Botanical notes and records, Slade Wood, Goom’s Hill, Abbots Morton,7th July 2012
J.J. Day
Slade is large and predominately ancient semi-natural woodland. It is mainly situated on the heavy clays of the Mercian Mudstones, with some gravels in down slope lenses. The southern parts lie along the calcareous Rhaetic scarp slope. Consequently, soil conditions vary from calcareous to mildly acidic and from freely draining to waterlogged. This has created the conditions for the development of a rich flora, with a total of 241 species recorded from the site up until 2011.
During the field meeting, a total of 168 species were recorded. Of these, 161 were found within Slade Wood and of these 11 species and one subspecies were new. This is about a 62% refind rate, which is a fairly good return given that perhaps only a third of the woodland area was covered during the day. Given the level of coverage, it is more pertinent to examine the novel records rather than potential losses.
Six of the gains were woodland plants and four of these are ancient woodland indicator species: a Tufted Hair-grass, Deschampsia parviflora; Wood Spurge; Euphorbia amygdaloides ssp amygdaloides, Beautiful St John’s Wort, Hypericum pulchrum and Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha. This suggests that this large site has not yet been exhaustively surveyed.
Three of the gains were alien species. The accumulation of alien taxa has been a general trend through Worcestershire’s woodlands over the last 40 years. The rate appears to be increasing and seems in large part to be related to human population density. Here, one species, the cultivated water-lily is no doubt a deliberate introduction. The Horse Chestnut sapling appeared to be natural spread but the origins of the Variegated Yellow Archangel is uncertain. The latter species was dominating an area of about 500sqm on the southern ridge. Its spread suggests an aggressive invader on the site.
The pond in the wood is about 20 years old. It has experienced a high turnover in aquatic species. Since 2001, it has apparently lost two native pondweeds, Potamogeton natans and P berchtoldii, gained a cultivated water-lily and the native Water-plantain, and retained the aliens, Curly Waterweed (dominant) and White-water lily.
The most curious find of the day was a small colony of Herb Robert Geranium robertianum of a form green in all its parts, including its petals. It appeared to be a plant totally devoid of anthocyanin pigments, which is suggestive of a possible gene mutation (Fig.1.).
| Slade Wood 07/07/2012 | Compiled by J.J.Day |
| records in bold italics new for site | |
| Acer campestre | Field Maple |
| Aesculus hippocastanum | Horse-chestnut |
| Agrimonia eupatoria | Agrimony |
| Agrostis canina sens.str. | Brown Bent |
| Agrostis capillaris | Common Bent |
| Agrostis stolonifera | Creeping Bent |
| Ajuga reptans | Bugle |
| Alisma plantago-aquatica | Water-plantain |
| Alliaria petiolata | Garlic Mustard |
| Alopecurus pratensis | Meadow Foxtail |
| Anemone nemorosa | Wood Anemone |
| Angelica sylvestris | Wild Angelica |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley |
| Arctium minus ssp. minus | Lesser Burdock |
| Arrhenatherum elatius | False Oat-grass |
| Arum maculatum | Lords-and-ladies |
| Athyrium filix-femina | Lady Fern |
| Betonica officinalis | Betony |
| Betula pendula | Silver Birch |
| Brachypodium sylvaticum | False-brome |
| Bromopsis ramosa | Hairy Brome |
| Calamagrostis epigejos | Wood Small-reed |
| Callitriche stagnalis sens.str. | Common Water-starwort |
| Cardamine flexuosa | Wavy Bitter-cress |
| Carex acutiformis | Lesser Pond-sedge |
| Carex flacca | Glaucous Sedge |
| Carex otrubae | False Fox-sedge |
| Carex pendula | Pendulus Sedge |
| Carex remota | Remote Sedge |
| Carex sylvatica | Wood-sedge |
| Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare | Common Mouse-ear |
| Circaea lutetiana | Enchanter's-nightshade |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle |
| Cirsium palustre | Marsh Thistle |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Cornus sanguinea | Dogwood |
| Corylus avellana | Hazel |
| Crataegus laevigata | Midland Hawthorn |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn |
| Cynosurus cristatus | Crested Dog's-tail |
| Dactylis glomerata | Cock's-foot |
| Dactylorhiza fuchsii | Common Spotted-orchid |
| Deschampsia cespitosa ssp. parviflora | Tufted Hair-grass |
| Dryopteris dilatata | Broad Buckler-fern |
| Dryopteris filix-mas | Common Male Fern |
| Dryopteris x complexa | Hybrid Male & Scaly Fern |
| Epilobium hirsutum | Great Willowherb |
| Epilobium montanum | Broad-leaved Willowherb |
| Euphorbia amygdaloides ssp. amygdaloides | Wood Spurge |
| Fagus sylvatica | Beech |
| Festuca rubra sens.str. | Red Fescue |
| Filipendula ulmaria | Meadowsweet |
