Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

206POACEAEThe best general identification guide to grasses is Hubbard (19841, though see Stace (19911 for bamboos and updatedtaxonomy and nomenclature.*Sasa palmata. Broad-leaved bamboo,Large stands are established in a number of places such as near the stream in Pipping fordPark (449.3161, 1995, Flora meeting, and near Newbridge splash (455.3271. A standaround the east end of the pond at Priory Road (413.339) was cleared in 1995, AK, but hassurvived.3 -+h.---------'--t- This bamboo has stems to 2-3 metres tall with broad leaves 3.5-9 cm wide. It isoccasionally established in Britain, usually near gardens. It is native in Japan.4 5*Sasae/la ramasa. Hairy bamboo.Car park, Forest Centre (43.32), 1993, TR & NM; small patch on bank by track near CentreBridge (448.3161, 1995, Flora meeting; an unvariegated bamboo at St John's (505.315),1995, PW, may also be a form of this usually variegated species (det. D. McClintock),This is a little bamboo growing up to 1.5 metres tall. It is occasionally established in3 Britain and is native in Japan.4 5*Pseudosasa japonica. Arrow bamboo.Near Forest Lodge (452.2631, 1995, AK; Marden's Hill (499.3251, 1987-8, PW & RW (detD. McClintockl.It grows to 5 metres tall and has narrow leaves up to 4 cm wide. The commonestspecies established in Britain, usually near gardens. It is native in Japan and Korea.3 -++_-----'-+_4 5Nardus stricta. Mat-grass.Ashdown Forest, 1833, J. Woods (Wolley-Dod 1937). Ashdown Forest (Coleman 1836).Ashdown Forest, E. Jenner (Arnold 1887). Very plentiful on Ashdown Forest (Done 1914).Frequent on the Forest (Hall 1980).A tough grass, unpalatable to stock and dominant over large areas of acidic grassland3elsewhere in Britain. On Ashdown Forest it is largely restricted to rides where it toleratesmowing, but must have been more widespread when the Forest was extensively grazed.The patches of dark green tussocks with the black flowering heads and the previous year's4 5dead white leaves are distinctive. Ashdown Forest is its main locality in Sussex andprobably the only area where it is still frequent.Decreasing in lowland England (Rich & Woodruff 1996), but still common and widespread in the north and west ofBritain. Widespread in Europe, but only in the mountains in the south; temperate Asia, North Africa and eastern NorthAmerica.Milium effusum. Wood millet.Wood near Wood's Nursery, Maresfield, A. H. Wolley-Dod (Wolley-Dod 1937). Tetrad 42T(Hall 1980).Locally abundant by Forest Pale at Fairwarp (473.266), and a few plants by shadedstream, Furnace Wood (474.264), 1993, TR & SR in the same area as the previous records.3 -++-----'-+-- This species likes the richer, moist brown soils in the Weald, and is surely not found mainly4 5on calcareous soils as sometimes suggested.Scattered through woodlands in Sussex and fairly widespread in lowland Britain,especially in the south-east. Widespread in Europe, temperate Asia and North America.