 |
| Burton Mill Pond (looking South from the dam crest) |
Burton Mill Pond is part of the Burton Park Site of Special Scientific Interest [SSSI]. The pond supports the nationally scarce Cicuta virosa commonly known as Cowbane.
The plant can be seen with relative ease from the path which runs along the dam crest. It has been recorded along all sides of the pond, and seems to favour the wettest edges of the Phragmites and Carex dominated fen (pers. obs.)
It has long been regarded that Burton Mill Pond is the only site in Sussex where this plant is recorded, and it is consequently one of the notable features of the SSSI.
Natural England - Burton Park SSSI Citation
However, when reviewing the Botanical Society of British Flora species account (2009) - it tantalisingly suggests that the plant may be at a number of sites within the Sussex borders? This being apparent from the distribution map rather than the text.
BSBI species account
Nationally the plants distribution is very scattered, although it has a stronghold in the Shropshire-Derbyshire plains, where it can be quite common (ibid)
Addendum
2nd March 2019
The new "Flora of Sussex" (Sussex Botanical Recording Society, 2018) has updated my understanding of the occurrence of Cicuta virosa in West Sussex. Accordingly at least three other significant sites have been recorded since 2003 - two on the western Rother, and another downstream of Burton Mill Pond at Fittleworth. A fourth site in West Sussex was also found in 2005 comprising of only two plants.
Sussex Botanical Recording Society (2018), The Flora of Sussex Pisces Publications, Berkshire
No comments:
Post a Comment