101
The Scarce Plants of Essex. Part 1.
KEN ADAMS
Department of Life Science, University of East London E15 4LZ.
Abstract
In this first part of a new series describing the past and present status of the Man
the distribution in Essex of Nationally Orchid, Ground Pine, Field Garlic and
Scarce Plants (those in 16-100 hectads), Orange Foxtail are detailed.
Introduction
Scarce (Vascular) Plants in Britain' have been defined as being those natives and long
established aliens that occur within the range 16-100 of the 10km squares (hectads) in Britain
(Stewart et al. 1994). This leaves those occurring in less than 15 hectads, falling into the
National Red Data-Book category, and for us in Essex, several hundred further plants that are
very local in Essex, many of them in only a liandful of sites. In contrast, many of the species
falling into the scarce plants category, (because they are confined to south east England),
nevertheless occur in hundreds of 1km sqs (monads) in Essex. This new series of accounts,
arranged in alphabetical order of the scientific names of the plants, summarises the distribution
data that we have on file for 'Scarce Plants' in Essex up to the date of publication.
Approximately 160 of the 300 taxa included in Stewart et al., 1994 have been recorded from
Essex, and are cither still extant or have become extinct (23). Around ten of these taxa arc native
elsewhere in Britain but only occur as casuals or introductions in Essex
The Taxa Recorded for Essex
Aceras anthropophorum (L.) Aiton f. Man Orchid
Essex Status: Native.
The Man Orchid is a tuberous plant characteristic of chalk grassland and scrub in south east
England. It is frequent only on the chalk in East and West Kent, although present in scattered sites
west to North Somerset and north to South Lincolnshire and Derbyshire. It is frequently
misidentified in error for the similar but much commoner Twayblade Listera ovata. Like most of
our orchids, the Man Orchid has suffered a decline in distribution nationally.
Post 1930 records (10km sqs): 72, Post 1950: 68, Post 1970: 51.
It formerly occurred in Essex in several places on the small chalk outcrop west of Sudbury, but is
long since gone. Its main stronghold now is in the chalk pits of the Grays area, although it has been
lost from most of them in recent years. It may well have occurred in several more pits not visited by
botanists, and may still even do so. In Essex it has been rare since records began, and since 1930,
Man Orchid has only been found in Essex at five sites, all now destroyed by development except
two.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 16 (1999)