Inula conyzae Ploughman's-spikenard

A hairy, upright, winter-green, stiff-stemmed perennial, sometimes more than 50cm tall, with unstalked, toothed leaves on its stems. In summer, it produces lots of small yellow composite inflorescences which have very small or no rays. The larger, rather crinkly rosette leaves, which wither later in the summer, are very similar to Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) leaves (see photo). It is a moderately calcicole species which usually grows in base-rich soils, often on chalk or limestone, or on gravelly ground and occasionally in waste places in urban areas. It has a widespread, southern distribution in Britain, but is absent from much of mid Wales. It has a predominantly coastal distribution in West Glamorgan where it is fairly common along the south Gower coast and occasional in coastal areas of Neath Port Talbot, including open mosaic habitats on previously indistrialised land. It also occurs inland, occasionally at the sides of forest roads which have been dressed with calcareous gravel.

Native