The Platt was not only going to be about birds and trees as we wanted to discover what else was growing and living there. It is easy to pass over the smaller things but we paid attention to what was next to our feet. There was a small ground hugging silver leafed plant we noticed. We checked it out to discover it was Marsh Cudweed - Gnaphalium Uliginosum. Not a plant that shows itself off but one with distinct features and one that has attracted the attention of herbalists for its properties. It is little used now although it seems every thing has a value.
This is information I gleaned.
“Marsh Cudweed is a low-growing perennial plant that typically grows to a height of 10 to 40 cm. It has a dense rosette of green, oval-shaped leaves that are covered in fine hairs. In the summer, Marsh Cudweed produces clusters of tiny white or yellow flowers that sit on top of long, thin stems. The flowers are a favorite of many pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and flies.
In our photo the little brown buttons seem to be the result of the flowers. The cluster of flowers we will look out for next summer.
More information is as follows.
Fruit:
A tiny achene with a white, hairy pappus.
Leaves:
Greyish or silvery-green, alternate, short-stalked, lanceolate leaves. Cottony in appearance. Leaves have entire margins.
Other Names:
Brown Cudweed, Cotton Weed, Low Cudweed, March Everlasting, Marsh Cottonweed, Mouse-ear, Mud Cudweed, Petty Cotton.
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