| Fragaria vesca | Wild Strawberry |
| Fraxinus excelsior | Ash |
| Galeopsis tetrahit agg. | Common Hemp-nettle |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Galium odoratum | Woodruff |
| Galium palustre | Common Marsh-bedstraw |
| Geranium robertianum | Herb-robert |
| Geum urbanum | Herb Bennet |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground-ivy |
| Glyceria fluitans | Floating Sweet-grass |
| Hedera helix ssp. helix | Common Ivy |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed |
| Holcus lanatus | Yorkshire-fog |
| Holcus mollis | Creeping Soft-grass |
| Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Bluebell |
| Hypericum hirsutum | Hairy St. John's-wort |
| Hypericum pulchrum | Slender St. John's-wort |
| Hypericum tetrapterum | Square-stalked St. John's-wort |
| Ilex aquifolium | Holly |
| Iris pseudacorus | Yellow Iris |
| Juncus articulatus | Jointed Rush |
| Juncus conglomeratus | Compact Rush |
| Juncus effusus | Soft Rush |
| Lagarosiphon major | Curly Waterweed |
| Lamiastrum galeobdolon ssp. argentatum | Variegated Yellow Archangel |
| Lapsana communis | Nipplewort |
| Lemna minor | Common Duckweed |
| Ligustrum vulgare | Wild Privet |
| Lolium perenne | Perennial Rye-grass |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle |
| Lotus pedunculatus | Large Bird's-foot-trefoil |
| Luzula multiflora ssp. multiflora | Heath Wood-rush |
| Luzula pilosa | Hairy Wood-rush |
| Lysimachia nummularia | Creeping-Jenny |
| Malus pumila | Apple |
| Melica uniflora | Wood Melick |
| Mentha arvensis | Corn Mint |
| Mercurialis perennis | Dog's Mercury |
| Milium effusum | Wood Millet |
| Myosotis scorpioides | Water Forget-me-not |
| Nymphaea alba ssp. alba | White Water-lily |
| Nymphaea marliacea | Water-lily |
| Oxalis acetosella | Wood-sorrel |
| Phleum pratense sens.str. | Timothy |
| Pinus sylvestris | Scots Pine |
| Plantago major ssp. major | Greater Plantain |
| Platanthera chlorantha | Greater Butterfly-orchid |
| Poa annua | Annual Meadow-grass |
| Poa nemoralis | Wood Meadow-grass |
| Poa trivialis | Rough Meadow-grass |
| Polygonum aviculare sens.str. | Knotgrass |
| Polystichum aculeatum | Hard Shield-fern |
| Polystichum setiferum | Soft Shield-fern |
| Populus tremula | Aspen |
| Potamogeton natans | Broad-leaved Pondweed |
| Potentilla erecta ssp. erecta | Tormentil |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping Cinquefoil |
| Potentilla sterilis | Barren Strawberry |
| Primula vulgaris | Primrose |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal |
| Prunus avium | Wild Cherry |
| Prunus domestica | Wild Plum |
| Prunus spinosa s.l. | Blackthorn |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken |
| Quercus robur | Pedunculate Oak |
| Quercus x rosacea | Hybrid Oak |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup |
| Ranunculus flammula ssp. flammula | Lesser Spearwort |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup |
| Rhamnus cathartica | Buckthorn |
| Rosa arvensis | Field Rose |
| Rosa canina agg. | Dog Rose |
| Rubus fruticosus agg. | Bramble |
| Rumex obtusifolius | Broad-leaved Dock |
| Rumex sanguineus | Wood Dock |
| Salix caprea | Goat Willow |
| Salix cinerea ssp. oleifolia | Grey Willow |
| Sambucus nigra | Elder |
| Sanicula europaea | Sanicle |
| Schedonorus giganteus | Giant Fescue |
| Scrophularia nodosa | Common Figwort |
| Senecio aquaticus | Marsh Ragwort |
| Senecio jacobaea | Common Ragwort |
| Silene flos-cuculi | Ragged Robin |
| Stachys sylvatica | Hedge Woundwort |
| Stellaria holostea | Greater Stitchwort |
| Succisa pratensis | Devil's-bit Scabious |
| Tamus communis | Black Bryony |
| Taraxacum sp. | Dandelion |
| Teucrium scorodonia | Wood Sage |
| Tilia cordata | Small-leaved Lime |
| Tilia platyphyllos | Large-leaved Lime |
| Tilia x vulgaris | Lime |
| Trifolium repens | White Clover |
| Triticum aestivum | Bread Wheat |
| Ulex europaeus | Gorse |
| Ulmus glabra | Wych Elm |
| Urtica dioica | Common Nettle |
| Veronica beccabunga | Brooklime |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Germander Speedwell |
| Veronica montana | Wood Speedwell |
| Veronica officinalis | Heath Speedwell |
| Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Speedwell |
| Viburnum lantana | Wayfaring-tree |
| Viburnum opulus | Guelder-rose |
| Vicia sativa ssp. segetalis | Common Vetch |
| Vicia sepium | Bush Vetch |
| Viola riviniana | Common Dog-violet |
| Species from adjoining Grasslands | |
| Epilobium ciliatum | American Willowherb |
| Geranium dissectum | Cut-leaved Crane's-bill |
| Juncus inflexus | Hard Rush |
| Lathyrus nissolia | Grass Vetchling |
| Persicaria maculosa | Redshank |
| Rumex crispus | Curled Dock |
| Stellaria graminea | Lesser Stitchwort |
| Vicia tetrasperma | Smooth Tare |
Image
Fig. 1. Herb Robert Geranium robertianum green in all parts. Rosemary Winnall.
