Promoting & Enhancing The Natural Beauty of the Sid Valley
In 2013-14 Devon Wildlife Trust carried out a survey of the river Sid and its tributaries. This report had two purposes. i) To provide a detailed account of actions made possible by a grant from the Keith Owen Fund(SVA) between April 2013 and MarchRead More
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Botanical name…Heracleum sphondylium “Heracleum” origin unknown. Could be from Hercules, the hero of classic mythology known for his strength. “sphondylium” from Greek “spondylos”, meaning vertebrae, referring to shape of segmented stem. “Hogweed” is a BritishRead More
Leave a comment Meadowsweet Botanical name…Filipendula ulmaria Filium “thread”. Pendulus “hanging”. Refers to root tubers hanging off fibrous roots. Ulmaria “elmlike”, referring to the leaves which resemble “Elm” (ulmus) Old Botanical name…Spiraea ulmaria. (see later!) “Meadowsweet” is a member of the rose family, and growsRead More
Leave a comment Lady’s Smock Botanical name Cardamine pratensis Cardamine from Greek “kardamine” for “water cress”. “Karda” is Greek for “heart” (cf “carda”), and “damao” is Greek for “strengthen”. “pratensis” from Latin meaning “meadow”. It is part of the large genus “Brassica”, which makes it a relativeRead More
Leave a comment The Whirligig Beetle Family Gyrinidae The Lower Knapp pond has a good variety of life beneath the surface, but one the jewels can be seen on the surface. Formula one dodgem cars can be spotted on a sunny Spring day, like diamonds moving erraticallyRead More
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