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Post by NellyDee on Aug 5, 2015 12:26:38 GMT
Can you tell me what the big green leaves belong to, The of fuchsias are on the banks of a small burn, on the opposite banks there is the large green leaves along with yellow iris. Ground is mainly Dalradian limestone and black slate.
Nearly ended up to my neck in the water as I had not realised that the burn was there, did not see it with all the plant life. Had gone to take a look at what looked like the ruins of an old mill, which should have told be there was bound to be water about somewhere .
IMG_4780 by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 5, 2015 18:23:56 GMT
Not the best of photos to see detail Presumably with the fuchsias this is a wild garden or ex-garden type of environment.The leaves may be of Darmera peltata which does sometimes naturalise.
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Post by NellyDee on Aug 6, 2015 8:46:35 GMT
Thanks aeshna - I googled and it does look like it. As I said we were trying to get to look at a very old ruin - very little of it left probably left to crumble over 100 years no other signs of habitation in the area, but what was interesting was a copse of eucalyptus trees,also very old. So yes the mill probably did have a garden.it was a very interesting area found no end of plants I had not seen before.
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Post by faith on Aug 8, 2015 16:18:59 GMT
Isn't it Lismore you live Nelly Dee? Darmera peltata isn't recorded anywhere in the West Highlands at all. From your photo, I would think coltsfoot or butterbur more likely. My guess would be coltsfoot, especially as butterbur leaves are usually even bigger than that by this time of year. They both flower in early spring so you wouldn't expect to see either of them in flower before next March (February in the soft south . . . ) That said, giant rhubarb has been found in old gardens, so if it does turn out to be that, you have made a very significant find! Fuchsia can often be seen 'gone native' from an old garden, mixed in with plenty of native species, so that in itself isn't too important a clue.
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 8, 2015 18:23:50 GMT
Isn't it Lismore you live Nelly Dee? Darmera peltata isn't recorded anywhere in the West Highlands at all. From your photo, I would think coltsfoot or butterbur more likely. My guess would be coltsfoot, especially as butterbur leaves are usually even bigger than that by this time of year. They both flower in early spring so you wouldn't expect to see either of them in flower before next March (February in the soft south . . . ) That said, giant rhubarb has been found in old gardens, so if it does turn out to be that, you have made a very significant find! Fuchsia can often be seen 'gone native' from an old garden, mixed in with plenty of native species, so that in itself isn't too important a clue. Don't think Coltsfoot grows in water! Not this for sure from leaf shape.
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Post by faith on Aug 8, 2015 18:51:14 GMT
Nelly will have to say whether the plant was actually growing in the water – I thought I had gathered that it was on the bank on the far side. However, I can't see why you, aeshna, are so adamant that the leaf shape is wrong for coltsfoot. Being new to these things, I'm afraid I have no idea how to post a picture here myself, but if you google coltsfoot leaves images, you will find dozens exactly like this, though I think butterbur is also a possibility. But I seem to be causing friction again – perhaps I had better give up this website after all.
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Post by John Pappus on Aug 9, 2015 0:46:05 GMT
Well, I'm certainly no expert and inexperienced, certainly with this plant, but, I'd say no to Darmera peltata as those leaves really don't look lobed from the photo' to me.... Also I think the position on the bank rather than in the water is a bit of a red-herring as it's not actually in the water, which would more-or-less rule out all three proposed plants? From the very limited information (meaning the picture) I'd say Colt'sfoot or the similar Butterbur, but with a confidence for me personally of no more than about 40% - we clearly have only enough details to allow little of a definitive nature to be agreed upon? An interesting mystery, perhaps location, likely distribution, time of year, would be equally helpful in this case?
Just my musings, but not much help I'm afraid..
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Post by faith on Aug 9, 2015 13:22:51 GMT
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Post by John Pappus on Aug 9, 2015 20:03:10 GMT
Hmm, similar certainly, but personally I can't see enough of either to get any closer than the candidate 3 we already have.... Leaf size and shape can be so variable even by their position on the same plant... Just not enough information for me - this needs the judgement of experience and familiarity - neither of which I have, sadly. I'd love to see more of the original mystery plant, I don't suppose a further excursion is feasible.... Puzzled and beyond my meager capabilities - just too hard for me this one. Interested to know though.
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 10, 2015 4:33:41 GMT
If we were seeing this plant in the field I suspect the ID would be straightforward- this does show some of the problems identifying from photos.For my sake I though the plant was growing in water- though I now accept it may in fact be growing on the bank.
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Post by NellyDee on Aug 10, 2015 9:06:52 GMT
Sorry not come back sooner in the Loch Creran area and virtually no broadband. The photo was taken 15 July on Lismore, which is a wind swept island just 12 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. Down the centre is a valley, which is very lush and wet, but the only place protected from the sometimes severe winds. Mainly sandstone and black slate. The burn that runs down the centre is now barely visible and has probably in places formed pools. My photo shows just a bit of water and I presumed there was a bank at some time as the fuchsia was growing there. As I said I nearly ended up to my neck in water - I just thought I was waking across boggy land. Sorry to cause a puzzle. By the way it is worth, if you are ever up this way, of going to the island which is known for it's range of wild flowers. You can get a passenger ferry from Port Appin but you would have to walk the Island (which a lot of people do. If you go by car ferry it is very expensive.
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Post by faith on Aug 10, 2015 9:21:31 GMT
Nelly, I have always longed to visit Lismore, as the geology makes it look as though it would be botanically fascinating. It sounds from your various notes that it certainly is. So now I know someone who actually lives there, I will make a real effort to visit, and look you up when I am there. I have a place in Ardgour, so not too far away.
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Post by NellyDee on Aug 10, 2015 9:27:34 GMT
Nelly, I have always longed to visit Lismore, as the geology makes it look as though it would be botanically fascinating. It sounds from your various notes that it certainly is. So now I know someone who actually lives there, I will make a real effort to visit, and look you up when I am there. I have a place in Ardgour, so not too far away. I don't live on Lismore - just took a day trip across to see what it was like. I live 40 miles away from Lismore, but am blessed with a lot of Islands to visit.
Here is another photo of said plant - got my daughter to send me her photos of the day and she had taken the plant from a different angle - bit blurred though, so still not much help.
Balnagowan mill by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr
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Post by faith on Aug 10, 2015 13:08:29 GMT
Thanks for the extra photo, but I still can't see it being anything other than either coltsfoot or butterbur. If you happen to be there in the early spring, coltsfoot – as I expect you know – has yellow daisy-like flowers which appear before the leaves. Butterbur can be either white, which is an alien and flowers earlier, or pink which is the native species and flowers slightly later. The leaves of those two species are virtually identical, and grow bigger and bigger throughout the summer. There is another escape, giant butterbur, which crops up occasionally, but your plant doesn't look tall enough for that.
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 10, 2015 17:59:14 GMT
Don't think it's Coltsfoot- have never seen it growing in such dense clusters before.
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