Botanizing Around Charlton Mackrell, Somerset and My Dream Wildflower

Back in mid July we spent a few hours botanizing around the Charlton Mackrell area of Somerset. We had a few target plants which we managed to see but the one I wanted most of all was Blue Pimpernel, a sub-species of the very common Scarlet Pimpernel. It really is a flower 'to die for', well I think so. After looking for it and failing last year (mainly because I found out I was looking in the wrong field) I was so stunned to find it this year that I was momentarily rendered speechless, I was just standing there pointing and gibbering. Sad I know. And if that wasn't enough we spotted a beautiful pale pink form too, almost as nice as the blue but not quite!

 Wild Liquorice - Astragalus glycyphyllos

has subtle flowers ....

... and very striking 'in yer face' seed pods.

Field Garlic - Allium oleraceum 

Sharp-leaved Fluellen -  Kickxia elatine

One of about seven plants of Blue Pimpernel we found in a single arable field

Blue Pimpernel - Anagallis arvensis ssp. foemina

 (This is blue pimpernel and not the blue form of scarlet pimpernel which looks almost exactly the same I even took a couple of petals home to examine under the microscope to be sure)

 Pink form of Scarlet Pimpernel  - Anagallis arvensis

And a couple of butterflies..

Peacock

Essex Skipper