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WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

51.) PRIMULACEAE - Primrose family

PRIMULACEAE - Primrose family

PRIMULA L.

  • Primula vulgaris Huds. (ssp. vulgaris) (Primrose) / Woodland Frequent A widespread and locally common species of ancient woodland, scrub, hedgebanks, country lanes and old churchyards; becoming scarce in the coastal lowlands and around Bristol. Also widely cultivated and naturalised. Typically the flowers are cream-coloured but white, pink and magenta forms are encountered; particularly in churchyards and even forms with flowers produced on umbels (sometimes known as var. caulescens) are occasionally met with. Despite its familiarity the first record locally was made at St Anne's Wood, Brislington in 1834 by famous Bristol Antiquarian G.W. Braikenridge. This beloved flower even has its own day of celebration, held on the 19th of April - 'Primrose day'.

  • Primula vulgaris x P. veris = P. x *polyantha Mill. (nothossp. polyantha*) (False Oxlip) /- General Uncommon An uncommon but widely distributed hybrid found in the vicinity of the two parents in grassland, open woodland and hedgebanks and shows a range of intermediacy; most dominant around Chew and Blagdon. It is also widely grown in gardens under many cultivars and may escape. Plants with red flowers were found naturalised and intogressing amongst a population of Cowslips at High Barrow Hill (Twerton Roundhill), Bath in 2023 by R.D. Randall. First recorded in the Bristol region at "High Wood, between Charlton and Patchway, 1883." (White, 1912).

[See BRLSI]

  • Primula elatior (L.) Hill (ssp. elatior) (Oxlip) - Mistake? possibly intended to be the hybrid False Oxlip? General Very Rare Recorded in Meadows up by Lansdown Racecourse in 1979 by Avon Wildlife Trust and on Nunnery Lane, Chew Valley lake in 2010 by Gary T [iRecord].

[Seems very unlikely. Get Rid.]

  • Primula veris L. (ssp. veris) (Cowslip) / Grassland Frequent Locally common in unimproved pastures, hay meadows, roadsides and open woodland on calcareous to neutral soils. Whilst it has been lost from many historic sites due to changes in agriculture it appears to be less ecologically demanding than many of its associates and is doing well on road verges. Also sometimes included in 'wildflower' seed mixes where forms look unusually robust.

HOTTONIA L.

  • Hottonia palustris L. (Water-violet) /- Wetland Rare Confined to high quality rhynes on Nailsea and Tickenham Moor and also at Nye and West Wick. Rare introduction elsewhere. "A mass of Hottonia in full bloom, bedded in bright green duckweed and framed by the darker tints of tall rush and sedge, forms a picture of exquisite loveliness. Its beauty is heightened by contrast with the expanse of drear moorland in which it lies hidden." (White, 1912).

LYSIMACHIA L.

  • Lysimachia vulgaris L. (Yellow Loosestrife) - Wetland Rare A rare and localised species of marshy places on the banks of rhynes, streams, ditches, rivers and damp woodland. Has declined greatly from what it was historically.

[Some records may be mistakes for L. punctata.]

  • Lysimachia thyrsiflora L. (Tufted Loosestrife) - spelt wrong in old flora as 'L. thrysiflora' 1782 Wetland Extinct "A northern species, never likely to be found wild in this part of the country. But it was one of the plants experimented with by Sole, at Bath, towards the end of the eighteenth century. He was fond of planting out rarities in spots which he thought suitable but which Nature had not selected. In 1782 Sole wrote: - 'Having had it [L. thyrsiflora] given me, I have planted it in a low place by the side of the Avon...where it flourishes very well.' A good many years later, Mr. Jelly, of Bath, gave the locality as 'Sides of the Avon going to Twerton.' I believe no other reference to this Avonside habitat was ever published; no doubt the plant disappeared after a while." (White, 1912).

  • Lysimachia punctata L. (Dotted Loosestrife) /- General Uncommon Widely grown in gardens and sometimes found escaped and establishes on roadsides, brownfield sites, track-sides, old quarries, woodland and on the banks of waterways.

  • Lysimachia nummularia L. (Creeping-Jenny) / Wetland Uncommon Native in damp woodland and pastures, besides ponds and lakes, and on the banks of ditches, rhynes and rivers; most concentrated around the North Somerset Levels and Moors. It is also widely naturalised as a garden escape and has a peculiar aspect for nearly always being present in old churchyards. Also known as Moneywort.

  • Lysimachia maritima (L.) Galasso, Banfi & Soldano (Glaux maritima L.) (Sea-milkwort) / Coasts Scarce Locally plentiful in saltmarsh along much of the coast and the tidal Avon and Yeo. It is first noted in our region "In a meadow by Wapping, and in a rope-walk near the water in the parish of Clifton." - Camden's Britannia, Gough's ed. (1789). White (1912) gives Black Saltwort as an alternative name.

