".

 Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows both the leaf structure together with the lower down basal leaves
 set at true opposite sides of the stem (propeller) which confirms "Heath Milkwort".
A nice light purple and white specimen

Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
A nice white with green specimen

 Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows both white and blue close together

Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows white collective

 Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows light blue collective

Polygala serpyllifolia (Heath Milkwort) - Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 18th May 2019
Shows nice blue flower with white

Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rockcress)

Emergence 2020

 Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rockcress)
Shows early rosette lying in shallow limestone gryke
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) 18th April 2020
(Click over to enlarge)

 Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rockcress)
Shows early rosette lying in shallow limestone gryke
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) 18th April 2020

 Arabis hirsuta - (Hairy Rockcress) 

Photo: Warton Crag on 11th May 2019

Arabis hirsuta - (Hairy Rockcress) 

Photo: Warton Crag on 11th May 2019

Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose)

I have so far found 20 separate populations on various parts of the Hutton Roof complex. Some of them only amount to a dozen or so flowers, whilst others amount to a couple of hundred flowers.

The larger colonies seem again to be on the Hutton Roof side (central or east), but there are also some nice colonies on the west side in Lancelot Clark Storth and a small amount on Burton Fell.

Without doubt the largest population has to be the banking below Park Wood above the Hutton Roof village, sadly this banking during 2018 got completely burnt out with the draught and continued sunshine and little remained of the colony for that year. 

I have also tried to link the areas with importance to the concentrations of the Northern Brown Argus butterfly of which they are doing extremely well on Hutton Roof. There are six areas that have separate colonies which I have identified so far.  All areas are mapped with their respective gps and are additionally archived at both Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Carlisle Museum (Tullie House). 

Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose) Click over to enlarge

Fairly dry and creased - Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth on 17th May 2020

Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Jack Scout on 8th May 2019

Shows both flower and leaf

Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Hutton Roof just below Park Wood on 23rd May 2017

This banking show here and continued on the photo below is completely full of

both Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose) and Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet)

Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Hutton Roof just below Park Wood on 23rd May 2017

This banking show here and continued on the photo below is completely full of

both Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose) and Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet)

Stellaria holostea (Greater Stitchwort)

Stellaria holostea (Greater Stitchwort) Click over to enlarge

Photo: 17th May 2018 - Hutton Roof

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort)

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Hutton Roof Common  - 2nd June 2018

(White and purple variety) with raindrops

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) (Click to enlarge)
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT), Hutton Roof on 4th May 2019
(Royal Blue variety)

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) (Click to enlarge_
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT), Hutton Roof on 4th May 2019
Showing the leaf structure 


The beautiful Polygala vulgaris (Milkwort) is shown above in a Royal blue, but also on this same banking on Lancelot Clark Storth (East of the BAP Memorial Seat, you will be able to see it in a variety of colours including: white, white and purple, pink, royalblue, purples. 

 Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 22nd May 2017
(Royal Blue variety)

 Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 1st June 2018

 Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 22nd May 2017

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 22nd May 2017

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 22nd May 2017

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021
Shows from flower to root which will have several stems leading off to several flowers, in this case four.

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

I notice with the Common Milkwort it is usually a direct path from flower to the root almost to to the depth of the plant. The opposite side leaves dont apply, you note they are offset and the majority of time you would note that leaves will be missing to one side of the lower stem and just showing on one side. They are not paired just like you get with "Heath"

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof on 26th May 2021

Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet)

Hutton Roof population
(below Park Wood)

Poterium sanguisorba Salad Burnet (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: below Park Wood banking- Hutton Roof 13th May 2019

 Poterium sanguisorba Salad Burnet (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: below Park Wood banking- Hutton Roof 13th May 2019

 Poterium sanguisorba Salad Burnet (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: below Park Wood banking- Hutton Roof 13th May 2019

 Poterium sanguisorba Salad Burnet (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: below Park Wood banking- Hutton Roof 13th May 2019
This photo shows the large quantities you get on this banking.

Poterium sanguisorba Salad Burnet (Click over to enlarge)

Photo: below Park Wood banking- Hutton Roof 13th May 2019

Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Below Park Wood, Hutton Roof on 12th June 2018

**

The Lots, Silverdale population

The earliest I have ever had this in flower was over on the Lots at Silverdale (6th May 2019).

Hutton Roof has a fantastic population with a full banking of this species mixed with Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock Rose).

Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet) Click over to enlarge

Photo: The Lots, Silverdale on 6th May 2019

Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Hutton Roof below Park Wood on 12th June 2018


Warton Crags population

Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Warton Crag on 11th May 2019

 Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Warton Crag on 11th May 2019

Poterium sanguisorba (Salad Burnet) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Warton Crag on 11th May 2019