Robin Walls enquires about the name tailors’ needles, which occurs in Lolly Willowes, a novel by Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978):

‘She mentioned several plants throughout the novel, and I got the impression she actually did know wild flowers.  The relevant passage is  ‘‘… the hillside is scattered over with patches of that small honey-scented called Tailors’ Needles, and in conjunction with the austere outlines of the landscape this perfume was exquisitely sweet and surprising.  She found a little green pit and sat down in it, leaning her back against the short firm turf”.   This event takes place in the Chilterns, presumably in chalk downland, so not likely to be to be shepherd’s needle [Scandix pecten- veneris], which I don’t expect to smell.  It may be a local name for something there, or in Dorset, where she lived at least for the latter part of her life.  Any ideas?’

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