The species does not appear to have been recorded in Essex in the recent or distant past
but I suspect that Essex with its current mild climatic regime and its significant population
of oak trees would have the potential to support the species. Whether or not this would
be deemed to be a good idea is very much open to debate; estate managers with
commercial oaks on their land would no doubt be horrified at the thought and veteran
tree enthusiasts may not be too enthusiastic about their favourite trees being infested but
I suspect that it would take many years for a viable population to establish itself and
possibly hundreds of years (if ever) for that population to spread from one site to another
given the now fragmented nature of our ancient wood-pasture sites.
Report of field meeting for spring flowers at Davy Down on 11 May 05
Mary Smith 33 Gaynes Park Road, Upminster, Essex RM14 2HJ
10 (8 members, 2 guests) people gathered on a draughty day to make an onslaught on
identifying the flowers in Brickbarn Wood and nearby, above Davy Down. We were very
grateful for the protected car parking and use of the toilets provided for us by the Ranger,
Steve Mitchell, and he accompanied us for the first part of the walk.
The area we visited had mostly been surveyed fairly thoroughly in the summer months of
July and August, but not in the late spring. We moved slowly up beside the railway bank,
and the first plants of interest were the Sweet Briar Rosa rubiginosa, and its hybrid with
the Common Dog-rose Rosa x nitidula. The lovely scent of the smallish leaves was noted
as distinctive, and the upright, rather than arching, stems. Hand lenses were shared around
so people could see the glands on the leaves. Next were some Wild Strawberries Fragaria
vesca, and these with the Sweet Briar indicated chalky soil on the lower slopes.
Great excitement was caused by finding a Glow-worm larva (see plate 4, taken by Anne
Law), and Steve told us about the hundreds of them that inhabit the walls of the old
buildings and the hedges round about. Such is the quantity, that evening walks are organised
in summer months to admire the display.
As we went up the slope the number of interesting plants increased, and the soil became
more sandy. We met not only the little Early forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima, but
also the scarcer Changing forget-me-not M. discolor, Hoary Cinquefoil Potentilla argentea
with its white-backed leaves, and Field Madder Sherardia arvensis, Bugloss Anchusa
vulgaris and Chicory Cichorium intybus, which not everyone knew. There were a number
of Speedwells out (Common Field, Germander, Wall, Thyme-leaved, and later Ivy-
leaved) Veronica persica, chamaedrys, arvensis, serpyllifolia, hederifolia giving people
a chance to work out the differences between them. Some Red Campions Silene dioica
and White Campions S. latifolia had crossed to make the pink hybrids S. x hampeana,
giving a chance to explain what was going on here in non-Mendelian inheritance.
18
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 48, September 200S