57
Some Essex Botanical Notes
BY BERNARD T. WARD.
The object of this report is to serve a twofold purpose. Firstly to draw
attention to recent plant discoveries in Essex and to place them on record
in a combined form; and secondly to encourage members to report and record
all plants they find so that the work of preparing a new Flora of the County
may proceed.
Published in the last part of the Essex Naturalist (p. 337). was a list of
plants noted at the Bromley-by-Bow Gas Works. During the last visit in
June, 1956, a plant resembling Shepherd's Purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris L.,
was found but which differed from that species in several respects. It can now
be reported as being Cardaminopsis arenosa (L.) Scop., a European species
which may have been introduced as seed in the 'bog-ore' imported from
Denmark.
In the course of the 1,000th meeting of the Club on 8th September, 1950,
a visit was paid to 'Stubbers' at North Ockendon where Cymbalaria muralis
Baumg., was seen still growing on the walls of the garden in which it was.
first cultivated in this country early in the 17th century. On these walls also
grows Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh., another species known to have
been in William Coy's garden. In the same garden Mr. J. E. Lousley found
a number of plants of Artemisia verlotorum Lamotte and around the large
pond, formerly the fish pond, and another pond the Golden Dock, Rumex
maritimus L., was seen in quantity. Associated with the Golden Dock was
the Sharp Dock, Rumex conglomeratus L., and Mr. Lousley detected a plant
of the hybrid between these two species.
Not very far distant from 'Stubbers' is Berwick Pond at Rainham, where:
Dr. K. J. Alvin has been studying the grasses of the area. Here in June,
1956, he introduced Club members to the Water Whorl Grass, Catabrosa
aquatica L., which has also been found by Mr. R. M. Payne near Waltham
Abbey and at Alresford Creek by Mr. S. T. Jermyn. Since the field meeting
to Berwick Pond Dr. Alvin has discovered that Poa subcoerulea (Sm.) Tutin
also occurs there. Dr. Alvin has not confined his researches solely to the
Graminea, but doubtless arising from his interest in the grasses he rediscovered
in 1955 the Least Lettuce, Lactuca saligna L., in the Fobbing area. This
plant had not been seen in Essex for very many years. It last occurred at
Shoeburyness at a site since covered by the concrete and asphalte of a
military installation. In 1956 there were about one hundred plants along
a short length of sea wall and it appears to be well established in this locality.
Specimens have been placed in the herbarium at Stratford and also in the
National collections at the British Museum (Natural History) South
Kensington.
The plants of the south-east of Essex have been fully described in the hand-
book published in June, 1956, by the South Essex Natural History Society.
To save space I have not mentioned a number of unusual plants recorded
in this handbook as a copy has been placed in the library at Stratford where
it is available to members. Since the list was published Mr. S. T. Jermyn
has continued his search for plants in the area and has in 1956 added St.
Barnaby's Thistle, Centaurea solstitialis L., with spinous flower-heads and
yellow petals and a Thorn Apple, Datura tatula (L.) Torrey which differs
from Datura stramonium L., in the stronger and longer spines to the fruit, and