Flora of Ashdown Forest - Botanical Society of the British Isles

It is predominantly a plant which occurs near the coast in Britain, except for the New Forest and the Weald, but isscattered through lowland Europe, south~west Asia, North Africa and the Americas. It is often associated with Radiatalino/des which has a similar ecology, and both are decreasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996).GROSSULARIACEAE*Ribes rubrum. Red currant.Common on the Forest (Hall 1980),Usually found in woodland, often along stream banks 'In alder carr but also in scrub andhedges. Away from the valleys it is likely to have been spread from gardens by birds. It usedto be grown at the Wych Cross fruit farm.It is predominately western in distribution in Europe, but is widely introduced and it isvirtually impossible to establish its native range. It is increasing in England (Rich & Woodruff1996),Some garden cultivars may be R. rubrum x spicE/tum.85*Ribes nigrum. Black currant, Gazel.Crowborough Warren, 1899, E, Gilbert (TLS), Occasional on west side of the Forest (Hall1980),It is now quite widespread, often on wetter ground than the other Ribes species. Itusually occurs on wet, rich alluvial soils in woodlands as shown in the east of the Forest, butit also occurs on quite dry roads ides around Wych Cross where it may have been bird-sownfrom the former fruit farm. Deer do not eat it.In Sussex it occurs predominately on the Tunbridge Wells Sands and Lower Greensand. Itis mainly northern in distribution in Europe, and is probably native in swampy woodland in4 5eastern Europe and Asia. It is increasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996).It can be picked out from a distance from R. rubrum by the more sharply, deeply lobed leaves; close up it has amberglands under the leaves (absent in other species). Rubbed leaves usually smell of black currant though oddly some blackfruitedbushes opposite Wych Cross Nursery do not.*Ribes sanguineum, Flowering currant.,---;--::==------;---, Scattered on roadsides and near habitation; one plant on roadside south of Nutley (448.267),1994, TR, another east of Nutley (444,2771, 1994, PD & AK, and another in Long car park(426.311), 1995, TR, and elsewhere.Widely grown in gardens, and occasionally spreading into the wild throughout much of3 -+-t-~----'-t- Britain, especially in the north and west, and is increasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996).It is native in western North America.Garden plants with larger yellowish-pinkish flowers may be R. x gordonianum which4 5could also occur.*Ribes uva-crispa. Gooseberry, Goosegog.Frequent on the Forest (Hall 1980),Our records match the pattern shown by Hall. It is widely scattered in hedges and youngwoodland around the Forest, often near habitation.Widespread in Britain and Europe, and increasing in England (Rich & Woodruff 1996); italso occurs in Morocco. The form which is probably native in western Europe has short,dense, patent non-glandular hairs on the berries. Plants with a mixture of long glandular hairsand short hairs, or those with glabrous berries, are likely to be of garden origin, Plants withonly glandular hairs on the berries occur in the Carpathians.The first edition of Clapham, Tutin & Warburg's Flora of the British Isles had a minorprinting error giving the size of the fruits as 10-20 cm instead of 10-20 mm; it was affectionately known as the giantgooseberry edition!CRASSULACEAE*Crassula helmsii. New Zealand pigmyweed, Australian swamp stonecrop.No botanist has a good word for this Australasian species which is currently spreading rapidly in Britain. It probably initiallyspread as a throw-out from aquaria and garden ponds, and subsequently under its own steam. It grows in a range of waterconditions from acidic to alkaline and even saline water, from 3 metres deep to 0.5 metres above the normal water level,and it seems to be virtually indestructible. Perhaps the first positive thing to be said is that a carpet of flowers in the pondat Tompset's Bank filled the air with a lovely scent of honey in June 1995.