psmv5: Nil trolley

Started proceedings yesterday by checking the tulip tree - Liriodendron tulipifera - on West Hill, to find that a lot more flowers are visible than there were ten days ago, for which see reference 1.

Three sepals, six petals and lots of stamens. Zomlefer talks at reference 3 of whorls of sepals and petals but spirals of stamens (male, outer) and carpels (female, inner). So given that this is an old lineage, spirals have been around for a long time.

Extruded plastic for the planters at the top of Station Approach - which would have looked a lot better had they taken a bit more trouble with the corners.

The stuff gets everywhere these days - even Wisley, for which see reference 4.

While the hedgerow mustard, noticed at reference 5, seems to be everywhere at the moment. This fine specimen in East Street.

I remember using the ears of the grass left as projectiles when I was en-route to and from my primary school in Girton. They stick very well to the sort of clothes that one wore at that time. As I recall, we called it barley grass.

While what I took to be scale leaves, are actually what is left of the flower stalks as the flowers climb up the growing stem. I thought I detected swelling of seeds in at least some of them.

Not so sure now. Although inspection of the flower stem I brought home, using the telephone as a magifying glass, does indeed turn up what appear to be some swelling stalks. Much better than my magnifying glass.

I dare say the stalks are arranged in a helix up the stem, but I had trouble seeing one this evening.

Four petals and four stamens?

Zomlefer reminds me that the Brassicaceae - the mustard family (including Brussels sprouts) - are sometimes called the Cruciferae, for the cross exhibited by many of the four-petalled flowers.

Turning into Ewell Village, a stray contraption from BT, I think for lifting inspection covers and such like. Much heavier than it looks, much to add to my collection of such stuff at home.