Poterium sanguisorba ssp sanguisorba Salad Burnet C DD N
As the name suggests this plant was used in salads at one time as well as being used as a styptic in dressing wounds. It is often found on rocky habitats and most often on limestone or alkaline soils but really has no pH preference. It does however like the full sun. The leaves together with the spherical flowers (old name: Red Knob) make it easy to identify. The florets at the top of the spherical flower head are female while those at the bottom with the dangling anthers, are male.
Poterium sanguisorba ssp sanguisorba is very common in England, reasonably common in Wales but records diminish quite quickly as you north - it almost stops at the English-Scottish border with just a few records from south eastern Scotland. In Ireland it is uncommon but dotted here and there.
Until recently this plant was known as Sanguisorba minor ssp minor but there was change in Edition 3 (2010) of New Flora of the British Isles by Clive Stace which is the text to which this site refers for guidance on taxonomy.
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LHS: Great Orme. North Wales 27th May 2006 RHS: The Gully, Clifton Down, near Bristol 8th April 2011
Added on 22nd November 2005, updated 28th January 2012