Our woods are full of these clusters of glistening red berries at the moment. They really stand out against the lush green of the moss and nettles.
The plant is wild arum, also known as cuckoo-pint or lords-and-ladies. They're very toxic and apparently one of the commonest causes of accidental plant poisonings reported at A and E departments in the UK. I suppose the fact that they grow on stems only about 6 to 12 inches high, as well as their shiny red colour, makes them more likely to be picked by small children.
Oh this is a lovely shot! Wonderfully low to get in the mossy background. We have these in the garden and really brighten a dark corner. Like the bulging sheath (am I allowed to say that??) with its papery detail.
Great pic of then - I keep finding slightly mutated looking versions - these are beauties. It does seem to be a good year for them - we've got some in our garden - odd as I assumed they liked damp!
We used to live close to a wood when we were children and we used to play there and I remember my dad saying how dangerous they are and how we were not to touch them. This is a wonderful shot. fav'd
