WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread and frequent throughout the UK. Habitat includes: meadows, pasture, roadside verges, scrub, field margins, wasteland, gravelly / rocky seashores, saltmarshes etc. Height: Up to 40 cm. Growing habit: Annual. Flowers: June to October. Life story: Semi parasitic on the roots of grasses.

Three subspecies: 4 subspecies: ssp. vernus (scattered throughout but mainly the North) ssp. serotinus (throughout but mainly the South including Bristol) ssp. litoralis (Scotland). ssp. pumilus (no records).

ID: Odontites vernus ssp. vernus. Flowers in summer. Shortish to 25cm and stooping when young. Inhabits grassy places, arable land and waste ground. Number of branches vary between 1 to 4, sometimes none and held at <51° to the main stem. The lowest flower occurs at the 4th - 9th node. Between none to 1 pair of intercalary leaves. Calyx teeth as long as tube, Style protruding from corolla at the height of pollen-shedding season (anthesis).

Odontites vernus ssp. serotinus. Flowers in autumn. Twice as long, up to 50cm and more upright. Habitation the same as ssp. vernus, but also (as with ssp. litoralis) in maritime locations. Number of branches vary between 2 to 8, sometimes none and held at >49° to the main stem. The lowest flower occurs at the 8th - 14th node. Between 2 to 7 pairs of intercalary leaves.

Odontites vernus ssp. litoralis. It is medium rare [RR]. Flowers in autumn. [A disputed sub-species which, along with ssp. pumilus, some say does not exist]. Number of branches vary between 1 to 4, sometimes none and held at <51° to the main stem. The lowest flower occurs at the 4th - 8th node. Between none to 1 pair of intercalary leaves. Calyx teeth shorter than tube. Style shorter than upper lip of corolla at the height of pollen-shedding season (anthesis).

Odontites vernus subsp. pumilus. Highly disputed as to whether it actually exists or not.