Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

Eleocharis multicaulis. Many-stalked spike-rush_Bogs on Ashdown Forest (Coleman 18361. Ashdown Forest, 1895, T. Hilton (BTN).Forest Row and Ashdown Forest, W. Borrer (Wollev-Dod 19371. Near Nutlev, 1957, R.A. Boniface (BRC). Tetrads 42J, 42N, 43F and 43M (Hall 1980).Very local on the wet heathy and peaty parts of Ashdown Fores( usually on soilskept open by trampling or disturbance. It also grows on the edges of the smallheathland ponds in Pippingford Park. It is often associated with Drosera spp. and4 5Rhynchospora.Locally distributed in Britain, most commonly in western Scotland. A calcifuge ofwestern North Africa and predominantly western Europe.Scirpus sylvaticus. Wood clubrush.Tetrads 42N, 42T, 43L, 43M and 43R (Hall 1980).Locallv frequent on the north side of the Forest (as found bV Hall) usuallv in dampflushes, ponds and by streams and rivers. It is quite palatable and the flowering headsare often eaten off, presumably by deer.3 Scattered in lowland Britain with the main headquarters being the Weald, where it iswidespread. Most of Europe but rare in the Mediterranean region.1994 5*Schoenoplectus lacustris (Scirpus lacustris). Common club-rush.One clump planted in pond in a Pippingford Park (444.303), PW. 1995.Locally distributed in Sussex but nearly absent from the High Weald. An emergentaquatic of ponds, rivers and lakes throughout Britain and Europe, Widespread in theworld,3 -1-+-----''"-------'--1-4 5Isolepis setacea (Scirpus setaceus). Bristle club-rush.Bogs on Ashdown Forest (Coleman 1836). On the Forests, E. Jenner (Arnold 1887),Ashdown Forest, 1901, T. Hilton (BTN; Wollev-Dod 19371. Five tetrads on the Forest(Hall 1980).Very locally scattered on rides and in open,. damp flushes; there may be morearound but it is so inconspicuous we would not be surprised if it has been overlooked,This species is widespread and increasing in Britain (Rich & Woodruff 1990), Mostof Europe except the north-east, temperate Asia and North Africa.4 5Eleogiton f/uitans (Scirpus f/uitans). Floating spike-rush.Bogs on Ashdown Forest (Coleman 1836). Pond on the Forest, near Wvch Cross(Whitwell 1902). Ashdown Forest near Nutlev (Done 19141. Chelwood Common, MissM. Cobbe (Wollev-Dod 1937). Near Nutlev, 1957, R. A. Boniface (BRCI. Five tetrads onthe Forest (Hall 1980).3 It was found in nine 1-km squares during our survey, It is sometimes abundant, asin a small pond near Goat crossroads (401.326), 1995, AK, where many hundreds ofplants were present in very shallow water and on wet mud as the water level fell in the4 5 summer heat. S'lmilar behaviour was seen in a pond in Kidbrooke Park (418.339), 1995,TR. A patch in the training pond on Pippingford Park (455.310),1987, SBRS, did notlast for long when the Army started training in it!It is a plant of base-poor water and is rather uncommon nationally, occurring mainly in the north and west andaround the New Forest but with a number of sites in Sussex and Surrey. Because of its grass-like appearance it canbe easily overlooked but the rather characteristic pale green colour and somewhat limp appearance allow it to bepicked out once it is known.The distribution in Sussex is concentrated around Ashdown Forest and south of Crawley. Widespread in Britainbut rare in the south-east. Western and western-central Europe.