Blechnum spicant

ESSEX BOTANY AND MYCOLOGY GROUPS

Blechnum spicant:

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Blechnum spicant (L) Roth. Hard Fern

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Light 5. Wetness 6. pH 3-5. Fertility 3. Height Essex Status: Native

Native. A tough, leathery, simply pinnate, strongly calcifuge, winter green fern. Very local in Essex on markedly acid, mineral, gravel or clay soils that are permanently damp but free draining, and most commonly occurring on cool, moist, woodland ditch-banks in moderate shade. It reproduces readily in situ and can rapidly colonize/regenerate a site if conditions are conducive. The vegetative fronds are dark green, shiny, and normally form flattened rosettes. In a few permanently damp sites the plants are large and produce the distinctive, vertical, herringbone-like fertile fronds. Our largest known population is in Harts Wood, Brentwood; elsewhere it is moderately well established in Thorndon Park North, Stoneymore Wood, Norsey Wood, and Copley Plain, Epping Forest. Elsewhere it is somewhat sporadic and only present in small numbers. It is sometimes confused with Polypodium species and the record for Broxted in Jermyn 1974 is such a record and possibly that for St. Osyth Priory. 29 monads.

Post 1930 records:

TQ(51)39	38,95	18	Epping Forest, Yardley Hill, 1993. Tricia Moxey.
TQ(51)49	40,97	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood. 1994. Amanda Samuels.
	406,973	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood. August 1996. Amanda Samuels.
	4059,9719	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood. 30 August 2000. Amanda Samuels.
	4056,9704	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood, single medium plant, by stream. October 2010. K J Adams.
	4055,9719	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood, small plant by ditch. October 2010. K J Adams.
	4060,9727	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood, small plant by ditch. October 2010. K J Adams.
	4081,9749	18	Epping Forest, Hill Wood, small plant by ditch. October 2010. K J Adams.
	41,97	18	Epping Forest, Pauls Nursery. 1994. Amanda Samuels
	418,967	18	Epping Forest, Loughton Brook. 8 June 1995. Amanda Samuels.
	4266,9921	18	Epping Forest by Epping New Road. 1973. Steven License.
	434,993	18	Epping Forest, Oak Hill, Green Ride, anti-tank ditch, the 'Ditches Ride', 1 medium plant, in clump of Ling, nr. Calamagrostis epigejos. October 1965; no sign. 1970. Ronald M Payne.
	432,992	18	Epping Forest, Tippa Burn, north of Copley Plain. 1995, Amanda Samuels.
	4319,9919	18	Epping Forest, Tippa Burn, north of Copley Plain. 1 small plant. 30 September 2010. K J Adams.
	431,991	18	Epping Forest, Tippa Burn, north of Copley Plain. 1995, Amanda Samuels.
	4315,9914	18	Epping Forest, Tippa Burn, north of Copley Plain. 1 small plant. 30 September 2010. K J Adams.
	433,989	18	Epping Forest, Oak Hill, Copley Plain, on NNE facing slope of deep anti-tank ditch, 10 plants within 20yrds. 1952. James W Dyce.; seen also 1953-1956; only 3 plants in 1958; one small plant near top end of the ditch. 1970; no plants at all. 1971. Ronald M Payne.
	433,989	18	Epping Forest,Oak Hill, Copley Plain anti-tank ditch, one large clump at upper end, north side. 9 October 1988. K J Adams.
	433,990	18	Epping Forest, Oak Hill, Copley Plain. 1993. Amanda Samuels.
	435,991		Epping Forest, Oak Hill, Copley Plain. 1994. Amanda Samuels.
	433,989	18	Epping Forest, Oak Hill, upper end of Copley Plain anti-tank ditch, c.12 plants and numerous young plants on steep, damp north-facing bank enveloped in dead bracken. 10 April 2010. K J Adams.
	433,997	18	Epping Forest, Long Running. 1 April 1997. Amanda Samuels.
	420,987	18	Epping Forest, Monk Wood, single medium sized plant, north side of ‘creek’ west side of Wake Valley Pond, close to the pond, 2004. K J Adams; One small plant same site, large plant now gone. 14 April 2010.
TL(52)40	47,02	18	Coopersale. 1993. Amanda Samuels.
TL(52)42	47,23	18	Farnham, north side of Bailey Hills. August 1997. Shirley Watson.
TQ(51)59	565,966	18	Mores Wood, Coxtie Green, 2 plants on north bank of southern branch of stream in north east corner of wood.29 August 1981. K J Adams.
	569,952 & 572,950	18	South Weald Park, 3-4 plants, ditch by Shepherd’s Lane. August 1977. K J Adams et LNHS.
	5893,9099	18	Warley, Holdens Wood, one plant on wood bank, 1987. K J Adams; One plant 1997.Brian Coombes & K J Adams.
	573,990	18	Kelvedon Hatch C.P., The Coppice. 2 plants on streambank. 16 November 2002 & 2003. Tim Pyner.
	57374,99143	18	Kelvedon Hatch C.P., The Coppice. 8 plants on old Badger set, 3 fruiting. 19 September 2015. K.J.Adams et EFC.
	57380,99313	18	Stondon Massey C.P., The Coppice 6 plants 2 fruiting. 15 September 2015. David Dives.
	5888,9205	18	Brentwood, Clements Wood. 2012. Adrian Knowles.
TQ(51)69		18	Thorndon Park, Ronald M Payne.
	6009,9195	18	Barrack Wood, on boundary bank adjoining Donkey Lane Plantation. 2012. Adrian Knowles.
