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WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

42.) THYMELAEACEAE to CLEOMACEAE

THYMELAEACEAE - Mezereon family

DAPHNE L.

  • Daphne mezereum L. (ssp. mezereum) (Mezereon - extinct as a native) 1941 - Woodland Extinct A plant of woods and scrubby thickets. Long extinct as a native but it was recorded at Badenhill Common, Wotton-under-Edge in 1991 by S.M. Hedley. Historically it occurred at "Compton Martin Wood; Rutter's Hist. (1829). Huntrix [Hunterwick] Wood, near Cold Ashton, 1849; and woods, Churchill Batch, 1884; Herb. Flower [last recorded here in 1915 by C.I. Sandwith]. One plant in a hedgerow between Stanton Drew and Knowle Hill, 1887; D. Fry. In a thicket on Cadbury Camp, 1900; Mrs. Gregory...By the Juniper on Bathford Hill; Dr. Harper. Brass Knocker Wood; Davis in Fl. Bathon. Woods at Claverton; Jelly in Fl. Bathon. Suppl." (White, 1912). Also recorded at Dolebury Warren in 1905 by Shepton Mallet Natural HIstory Society.

  • Daphne laureola L. (ssp. laureola) (Spurge-laurel) / Woodland Scarce Scattered over the region in old woods and occasionally hedges; overlaying limestone and oolite. Rarely found in any abundance - usually only occurring as single plants.

CISTACEAE - Rock-rose family

CISTUS L.

  • Cistus incanus L. (C. albidus × C. crispus. = C. × incanus L.) (Hoary Rock-rose)? General Very Rare Recorded at Hengrove, Bristol in 2014 by ? and Bedminster in 2015 by ?.

[Only recorded as Cistus and both records appear to be planted - get rid.]

HELIANTHEMUM Mill.

  • Helianthemum nummularium (L.) Mill. (ssp. nummularium) (Common Rock-rose) / Grassland Uncommon Locally abundant on dry, rocky slopes and species-rich limestone grassland. A white-flowered plant was found in the Gully, Avon Gorge in 2023 by D. Peters - where too it is the food plant of the nationally rare Silky Wave moth (Idaea dilutaria).

  • Helianthemum nummularium x H. apenninum = H. x sulphureum Willd. ex Schltdl. (Common x White Rock-rose) Grassland Very Rare Found only at Purn Hill, Weston-super-Mare. "A pale-flowered plant, quite intermediate between the two species and doubtless the hybrid..., was found on Purn Hill, Bleadon, in 1888 by Mr. H. S. Thompson." (White, 1912).

  • Helianthemum apenninum (L.) Mill. (ssp. apenninum) (White Rock-rose) - Grassland Very Rare A very rare plant; native only to Purn Hill, Weston-super-Mare. Though it was introduced to Goblin Combe in the 1950s as part of an experiment by the University of Bristol and at Sand Point where it still persists.

TROPAEOLACEAE - Nasturtium family

TROPAEOLUM L.

  • Tropaeolum majus L. (Nasturtium) / General Scarce Frequently grown in gardens and allotments and sometimes escapes. First recorded in our region at Ebenezer Lane, Stoke Bishop, Bristol in 1984 by I.F. Gravestock.

LIMNANTHACEAE - Meadow-foam family

LIMNANTHES R. Br.

  • Limnanthes douglasii R. Br. (ssp. douglasii) (Meadow-foam) / General Very Rare Widely grown in gardens and ornamental seed mixes and rarely escapes. First recorded in our region at Uphill in 1987 by A. Coles; at Cotham, Bristol in 2002 by R. Bland; a large patch flowering on the edge of a pond in Fry's Bottom Wood, Chelwood, North Somerset in 2015 by P. Watson; and most recently found at Golden Hill Allotments, Bristol in 2022 by D. Peters. Also known as Poached-egg Plant.

RESEDACEAE - Mignonette family

RESEDA L.

  • Reseda luteola L. (ssp. luteola) (Weld) / Grassland Uncommon Widespread on disturbed ground such as road verges, railway ballast, old quarries, spoil heaps and derelict ground. Sometimes occurring in open grassland.

