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Carex elongata:

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Carex elongata L.                                 BACK                                                Elongated Sedge      ___________________________________________________________________________________

 Essex status: Native, probably extinct.

A densely tufted sedge with short rhizomes that can only be confused with the C. paniculata/ appropinquata/diandra group. It is however distinctive, in having a very narrow pointed ligule, and ovoid utricles. Now a very rare sedge, confined to only 38 scattered hectads nationally (post1970-2006), having been lost from 34. It is most characteristic of neglected alder and willow carr that dries out in summer. It has been searched for along the boggy streams in Chalkney Wood and Lt Monks Wood, Marks Hall (KJA 1980s), but to no avail.

 All records: 

TL(52)82  

83 ,26

19

Marks Hall Wood, between Halstead & Coggeshall, ‘first found by Varenne in 1844’. (Gibson, 1862).[ this wood straddles the parish boundary, so the site may have been close to this boundary].

 

82 ,25

19

Lt. Monk Wood, Marks Hall, June 1847. Edward Forster. Herbarium Kew

 

82 ,25

 

Marks Hall, 1849. Dr Ezekiel Varenne. Herbarium CGE. [most of the wood bearing this name on the 1st edition O.S. map has now been converted to arable].

 

87,27/8

19

Chalkney Wood, Dr Ezekiel Varenne, date ? (Gibson 1862).[N.B. the 1844 date (Gibson 1862) clearly refers to the Marks Hall site. Since it was Varenne who found it at Marks Hall, it is likely that his Chalkney Wood record is equally correct and should be accepted despite the absence of a specimen].