Long Mead Farm and Local Wildlife Site
  Long Mead County Wildlife Site
  • Long Mead
    • The Farm
    • Our Habitats >
      • The hay meadow
      • The orchard >
        • Find the stories of the orchard trees
      • The river and reed bed
      • The fuel copse
    • Our plants
    • Collaborations
    • Long Mead Foundation
  • THAMES VALLEY WILDFLOWER MEADOW RESTORATION PROJECT
    • Meadow Restoration: step by step
  • Research
    • Soil Carbon
    • Invertebrate Diversity
    • Botanical Surveys
    • Wildlife surveys >
      • Enter records
      • Map of Records
  • Outreach
    • Care Farming
    • NATURE RECOVERY NETWORK
    • Schools >
      • Schools Nature Recovery Network
      • School Visits
      • Teacher's resources >
        • Long Mead and the National Curriculum
        • Long Mead and History >
          • Famous Eynsham Apple Growers
          • Water meadows in history
          • Long Mead and River Thames before Tudor times
          • Swinford Toll Bridge and highwaymen: Tom, Dick and Harry
          • The Thames at Long Mead in literature
          • Risk Assessment of Long Mead
          • The Countryside Code
    • Worshops/Training >
      • Meadow Restoration
      • Teachers Workshops
      • Hedge-laying
      • Community Meadows
      • Art and Science

Bristly oxtongue

Latin name: Picris echioides
Family: Asteraceae
Other common names; Langley beef
Flowering time: June to November
Height: to 1m
Growing conditions: clay soils
Nectar source for: many butterflies and moths
Food source for: many invertebrates

Description
An annual or biennial plant. As its name suggests, it is a plant whose leaves are covered in swollen, blister-like spots. From each blister a little hairy hook emerges, which makes it as rough as ‘an ox’s tongue’. 
​​
How to identify: The leaf has long narrow oblong shaped leaves. Each lead has many whitish swollen pimples which are rough and bristly to touch. The plant produces clusters of flowers which can be up to 25mm in diameter. It has a deep taproot. 
How to propagate: Propagate by seed.

Contact; Catriona Bass                               

EMAIL LONGMEAD.COUNTYWILDLIFESITE@GMAIL.COM

LONG MEAD FOUNDATION (Charity number 1196294): Email longmeadfoundation@gmail.com
​