The tutor shares another field find.

I first noticed the name “sleepy catchfly” in the guide a few weeks back. It’s one of the write-ups without a picture, just a few drawings. I didn’t plan to look for it.

Walking back from dropping off the car yesterday, I noticed a pink-flowered plant growing on the margin of a field. The flowers are small, maybe 1cm across. The leaves are lance-shaped and cling to the stem in pairs. Whether they are opposite, or just offset a little bit (so alternate) is difficult to decide, but they are stalkless.

I didn’t have time to consult the guide until late last night, when I discovered my memory of the plant insufficient to make an ID. I resolved, this morning, to revisit the plant and so realize more telling, specific information about it.

Touching the plant’s stem, I felt it was sticky. Looking closer, I noticed a glandular band around it, darker in color. This, I thought, would be a telling feature.

Returning home, I researched the guide, soon ruling out the candidates from last night. Passing over the sleepy catchfly listing, I noticed, in bold type, glandular bands. One of the drawings even shows the idea.

The general description of sleepy catchfly seems to match the plant at the field edge.

I’ll be sharing more plant finds in future posts:)

Source:

Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver:
  BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.