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Common Restharrow, Ononis repens Family: Fabaceae
Common Restharrow
Ononis repens


Flowering time: June - September. Perennial

Often coastal on dunes, rough grassland, scrub and waste ground

A sprawling plant with branched, woody stems, sticky shoots and alternate leaves with 1-3 leaflets. The solitary pinkish-purple flowers grow on short stalks from the leaf axils, followed by seedpods +/- same length as calyx. Height/spread 10-50cm.

The long, tough roots made ploughing and harrowing very difficult as they would become entangled and bring horse-drawn machinery to a halt.


Common Restharrow, Ononis repens     Common Restharrow, Ononis repens
Common Restharrow, Ononis repens
The Purbecks, Dorset. June 2006

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