Flora & Fauna

Spring is definitely sprung, these hazel catkins or “Lamb’s tails” were spotted this week on Slieve Gullion.

These, are the male flowers of the hazel, the female flowers are almost inconspicuous and could be easily mistaken for buds, but on closer examination you can see the crimson stigmas which protrude to receive the pollen from the male catkins as they are blown by the wind. The flowers when thus fertilised, develop into the familiar nuts you see in Autumn.

The hazel has its place in folklore, as it was believed that hazelnuts gave one wisdom and inspiration and one story relates to Fionn Mac Cumhail.

The story goes that nine hazel trees grew around a sacred pool and dropped nine nuts into the water. These were then eaten by a salmon, who it was believed absorbed the knowledge and wisdom. The poet Finn Eces spent seven years fishing for this particular salmon and when one day he finally caught it, he gave it to his servant, the young Fionn to cook, with strict instructions not to eat it. During the cooking process Fionn burnt his thumb, which he then put into his mouth to cool. Thus Fionn absorbed the wisdom and knowledge allowing him to become the leader of the Fianna and one of the most renowned heroes of Irish mythology!

This picture was taken last Sunday on our walk on Shean Mountain. It appears to be a Bracket Fungi which feed on wood, either living trees or dead logs, the brackets are the fruiting bodies.  These form shelf-like structures singly or in groups and normally stick out from the trunk or branches though some can develop from infected roots and appear at ground level.

There are many different species of bracket fungi and they can vary in size from a few cms to a giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus) which can reach 1m across. Some species are specific to a particular host, ash and beech trees are both very susceptible to specific bracket fungi. Some of the other more interesting specimens include the gruesome “beefsteak” fungus that looks like raw meat and produces red juice when cut and the more attractive “chicken of the woods” which is bright yellow and a gourmet delicacy.

(But don’t take my word for it!!!)

Bracket fungus causes severe damage to trees. The first external symptom of infection, (often the appearance of the bracket fruiting bodies on the trunk or main branches), may be preceded by visible crown thinning and die back. By the time the bracket appears there will already be extensive internal heartwood decay. Decay usually leads to weakening and eventual breakage or wind fall of the tree.

Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials commonly called foxgloves. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent phylogenetic research has placed it in the much enlarged familyPlantaginaceae.^[1] This genus is native to western and southwestern Europe,^[4] western and central Asia, Australasia and northwestern Africa. The scientific name means “finger-like” and refers to the ease with which a flower of Digitalis purpurea can be fitted over a human fingertip. The flowers are produced on a tall spike, are tubular, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. The best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. This biennial plant is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers which range in colour from various purple tints through various shades of light gray, and to purely white. The flowers can also possess various marks and spottings.

The first year of growth of the common foxglove produces only the stem with its long, basal leaves. During the second year of the plant’s life, a long, leafy stem from 50 to 255 centimeters tall grows atop the roots of healthy plants.

The larvae of the moth the “foxglove pug” consume the flowers of the common foxglove for food. Other species of Lepidoptera eat the leaves, includinglesser yellow underwing.

The term digitalis is also used for drug preparations that contain cardiac glycosides, particularly one called digoxin, extracted from various plants of this genus.