There were 8 of us in total and we spent a couple of hours looking at plants along the road and beach from the Key haven Observatory. As I mentioned in the email for this event, it was a slow ramble as we only went about 500 yds and back, but we saw a great deal in that time including Golden Samphire.
Golden Samphire is not uncommon on the Solent shores but is rare in the UK as a whole. It is the sole larval foodplant for the picture fly known as the ‘Golden Samphire Gall Fly’ (Myopites eximius), the larvae of which induce galls in the flowerheads.
The Sea Lavender in particular looked wonderful at this time of year but my favourite was the fluffy Hare’s Foot Clover – this was a first for me. It is not uncommon but I must have overlooked it many times, thinking it was a seedhead!
Below is a list of all, and photos of some wildflowers seen on that stretch of the Keyhaven sea wall and beach.
Hope to see you on another walk soon.
Photo Sue Lambert
| Bindweed | Groundsel | Sea Beet |
| Birds Foot Trefoil | Hare’s Foot Clover | Sea Campion |
| Bramble | Hawkweed | Sea Clover |
| Buckthorn Plantain | Hedge Bedstraw | Sea Kale |
| Common Chickweed | Hedge Mustard | Sea Lavender |
| Common Mallow | Hogweed | Sea Mayweed |
| Common Nettle | Honeysuckle | Sea Pinks (Thrift) |
| Common Plantain | Knot Grass | Sea Plantain |
| Common Ragwort | Lesser Burdock | Sea Purslane |
| Common Vetch | Lesser Trefoil | Seaside Centaury |
| Creeping Thistly | Maram Grass | Shepherds Purse |
| Curly Dock | Maritime Sow Thistle | Smooth Sowthistle |
| Cut Leaved Cranesbill | Marsh Willow Herb | Spear Leaved Orache |
| Daisy | Mugwort | Spear Thistle |
| Elder | Nipplewort | Trailing St Johns Wort |
| Field Rose | Ox Eye Daisy | White Clover |
| Glasswort (Marsh Samphire) | Pearlwort | White Clover |
| Golden Samphire | Perenial Sow Thistle | Wild Carrot |
| Goose Grass (Cleavers) | Prickly Lettuce | Round Headed Leek |
| Gorse | Ribwort Plantain | Wild Teazel |
| Grass Leaved Orache | Scarlet Pimpernel | Yarrow |
| Great Sea Spurry | Sea Arrow Grass |
