Common Whitlowgrass - Erophila verna

Description

Very variable, low, slightly hairy plant, sometimes overwintering; stems leafless. Leaves lanceolate to elliptical, toothed in a basal rosette, and covered in sparse, often bifurcated, hairs. Flowers white, 3 to 5 mm, the petals deeply cleft. Fruit narrow, elliptical.

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)

V small plant, basal leaf-rosette, hairy, petiole shorter than or equal to leaf blades

Recording advice

Photo of whole plant showing leaves

Habitat

Stony places, pathways, sandy ground.

When to see it

March to May.

Life History

Annual.

UK Status

Common throughout most of Britain but seems to be scarcer in the south west.

VC55 Status

Common but under recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland.

In the current Checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Native, locally frequent.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Common Whitlowgrass
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Brassicales
Family:
Brassicaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
179
First record:
27/03/2006 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
17/04/2024 (Smith, Peter)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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