Sam Braine

Ecologist | Plants & Reptiles | FISC Lvl. 4

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

Bristol rock-cress (Arabis scabra) flowering today in the Avon Gorge! This very rare plant is endemic to the limestone rocks in the gorge, growing nowhere else in the UK. I counted 5 flowering plants and, promisingly, 18 rosettes new this year! #wildflowerhour #Bristol

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@liam_agilis Amazing. Thanks, Liam. I’ll check them both out before the season’s over

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@liam_agilis Hey Liam. Where in Bristol are they?

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@avonorchids Hey @avonorchids. Would you be able to DM a location for these? I’m yet to see my first lizard orchid and this would be amazing as a local to the area

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@UKinNZ Hi @UKinNZ and @LauraClarkeUK
We are stuck in the South Island trying to return to the UK ASAP. We have had multiple flights cancelled and cannot get through to the consulate in NZ, having tried for days now. There is no communication or clarity. Please assist.

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@liam_agilis @ARC_Bytes @SurreyWT 😁

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

Autumn lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) from Three Cliffs Bay on the beautiful Gower Peninsula today. My favourite latin name because it seems to perfectly describe the plant- Lady's spiral. An awesome treat after a weekend of sun and surfing #wildflowerhour

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@MarcHeathym007 @BDSdragonflies @Britnatureguide @NatureUK @britwildlife @KentWildlife @BBCSpringwatch @insectweek @WildlifeMag @bugboybaker @nethergongcampi @UKWildlifeBlogs Thanks Marc! You’re so right. I’ve had to embrace my inner ninja to get any shots of dragonflies and butterflies

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@KateGold24 No problem :)

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@nervousbotanist @BSBIbotany @wildflower_hour @Britnatureguide @NatureUK Yeah, really Poppytastic- four species in two fields :)

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

Delicate poppies in Hampshire this week. Prickly poppy (Photos 1 & 2), Long-headed poppy (3) and rough poppy (4) #arableplants #wildflowerhour

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

Fantastic fluellens in Hampshire! Sharp-leaved fluellen (Kickxia elatine) with its hastate leaves (Photo 2) and round-leaved fluellen (K. spuria) with its round, hairy leaves (Photo 4) are always cool to see #arableplants #wildflowerhour

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

The beautiful Venus's-looking-glass (Legousia hybrida) from a field margin in Hampshire this week. #arableplants #wildflowerhour

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@squinancywort1 @BSBIbotany Great photos, Phil. Good to see some Poaceae love, @drmgoeswild would appreciate this.

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@sneezysnooze Germander can be quite variable. It’s as much a process of elimination as matching characters. Seeing the leaves in your photo, it could only be wood/ Germander and the flower shape/ veins don’t match wood. Wood flowers look top heavy and more rounded to me.

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

Splendid summer speedwells! Germander, marsh, wood and thyme-leaved speedwells this week. Speedwells are beautifully modest and way too underrated, not like those show-off orchids 😋 So, I always like to show them some love #wildflowerhour #orchidchallenge

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@wildflower_hour Haha only love for both of them 😊

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@drmgoeswild @annapollard50 @BSBIbotany @wildflower_hour @Britnatureguide @NatureUK @thenewgalaxy My 4th image @drmgoeswild, 3rd is Marsh speedwell 😊

[Sam Braine @EcoBraine]

@annapollard50 @BSBIbotany @wildflower_hour @Britnatureguide @NatureUK @drmgoeswild @thenewgalaxy That’ll be thyme-leaved speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia), it loves growing in short grass. If get a close look, check out the blue anthers and pink stigma :)