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The Essex Records 1820 -2007.

Following the introductory paragraph to each taxon, the records are set out in columns. The first being the letter and alternative number (in brackets) code for the 100 x 100km square, followed by the 10 x 10km square number, arranged in conventional order from south to north, moving from west to east; the second column gives the 1 x 1km square or the 100 x 100m square Ordnance Survey grid reference if known; the third the vice county, and the final column the available details of the individual record. Approximate grid references for older records are suffixed by a?

 

Chara vulgaris L. sensu lato

Several forms of this taxon have been given varietal names, such as vulgaris, longbracteata, papillata, crassicaulis and refracta. Having grown these in culture however, it is pretty obvious that they are not distinct genetic varieties but are simply ecomorphs, as the same plants change from one form to another as they grow. Quite what causes the switch between the forms is unclear. It does not seem to be correlated with daylength, but I suspect that the development of extended bracteoles and long spine cells is a response to predation, as water mites and juvenile Limnaea snails are particularly partial to the antheridia. Thus it is possible for a single plant to express both the papillata and the longibracteata morphology simultaneously.

I propose eventually therefore to reorganize this dataset under one heading with notes covering the type of expression exhibited by particular populations, and abandon the clearly illegitimate varietal names.

Chara vulgaris var. longibracteata (Kutz.) J. Groves & Bullock-Webster.

This supposed variety is characterised by its very long bracteoles and adaxial bract cells (to 6x length of oogonium), but it intergrades with var. vulgaris and var. papillata, some forms having very long supine spine cells, others having vestigial spine cells. If a specimen has the extra long bracteoles it has been recorded as this variety, regardless of spine cell length, though where possible this has been recorded. The extent to which bracteole length and spine development are under genetic or environmental control, is not yet known, but these forms seem to interchange over the space of a few months in the same pond. [see paragraph above].

                                                                                                                                  PICTURE

??????

 

 18

Essex, South. 1884. Coll: J English, det..H.Groves and J.Groves.

J.Bot. 23 : 81-83.

         

TQ(51)38

352,871

18

Walthamstow Marshes, small colony in new one-year-old ditch with Elodea nuttallii, rather tatty but fertile, antheridia and oogonia present. Reported by Brian Wurzell. Coll: and det: 1 Dec. 1986. K.J.Adams.

 
 

349,879

18

Walthamstow marshes, plentiful, drainage ditch, 1 August 1987, Brian Wurzell and K.J.Adams.

 
 

352,871

18

Walthamstow Marshes, drainage ditch along northern margin of the marshes, plentiful and largely exhibiting the longibracteata expression. August 2003. Same site as recorded in 1986. K.J.Adams.

 

TQ(51)49

426,918

18

Pond on the green, Woodford Bridge, almost choking the pond, bracts & bracteoles very long, apices of branches ecorticate, spine cells minute, plants fertile and very large. 5 October 1985. Coll : & det: K.J.Adams.

 
 

486,919

18

Small pond in scrubby pasture just south of Hainault Forest, fertile, small spine cells, grading into var. vulgaris. Abundant, dominant, with Myriophyllum spicatum and Ranunculus aquatilis s.s. 12 May 1988. Coll: & det: K.J. Adams.

 
 

470,932

18

Hainault Forest, abundant, Roe's Well pond, with antherida and oogonia, exhibiting longibracteata expression. 8 August 2002. Coll: Brian Ecott. det: Kenneth J Adams from computer scan image! Material collected in February 2003 from the same pond, was well grown and bright green, but sterile, with equally developed primary and secondary cortex rows, and spine cells either vestigial or at the most small papillae, - coming within the range of the vulgaris expression. [by May 2003 the population had reverted to the longibracteata expression, and was growing with rafts of the alga Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum. K.J.Adams.]

 

TL(52)40

447,011

18

Bell Common Main Pond, Epping Forest, abundant in shallows of the recently dredged (1991) pond, with immature antheridia and oogonia, 25 April. 1992. Coll: & det: K.J.Adams.

 
  468,075 19 Mark Bushes, small new pond, abundant, fertile. Very long bracteoles but normal sized spine cells. 6 August 2013. K.J.Adams.  
 

