New Flora of Sussex Report - March 2008 Copy of report given at SBRS AGM on 8th March 2008

Since the autumn get-together: The main progress is that a real start has been made on writing species accounts (c. 280 drafts done and c. 40 more nearly complete). Advice from writers of recent county floras was clear: "Write draft accounts BEFORE you finish recording" Some interesting trends are already appearing and, as a result, there's more to do! Details later. Lists of species recorded in Sussex Plant Atlas but not refound in our survey added to tetrad lists on web site First a short summary of recording status now all 2007 records are in.

March 2008

More detail Records on the computer: 213,600, up from 169,600 in early March 2007 (i.e. 44,000 new records). Tetrads (Figures in blue are for March 2007): 12 have >400 records ( 4 ) 139 have 300 to 400 (90) 412 have 200 to 300 (300) 24 have < 50 records (141) This means: 563 tetrads with >200 records 464 or 45% (61%) of tetrads have less than 200 records Only 2.4% (14%) have < 50 records (i.e. have not yet had a visit) At this rate we could just reach 300,000 records by end 2010 If anyone has more 2007 records let Alan have them ASAP

interesting records The first pass showed over 1000 records of possible interest! Assuming that most of you would like to leave some time today the following are therefore VERY reduced lists. As a result your favourite find may not be mentioned Also there are no repeats here of the finds featured at the autumn get-together (copy of that presentation is available on SBRS web site)

interesting records East Sussex Amaranthus blitum, A. cruentus & A. deflexus Brighton/EastbourneAS Anagallis minimaBeckley WoodsAGK Cardamine x fringsii Near Five Ashes EJR Cerinthe majorBulverhytheJAR/FWI/JCLA Clinopodium acinosFriston ForestMBE Cynosurus echinatusNorman's BayPGM Dryopteris aemulaFore WoodJPD Hymenophyllum tunbrigenseSaxonbury Hill & Motts Mill MBE/RPW Myriophyllum spicatumE.of RyeBC/JMC/ES/JAW Potamogeton berchtoldiiR.CuckmereHMP Ranunculus hederaceusBuxted ParkPMD Rosa tomentosaMaplesden areaRAN Sinapis albaBlackford FarmMBE/RPW Torilis arvensisFalmer PondAS Vicia luteaBarcombeDCL Viola caninaHolman Wood FieldPR

interesting records West Sussex Atriplex x gustafssonianaBeeding BrooksAGK/AS/EJC/MMS Brassica junceaFordDMD Catabrosa aquaticaAmberley Wild BrooksFA Chaenorhinum origanifoliumWarminghurst FarmSMS/CMH Clarkia amoenaAdsdeanMMS/EJC Crepis biennisBuryFA Eriophorum vaginatumFitzhall HeathDNE Euphrasia pseudokerneriNewtimber HillAS Fumaria densifloraTrundle, GoodwoodMMS Hieracium scotostictumEast PrestonO&MH Juncus compressusMiddletonN&ES Lysimachia thyrsifloraIfoldTEG Polygala calcareaWaldertonRCS Portulaca oleraceaThorney IslandSBRS Scleranthus annuusCoatesFA/AGK Scutellaria x hybridaTilgate ForestAGH Trifolium squamosumSE of EarnleyJAW/ES

This all looks pretty good but... Writing draft species accounts has shown up apparent changes & declines since the Sussex Plant Atlas (SPA). Some areas have many missing records (species present in SPA survey but not seen recently), for example Adur Valley/Henfield Brooks Ouse valley/Lewes Levels (Southease area well recorded, rest rather poor) Rye/Brede/Winchelsea (other then Rye shingle) Some species need more attention, e.g. Almost all the white flowered aquatic Ranunculus (Water-crowfoot) species are significantly under-recorded. If you are unsure about identifying them please collect samples (dried & gently pressed with flowers and fruits) & send to Alan Knapp or Frances Abraham - please don't ignore them.

Declining species? Need to distinguish real losses from under-recording. Examples: Cerastium arvense - No recent records from most SPA sites Cerastium semidecandrum - No recent records from Chalk Downs & few from the coast around Pagham, Newhaven to Beachy Head & TQ60 Chrysosplenium oppositifolium - apparently much reduced in area from East Grinstead, past Crawley & west to Billingshurst Groenlandia densa - Apparently gone from Adur, Ouse, Cuckmere & Pevensey Levels. Ranunculus auricomus - Probably under-recorded in E.Sussex Urtica urens - Apparently gone from TV49, 59 & 69. Veronica anagallis-aquatica (Blue Water-speedwell). Apparently almost extinct in VC14 (only 1 recent record compared to 29 in SPA). BUT in W. Sussex only a slight decline. What is going on? Information on what to look for will be on the web site. If you don't have Internet access & want to help with an area or species please ask for information on what needs doing.

Further Example - Triglochin palustre (Marsh arrow-grass) Current recording VC13: Now - 4, SPA - 5 VC14: Now - 2, SPA - 18 SPA record not refound

2008 recording Take no. of records in all tetrads to over 150 We will be asking people to target specific tetrads - please tell us if there are some you'd like to tackle. Fill in gaps in distribution of some common species, especially those with limited flowering period. e.g. Alopecurus pratensis, Cardamine pratensis, Ranunculus ficaria, See January 2008 Newsletter for details and maps Greatly reduce the number of scarce species records not seen since There are still ~960 of these from the Sx. Scarce Register. Around 100 are unlikely to be refound which still leaves well over 800. Focus on a particular species does wonders - e.g. Roy & Matthew have refound many of the missing Dryopteris aemula sites this winter Check & refind or confirm missing apparent losses from SPA as mentioned in this presentation

Recording notes Record cards Aquilegia vulgaris/Myosotis sylvatica are marked + but we only want detailed information for what may be native records - no details needed for introductions (which are the great majority) Conyza sumatrensis is now so common we don't need details Although Barbarea verna is on the front of the recording card and B.intermedia is not, it now appears that it should be the other way - B.intermedia seems to be significantly more common Information 1. Please remember to give locations for all records - despite repeated requests many cards and individual records still have no locations 2. If you find something rare let us know immediately - in 2007 we had at least 5 records for interesting species which needed confirmation but could not get it as the records only arrived at the end of the year. Without confirmation these records cannot be used.

Thanks again for all you have done Have fun in who knows what you may find.