Lesser centaury

I spent all day at Ring Haw, helping out with the Wildlife Trust's family day. I was leading two guided wildflower walks - both undertaken in fairly sweltering conditions. The flowers were looking wonderful, but the highlight for many participants was a large population of lesser centaury. This is a rather local annual species that thrives in compacted ground. Historically, populations were often located on trampled woodland rides, but now the largest populations can be found in brownfield sites, particularly brickpits and limestone quarries, where it grows along the edges of vehicle access routs. This photograph was taken rather hurriedly while on the walk - the whole flower is only a couple of centimetres tall so it's not the easiest of subjects. It can be distinguished from common centaury by the much smaller flowers, which are a deeper and more vibrant shade of pink.