Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

138Britain since 1970, and in another 76 1 O~km squares before 1970. Found throughout much of Europe fromsouthern Scandinavia to the mountains of Spain, Italy and the Balkans, eastwards to central Asia.APOCYNACEAE* Vinca minor. Lesser periwinkle.Four tetrads around the Forest (Hall 1980).Recorded mainly around the edge of the Forest on banks and woodland edgesand usually near houses, a result of dumping garden rubbish over a long period. Largepatches 20 metres across were established on wood edge east of Fairwarp Village] +T------'-,f- Hall (467.2631. 1995, TR & G. M. Kay.4 5Locally established in Britain and more frequent than the following species.Native in southern, western and central Europe and western Asia, but widelyintroduced and its native range is difficult to establish. Some regard it as a possiblenative in south-east England as it is common in woods in north-west France.* Vinca major. Greater periwinkle, Pinpatch.A mile north 01 Mareslield, J. Edwards (Wolley-Dod 1937). Tetrad 42J (Hall 1980).Fairwarp, small patch under oak where presumably dumped from gardens androoting at the tips (465.265). 1995, TA.Locally established in Britain. Native in the west and central Mediterraneanregion, introduced elsewhere.] ++------"-j-4 5SOLANACEAE*Hyoscyamus niger. Henbane.On rubbish tip at Crow and Gate, Ashdown Forest, TWNH (Wolley-Ood 1937).Henbane is normally found in disturbed areas on chalk or on sand near the sea (Johnstone 1994) so theabsence of any records during this survey is not surprising. Decreasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996).Widespread in Europe, western Asia and North Africa.Solanum nigrum subsp. nigrum. Black nightshade.Six scattered tetrads (Hall 1980).Recorded on waste ground, in the gutters along the roads, gardens and in thevillages, and more rarely as an arable weed.Common and widespread in Sussex and south-east England, scattered3 elsewhere in Britain. Widespread in Europe.4 5Solanum dulcamara. Bittersweet, Woody nightshade.Quite frequent in damp woods, ditches, and even in hedges with some climbing toover 2 metres tall. It is particularly characteristic of pond margins and marshy areasand the alluvial borders of ghylls. It occurs in a range of shaded and unshadedhabitats, but usually on the more fertile soils.Recorded in 98% 01 the tetrads in Sussex (Hall 1980). Common andwidespread in lowland Britain, Europe, Asia and North Africa.This species is sometimes erroneously called 'deadly nightshade'. It ispoisonous but not as toxic as true deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) which doesnot occur on the Forest.*Datura stramonium. Thorn-apple.Tetrad 42N (Hall 1980). Not refound. This species is a scarce casual in Sussex which is rarely persistent - aboveground at least, the seeds may be long-dormant. It is very poisonous.It is widespread as a casual in Britain, and widespread in temperate and subtropical areas of the northernhemisphere.