Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

157Veronica scutellata. Marsh speedwell.Ashdown Forest, N. J. Treutler, 1886 (Arnold 1887). Near Fairwarp, E. D. Morgan; bog nearColeman's Hatch, H. S. Salt (Wolley-Dod 1937). Tetrad 43L (Hall 1980).We have five records for V. scute/lata during our survey, which is rather more than inprevious floras: pond margin at Mill Wood (437.288), 1995, MM; Pippingford Park (44.311.] 1995, Flora meeting; Ridge Road pond (447.329), 1994, PW; many plants in flower alongditch east of water splash, Newbridge (456.326), 1995, PW (corresponding with Hall's tetrad43L record); shaded bog by road junction, Fairwarp (465.264), 1995, PD & RN.This rather attractive speedwell is characteristic of wet places and is easily distinguished4 5 as the racemes of flowers emerge from one side only of each pair of leaves. Although widelyscattered over the whole of Britain and Ireland, V. scutellata is rather uncommon in Sussex and is decreasing in England(Rich & Woodruff 1996) so it is pleasing to see that it is certainly holding its own in our area.Widespread in Europe except the south, and in northern Asia.Veronica beccabunga. Brooklime.Scattered across the Forest in wet places and stream edges but not found in the most acidicconditions. The frequency is similar to that in Hall (19aO) whose map shows that V.beccabunga is less frequent in our area than in many other parts of Sussex.Brooklime and cresses were once popular remedies for scurvy and were recommended in] --++----..:---'"'-+- Culpepper's herbal in 1653 as "good to fasten loose teeth and heal spongy foul gums".Widespread in Europe except the north, North Africa and temperate Asia.4 5Veronica anagallis-aquatica. Blue water-speedwell.Hall (1980) has a single tetrad record from 43L but no plants were found in this survey. It is a fairly widespread species inBritain, and around the world.Veronica arvensis. Wall speedwell.Common on the Forest (Hall 1980).Present across the centre and southern parts of the Forest, as shown in Hall (1980), butabsent from much of the north. This is because this annual generally prefers drier, openhabitats such as old walls, car parks and limestone rubble in Pippingford Park, which are lesscommon on the north side of the Forest. The seeds will only germinate in the light, which isprobably an important factor' limiting it to open sites. They also have a complex temperaturecontrol mechanism to ensure that they only germinate in the spring and autumn (Baskin &Baskin 1983). It seems to behave as a winter annual in most places on the Forest, flowering4 5 from May onwards, but in arable land cultivated in the spring it may be a summer annual.Widespread in Britain and increasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996). Native in Eurasia, but now widely spreadthroughout the world and a serious weed in some countries.* Veronica peregrina. American speedwell.A rather scarce introduction from America, not found during our survey but shown as present tetrad 43W in Hall (1980). Itis widely naturalized in west and central Europe.Veronica agrestis. Green field-speedwell.Tetrads 42Z and 43H (Hall 1980).One plant on wall of bridge at Newbridge Mill (456.328), 1995, TR & SR. This site was• a very odd habitat for a specie~ which usually occurs as an arable weed or in gardens, and isoften more of a calcifuge.3 Veronica agrestis is a rather uncommon plant over much of Sussex and may well bedeclining in the county. It is widespread in Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa.4 5