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Equisetum fluviatile:                                                     BACK                     MAP

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Equisetum fluviatile L. [Equisetum limosum L.]                                                           Water Horsetail                                                                                        ___________________________________________________________________________________                                                                                                                                                          

Light 8. Wetness 10. pH 6. Fertility 4.                                                                                                                                    

Essex status: Native.

An aquatic species of moderately acid ,shallow, still waters or wet mud close to water, in lakes, ponds, ditches and bogs in well-lit open habitats. Easily identified by its pencil-like smooth, shiny, hollow, paper-thin, brittle, hardly-branched stems, the central hollow occupying 0.75 to 0.9 of the overall diameter. In exposed sites it has virtually no whorls of branches but in shady sites it develops short straight branches, leading to this form being named by Linnaeus as E. limosum, although genetically it is identical. Its extensive rhizomes also have a wide hollow and extend a long way though thick anaerobic mud, rooting at the nodes, thus channelling oxygen where many other plants are unable to survive. The aerial branches die down in the winter, but the rhizomes survive in the mud and regenerate the plant, as unlike other horsetail species it does not form rhizoidal tubers. The barrel shaped strobili are formed at the apex of slightly shorter than normal aerial stems. It is widespread throughout Britain, particularly where there are deep silty muds in still waters shallower than 1.5m. They can be very acid with a low mineral status, but it does best in calcareous silts, when it often forms reedbed-like colonies.Very thinly scattered in Essex in gravel workings, lakes, peaty bogs, flood plain marshes and a farm reservoir. One of our biggest colonies was in Goldings Hill Pond North (Epping Forest) until it was completely eliminated when the pond was dredged in 2000. Monads 49.

Equisetum x litorale Kühlew. Ex Rupr. [E. arvense x E. fluviatile]                               Shore Horsetail

Native. Intermediate. Bright green stems to 1m, central hollow about half the diameter, dense whorls of branches in middle of stem, strobili abortive.

One record: TQ350,879 & 353,877. Walthamstow marshes, by ditches, north and south marsh. 1980. Brian Wurzell.

 

 

 

   

TQ(51)49

408,982

18

Epping Forest, Rat’s Lane Bog. 1976; abundant along stream, west of the bog. 1979. K J Adams [now extinct]

 

418,985

18

Epping Forest, Lesser Wake Valley West 1973. K J Adams. [now extinct]

 

418,985

18

Epping Forest, Lesser Wake Valley V2 Crater Pond. 1973; and 1984; K J Adams

 

420,978

18

Epping Forest, Wake Valley Pond, inlet stream. 1973 & 2004. K J Adams

 

425,975

18

Epping Forest, Baldwins Hill Pond. 1974; in NE corner by the delta.September 1988. K J Adams.

 

429,980

18

Epping Forest, Goldings Hill Upper Pond, 1951, 1958; Ronald M Payne. Abundant across at least half of pond,1968, 1971, 1974; K.J.Adams; 1995, Amanda Samuels [exterminated when pond dredged in 2000/2001.] Only a handful of stems 2004. K. J. Adams. Not seen since.

 

428,979

18

Epping Forest, Goldings Hill Lower Pond, 1958, Ronald M Payne. 1974 K.J.Adams

 

427,991

18

Epping Forest,  Dulsmead Hollow Bog, with E. palustre. 1951,1970,1971.Ronald  M Payne. Still there 1986. K J Adams.

      Epping Forest, Dulsmead, Hollow, right-hand branch of stream bog only, no sign of E. palustre. 21 October 1979. K J.Adams.

 

436,995/6

18

Epping Forest, Oak Hill Bog, with E. palustre. July 1976. K J Adams.

  431,999 18 Epping Forrest, Lodge Road Bog South. 21 May 2006. K J Adams.

TL(52)40

431,000

19

Epping Forest, Lodge Road Bog North. 1953, 2008, 2011, 2014. Large colony near outlet. K J Adams.

 

4410,0060

19

Epping Forest, Pestle Pit Pond. 1976; western end. 1969; and 1980; K J Adams; 1993, Amanda Samuels.

  4412,0085 19 Epping Forest, Pestle Pit Pond. Ken Adams et Epping WFG. Large colony. 10 September 2013.

TL(52)41

48,17

19 

Little Hallingbury flood pound. 18 July 1999. Charles & Shirley Watson

 

49,16

19

Sawbridgeworth Marsh, date? John L Fielding.

 

492,173

19

Little Hallingbury Marsh, 1984. Charles & Shirley Watson

 

493,184

19

Little Hallingbury, willow plantation east of R. Stort. 1984. Charles & Shirley Watson

 

49,17

19

Little Hallingbury, R. Stort and marsh south of Spellbrook Lock. 1980. Charles & Shirley Watson.

 

48,18

19

Little Hallingbury, Thorley Flood Pound. 1983. Charles & Shirley Watson

  490,180 19 Little Hallingbury, small colony in marsh between R. Stort and Wallbury Fort.  6 May 1991. Tim Pyner.

 

497,196

19

Great Hallingbury, Rushey Mead N.R. 1990. Charles & Shirley Watson

TL(52)43 45,39 19 Chrishall, July 1996. John L. Fielding & Shirley Watson.

TQ(51)59

 

18

South Weald Park. Essex Flora 1974.

