NEN Gallery

The flowers of the bluebell are now beginning to die off. This plant covers woodland floors in the springtime, although it has been much reduced in areas by people digging up the bulbs or trampling on the plants. Its sepals and petals are similar and form long tube shaped flowers. The blooms always hang to one side. The blossoms are not always blue and can be white. The flower stems are surrounded by long leaves arranged in a star shape. Its fruit capsule splits into 3 segments when ripe releasing black seeds. Its bulbs were once used to make glue and the plant was also used to produce starch for stiffening clothes in Tudor times. Picture taken at near Old Warden, Bedfordshire - May 14th 2006.