	608,916	18	Thorndon Park North, 6 plants in small gulley east of the main car park. 3 October 2009. K J Adams.
	607,912	18	Thorndon Park North, numerous plants, on banks of deep ditch south-west of the visitor centre.18 October 1980; 30 plants 3 October 2009; K.J.Adams.
	68,95	18	Norsey Wood, Tim Pyner et EFC, 7 September 1997.
	6869,9543	18	Norsey Wood, 2 large plants, east side of valley near east-west track. 27 March 2010. K J Adams et EFC.
	602-3,919	18	Kents Wood, Brentwood, 300-400 plants, main east-west ditch, 1991& 1995; Tim Pyner; 2004 Tim Pyner et EFC.
TL(52)60		18	Mill Green Woods, Ronald M Payne.
			Stonymore Wood, H A Sandford (Flora of Essex 1974); Francis Rose 1973.
	635,018	18	Stonymore Wood, 80+ plants on Medieval wood-bank, one site. 1 July 2005. Graham Smith.
	6372,0190	18	Stonymore Wood, on internal woodbank, just east of the N-S bridleway, 2012. Adrian Knowles.
	6372,0187	18	Stonymore Wood, on internal woodbank, just east of the N-S bridleway, 2012. Adrian Knowles.
	6382,0196	18	Stonymore Wood, on internal woodbank, just south of constituency boundary, 2012. Adrian Knowles.
	6395,0203	18	Stonymore Wood, on internal woodbank, 2012. Adrian Knowles.
	6395,0182	18	Stonymore Wood, on internal woodbank, just west of the Viper Pub. 2012. Adrian Knowles.
	624,024	18	Birch Spring, 8-10 plants on woodland bank. 27 June 1998. Graham Smith.
TL(52)70		18	Woodham Walter Common, Ronald M Payne.
	790,069	18	Woodham Walter Common Bog, 1 plant near. 1979. Geoffrey A Pyman & K J Adams.
		18	Little Baddow, numerous young plants in recently excavated drainage furrows in new conifer plantation. 1973. K J Adams & S T Jermyn.
	791,064	18	Little Baddow Heath, frequent, marshy hollows 24 January 1992. Tim Pyner.
	78,06	18	Pheasanthouse Wood, Geoffrey A. Pyman.
	792,071	18	Woodham Walter Common, one medium sized plant by main stream. 23 April 2015. K.J.Adams.
	787,066	18	Pheasanthouse Wood Bog, large clump, lower reaches of the bog. July 2009. K J Adams et EWT.
TQ(51)88	814,892	18	Daws Heath, Tile Wood, small quantity in middle of wood. 1983. 2 plants 15 May 1996. Tim Pyner.
TQ(51)89	86,90	18	Hall Road, Rochford, hedgebank. Date? H D Sparrow.
TL(52)81	884,147	19	Tiptree Heath, [Flora of Essex 1974].
TL(52)91	90,18+	19	Pods Wood, [Flora of Essex 1974].
TL(62)92	965,209	19	Chest Wood, Layer de la Haye. (Flora of Essex 1974).
	9905,2095	19	Friday Woods, one plant on bank of stream. 7 May 2009. Terri Tarpey.
	9901,2074	19	Friday Woods, 12 July 1997; one plant on bank of stream. 7 May 2009. Terri Tarpey.
	989,207	19	Friday Woods, 2 clumps on woodland bank beside damp path. 28 May 1992.; On bank by track nr. 4-boled Birch. 12 July 1997. Jeremy J Heath & Terri Tarpey
	989,205	19	Friday Woods, 5 plants side of ditch in the wood. 1990.CNHS.
	990,206	19	Berechurch, Friday Wood, 1 plant on stream bank. 25 April 1989. Tim Pyner.
	990,208	19	Berechurch, Friday Wood, 1 plant on stream bank. 26 July 1995. Jeremy Bowdrey & Terri Tarpey; 1 plant on stream bank. 14 March 1998. Tim Pyner
TM(62)01	04,19	19	Fingringhoe Wick N.R. 1989. Laurie Forsyth.
TM(62)11	128,181	19	Riddles Wood, 1 plant edge of tree fall hollow created by October 1987 gale. 30 May 1993.CNHS.
TM(62)02	015,202	19	1 plant on bank of stream. 1 September 2003. Jeremy J Heath & Terri Tarpey.
	012,305	19	Donyland Wood, 6 plants in tree fall hollow. February 1992. Peter Wilson & B E Wright.
		19	St. Osyths Priory [Flora of Essex 1974] mistake ?
		19	Stour Wood, Francis Rose & Stanley Jermyn.[Flora of Essex 1974].
TM(62)03	203,316	19	Ramsey, Copperas Wood, 3 plants on bank by stream. 12 October 1992. Tim Pyner.
	203,316	19	Ramsey, Copperas Wood, 1 plant by pond. 12 June 1994. Terri Tarpey.
TM(62)13	18,31	19	1985. Russell Leavett.
	1885,3118	19	Stour Wood, 3-4 plants c.fr. western edge of small triangular clearing. 9 October 2010. K.J.Adams.
	19,31	19	1985 & 1987. Russell Leavett.
	190,137	19	Wrabness, Stour Wood, a few plants in small ditch. 18 July 1999. Tim Pyner.

Pre 1930 records:

18 Danbury Heath. Arthur Wallis. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

18 Galleywood Common. Horatio Piggot. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

19 Little Baddow Common. Edward Forset. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

18 Epping Lower Forest Edward Forster. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

18 Epping Forest, High Beach J. Freeman. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862] Not there 2009. K J Adams.

18 Woodford. Richard Warner. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862].

18 Bentley Common. Edward Forster. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

19 Messing Heath, very rare. Dr Ezekiel Varenne.[Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

19 Birch Woods, Dedham, rare. W. H. Coleman. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

19 Osier Ground, Wivenhoe.W.L.P.Garnons. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]

18 Warley Common. W.L.P.Garnons. [Gibson's Flora of Essex 1862]