Bluebells

[Jim Lloyd]

I saw some white and blue bluebells growing on a roadside verge and thought it would be interesting to compare the UV signature.

 

"The native Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and introduced Spanish bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica both occur in the wild as well as Hybrid bluebell (Hyacinthoides x massartiana). This is British-Spanish hybrid between H. non-scripta and H. hispanica bluebells. It was first recorded in the wild in the UK in 1963. Native bluebells share many of the same characteristics as hybrid bluebells so it may be tricky to tell them apart."

 

"Our native bluebells may be under threat because they cross breed with non-native bluebells. The hardy and vigorous hybrids spread quickly, out-competing our native bluebells and diluting their gene pool. (Reference: Woodland Trust)."

 

Looking at the information on the Woodland Trust website I think my examples are probably hybrids, although it is difficult to be sure. Both my examples have a strong sweet scent

 

It is interesting that my examples look indistinguishable in reflected UV and very different from the example shown by Bjorn here (h. non-scripta) I photographed these in the evening with some cloud, indoors on a windowsill. I took one image with a dandelion as I was wondering if there was some technical issue. This gave the typical signal and me some reassurance

 

Maybe the UV signature gives a way of telling if the example is pure native or hybrid?

 

 

Visible Light: Full spectrum converted Nikon D3200, Photax35 mm f/3.5 preset lens, sunlight, ASA 200 1/20 s, BG40 2mm filter.

Ultraviolet Light: Full spectrum converted Nikon D3200, Photax35 mm f/3.5 preset lens, sunlight, ASA 400 20 s, BG40 2mm + UG1 2mm filters.

 

Visible - "blue bluebell"

 

UV "blue bluebell"

 

 

Visible "White bluebell"

 

UV "White bluebell"

 

Visible - both blubells

 

UV - both bluebells

 

Visible bluebells with dandelion as quality control object

 

UV of above

[Andrea B.]

Hmmm.....well the question is: which one of us has photographed an actual H. nonscripta? Because my photo of this flower, made in Scotland, differs from both yours and his. :o

 

Here is my Visible version photographed at Loch Tay Lodge near Killin, Scotland. I have it labeled as H. nonscripta, but will investigate further. Yours and Bjørn's look like Spanish Bluebells, but I'm quite willing to be wrong !!!

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Well the Scots call swedes turnips, so who knows! - see here

[Andrea B.]

Is that what a swede is? A turnip? Oh my!! Bjørn and Ruth made that vegetable for dinner once when I was staying with them in Norway. It didn't look like anything I'd ever seen so I asked the name of it. They were'nt quite sure what the English name was but came up with "swede".

 

Here is a Scottish bluebell reference which is not a Campanula: https://scottishwild...ecies/bluebell/

 

And another: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyacinthoides_non-scripta

[Jim Lloyd]

Hi Andrea - Yes I think yours are the true native ones, Bjorn's are Spanish and mine are hybrids. See https://www.plantlif...anish-bluebells for a comparison. The pure Spanish ones have no scent, whereas my examples have the strong sweet typical bluebell smell.

 

Swedes are big - purple on outside - yellow inside . Turnips are small and white. The Scots eat mashed swedes with haggis on Burns night, but call it bashed neeps

[Andrea B.]

oh Neeps! I remember having that in Killin. Didn't really know what it was. But the veg we had in Norway was big and white. Maybe a rutabaga?

 

 

*****

 

So funny about the Bluebells we all found!! I will study further on them. Thanks for the additional link.

 

Quite interesting that the UV signature of yours versus Bjørn's is different. Yours has UV-dark anthers and Bjørn's has UV-bright anthers.

[Jim Lloyd]

Photographed some blue bells in-situ today - pretty sure these are H. nonscripta . Mystery as to why UV signature is different to that shown by Bjorn?

 

Outside : Full sun mid morning.

Nikkor EL 80 mm f/5.6 lens (New version) Nikon d3200 converted

UV: at f/8 iso 800 1/2 sec. UG1 2mm+BG40 2mm.

Visible BG40 2mm, iso 100, f/8. 1/00 sec.

 

 

[nfoto]

Actually the last example is nearly identical to some of my captures. Don't be mislead by the overall colour rendition, after all they are patently false. I might have preferred a rendition in the yellows in the earlier days whereas now the blue is more 'natural'. Clearly the RAW conversion software is an important factor to consider. Photo Ninja used by me since 2011 or so produces a colour palette that is more consistent across species and cameras.

[Cadmium]

Jim, I like the 'quality control' dandelion, great idea. :)

[nfoto]

I ran my specimens through the ID Key of Flora Europea (Vol.5:43) and my plant keys out as H. non-scripta.

[Andrea B.]

.

.

.

Thank you, Bjørn !!!!!

 

 

************************

 

It seems the anther color is a helpful guide for the amateur botanist and those of us without a Hyacinthoides key. :D

 

H. hispanica = blue

H. non-scripta = cream

 

^{But this pesky cross might confuse.}

H. x massartiana = blue BUT may be cream in the white or pink versions of the flower.

 

Best Bluebell reference from BSBI. Click on this link and then click on Hyacinthoides for a pdf. I am attaching it also below in JPG format.

https://bsbi.org/identification

 

Other Bluebell references, some based on the preceding BSBI Crib.

(And I think I have repeated one of Jim's links here.)

http://www.thewildfl...may_article.htm

http://www.cumbriabo...-for/bluebells/

http://sppaccounts.b...assartiana.html

http://www.woodlandt...ative-bluebell/

http://www.plantlife...anish-bluebells

https://granthamecol...nish-bluebells/

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Thank you Bjørn and Andrea. As ever extremely knowledgable, helpful and generous with your time ! I am learning so much here !

 

A lot to think about.