it is a british native [wildflower] with the local name jack go to bed but the botanical name escapes me at the moment.

Google tells me that "Jack go to bed at noon" is a native salsify, but it has yellow flowers. I don't think it's that, Seaburngirl.

thats the problems with common names Beattie :)

thats all I have ever known it as.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://gotitfirst.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/salsify.jpg&imgrefurl=http://gotitfirst.net/salsify-starts-blooming-at-the-end-of-april/516/&usg=__yoO1wljfT65uwXeyHxYV5Go1C-c=&h=599&w=429&sz=87&hl=en&start=5&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=HLQdSCOD2yb4WM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=97&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsalsify%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGLL_en%26tbm%3Disch&ei=hA0STtaiNsSr8AOYpK2aDg

sorry about the long http. this shows a purple form of salsify.

*salutes Seaburngirl* !
Darned right! Well done Seaburngirl - you're correct :-)

on further searching of grey cells and an old dried flower collection it is Salsify, Tragopogon porrifolius. an escapee from cultivation according to the research I did back in 1975. my reference book was Keeble Martin 'the concise British Flora in colour'.

so not the native I first thought so nearly correct :o)

In the USA, we call it Goat's Beard, after the seed heads.

there are 2 native yellow ones, one is Goat's beard and the other smaller species 'lesser goats beard'.

Thanks to everyone. Having looked at the pictures of your suggested plants its definitely the Salsify Tragopogon. Thanks for the super quick responses and the excellent guesses from my very unscientific description.