Despite being described variously as ‘ugly, boring, impossible to eradicate and even more impossible to identify’, this family of archetypal ‘weeds’ cannot be ignored. And, with a little time and effort, you will soon find, as with all flowers, that they are by no means ugly or boring. In many ways some of them are architecturally exquisite and all are intriguing. They may be difficult to eradicate but many of them are not as difficult to identify as one first fears. Some are, however, and hence this day school.
Just a little focussed time studying these apparently dull weeds will open up a whole new fascinating and rewarding area of field botany. We shall focus first on the features that distinguish all the varied genera in the family and learn what it is that holds them together. Then working through keys we shall learn to interpret the significance of the subtle features that help us to identify the species. Plenty of specimens will be provided but please bring any from home that may have been puzzling you.