Plant Identification

[Zeuhl]

Hi, can anyone identify this plant?
Found yesterday, growing profusely next to roadside drainage ditches in and around the village of Chidham, West Sussex.
Mrs Zeuhl can't find it in any of her books and it is beginning to annoy her - which is beginning to annoy me. Help!

https://zeuhl.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-zKhd3mP/A

[shoota]

Pink Cornflower?
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pink+cornflower&;id=1F4D72316234E960B2780B25AE8AF37C078657BC&FORM=IQFRBA

[Chipchopper]

Looks like, Butter burr

[rowanwitch]

Butterburr

[Zeuhl]

Thanks Shoota.
See where you're coming from.
But Mrs Zeuhl is convinced the flower belongs to those heart shaped leaves and is muttering something about 'Jack-in-the-Hedge'.
She says cornflowers are a summer flower and I said people are just trying to help.
As she was making dinner and had a large, sharp knife I decided not to debate it with her any further.

[shoota]

I'll jack in the hunt then... :-)

[Zeuhl]

Thanks Chipchopper and Rowanwitch.
That definitely looks right.
The weird thing is that the Collins Wild Guide description of Butter Bur is nothing like that so rather threw Mrs Zeuhl off the scent. Talking of which, the flowers we saw yesterday had a delicious honey-like aroma and Collins says no scent.
Also, what is going on with the climate? Collins reckons the Butter Bur shouldn't flower outside of March-May.

[Zeuhl]

Shoota, YOU are at a safe distance.
Thanks for looking.
Chipchopper and Rowanwitch's answers have calmed the waters :-)

[Chipchopper]

The seasons have gone topsy turvy at the moment!!!

[woofgang]

tis butterbur, I have it in mygarden, mine smells of vanilla.

[woofgang]

not sure what Collins is on about, mine flowers in dec/jan

[woofgang]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites

[alavahalf]

"Butter Bur shouldn't flower outside of March-May"

Think about it .. we are in "West Sussex" ..
Early this morning I went to winterwash an apple tree which should be done in the dormant period,
(November - February). The tree is already covered in buds. I spent the whole morning working in a tee shirt. In Sussex we dont have similar weather to the rest of the UK. So a plant flowering outside it's normal cycle cant be seen as odd.

[Zeuhl]

Quite right Alavahalf, we are on the English Cóte d'Azur.
The garden is still full of flowers that Mrs Zeuhl knows the names of but i don't.
The frogs will be 'at it' in the pond any day now.
And people were sunning themselves today in Rustington's pavement cafés - well the Smokers and Vapers were anyway :-)