Butterbur

Google Images had no trouble with this curious flower, spotted the other day on the banks of the stream running down Longmead Road. Butterbur, or Petasites hybridus, to be found at reference 1.

While this rather different snap of lots of them, in a mossy corner somewhere near Manchester, has been lifted from reference 2. But there is hope yet, with the archive revealing that way back in 2011 I had come across a clump of them. See reference 3. Not sure about the creamy white business, which needs to be looked into.

According to Bentham & Hooker, a member of the vey small coltsfoot genus (Tussilago), a genus in the very large composite family (Compositae). But according to Wikipedia, taxonomic things may have moved on, with the asters (Asteraceae) having now been promoted to being the relevant family.

See also references 3 and 4. Bad in that the name of this striking flower had completely vanished from memory, despite these various sightings, but good in that my vague memory that it was FIL who solved the puzzle in the first place was correct. Well before Google Images reached our household.

From the same excursion, some white blossom along the same stream. Real estate agent's shot, managing to lose the industrial estate left, the road and the school right.

And some weeping willow, more or less in leaf.

Lots of catkins too, more or less the same colour as the leaves. But zoom does not seem to cut it and I guess I have to do a proper close-up for them to be visible.

References

Reference 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites_hybridus.

Reference 2: https://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/B/Butterbur/Butterbur.htm.

Reference 3: https://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/2011/04/signs-of-spring.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/03/butterburs.html.

Reference 5: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/04/butterbur.html.