Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

160Euphrasia nemorosa. Eyebright.Common (Hall 1980).This is the commonest eyebright on the Forest, widely spread along verges, rides and ingrassland. Plants with pinky~purple flowers occur in a number of populations (e.g. Millbrook4 5Hill, Millbrook Farm, Duddleswell) which have been suggested to be E. micrantha (alsoreported from Crowborough Common), but they otherwise conform to E. nemorosa and arebest treated as that (A. J. Silverside, pers. comm. 1994). Whether the flower colouration isrelict from hybridisation with E. micrantha or not remains to be seen.Widespread in England and Wales but becoming scarce in Scotland, Endemic to northand central Europe as far south as the north-east of Spain.Odontites vernus. Red bartsia.We have significantly more records than Hall (1980) who shows it in only four tetrads in theForest, probably due to our more intensive coverage of the area. It is found in a variety ofhabitats, in grassy areas, waste places, by tracks and rides. We have not investigated whichsubspecies occur.Widespread in Britain, and in most of Europe and northern Asia.J ++-...... "------""--'-If-4 5Rhinanthus minor. Yellow~rattle, Penny~rattle.Only recorded from two places in the east of the Forest: verges by Gills Lap car park(466.315), 1987, 1993, PW; King's Standing (473.301), 1995, Flora meeting. It may be onthe verges where limestone dust from the roads has spread making the soils more calcareous.It is a lot scarcer than would be expected from the distribution shown in Hall (1980) who hasJ -++-~~--"'--L+recordsfrom six tetrads, none of which correspond to our records.R. minor is indicative of undisturbed grassland and is still common on chalk in Sussex butbecoming scarcer elsewhere. The reason for the apparent decline in the last 20-30 years maybe the continued loss of old grassland to agricultural improvements.4 5This is another annual hemi~parasite whose roots have been recorded attached to over50 different hosts, mostly grasses and legumes. It often occurs in patches and the areas around the plants have a shorter,more open sward structure and tewer grasses due to the effect it has on its hosts. It is also sensitive to grazing and canbe rapidly eliminated from swards, where it would otherwise become a pest.It is a very variable species and is widespread in Britain and Europe. It also occurs in Greenland and North America.Pedicularis palustris. Marsh lousewort.Fisher's Bog [probably near Fisher's Gate], Or Milner Barry (Deakin 1871). Ashdown Forest, TWNH (Wolley-Dod 1937).Not seen during the survey for Hall (1980) and last seen in Sussex on the Lewes Levels, 1932, Ran Boniface (therecord Willard 1989 is an error for P. sylvatica). It is a species of wet mineral or peaty flushes. Decreasing in England(Rich & Woodruff 1996), but still reasonably widespread in south-west Surrey, the New Forest and north-west Britain. It isquite widespread in Europe.Pedicularis sylvatica subsp. sylvatica. Lousewort.Common on the Forest (Hall 1980).Our distribution map shows it to be mainly concentrated on the southern slopes of theForest in open areas. It is locally frequent on rides and grassy places on heathy soils, the pinkflowers a pleasant sight in early summer. All material examined has had glabrous calyces andis subsp. sylvatica. It is a biennial which is often abundant after fires.[t is another hemi-parasite, thought to parasitise the roots of grasses. MM has carriedout experiments on its germination (Pedicularis has the reputation of being almost impossibleto grow from seed). P. sy!vatica was found to germinate readily but the numerous seedlingsdied gradually. In only one case, using Agrostis as the host, has a plant been produced whichhas flowered.Widespread and locally common in the north and west of Britain. It is decreasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996).Subsp. sy/vatica is endemic to Europe, and occurs in west and central Europe from Spain to Sweden and Russia.