Flora News Newsletter of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Flora Group No. 50 Spring 2016 Published January 2016 Dear Flora Group member Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) this year will be held on Sunday 5 June in East Hampshire when we will be visiting Shortheath Pond and Bog and Kingsley Common. As usual we are always keen to receive your suggestions for Flora Group events or activities. Please raise them at the AGM or pass your ideas to any of the Committee members: Sarah Ball (Chairman), Catherine Chatters, Clive Chatters, Ginnie Copsey, Andy Cross, Gareth Knass, Tony Mundell, John Norton, Martin Rand or Neil Sanderson. Martin Rand will be leading Euphorbia and Chenopodium/Atriplex workshops this season to help us get to grips with identification. Other events are well spread throughout the county including visits to Southampton, Ampfield Woods, Pitt Down and Longmoor/Woolmer Forest. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) has asked the Flora Group to undertake a baseline survey of Hook Common to inform HIWWT’s future monitoring of the grazing that has been reinstated here. We are always keen for more people to submit contributions to Flora News on any relevant botanical topics. If you have enjoyed any of the Flora Group events and would like to write a report, we would be very pleased to receive it. Please send your articles, notes or reports to Catherine Chatters at Catherine. [email protected] or to her home address which is given at the end of this newsletter. Catherine Chatters John Norton Flora Group Secretary Editor In This Issue Forthcoming Events ................................................................................................................................ 2 Reports of Recent Events ........................................................................................................................ 4 Features A Field Guide to the NVC – Part 2: Dry Neutral Grassland ...........................John Norton ....................... 10 Vicia orobus (Wood Bitter-vetch) in Hampshire: where was it found? ........... Martin Rand ....................... 20 Coastal plants at Mudeford and Highcliffe ................................................. Martin Rand ....................... 22 News and Views Field Eryngo refound in Hampshire ...........................................................Tony Mundell ..................... 24 An Erigeron/Conyza hybrid ......................................................................Tony Mundell ..................... 25 Spartina at Bury Marsh ........................................................................... Clive Chatters .................... 26 An ancient Yew ..................................................................................... Andrew Powling ................. 26 Crassula helmsii research ........................................................................ Catherine Chatters .............. 28 May the Twenty-third ............................................................................. Catherine Chatters .............. 28 Recording VC11 Notes and Records ........................................................................Martin Rand ....................... 29 VC12 Records .......................................................................................Tony Mundell ..................... 37 Membership and Recording Information .................................................................................................. 42 the use of a grapnel showed that no totally submerged Forthcoming Events aquatic plants could be found as the water is so opaque. There is normally no need to book a place on Hampshire That included the Narrow-leaved Arrowhead Sagittaria Flora Group events beforehand, unless the text specifically subulata that used to be the dominant plant in Shortheath requests it. A contact telephone number is only given Pond. Admittedly it was an alien but as stated in Stace in case you wish to know more about the event. The (2010), Shortheath Pond was its only British site. leader can be expected to turn up whatever the weather Nevertheless, the site is still worth a visit and we should (although it may then be mutually agreed to cancel the see marginal plants like Bottle Sedge Carex rostrata, event)! Bring a packed lunch and suitable footwear to Marsh Cinquefoil Comarum palustre, Narrow Buckler- all meetings. Fern Dryopteris carthusiana, Marsh Willowherb Epilobium palustre and Marsh St John’s-wort Hypericum elodes. Sunday 3 April 2016, 10.30am–4pm The adjacent bog is still in good condition and just a few Winter annuals and spring urban flora, Southampton yards from the pond we should see plenty of Round- Leaders: John Norton and Phil Budd leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia and Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos. Hopefully the latter will have A walk jointly with Southampton Natural History Society started to flower. We will also visit the heathland across to look for winter annuals (species that develop leaves in the road from Shortheath Pond (where there is a colony late autumn and winter, then flower in early spring). We of Field Crickets) to see plants of sandy soils like Sand will hope to see a selection of species of typical urban Sedge Carex arenaria. habitats, such as mown road verges, kerbsides, railway fences, scrub and parkland. A good opportunity to see Meet at the Shortheath Pond car park at SU 7750 3690, increasing species such as Musk Stork’s-bill Erodium bringing a packed lunch. After our brief AGM held around moschatum and Water Bent Polypogon viridis. lunch-time, we will then move to Kingsley Pond car park at SU 7881 3817 to see what we can find on Meet at Saxon Road, Freemantle, Southampton the Kingsley Common heaths. We will aim to finish by (SU407121). 4.30pm. Contact: John Norton, [email protected]. Contact: Tony Mundell (see back page for details). No need to book. Saturday 21 May 2016, 10am–4pm Reference: Stace, C.A. (2010). New flora of the Ampfield Woods British Isles. Third Edition. Cambridge University Press, Leaders: Jay Doyle and Martin Rand Cambridge. Ampfield Woods form a large (nearly 4km x 2km) block of ancient semi-natural woodland stretching from Pitt Down, Farley Mount Braishfield to Hursley south-west of Winchester. Like Saturday 18 June 2016, 10am–4pm so many lowland woods, its wildlife interest was much Leader: Martin Rand reduced by extensive coniferisation in the 20th century, Pitt Down is the most extensive stretch of chalk but it still retains good stands of native Small-leaved Lime grassland within the Farley Mount Country Park, with Tilia cordata and pockets of many ancient woodland a distinguished list of downland plants in the past. In indicators. There is a programme under way to replant the last 40 years it has suffered from scrubbing up, extensive areas with hardwood species. Sadly, one inadequate grazing and heavy visitor pressure; but scrub of the jewels of these woods, Bastard Balm Melittis clearance and a more stable grazing regime over the last melissophyllum, seems to have been lost – but perhaps few years has ensured that much has survived. Recently this meeting can prove me wrong on that! recorded species of interest include Chalk Milkwort Arrangements for access and parking are still being Polygala calcarea, Bastard-toadflax Thesium humifusum, finalised at the time of going to press, so for further Greater Butterfly-orchid Platanthera chlorantha, Frog details please contact: Martin Rand (see back page for Orchid Coeloglossum viride and its hybrid with Fragrant details); tel: 07531 461442. Orchid, three species of Eyebright Euphrasia spp. (and, inevitably, their hybrids!) and a scattering of Juniper Sunday 5 June 2016, 10.30am–4.30pm bushes. Many other characteristic chalk grassland and Visit to Shortheath Pond and Bog, plus AGM and visit scrub species occur in abundance, and this is a good to Kingsley Common chance for relative beginners to get to know a range of Leaders: Tony Mundell and Steve Povey chalkland plants. Time and weather permitting, we may also explore some of the neighbouring woodland margins In 2014 Natural England finally started to take an interest and other downland areas where there is a chance of in the dreadful condition of Shortheath Pond and as a seeing additional species such as Fly Orchid Ophrys result, in August 2014, Tony Mundell and Steve Povey insectifera, Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera and Yellow Bird’s- did an extensive survey for NE of the aquatic plants on nest Hypopitys monotropa. the banks or in the water, logging all the plants in each 100m square. We found that 22 relatively uncommon Meet at the Hawthorns car park on the minor road from species that used to occur there had been lost. In fact, Winchester or Hursley to Ashley and Kings Somborne, Flora News No. 50, January 2016 2 www.hiwwt.org.uk SU 414 292. (If this car park is full, there is another Brookweed Samolus valerandi in its only VC12 site, lots within a short walking distance to the east.) Booking is of Coral Necklace Illecebrum verticillatum, and lots of not required but if you have further questions, contact: Wintergreen Pyrola minor. We should also find Allseed Martin Rand (see back page for details) or tel: 07531 Radiola linoides, Chaffweed Centunculus minimus, Heath 461442. Cudweed Gnaphalium sylvaticum and Yellow Bartsia Parentucellia viscosa. Yellow Bird’s-nest Hypopitys Euphorbia (Spurge) Workshop (at Testwood Lakes monotropa used to be plentiful in one spot but has been Centre, Totton) decreasing and only a few could be found