Exciting reappearance.

Botanical joy. This is Adder's-tongue. ( Ophioglossum vulgatum).

It is a scarce fern of old unimproved grassland. It grows as an oval leaf encasing a tongue-like spike which carries the spore-cases. In centuries past it was believed to be a cure for snake bites.

It can exist underground for a number of years without sending up a leaf.

It has been largely absent for several years in a field in one of our local nature reserves where it has been known to grow in the past.

Yesterday we received a report that it had reappeared.
So this morning, with friends who are staying with us, we were out there full of hope.

To Mrs. K's joy there were hundreds, nay probably a thousand all over the field. What triggers this sudden bursting into life no-one knows. But it was good to see. There are still many things about nature which we do not understand.