  • Reseda alba L. (ssp. alba) (White Mignonette) 1977 / General Extinct Recently recorded growing on a wall on Henbury Road, Bristol in 2022 by D. Peters but was destroyed the following year. A seedling emerged later in 2023 at the base of the wall but was soon destroyed with weedkiller! Historically "Formerly plentiful about Weston-super-Mare...Abundant there, 1834-5; Herb. Powell. Specimens in Herb. Sowerby collected at Weston by W. Borrer are dated Aug. 1933. In Engl. Bot. Suppl. 2628, Weston is referred to as a locality for the plant, found there by Mr. J. Woods, in March, 1830. In several places about the town, 1843; G. S. Gibson. Waste ground near sea at Weston, 1847; F. J. A. Hort. Weston-super-Mare, 1847; Herb. Clark. Fields near Christ Church; St. Brody, Fl. Weston (1856). Anchor Head rocks, 1876-8; T.F. Perkins. Still there in 1890, and at the Weston Pottery ponds; Mrs. Gregory. Still at Weston-super-Mare, 1908; Miss Livett...St. Philip's Marsh, Bristol, on rubbish tips, abundant in 1900-4. For many years on old colliery rubble at 'Holly Gess,' Kingswood; now gone" (White, 1912 [as R. suffruticulosa]); Eastville in 1917 by C.I. Sandwith; Ashton Gate in 1922 by C.I. Sandwith; Redland Green in 1932 by I.W. Evans; Avonmouth Docks in 1932 by C.I. Sandwith; Ashton Gate in 1939 by C.I. Sandwith; Bristol, G.H.K. Thwaites. Allotment, Bristol, E. Nelmes (Riddelsdell, 1948); ST57 in 1960s by ?; and ST56 in 1970s by ? [BSBI records]. White (1912) gives the name White Base Rocket.

[Is the last record the same as the 1977 in FoBR?]

  • Reseda lutea L. (ssp. lutea) (Wild Mignonette) /- Grassland Widespread in disturbed grassy places such as road verges, grassy banks, track-sides, open grassland, derelict ground and field margins; often on calcareous soils.

  • Reseda odorata L. (Garden Mignonette) 1936 General Extinct Was recorded on wasteland above Oldfield Park, Bath in 1936 by I.W. Evans (Bristol Botany in 1936).

CLEOMACEAE - Spiderflower family

CLEOME L.

  • Cleome gynandra L. (Spider Whisp) - [Sandwith 1932 as Gynandropsis gynandra] General Extinct A native of the Tropics; recorded at Baptist Mills in 1925 by C.I. Sandwith - a first and only record for the British Isles. It has a number of other names including: Shona Cabbage, African Cabbage, Cat's Whiskers and Stinkweed.

TARENAYA Raf.

  • Tarenaya hassleriana (Chodat) Iltis (Cleome houtteana Schltdl.) (Spiderflower) 1979 General Extinct Mentioned in the extinct list in the Flora of the Bristol Region (2000) as being recorded in 1979.

List:

  • Daphne mezereum L. (ssp. mezereum - Kew, GBIF) (Mezereon - extinct as a native) 1941 - Woodland
  • Daphne laureola L. (ssp. laureola - Kew, GBIF) (Spurge-laurel) / Woodland
  • Cistus incanus L. (C. albidus × C. crispus. = C. × incanus L. - Kew, GBIF) (Hoary Rock-rose)? - [only recorded as Cistus] General
  • Helianthemum nummularium (L.) Mill. (ssp. nummularium - Kew, GBIF) (Common Rock-rose) / Grassland
  • Helianthemum nummularium x H. apenninum = H. x sulphureum Willd. ex Schltdl. (Common x White Rock-rose) Grassland
  • Helianthemum apenninum (L.) Mill. (ssp. apenninum - Kew, GBIF) (White Rock-rose) - Grassland
  • Tropaeolum majus L. (Nasturtium) / General
  • Limnanthes douglasii R. Br. (ssp. douglasii - Kew, GBIF) (Meadow-foam, Poached-egg Plant) / General
  • Reseda luteola L. (ssp. luteola - Kew, GBIF) (Weld) / Grassland
  • Reseda alba L. (ssp. alba - Kew, GBIF) (White Mignonette) 1977 / General
  • Reseda lutea L. (ssp. lutea - Kew, GBIF) (Wild Mignonette) /- Grassland
  • Reseda odorata L. (Garden Mignonette) 1936 General
  • Tarenaya hassleriana (Chodat) Iltis (Stace) Cleome houtteana Schltdl. (Kew) Cleome sesquiorgyalis Naudin ex C. Huber (NBN) (Spiderflower) 1979 General
  • Cleome gynandra L. (Spider Whisp - GBIF, Shona Cabbage, African Cabbage, Cat's Whiskers, Stinkweed. - Wikipedia) - [Sandwith 1932 as Gynandropsis gynandra] General

Species to add:

  • Cistus incanus L. (C. albidus × C. crispus. = C. × incanus L. - Kew, GBIF) (Hoary Rock-rose)? /
  • Cleome gynandra L. (Spider Whisp - GBIF, Shona Cabbage, African Cabbage, Cat's Whiskers, Stinkweed. - Wikipedia) - [Sandwith 1932 as Gynandropsis gynandra] /