Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

194*Lemna minuta (L. minuscula), Least duckweed.Pond south of Nutley 1447.2631, 1993, MM; Marlpits pond (467.263), 1993, TR & NM;pond in Furnace Wood (476.2601, 1995, TR; pulled up on grapnel with Callitriche fromRiver Medway (443.3491, 1995, AK & TR, but only noticed when we tried to identify theCallitriche at home!3 ++-------L.f- This species was first recognised in Britain in 1977 (Leslie & Waiters 1983), and hasdefinitely been spreading ever since and was not just overlooked. It was not recorded inHall 11980) and only a few times in Briggs (19901, but has continued to spread since. Itis now widespread in southern Britain. Native in North and South America.4 5JUNCACEAEJunCU5 squarrosus. Heath rush, Goose corn.On Ashdown Forest, not common IColeman 1836). Near Pipping ford, 1904, J. Stirling(TLS). Thinly scattered on Ashdown, near Gills Lap, etc. (Done 1914). Forest nearPippingford, J. Stirling; Ashdown Forest, locally common, A. H. Wolley-Dod (Wolley-Dod1937). Common on the Forest (Hall 1980).Widely distributed on rides, acidic grassland and wet patches on heath land, tolerantof grazing and trampling. It is a very characteristic heathland species.This species keeps its place in the vegetation by forcing its leaves outwards anddown, pushing its competitors out of the way. The patches slowly increase in size andeventually form rings as they decay in the centre. At King's Standing it is frequent intrampled areas near the car park, forming small patches and decaying rings mostly up to 20 cm diameter.Widespread in northern and western Britain, and on the heaths in East Anglia, the Weald, Surrey and the NewForest. Central, western and north-west Europe, Greenland and North Africa.*Juncus tenuis (J. macer). Slender rush.Newbridge, near Coleman's Hatch, Miss K. Pickard; near Old Mill, Crowborough Warren,T. Hilton; near Maynard's Gate, A. H. WoIJey-Dod; in two spots near Wych Cross, A. H.Wolley-Dod (Wolley-Dod 1937), and described as rare but spreading. Abundant on paths,Hindleap Warren and Broadstone Warren, 1948, R. A. Boniface. Frequent on the Forest(Hall 1980).Widely distributed on tracks, around car parks and especially on rides in woodlands,often in damp, shaded situations but also sometimes in dry, open places. Its spreadseems to be especially associated with forestry operations.Becoming widespread in Britain, especially in the north and west, and naturalized innorthern, western and central Europe. It is native in North and South America.Juncus bufonius sensu stricto. Toad rush.Common on the Forest (Hall 1980).Common everywhere on rides, pond edges, damp patches, disturbed clayey ground,car parks and sometimes road gutters.It mainly grows on open mud of pH 4-5, but will grow on other soils too, with an3estimated seed output of 13-15 million seeds per square metre (Salisbury 1970). It isone of the most widespread mud species, almost cosmopolitan, and increasing in England(Rich & Woodruff 1996).4 5Juncus articulatus (J. lampocarpus). Jointed rush.Ashdown Forest (Done 1914). Common on the Forest (Hall 1980).Widespread but not common on the Forest, usually on open sides of streams andponds where the vegetation is slightly open, sometimes on woodland rides in unshadedplaces.Widespread in Britain and Europe, and in the northern hemisphere.This species and J. acutiflorus can be difficult to distinguish until in fruit (Rich &Rich 1988). J. articulatus has blackish fruits with a distinct point (acumen) at the tip. J.acutiflorus has brownish fruits which taper to the tip.