Thanks for response. I'm pretty sure it's tetragonum on the basis that the
flowers on all of the 3 plants I have looked at are 'not opening wide and flat'
and the hairs are not glandular. I have put 3 images in Phil's pics - IMG 1, 2
& 4 are the same plant, IMG_3 is from another plant growing nearby.

Phil


----- Original Message -----
From: ryenats
To: UKBotany@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 9:27 PM
Subject: [UKBotany] Re: Willowherb





I'd agree that the "squareness" isn't very helpful - that is why I don't use
it (or number of lines on the stem! From the habitat I'd say it almost has to be
tetragonum or ciliatum, and a quick look through a lens at the hairs on the stem
should separate them - all whitish and non-glandular, more or less appressed
(i.e. not sticking out at right-angles) vs obviously glandular, especially in
the sun when you can see the little globs of 'goo', and sticking out pretty much
at right-angles for ciliatum.

Once you get your eye in the very 'straight' petals opening to form a distinct
cross shape are quite distinctive, and especially so if they have the tips
'dipped in paint' look.

Greyish green is probably OK, but it's also worth considering a hybrid with
parviflorum.

Gill

--- In UKBotany@yahoogroups.com, "Phil Luke" <Phil@...> wrote:
>
> I have had a go at Gill's Ryenats Willowherb key and worked out one to be E.
> tetragonum: stem and leaves rather downy and soft to the touch; stem red;
> leaves 50 X 10mm, greyish-green, slightly toothed and sessile; seed pods
> 80 - 90mm long on 20mm stalks; petals pink and cleft c.1/4 of length; stigma
> club-shaped; habitat - dry waste ground. However, I have 2 problems, a) the
> square-stalked epithet - the stalk just has raised lines running down from
> the lower leaves and, b) hairs on stem not apparently appressed. Looks very
> like John Crellin's image in British Wild Flowers, but looking a 'greyer'
> green. Have I got it right or not - any ideas?
>
> Phil
>





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