Cuckoo Flower

The specific name pratensis is latin for meadow.

Cuckoo flower.

It is part of the brassicaceae family and is native throughout most of europe and western asia. The scheme has started by growing lowland meadow species such as the devil s bit scabious cuckoo flower green field speedwell and harebell at temporary seed production beds in the walled nursery at the millennium seed bank s wakehurst place west sussex. Cardamine pratensis cuckoo flower lady s smock meadow cress bitter cress bittercress any of various herbs of the genus cardamine having usually pinnate leaves and racemes of white pink or purple flowers. 2003 2012 princeton university farlex inc.

The flowers droop and close at night or during heavy rain. Cosmopolitan except antarctic based on wordnet 3 0 farlex clipart collection. The single lilac pink flowers are softly coloured and dainty clustered at the top of compact plants 20cm 8in. The flowers are usually veined with darker violet but in some areas pure white forms can be found.

Often known as lady s smock the pretty lilac flowers open around the time the cuckoo starts to call. Pratensis is a perennial to 40cm forming a basal rosette of pinnate leaves with rounded leaflets with erect leafy stems bearing short open racemes of 4 petalled pale pink or white flowers 1 5cm across in late spring. Cuckooflower also commonly known as lady s smock is a pretty springtime perennial of damp grassy places like wet meadows ditches and riverbanks as well as roadside verges. Kew launches native flowers project to restore vanishing habitats.

A beautiful crown of very pail pink purple or sometimes white cruciforme flowers four petals in a cross shape growing in a ring at the top of the flower stem. The cuckoo flower sometimes spelt cuckooflower can be found in moist or wet habitats including meadows damp grasslands roadsides ditches and river banks. April to june a charming well behaved and informal wildflower. It is an important food plant for the caterpillars of the orange tip and the green veined white butterfly.

From wikipedia the free encyclopedia cardamine pratensis the cuckoo flower lady s smock mayflower or milkmaids is a flowering plant in the family brassicaceae native throughout most of europe and western asia.