Enchanter's-nightshade - Circaea lutetiana
Short to medium somewhat hairy plant with long slender stolons. Leaves opposite. Flowers white or pinkish, small, 4 to 7 mm in lax racemes with open flowers well spaced.
Woodland and various other shaded habitats.
June to September.
Perennial.
Widespread in Britain except for the north of Scotland.
Quite frequent in shady places in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 246 of the 617 tetrads.
David Nicholls
Martinshaw Wood
27 June 2009
David Gould
Braunstone, Wood Close Plantation
28 June 2020 Freeholt Wood Sapcote SP 4605 9411 (6.9.2007).JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
06 September 2007
Lostash
Swithland Woods
27 September 2012
David Nicholls
Cloud Wood
24 June 2011
Graham Calow
Burbage, Elmesthorpe Plantation
04 September 2019
seeds
David Gould
Narborough Bog
11 August 2017
AJ Cann
Cloud Wood
21 July 2015
 Freeholt Wood Sapcote SP 4605 9411 (6.9.2007).JPG)
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Species profile
- Common names
- Common Enchanter's Nightshade, Enchanter's-nightshade
- Species group:
- flowering plant
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Myrtales
- Family:
- Onagraceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 208
- First record:
- 11/05/1992 (John Mousley;Steve Grover)
- Last record:
- 30/07/2025 (Smith, Peter)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
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Latest images
Latest records
. Sharnford Road Sapcote SP 4912 9314 (taken 4.7.2007)..JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
04 July 2007
Graham Calow
Burbage Wood
16 August 2015
Graham Calow
Dunton Bassett Quarry
16 July 2015
jcolaco
Great Merrible Wood
02 July 2025
Ron.stevens
Burbage Common and Woods
10 August 2011
David Nicholls
Cloud Wood
24 June 2011
David Nicholls
Cloud Wood
24 June 2011
David Nicholls
Ulverscroft
14 July 2011
David Nicholls
Swithland Wood
25 August 2011
Craig Mabbett
Dunton Bassett Quarry
16 July 2015
David Nicholls
Cloud Wood
07 July 2012
Graham Calow
Burbage Common and Woods
20 June 2014
. Sharnford Road Sapcote SP 4912 9314 (taken 4.7.2007)..JPG)
Mompha langiella
The larva of the moth Mompha langiella mines the leaves of Enchanter's-nightshade and Great Willowherb, initially in a gallery and then a blotch. The blotch mines are transparent and white initially, with irregular clumps of frass. The larva is pale with dark head and pronotal mark
Puccinia circaeae
The rust fungus Puccinia circaeae galls the leaves of Enchanter's-nightshade. The stems and lower surfaces of leaves have raised areas. Only telia are present.