21
Primary woods are direct relics of the wildwood
which covered all England from the end of the
last ice age until about 4,500 B.C. Secondary
woods form on land which has at some time had
other uses. Ancient woodlands include all
primary woods and secondary woods more than 210
years old.
The same author has published lists of plants
associated with ancient woodlands in eastern
England (4). However, he uses a descriptive
system without indicator values. I have taken
the liberty of combining his two systems and of
giving an indicator value to the species not
mentioned in the previous list by comparison of
the values given for the species in both
lists. This could perhaps give some numerical
status to comparisons of other Essex woodlands
with those in S. E. Essex. Any mistakes are,
of course, mine.
Herb Paris 4
Wood Barley 4
Nettle Leaved Bellflower 3
Carex laevigata 3
Carex strigosa 3
Bitter Vetch 3
Lily of the Valley 3
Small—Leaved Lime 3
Alchemilla vestita 3
Green Hellebore 3
Violet Helleborine 3
Water Purslane 3
Oxlip 3
Pear (very rare as native) 3
Pignut 2
Water Avens 2
White Climbing Fumitory 2