Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

150Mentha aquatica. Water mint.Always common (Hall 1980) and still found in large quantities in wet places overmuch of the Forest with the exception of the most acidic areas. Quite often firstdetected by the strong minty smell arising from underfoot. It is quite shade-tolerantbut may not flower in woods.Present throughout Britain and much of Europe north to southern Sweden andNorway. Also found in south-west Asia, Africa and Madeira.* Mentha spicata. Spear mint.An introduction with no previous records but found in five squares during our survey:naturalized at Horncastle House (392.323), 1995, DB; near Home Farm (44.30),1993, SBRS; Boringwheel Mill Farm (45.26), scarcely naturalized; Friends car park(45.28), 1993, PD; Pippingford Park (45.31), 1995, Flora meeting; Camp Hill (47.29),3 1995, RN.Of unknown origin, now widely naturalized in Britain and much of Europe.4 5Mentha x vil/asa. Apple mint.A single record from 43V is given in Hall (1980) which was not refound in thissurvey.Streeter's Rough (42.29), 1993, TR; ride, Duddleswell (46.27), 1995, TR; onepatch on lane to Old Lodge (465.304), 1993 +, DK. All are referable to var.3 -f--h..-----"'---'-+_ a/opecuroides.Probably of garden origin and widely naturalized in Britain and western Europe,like most other mints.4 5Mentha pulegium. Pennyroyal.There are old records for this attractive plant from the Forest, Ashdown Forest, and near Forest Row, W. W.Reeves (Arnold 1887) but unfortunately it has now disappeared from the area and is only known in Sussex as anintroduction around the margin of Ardingly reservoir.Pennyroyal is a classic plant of commons and village greens which are regularly disturbed by livestock whocreate the required habitat of open, broken ground containing holes and gullies which fill with water in winter. Itsdisappearance is the result of the loss of such habitats over most of the country, with the exception of the NewForest where it can still be found in reasonable quantity in a few places.Nationally it is only present in any abundance in the New Forest where the trampling and grazing by cattleand horses that provide the required habitat is still widespread (Chatters 1994), and it is only known in about 251 O~km squares in the country. In the dry summer of 1995 it was found at a number of new sites inNorthamptonshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and two in Wales, the low water levels possibly allowing flowering. Theintroduced forms tend to be more erect compared with the native form which is more prostrate.Now very local in southern England and scattered in west, central and southern Europe, North Africa andMacaronesia. Decreasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996).*Mentha requienii. Corsican mint.A tiny but strongly scented introduction, not previously recorded from our area, butnow with a single record from a kerb stone on east side of Forest Road, Forest Row(439.346), pH 5.2, 1995, TR.As its name suggests it is a native of Corsica and Sardinia. It occurs rarely in3 the Weald on woodland rides, and is rarely naturalized in Britain.4 5