Because of rain threatening I went out to Yatton station for pix of the Torbay Express. I had been intending to go to Nailsea & Backwell station but there is no cover there. Loco was late and barrelled through the station fast. Trouble with the camera on/off switch meant I could only get one shot, however that was acceptable.
On the way back I stopped at the M5 bridge in Davis Lane to see what the little yellow flower patches were.

It was Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis so I snipped off a small spray and took a series of shots when I got back.

 

One pic also showed a couple of seed pods, I took them off afterwards and put them on the top of a flower pot. If they grow Good, if not nothing is lost anyway. 

Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis, AKA Poor man’s weather glass, Shepherds sundial, Change of weather and Laughter bringer. When the flower is open then it will be fine all day, if the flower does not open, then in spite of sunshine being present, there will probably be rain showers.
Following Roger Phillips' example I am now taking pix of the plant structure, leaf style and also when I can side pix of the flowers.

I managed to lift a root and pot the little plant, Hope it will survive but will keep my eyes open and water it if needed. It always makes me think of when some years ago I put a couple of pix on Arcanum Cafe, one of the pix was a seed head. It looked something like a grape, one member asked me if they were worth collecting to eat. I had to point out that they were only about 5 mm in size and it would take quite a lot of them to make a mouthful.

Managed this time to get a side shot showing the calyx as well as the centre of the flower. There is no doubt about it the 10 dioptre lens is good and permits 2 x life-size pix without adding exposure time or f stops. The new 1200 ring flash is performing quite as well as the old one used to,

Sun Spurge Euphoria helioscopia. 

I am constantly amazed at the plants that turn up under my nose. Here is yet another that I discovered in my own plot.

When I first saw it I immediately thought “Ah Wood Spurge as I saw at My Niece Jane’s”. Closer examination reveald that it had no petal to its flowers – tiny things of only about 3 to 4 mm in size. In fact it was only when viewed through the camera lens with a 10 dioptre added that they really became discernable. Like the Wood Spurge this plant has both male/female fertilisation in the flower. Each structure contains a female flower and one or more very small male flowers. This is known as a Cyathium  

Culpeper says, of Spurge :—

Of Spurge the greater and lesser, they are both (taken inwardly) too violent for common use; outwardly in ointments, they cleanse the skin, take away sunburning.  

This is hardly surprising as its juice contains the poison euphorbone. Sheep that have ingested the plant when cropping have suffered severe inflammation of the mouth and extreme gastro-enteritis as a result. In fact the juice of Wood Spurge has been used in North Africa to poison the tips of arrows.  

I was astonished to find in one 3 x life-size picture an equally minuscule beetle.  but unfortunately unable to take a better pic of it in all its 4 mm glory.

I noticed some Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea still flowering I thought it would have been over by now but this had probably been cropped by the lawn contractors.
Took a sprig in and got some shots of it.
I have taken previously but not any pix to show the plant stem and leaf.

Leaf top view above

Leaf back Left

Flower not at its best as it would have been a couple of months earlier.

Oh what a surprise, I decided to take some macro shots of what I had always thought of as Doves foot Cranesbill. When I checked i found that it was in fact Herb Robert Geranium robertianum  petal shape was diferrent as were the leaves too.

Seed pod is a brilliant crimson and perhaps suggestive of its blood saving  propensity.

On Herb Robert Culpeper is commendably short :—

Government and virtues.] It is under the dominion of Venus. Herb Robert is commended not only against the stone, but to stay blood, where or howsoever flowing; it speedily heals all green wounds, and is effectual in old ulcers in the privy parts, or else-where. You may persuade yourself this is true, and also conceive a good reason for it, do but consider it is an herb of Venus, for all it hath a man's name.

Once again a flower growing outside my front door. The Common Mallow Malvas sylvestris is not noticable until the flowers open. Then the bright red contrasts with the faily large green leaves. 

A favourite of both slugs and snails and also the caterpillars of some moths and butterflies the leaves are often decimated with holes. When I was young we used to strip away the dead calyx from the seed pods and eat the seeds calling them Cheeses.

I suppose that today the Health and Safety 'wizards' would throw up their hands aghast at such behaviour.

However they never did us any harm and Lord only knows how many I ate.

Of mallows Culpeper says :--

Government and virtues.] Venus owns them both. The leaves of either of the sorts, both specified, and the roots also boiled in wine or water, or in broth with Parsley or Fennel roots, do help to open the body, and are very convenient in hot agues, or other distempers of the body, to apply the leaves so boiled warm to the belly. It not only voids hot, choleric, and other offensive humours, but eases the pains and torments of the belly coming thereby; and are therefore used in all clysters conducing to those purposes. The same used by nurses procures them store of milk. The decoction of the seed of any of the common Mallows made in milk or wine, doth marvellously help excoriations, the phthisic pleurisy, and other diseases of the chest and lungs, that proceed of hot causes, if it be continued taking for some time together. The leaves and roots work the same effects. They help much also in the excoriations of the bowels, and hardness of the mother, and in all hot and sharp diseases thereof. The juice drank in wine, or the decoction of them therein, do help women to a speedy and easy delivery. Pliny saith, that whosoever takes a spoonful of any of the Mallows, shall that day be free from all diseases that may come unto him; and that it is especially good for the falling-sickness. The syrup also and conserve made of the flowers, are very effectual for the same diseases, and to open the body, being costive. The leaves bruised, and laid to the eyes with a little honey, take away the imposthumations of them. The leaves bruised or rubbed upon any place stung with bees, wasps, or the like, presently take away the pain, redness, and swelling that rise thereupon. And Dioscorides saith, The decoction of the roots and leaves helps all sorts of poison, so as the poison be presently voided by vomit. A poultice made of the leaves boiled and bruised, with some bean or barley flower, and oil of Roses added, is an especial remedy against all hard tumours and inflammations, or imposthumes, or swellings of the privities, and other parts. 

It seems that he praises the seeds when used and although we did not necessarily have pleurisy or ecoriations we used to enjoy eating them. Also brings back the memories of 'Bread and Cheese' as we used to call the first green leaf sprays of the hawthorn that we plucked from the bushes and ate on our way to school as infants.  

  

After the last chancy occurrence I decided to go to Yatton station for the Torbay express run. Not so many folk there as there normally is. Maybe the novelty is wearing off for those that just look. I recalled to one of the pic takers that when I was on the milk round I got to Kenn Moor gate railway bridge one morning and there was folk looking up the line. I thought “Trouble” Something wrong?” I asked “No” I was told “There is a 125 coming though this morning” People queuing up to watch and take pix of a Diesel Loco. Now it had gone full circle and we wait for half an hour to see a steam train.

The Bristol to Weymouth excursion for this week end was cancelled because of low bookings. I reckon that money is getting tighter, and with school holidays there is more cash needed for little trips rather than a day out.

I got some good shots of Nunney castle in spite of the heat. She was steaming well and the smoke was well visible .

Nunney Castle Runs though Yatton Station with steam blowing well.