COMMON RESTHARROW

Ononis repens

Pea Family [Fabaceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8bicolour
 
flower
flower8mauve flower8purple
 
inner
inner8white
 
morph
morph8zygo
 
petals
petalsZ5
 
stem
stem8round
 
smell
smell8billygoat
goaty
sex
sexZbisexual
 

18th June 2019, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
This patch growing on the side of a wooden fence holding the sand dunes behind at bay as best as possible, although a lot of sand escapes onto the road or is blown by the wind on hot dry days into the road. The photo includes extraneous flowers, two differing Asteraceae interlopers.


18th June 2019, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Hang on there.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Whereas this patch is growing flat on the sand. Flowers more pink than the redder Spiny Restharrow.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Grows in limy grassland or in sand dunes.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
From above, the banner, which is uppermost and curved back over, is the largest petal. Two white wings project forwards, partially surrounding the curved keel which has a reddish tip. Sand grains adhere to the sticky hairs.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The leaves are small and well toothed.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Clusters of narrower leaves crowd at the ends of branches as well as prominent toothed and leaf-like stipules which clasp the stem.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Un-opened flower with four tapered sepals. The hairs have sticky blobs on the ends.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Long white stamens bearing small anthers curve upwards from the centre of the flower.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The narrow keel is curved and tapers to a darker shade of pink near the tip. Sand grains adhere to the sticky hairs.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Leaves almost hidden by grains of sand stuck to the hairs. The banner has redder narrow stripes.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Yellow anthers on the ends of stamens.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Leaves wider than Spiny Restharrow and spines usually absent, but if present they are soft and flexible un-like the sharp ones present on Spiny Restharrow.


14th June 2011, Birkdale dunes, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Un-like Spiny Restharrow where the stems have two rows of hairs, Common Restharrow has stems are hairy all around.


18th June 2019, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Longish glandular hairs on upper surface of leaves.


18th June 2019, Ainsdale, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
The leaves are much hairier (but with much shorter hairs) on the obverse side but they do not seem to have glands at the tips. The stubby hairs seem to avoid the veins. The leaf teeth are blunt.


Easily mis-identified as : Spiny Restharrow but that is far less ubiquitous than is Common Restharrow and has hard sharp spines, whereas Common Restharrow doesn't usually have any, but when it does, they are soft and pliable. Spiny Restharrow has slightly redder flowers; stems with hairs in two rows rather than all way around; leaves that are narrower; is usually erect rather than creeping or rooting.

Hybridizes with : Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa) to produce Ononis × pseudohircina, but there are so few places left in the UK where the hybrid is now found that the reader is highly unlikely to come across it. It does not inhabit the Sefton Coastline where these photos were taken.

There is also a sub-species Ononis spinosa ssp. maritima but that is now only found in one, perhaps two, hectads in the UK, that are nowhere near the Sefton Coastline.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics : Restharrows are easily recognised, but not so easily distinguished between themselves.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Common Blue



  Ononis repens  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Fabaceae  

Distribution
 family8Pea family8Fabaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Ononis
Ononis
(Restharrows)

COMMON RESTHARROW

Ononis repens

Pea Family [Fabaceae]

WildFlowerFinder Homepage