A wild nicotiana? (south east uk)

[Moth]

Went for a walk with the family. Few miles into countryside/national park/farmland found what looks like a "wild" nicotiana (well, probably a garden escapee). Although miles from any garden.

Or maybe not a nicotiana? Thoughts?

Odd national park - its designation is a national park however since ww2 it was converted to farmland. So is both. Its not a park you'd travel to visit, although, is miles of outstanding beauty, horses, cows, corn, rape, etc

It was growing in a chalk mound (the land here is all chalk) that has been disturbed, for some unknown agricultural reason.

 

[deluxestogie]

Maybe Nicotiana alata.

Bob

 

[Moth]

Nicotiana alata

Maybe, not convinced. It didnt smell, and flower stalks were 3 or 4ft. The alata I've grown before were stout and fragrant. Also the petals and flowers were bigger.
Although nature loves variation and it's probably a garden escapee, or, a descendant of one...

 

[deluxestogie]

Then only about 70+ other Nicotiana species to check.

Bob

 

[skychaser]

Very interesting. The flowers and pods look like Jasmine, which is a N. Alata. But the leaves don't look right. They look to big and much more like a N. Tobaccum leaf. They only two Alata's I have grown are Jasmine and Affinis. Jasmine is pure white and VERY fragrant. Affinis is multi colored and less fragrant. There is another Alata whos name I can't recall (something with an L) that has a yellow/green flower, but they all have the same plant growth pattern and leaf size and shape. The stems on them can get quite long, especially if they are competing with other plants. There are probably more Alata's I don't know about. And there are some nicotiana crosses with other closely realted plants that are sold as flowers here at nurseries, but I have never grown them.

Pluck off a few pods and send them to me and I'll try growing them. lol And I see what looks like some poppy pods in the picts too. I love those wild red poppies that grow there in feilds as weeds. None of my weeds are nearly that pretty.

 

[Moth]

There was a thriving black economy in UK grown tobacco up until post ww2 although I understand that was mostly rustica.
Of course there's a romantic notion its a wild, naturalised n.tabacum, although, more likely its an n.alata of some description.

Poppies - yes, every autumn for a few brillant weeks they line the roads, hedgerows and fields. Always tinged with sadness, symbol of remembrance day / the ww2 deaths.

 

[skychaser]

This is what I have seen in nurseries.

Nicotiana × sanderae is a hybrid of the tobacco species Nicotiana alata and Nicotiana forgetiana.[1] It is the most common Nicotiana variety found and sold in the United Kingdom. Nicotiana × sanderae requires soft soil mixed with sand to thrive. The plant will grow to heights of 3 feet (0.91 m) and will give off a sweet scent in the evening, like most Nicotiana plants.[citation needed] Nicotiana × sanderae are not hardy against frost and will die if they come in contact with it. They withstand drought. Because of their size, N. × sanderae are used as a house or garden plant.

An analytical study published in 1963 concluded that N. × sanderae leaves have a low nicotine concentration and a moderately low nornicotine concentration.[1]

 

[skychaser]

Petunias are the most commonly grown flower here in the US. And they are closely related to the nicotianas. You can see it in the 5 lobed flower and the pods they make. Just a fun little fact most people don't know.

 

[skychaser]

Poppies - yes, every autumn for a few brillant weeks they line the roads, hedgerows and fields. Always tinged with sadness, symbol of remembrance day / the ww2 deaths.

I had forgotten that they were called remembrance poppies. I've seen some of the old defense bunkers that still line the coast from ww2. When night after night the coastal cities were bombed for about 6 years. And night after night people took shelter from the bombs, only to come out in the mornings to bury the dead and start picking up the pieces again. It frustrated and angered Hitler to no end because you people just wouldn't give up! And I remember the train bombings in 2005 when the terrorists were going to bring Great Britian to its knees. I had to laugh at that. Not the bombings. My wife was on a train from Norwich to Birmingham that morning. But the "bring Britain to its knees" part was funny. I guess they hadn't read any of the 2000 years of British history to know they were up against the most stubborn lot on the planet. Great Britain will never fall until someone kills the last one of you. God bless you all.

 

[deluxestogie]

I've read Simon Schama's 3 volume, History of Britain, all 6 volumes of Churchill's The Second World War. I have nothing but respect for the remarkable history and resilience of the British people.

This thread is about a wild Nicotiana. Please.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Nicotiana Suaveolens NEW

Delicate and slender, pretty white tubular blooms with a hint of blush grace long slender stalks from a base of mid-green leaves. Sweetly fragrant in the evening and early morning, nicotiana adds height and a lot of style to your borders. Grows 24-32 inches tall in full sun. Pkt. 50

summerhillseeds.com

 

[deluxestogie]

That may be it. Here is a photo that includes the leaf:

Photo: Nicotiana suaveolens start of flowering | Diffrent Genus Succulenten. album | Cok Grootscholten Succulent World .. | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

Cok Grootscholten Succulent World .. photos: Nicotiana suaveolens start of flowering

public.fotki.com

Bob

 

[Moth]

Boom. That's almost certainly it