Ploughman's-spikenard
Ploughman's-spikenard, Isle of
Portland, Dorset
Cluster of flowerheads
Close-up of flowerheads - green bracts
Flowerheads with purple bracts
Close-up of florets and recurved bracts
Leaves and red stem
Downy stems
Inula conyzae
Fleawort
Asteraceae
July to September
It is found throughout the country, but is patchy in the
Southwest, the Southeast, East Anglia and the Midlands
and is absent from large parts of the North.
See the BSBI distribution map for Ploughman's-spikenard
It grows on chalk or limestone in open scrub-woodland, dry
grassland, quarries, rocky slopes and cliffs, colonised
dunes, road-sides and rough ground.
Ploughman's-spikenard is a native biennial or perennial,
downy herb, growing up to 1.3m.
Flowers are up to 11mm, dull yellow and in loose clusters.
There are no ray florets.
Inner bracts are lanceolate and green and the outer bracts
are purple and recurved, although this seems variable.
Lower leaves are stalked and form Foxglove-like rosettes,
which overwinter.
Upper leaves are lanceolate to elliptical, sessile and
downy underneath.
Stems are downy, reddish and either unbranched or
slightly branched.
In medieval times spikenard was an expensive perfume.
Ploughmen are thought to have hung up Ploughman’s-
spikenard to sweeten the air of their dwellings.
Spikenard or nard is a perfume used in incense and
comes from a range of plants - see Wikipedia Spikenard).
Previous page: Parsley Water-Dropwort
Next page: Portland Sea-lavender
Ploughman's-spikenard, Isle of
Portland, Dorset
Cluster of flowerheads
Close-up of flowerheads - green bracts
Flowerheads with purple bracts
Close-up of florets and recurved bracts
Leaves and red stem
Downy stems
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