Autumn Asteraceae

Yesterday, trying to make the most of the autumn sunshine, I took a stroll around campus to see what was about. It's not the most promising of environments what with all the tarmac and vigorously manicured greenery. You will be able to search in much more promising locations. However, I found a few things, and I thought it might encourage you. A number of species are quite happy on wasteground and tucked into the margins.

I am quite sure I looked a bit odd, as I was adopting the slow hesitant gait of the naturalist, with my eyes scanning the ground, stopping randomly now and again to swoop on something and stuff it in a pot or plastic bag. I tried to pretend passers by weren't there. A colleague spotted me and evidently thought I looked quite amusing. But you must learn to ignore the rest of the world because they don't really understand. You will soon learn that you get a little pulse of endorphins to the brain when you find something, and this starts to outweigh any embarrassment.

I was slightly surprised to find quite a few Asteraceae still in a half-decent condition. There may be others out there. I found some Bristly Oxtongue (Picris echioides). 'Echioides' (like 'echinoderm') means spiny. It has strange bristles all over the leaves that come out from little blisters.

CC image by Isidre Blanc

I also found Wall Lettuce (Mycelis muralis) with its rather reddish stems and leaves, and distinctive 90 degree branching of the flower heads. It's rather elegant for something that most people would dismiss as a weed.

CC image by  Mount Rainier National Park

Also lurking were the universally-recognised Daisy (Bellis perennis)

CC image by Quartl

and the very common, Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea).

CC image by Danny S.

I also found some Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris).

CC image by H. Zell.

I seem to sit in a lot of traffic at the moment, so have been doing a bit of roadside botany through the car window. So I can tell you that although it's quite late in the year, there are still examples of Scentless Mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum) about.

CC image by Thskyt.

Another reliable member of the Asteraceae at this time of year is Pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea). I found it on a track near where I live recently - it seems to like such spots. It's supposed to smell of pineapple when you squash it. You'll have to tell me what you make of that; I would say it is faintly pineappley, but only in a rather artificial pineappley sort of way with a decidedly revolting undercurrent. Apparently you can eat the flowers but I would really rather not. They're rather unusual flowers for the Asteraceae as they only have the central tubular disc florets, and no surrounding strap-shaped ray florets.

CC image by Leslie Seaton.

Pineappleweed isn't a native to the UK but has been spreading across the country since it allegedly made a break from Kew Gardens in the 1870s.

So that's seven Asteraceae that are still around and easily collectable. If you're lucky and quick you might find some more from the family. You might find Mugwort, Dandelion, a Cat's-Ear, Tansy,  Perennial or Smooth Sow-thistle around at the moment perhaps. I saw some of these from the car, and also a late Ox-eye daisy. And appearing early in the spring will be Winter Heliotrope, Butterbur and Colt's-foot. That's seventeen hopefuls and there may be others. (*This weekend, the 6th Nov, I saw a lone flower of Creeping thistle, which seems very late but shows things are still about if you look).

If you are collecting this group, try to get specimens that have flowers and aren't too miserable-looking. You'll want to collect the stem down to the ground as lower leaves can be a different shape to upper ones. Make sure you press them as soon as possible after finding them. There's more information here, but the most minimalist approach is between newspaper under a big pile of books. Then they'll dry out beautifully and will keep until hand-in.