Species of the Month: Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina (May 2025)

Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, also known as Townhall Clock,  is a typical flower of mature and often ancient deciduous woodland, but may also be found in riparian woodland and along hedges. In many regions it is amongst a suite of species used as ancient wooland indicators. This species is quite small and easily overlooked but does occur fairly widely in Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway. It has a wide global distribution as well being found in North America, Europe, Asia and parts of Northern Africa. It has modest green flowers and is predominantly pollinated by night flying gnats and moths. The genus name Adoxa comes from Greek and translates to ‘without praise’ in reference to its inconspicuous form and the species name comes from ‘moscato’, an Italian word in reference to the faint musky smell the plant emits. Recent DNA analysis has shown that Moschatel, which botanist have struggled to place into a family for some time, is in fact surprisingly related to Elder and Guelder-roses! It’s worth looking a bit closer to the woodland floor the next time you out to see if you can find this humble but beautiful plant.

Malcolm Haddow

SWSEIC Support Officer