Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

habitats.It lives up to the name of fire weed on the Forest, often appearing in large numbers where areas of heathland or roadverge have been burned. It is a species which requires high light levels and nutrients, and hence is often found with Urt;caand Rubus. Where secondary woodland develops around patches, the rose bay will survive but flowers sparingly andproduces little or no seed.Widespread and common in most of Britain, Europe, Asia and North America.123*Oenothera glazioviana (Oenothera erythrosepala). LargeMflowered evening-primrose.Oenothera is a large, critical genus with many species. In Britain this is the commonest ofthem with large flowers. The seven records scattered across the area indicate a slightincrease in the frequency since Hall (1980) who shows it in tetrads 42N, 42T and 43L, noneof which correspond to our records. Our records are from waste places and car parks which3 -J.-l,..----!I-JLI- are the typical habitat of this plant.O. glazioviana is an introduction from North America which is now a familiar sight onroadsides and waste places in much of Britain except for some areas of Scotland. Locally4 5common in west and central Europe.Circaea /utetiana. Enchanter's-nightshade.Common in Hall (1980) and almost ubiquitous in our survey.Circaea has the distinction of being the only genus native to Britain with only 2 petals inits flowers. It is a plant of moist shady habitats, mainly found in woodland where it can bepresent in large numbers. This habitat preference, together with the fact that it does not occurin the more acidic areas, probably explains its absence from 1-km squares 45.28, 46.29 andthe band stretching from 47.28 to 47.31 which are mainly heathland. It is also a hedgerowplant, and may invade gardens from surrounding hedges.Widespread in Britain with the exception of northern Scotland and in Europe fromDenmark southwards, and east to central Asia and North Africa.CORNACEAECornus snnguinen. Dogwood.Tetrads 42N, 42P and 42T on the south side of the Forest (Hall 1980).Scattered around the edges of the Forest on the more calcareous clays, and especially inthe Toll Lane - Cackle Street area. This matches its distribution in Sussex where it is commonexcept on the acidic soils. Similarly it is widespread in southern lowland England, eastern3 -l--l------..l.-l-Wales and in Europe south of the Baltic. In the north of Britain fruit-set is uncommon exceptin warm years and it seems restricted to old woodlands and hedges - in the south it is a rapidcolonist of open ground.4It is unlikely that this species was used in the production of charcoal as5Frangula alnuswas also called 'dogwood' in Sussex, and produced very good charcoal IAFN 30: 13-14).*Cornus sericea. Red-osier dogwood.Planted in Maskett's Wood (428.285), 1995, TR et.a/.; at entrance to Wrens Warren but notspreading (471.326), 1995, PW; at entrance to Rooks Lodge 1485.335), 1995, PW.Probably not naturalized properly in Sussex, but known to be elsewhere in Britain andIreland and potentially a significant weed of wetlands with eutrophic soils (Kelly 1990).3 Native in North America.4 5