Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

1BBSenecio vulgaris. Groundsel.Car parks, gardens, occasionally as an arable weed, pavements, and road verges. Scatteredmainly around the edges of the Forest.Recorded in Sussex in 98% of the tetrads (Hall 1980). Ubiquitous in Britain, andwidespread in Europe, Asia and North Africa.Senecio sylvaticus. Heath groundsel.Tetrads 42N, 43G and 43R IHall 1980).Scattered in heathy areas on rides and the edges of tracks, mainly in the north~eastcorner of the Forest around Five Hundred Acre Wood, and sometimes locally abundant afterdisturbance le.g. Raven Wood 433.312, 1995, TR).3 -1--1-'''---""-----1--1- Like S. viscosus but with fewer glands which are often sticky, usually a taller plant, and4 5with short outer phyllaries usually less than 114 of the length of the inner ones, and minutelyhairy seeds ( x 20 lens); S. viscosus has outer phyllaries 1/3-1/2 as long as the inner ones andglabrous seeds. Dwarf plants should be carefully checked.Locally frequent on the Tunbridge Wells Sands in Sussex, and very much a calcifuge.Widespread in Britain and decreasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996). Widespread in Europe and western Asia onsandy soils.*Senecio viscosus. Sticky groundsel.Tetrads 42Z and 43H IHal1 1980).We have a few scattered records; waste ground at Wych Cross Place (419.319 and419.3211. 1994/5, TR; one plant on set-aside land near Tile Barn Farm 1474.3361. 1993, PW;Poundgate 148.28), 1994, PW; disturbed soil on verge, Marden's Hill (499.325), 1993, TR; St3 --+-+----LJ- John's (50.311. 1993, ER, RN & NN. It is much rarer than S. sylvaticus and occurs insecondary habitats.This annual germinates in the spring and flowers in midsummer; seeds produced late inthe Season are often not viable (Salisbury 1964). It seems to be quite drought-tolerant and4 5often grows in bare, dry, open habitats.Scattered in Sussex and mainly associated with railways. Widespread in lowland Britain. Native in Asia Minor andcentral Europe but introduced to the north and west.Tussi/ago farfara. Colt's-foot.Widespread around the Forest usually on disturbed soils and verges.This species is a native of damp, calcareous soils in Britain, often associated with wetseepage zones and damp clays. It has been widely used as a medicinal plant for treatingasthma and has presumably become more widely introduced as a consequence (Clapham31953).4 5It is unusual in that it flowers very early in the year before the leaves are produced. Thecentre of the inflorescence contains 40-50 short male flowers surrounded by about 300longer female flowers; only the male flowers produce nectar and they open first whichminimises self-pollination. The cottony fruiting heads soon look tatty but the pappus is veryeffective in dispersing the seeds over long distances. The seeds are only viable for a couple of months and have togerminate and establish rapidly before the summer.Recorded in 91 % of the tetrads in Sussex (Hall 1980). Widespread in Britain and Europe, Asia and North Africa.Petasites hybridus. Butterbur.Above waterfall, Old Mill Farm 1487.3021. 1995, RN & ER. This is our onlv record and it wasnearly lost with the rest of the day's recording when RN's notebook slithered down the sheerside of the deep gorge; in true pioneer spirit she followed and recovered it at no small risk tolife and limb.3 ~-+--------'~- It is also scattered down the Medwav but under-recorded in Hall (1980). All the Sussex4 5plants seen are male and have spread vegetatively or and may have been planted for earlynectar for bees. The females mainly occur in central and northern England.Widespread in Europe, though as female plants are absent or rare it may have beenwidely introduced. North and west Asia.