ESSEX BOTANY AND MYCOLOGY GROUPS
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ESSEX BOTANY AND MYCOLOGY GROUPS |
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Aceras:
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Aceras
anthropophorum
(L.)
Aiton f. __________________________________________________________________________________ |
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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. Post 2000 only 30 sites. Massive losses in Norfolk and Suffolk. It formerly occurred in Essex in several places on the small chalk outcrop west of Sudbury, but has 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 six sites, all now destroyed by development except three. But it is perhaps encouraging that it has been found in two `new’ sites since 1966, though it has probably been there in at least one of them for many years. The largest population is on the north-east rim of the Grays Chalk Quarry where its habitat is actively maintained free of scrub by the EWT, the population having increased to around 500 flowering spikes (May 2008). Post 1930 Records: |
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TQ(51)57 |
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18 |
Millwood House Pit. A single plant was found in the long grass to the west of the pit in 1994 by Peter Harvey. Site now destroyed |
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TL(52)63 |
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19 |
Little Sampford, single flowering spike appeared for the first time in a pasture, 1999, the first ever record for north west Essex (Photograph Barry Kaufman-Wright). |
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TQ(51)67 |
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18 |
South Stifford, Chalk Farm Pit, where 5 plants were found in a scrubbed over grassy area in 1980 by Fred Rumsey, (2 plants in 1983 Steven Prewer)[This site was totally destroyed when infilled during contruction of the Chafford Hundred/Lakeside complex]. |
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18 |
Grays Chalk Pit N.R. It was first found here in 1972 by Bernard Tavenor Ward, when it occurred all over the floor of the pit. Many plants were destroyed when chalk was dumped in the central area in the 1960s and subsequently when the pit scrubbed over. A colony of around 25 plants in the south of the pit was destroyed by Wimpey’s housing development, Badger’s Dene. Since the 1980s very few plants have been found on the floor of the pit, but the 1980's population of around 175 plants has been increased to 500+ in sites around the pit by controlling the scrub. |
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TL(52)71 |
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19 |
Terling, on Lord Rayleigh’s Estate, in 1951, by Bernard Tavenor Ward, in same area as recorded from 1890-1909. Cressing, a single plant was discovered in mown grassland near the Cressing Temple Barns in 1996 by Roy ?Martin?, and it has appeared each year since. |
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Pre 1930 Records:
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TL(52)71
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Terling, “by Lord Rayleigh’s Estate”, 1890 Edwin E Turner. Essex Naturalist 5 p.68.1891. ditto. 4 June 1892. Edwin E Turner (specimen in EFC herbarium).ditto. 1909. Edwin E Turner. Essex Naturalist 27 p.37. 1940.ditto. 1909, specimen in the G.C.Druce herbarium at Oxford |
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TL(52)74 |
77 ,42? |
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Belchamp St. Paul, 1715, Samuel Dale (specimen in BM herbarium). |
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Borders of cornfields at Belchamp St Paul towards Ovingdon, Ray (no date) (FLORA 1862). |
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TL(52)83 |
81 ,38? |
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Between Belchamp St Paul and Ovington, 1696 (or 1660? BSBI list). Ray’s Synopsis. |
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81 ,38? |
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"on little hillock in the corner of a ploughed field, adjoining the way from Goldrington Hall by the lime kilns towardsGestingthorpe", 1738. Journal of Botany 21 p.231. 1738. |
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TL(52)84 |
86,40 or 87,40 |
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Ballingdon, 1715, Samuel Dale (Gibson, 1862 and specimen in B.M. herbarium). |
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Walter Belchamp, 1715, Samuel Dale (specimen in BM herbarium). |
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TQ(51)98 |
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18 |
South Shoebury Common, 1835, Edward Forster. (Gibson, 1862). |