479,086

19

Harlow Common New Pond, in the shallows, north side. Antheridia and oogonia present on old plants, numerous young plants. 1 Oct 1987. Coll: & det:. K.J.Adams.

 

TL(52)42

468,241

19

Farnham, pond, south side of road, nr. Hill Farm, August 1996. Shirley Watson.

 
         

TL(52)43

454,317

19

Ford End, Clavering, small pond in field, with C. globularis var. globularis, [sterile, with long bracteoles, spines supine, about twice as long as width of spine rows to hardly developed (KJA)]. 20 October 1997. Coll: Shirley Watson, det: K.J.Adams.

 
         

TQ(51)58

576,843

18

Manor Farm fishing lake (old gravel workings), Upminster. Abundant, shallows along western side. Exhibiting the longbracteata expression, but spine cells very small and supine. Oogonia and antherida present. 18 July 2002. Coll: Mary Smith Det: K J Adams.

 
  520,808 18 Rainham Marshes, brackish dyke just north of Coldharbour Lane, abundant, coll: Mary Smith. Det: K J Adams.  
         

TQ(51)59

517, 917

18

Romford, Bedford's Park Lake, in quantity in the shallows, very long bract cells, antheridia and oogonia present; with Ranunculus circinatus, Potamogeton crispus and Ceratophyllum demersum, 4 July 1987, Coll: & det: K.J.Adams.

 
 

517,917

18

Romford, Bedfords Park Lake, exhibiting longibracteata expression, but poorly developed spine cells. August 2004. Coll: Mary Smith Det: KJA

 
         

TL(52)50

5840,0368

18

High Ongar, new, steep-sided one-year-old pond in raw Chalky Boulder Clay, on south side of A414 newly constructed to replace old pond destroyed by road widening. Opposite drive to Chevers Hall. Plentiful, with very long bract cells and ecorticate apices, fruiting abundantly. 19 June 1986. Coll: & det: K.J.Adams.

 
   

ditto

by 23 Nov. 1986, yellowish and dying, being replaced by fresh growth of C.vulgaris var. papillata. Coll: & det;  K.J.Adams.

 
   

ditto

by 29 June 1987, pond full of var. longibracteata only again, rather encrusted. K.J.Adams.

 
   

ditto

by 28 Sept. 1987 no sign of any charophytes at all. K.J.Adams

 
         

TL(52)51

536,128

19

Matching, new reservoir at Parvilles, with Chara globularis var. globularis. August 1999. Shirley & Charles Watson.

 

539,196

19

Hatfield Forest, decoy lake, abundant in shallows on west side in patches with C. vulgaris var. vulgaris and C. hispida, c.fr. 24 September 1989. Coll: & det: K.J.Adams.

         

. TL(52) 52

528,200

19

Great Hallingbury, Beggar’s Hall fishing lake, with C. globularis, August 1978.Shirley & Charles Watson. Det: K J Adams.

 
 

552,215

19

Stansted Airport balancing ponds. July 1988. Shirley Watson.

 
 

535,233

19

Burton End, Stansted, small roadside pond, west side of road. 1996. Shirley Watson.

 
         

TQ(51) 67

648/9,756

18

Tilbury, huge quantities clogging the dyke on the north side of Fort Roadnorth of Tilbury Fort, mainly var. longibracteata forms. July 2000. K.J.Adams et EFC.

 
         
TQ(51)68 6023,863 18 North Stifford, Golf Course. In small pond with Alisma plantago-aquatica and Ranunculus aquatilis.  Plentiful globules but nucules tiny. 14 April 2014.Coll: Mary Smith. Det: Kenneth J Adams.  
  604,875 18 Great Warley, Latchford Farm water garden centre. 20 August 2014. Coll; Enid Barrie. Det: K.J.Adams.  
         

TL(52) 60

610,045

18

Norton Heath, abundant raft in shallow scrape at the Bupleurum falcatum reserve. Plants exhibiting both longibracteata and papillata expressions, spine cells both supine and pointing outwards and often longer than diameter of main axis. Oogonia and antheridia present. 17 June 2002. Kenneth J Adams.

