Wildflowers at Braunton Burrows

Before this summer I hadn't been to Braunton Burrows. I've now been four times! We found most of our target species relatively easily but Water Germander, one of the rarest plants on the Burrows, proved rather difficult and we only found it on our third visit and then only with the help of the warden John Breeds. Our fourth visit was for Dune Gentian, which alas, we couldn't find. Still a good excuse to return next year!

A couple of shots of Braunton Burrows looking north from the Saunton Sands end. It really is a wilderness once you get away from the car parks and it's really easy to get lost.

Marsh Helleborine - Epipactis palustris

Sand Pansy - Viola tricolor ssp. curtsii

Sea Bindweed - Calystegia soldanella

Sea Holly - Eryngium maritimum

 Sea Spurge - Euphorbia paralias

 

Sea Rocket - Cakile maritima

Sea Stock - Matthiola sinuata

 Portland Spurge - Euphorbia portlandica

Tree Mallow - Malva arborea

Round-leaved Wintergreen - Pyrola rotundifolia

Sand Toadflax - Linaria arenaria

 The flowers are very tiny but quite lovely in close up with a lilac spur that's not easy to see...

... like so. 

Sand Toadflax was introduced to Braunton Burrows from France in 1892 and is found at just two sites in Britain

Water Germander -  Teucrium scordium 

A rare plant found only at Braunton Burrows and Northam Burrows in Devon and Kingfishers Bridge in Cambridgshire.  The latter a site we visited back in early September and to say it was a bit easier to find there would be a bit of an understatement! More of that in a later post though.