11
Calystegia sepium
Calystegia sylvatica
Prunella vulgaris
Stachys sylvatica
Plantago major
Plantago lanceolata
Galium mollugo
Galium aparine
Sambucus nigra
Lonicera periclymenum
Dipsacus fullonum
Achillea millefolium
Cirsium arvense
Picris echioides
Sonchus oleraceus
Crepis vesicaria
Pulicaria dysenterica
Artemesia vulgaris
Leucanthemum vulgare
Senecio erucifolius
Tussilago farfara
Lactuca serriola
Anthemis arvensis
Alisma plantago-aquatica
Juncus acutiflorus
Juncus inflexus
Juncus effusus
Hedge Bindweed
Large Bindweed
Self Heal
Hedge Woundwort
Greater Plantain
Ribwort Plantain
Hedge Bedstraw
Cleavers
Elder
Honeysuckle
Wild Teasel
Yarrow
Creeping Thistle
Bristly Oxtongue
Smooth Sow Thistle
Beaked Hawk's Beard
Common Fleabane
Mugwort
Ox-eye Daisy
Hoary Ragwort
Colt's Foot
Prickly Lettuce
Corn Chamomile
Water Plantain
Sharp Flowered Rush
Hard Rush
Soft Rush
Juncus conglomeratus
Carex otrubae
Carex spicata
Carex sylvatica
Carex flacca
Festuca arundinacea
Lolium perenne
Vulpia myuros
Cynosurus cristatus
Poa annua
Poa trivialis
Dactylis glomerata
Arrhenatherum elatius
Deschampsia cespitosa
Holcus lanatus
Phalaris arundinacea
Alopecurus pratensis
Alopecurus geniculatus
Alopecurus myosuroides
Phleum bertolonii
Bromus hordeaceus ssp
hordeaceus
Phragmites australis
Elytrigia repens
Typha latifolia
Allium vineale
Compact Rush
False Fox Sedge
Spiked Sedge
Wood Sedge
Glaucous Sedge
Tall Fescue
Perennial Rye-grass
Rat's-tail Fescue
Crested Dog's Tail
Annual Meadow Grass
Rough Meadow Grass
Cock's-foot Grass
False Oat-grass
Tufted Hair Grass
Yorkshire Fog
Reed Canary Grass
Meadow Fox-tail
Marsh Fox-tail
Black Grass
Smaller Cat's-tail
Soft Brome
Common Reed
Common Couch
Reedmace
Wild Onion
Ref. New Flora of British Isles - C. Stace, Cambridge 1991.
BOTANY GROUP MEETING TO CHALKNEY WOOD 14TH MAY 1994
Eight members were present at this meeting, to look at the vascular plants and bryophytes
of the northern part of the wood, paying particular attention to the four spectacular boggy
flushes for which management advice was required.
Chalkney Wood is one of the most important ancient woodland sites in the county. Its
natural history has been well-documented and its boundary has remained virtually
unchanged since the Earl's Colne map of 1598. Currently the south-western third of the
wood is owned by Essex County Council and designated as 'access woodland', the rest
belonging to Forest Enterprise (formerly The Forest Commission). The County Council
portion still retains what is assumed to be its original native vegetation and in this part of
the wood the coppice cycle is now well re-established. In contrast, the native vegetation
of the remainder of the wood was virtually destroyed in the 1950s and '60s followed by
replanting with conifers, in accordance with forest management practices current at the
time.
Recently however, Forest Enterprise has changed its attitude towards the management of
ancient woodland, and at Chalkney some areas are being cleared of conifers and allowed
to regenerate naturally. Because of these changes, a Field club visit to the Forest
Enterprise, rather than the County Council portion of the wood, was particularly relevant
at this time.
Both vascular plants and bryophytes have been fairly well recorded in Chalkney wood
over the years. Prior to our visit, the vascular plant list stood at nearly 240 species, of
which over 200 had been recorded from the Forest Enterprise section. We found 147
species, of which about a dozen were 'new', boosting the overall list for the wood to
more than 250.