Country diary: the killer role of pollen in the hawkweed ’s life cycle

Ketton Quarry, Rutland:Pliny the Elder believed that hawks sprinkled sap from hawkweeds into their eyes. But the plant ’s true hawkish behaviour was only recently discoveredOld limestone quarries are fantastic places for nature, and here at Kettonthe Wildlife Trust reserve fills the space left by stone extracted in the 1930s. Next door there is light industry, on what would have been the quarry floor, and then beyond that the vast modern excavations and tall cement works that dominate the landscape.Related:Berries festoon the quarry reserveContinue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Plants Wild flowers Environment Birds Wildlife Animals Autumn Fossils Evolution Biology Science Source Type: news