 
 

621,092

19 .

Roxwell, Skreens Wood, deep water-filled rut, typical old tatty but fertile plants of var. longibracteata with very long bracteoles and supine spine cells 2-4x width of major cortex rows, but with a mixture of young `var. vulgaris' shoots with very short bracteoles and spine cells and var.longibracteata-like shoots arising from the same plants. A clear indication that these are environmentally induced‘expressions’rather than genetically distinct varieties. 13 September 1998, Coll: Martin Heywood. Det:: K.J.Adams

 
 

634,081

19

Roxwell, Tye Hall Farm, dense mat covering the bed of the moat, following desilting in October 1997. A form with well developed bracteoles and adaxial bract cells, but with stipuloides and spine cells hardly developed, the longest spine cell being no more than the width of a secondary cortex row (KJA). 24 July 1999. Coll: Martin Heywood.

 

TL(52) 61

616,121

19

Good Easter, temporary hollow in old marshy pasture, plants high and dry but still moist. Very fertile and clearly monoecious. 12 June 1982. Coll: & det: K.J.Adams.

 
         

TL(52) 62

601,240

19

Lt. Easton, new agricultural reservoir in Chalky Boulder Clay, a few tatty scraps of last year's plants retrieved on grapnel with Potamogeton pusillus, 24 September 1988. Tim Pyner, Charles Watson & K.J.Adams.

 
         

TL(52) 63

695,316

19

Finchingfield, Daw Street, in shallows of farm reservoir, antheridia and oogonia present, plus well developed spine cells. 16 July 1997. Coll: & det: Jeremy Ison.

 
         
TL(52)70 729,093 19 Chelmsford, Boleyn Gardens, Beaulieu Park, pond. Exhibiting both longibracteata and papillata expressions. Numerous male but only immature female. Collected Peter and Pam Wilson. 9 November 2009.  
         

TL(52) 71

707,185

19

Lodge Lake, agricultural reservoir, east of Leez Priory. In massive rafts in the shallows all along the shore line, fruiting abundantly and beginning to disintegrate. Very long bract cells. Growing with Tolypella glomerata and Potamogeton pectinatus along the eastern end of the north shore. 19 July 1986. Coll: & det: K.J.Adams.

 
   

ditto

still present, August 1991, Tim Pyner, (but no Tolypella).

 
         

TL(52) 72

733,2l4

19

Rayne, shallow ditch near Stamford Farm, 1959. Coll: & det: K.J.Adams. reported in:

Flora of Essex. p45. 1974.

         

TL(52) 73

787,315

19

Sible Hedingham, Broak's Wood, recently cleared out pond, 16 May 1991, Coll: & det: Jeremy Ison.

 
 

786,314

19

Sible Hedingham, Broak's Wood, small pond by the car park, sterile, 20 May 1995. Coll: & det: Tim Pyner.

 
         

TL(52)81

805,114

19

Hatfield Peverel, small agricultural reservoir, sterile, 21 Oct 1987. Coll: & det: Tim Pyner.

 
         

TQ(51)88

877,871

18

Prittlewell, Priory Park, recently cleared fishing pond, frequent, oogonia abundant, 17 July 1988. Coll: & det: Tim Pyner.

 
         

TQ(51)89

860,922

18

Hawkwell, old gravel pit by Magnolia Rd., recently cleared pond, frequent in deeper water, antheridia and oogonia present, 28 June 1996. Coll: & det: Tim Pyner.

 
         

TL(52) 82

898,282

19

Chappel, small drying up pond, exhibiting longibracteata and papillata expressions,          27 June 2004. Coll: Peter & Pam Wilson Det: KJA.

 

TQ(51) 98

938,861

18

North Shoebury, Friar's Park, in flooded gravel pit, frequent but rather decayed and tatty. Sterile. 6 December 1987. Coll: & det: Tim Pyner.

 
 

922,856

18

Thorpe Bay, shallow pond by the railway, frequent in drying pond, - short spine cells, male and female present. 10 July 1998. Tim Pyner [C. vulgaris var. vulgaris previously recorded here].