 

561,962

18

Coxtie Green, Mores Wood, edge of small pond, July 1960; no sign 2011.  K J Adams.

  5500,9275 18

Dagnam Park, in pond with Butamus umbellatus and Ricciocarpos natans. 24 June 1979. K J Adams et Havering Group.

  56,97 18 Alder Shaw. 2009. EECOS.
  57,99 18 Brentwood, Pole's Wood. 2009. EECOS.
  58-9?,90 18 Brentwood, The Wobbings.2009. EECOS.

TL(52)50

55,01

18

High Ongar, Marden Ash, flooded gravel pit by Langford Bridge. Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)51

53,11

19

Matching Green, pond. Essex Flora 1974.

  53,19 19 Hatfield Broad Oak, Harfield Forest, 2002. Shirley Watson.
  5432,1749 19 Hatfield Broad Oak, small patch in open water of drainage ditch. 30 August. 2007. Luke Bristow.
  54,19 19 Hatfield Forest lake, 1999. Shirley Watson.

 

540,197

19

Hatfield Forest Lake, southern end. 31.Jul.1955. K J Adams.

TL(52)52

 

19

Hatfield Forest, lake delta marsh. Essex Flora 1974.

 

52,28

19

Ugley, marshy field. Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)53

527,375 19 Saffron Walden, Littlebury, pond in middle of filed. 6 May 2000. Shirley Watson.

TQ(51)68

62,89

18

Thorndon Park South, Mill Wood lake. Essex Flora 1974.

  6269,8998 18 Thorndon Park South, Mill Wood lake, in small quantity edge of lake. 23 June 2010. Mary Smith et EFC.
  6268,9000 18 Thorndon Park South, northern part. Small patch NE edge of lake. 23 June 2010Ken Adams et EFC,
  626,900 18 Thorndon Park South, Menagerie Plantation, marshy area north of Old Hall Lake. 14 September 1986. Tim Pyner; and Mary Smith et EFC. 24 June 2010.

TQ(51)69

61,90

18

Childerditch Pond. Essex Flora 1974.

  61,91 18 Brentwood, Thorndon Park. 18 June 1979. Paula Swettenham.

 

 

18

Billericay. Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)60

653,006

18

Ingatestone, the Hyde Lake. 20July 1998. Graham Smith

 

651,025 

18

Ingatestone, Dawes Farm Reservoir. 19 August 1999.Graham Smith.

TL(52)61

63,11

19

Good Easter, Chalybeate Spring. Essex Flora 1974.

 

69,19

19

Felsted, marsh by R.Ter. Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)62

66,20

19

Felsted, swamp by sewage works. Essex Flora 1974.

 

60,25

19

Great Easton, marsh. Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)71 75,11 19     Boreham, frequent in old gravel pits. 10 Novenber 1986. Tim Pyner.

TL(52)72

72,21

19

Bartholomew Green, pond. Essex Flora 1974.

  76,26 19 Braintree, Bocking Stream, north of Hadley Close, 1988. Jeremy Ison.

 

74,28/9

19

Beazeley End, marsh. Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)80

80,08

19

Ulting, marsh, Essex Flora 1974.

TL(52)81

841,129

19

Wickham Bishops, Chantry Wood. 30 July 1997. Terri Tarpey

TL(52)82

82,22

19

Bradwell, marsh. Essex Flora 1974.

 

898,282

19

Chappel, Millenium Green, base of bank & near pond. 5 June 2001. Colchester Natural History Society.

  8977,2820         19 Chappel, extensive stand in wet area. 16 June 2008. Colin Austin.

TL(52)83

81,31/2

19

Great Maplestead, marsh. Essex Flora 1974.

 

88,35

19

1987. Bill Chisholm

 

8836

19

Daws Hall N.R. 6 June 1982. Colchester Natural History Society.

TL(52)84

82,40

19

Belchamp Walter, marsh. Essex Flora 1974.

 

82,40

19

May 1984. EWT records

 

83,45+

19

Foxearth, old gravel pits. Essex Flora 1974.

 

83,46

19

Liston Pits, 14 September 2001. K J Adams & Terri Tarpey.

TL(52)91

94,16

19

Abberton Resevoir, 22 May 2008. Joanne Denyer

TL(52)92

98,26

19

1989. Peter Wilson. 23 August 1983. Jerry Heath & Terry Tarpey.

TM(62)01

06,18

19

Brightlingsea Gravel Pits, good quantity on sludgy mud.1 July 1984. Alan Wake & Ian Rose.

TM(62)02 0020,2967 19 Colchester, Severals. Extensive stand in pond. 19 January 2008. Colin Austinn.

 

06,26

19

1979 & 29 May 1982.  Colchester Natural History Museum

 

08,20

19

5 July 1984. Alan Wake

 

09,24

19

1988. Jean Wort

TM(62)21

20,19

19

Great Holland Pits N.R. 11 July 1982. Essex Field Club field trip.

 

Pre 1930 Records

    19 Ashdon
    19 Sampford
    19 Clavering
    19 Little Chishill
    19 Halstead
    19 Braintree
      Chelmsford
    19 Hatfield Forest
    18 Epping Forest
    18 Plaistow Levels
    18 Great Warley
    19 Kelvedon
    19 Dedham
    19 Colchester