  • Lysimachia minima (L.) U. Manns & Anderb. (Centunculus minimus L., Anagallis minima (L.) E.H.L. Krause) (Chaffweed) 1915 General Very Rare Recorded at Clevedon in 2010s by ? [BSBI record]. Otherwise only recorded at Leigh Woods in 1915 by E. Ellman and C.I. Sandwith; and Siston Common in 1927 by H.J. Gibbons [Bristol Botany in 1927, p. 382] (Riddelsdell, 1948). It appears to be a very ephemeral colonist.

[Ask David.]

  • Lysimachia tenella L. (Anagallis tenella (L.) L.) (Bog Pimpernel) / Wetland Rare Very localised in bogs and wet spots on base-poor soils; most concentrated in the Gordano Valley. It has been lost from some localities.

  • Lysimachia nemorum L. (Yellow Pimpernel) / Woodland Uncommon Widely distributed and localised in wet woodland; particularly besides streams, in shady hedgebanks and wet flushes in the open. It rarely occurs in any abundance. First recorded locally and nationally by Lobel (1570) "Anagallis lutea...In Angliae nemoribus locisque opacis...dum haec commentaremur altero in Bristoia lapide".

  • Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U. Manns & Anderb. (Anagallis arvensis L. ssp. arvensis) (Scarlet Pimpernel) / General Frequent Frequent on recently disturbed ground such as arable fields, allotments, pavements, and often appearing after roadworks. It is less common on arable land than formerly and is now more often encountered after soil disturbance; indicating it is common in the seedbank.

  • f. arvensis General Frequent The typical plant with scarlet red flowers.

  • f. lilacina (Alef.) Schinz & R. Keller - [on DB as Anagallis arvensis arvensis lilacina - known here by C.M. Lovatt since 2014] General Very Rare A form with lilac-pink flowers was discovered at Kingsweston House, Shirehampton Park in 2014 by C.M. Lovatt and was seen again the following year by C. & M.A.R.K. Kitchen.

  • f. carnea (Schrank) Schinz & R.Keller General Very Rare With darker pink flowers was recorded at ST35X in 2010s by ? and historically from ST57 pre-1930s by ? [BSBI records].

  • f. azurea Hyl. (Lysimachia loeflingii F.J. Jiménez & M. Talavera) General Very Rare With blue flowers; was recorded at ST67B in 2010s by ? and Thornbury in 2020s by ? [BSBI records].

  • Lysimachia foemina (Mill.) U. Manns & Anderb. (Anagallis arvensis L. ssp. foemina (Mill.) Schinz & Thell.) (Blue Pimpernel) 1961 General Very Rare Recently recorded from fields near Queen Charlton, Keynsham; first in 2003 by E. Price, then in 2005 by D. Lawrence, and lastly in a field between Lypiatt and Wooscombe Bottom in 2014 by E. Price again. Historically recorded from Horfield, 1843, Thwaites; St Philip's Marsh in 1901, and after; Ashley Hill, 1911 (constant); Avonmouth Docks; Portishead Station-yard (White, 1912). Also at Hellenge Hill (AWT Reserve) in 1977 by A.A. Pinches.

[Need to check that these definitely are this species and not L. arvensis f. azurea.]

CYCLAMEN L.

  • Cyclamen hederifolium Aiton (ssp. hederifolium) (Sowbread) / Woodland Uncommon Widely naturalised in woodland, churchyards and road verges. Its seeds are dispersed by ants.

  • Cyclamen persicum Mill. (var. persicum) (Florist's Cyclamen) General Very Rare Grown in gardens. Recorded at Brandon Hill in 2007 and at Sheep Wood, Henbury in 2009 by S. Denney.

[Are these reliable? Probably wrong. Get rid.]

  • Cyclamen coum Mill. (ssp. coum) (Eastern Sowbread) General Very Rare A rare garden escape found persisting where planted and self-seeding locally in churchyards, woods, road verges and tree avenues.

[7 records on BSBI plus my own.]

  • Cyclamen repandum Sibth. & Sm. (var. repandum) (Spring Sowbread) /- Woodland Rare A rare introduction; sometimes found naturalised in woodland, road verges, churchyards and under trees in public green spaces.

SAMOLUS L.

  • Samolus valerandi L. (Brookweed) /- Wetland Scarce Found in damp marshy places such as besides rhynes, ditches and rivers, and in bogs; mostly over the North Somerset Levels and Moors and the South Gloucestershire coast with sparsely scattered localities elsewhere.

ANDROSACE L.

  • Androsace maxima L. ssp. maxima (Annual Androsace - GBIF, Greater Rock-jasmine - iNaturalist, Greater Fairy Candelabra?) - [Brist. Fl., Sandwith, 1932] General Extinct A native of the Mediterranean; recorded at Portishead Station-yard, 1909, Miss Hill; St Philip's Marsh, 1916 by M. Cobbe; Ashton Gate in 1937 by ? [BMAG].

List:

  • Primula vulgaris Huds. (ssp. vulgaris - Kew, GBIF) (Primrose) / Woodland
  • Primula vulgaris x P. veris = P. x polyantha Mill. (nothossp. polyantha - Kew, GBIF) (False Oxlip - NBN) /- General
  • Primula elatior (L.) Hill (ssp. elatior - Kew, GBIF) (Oxlip) - Mistake? possibly intended to be the hybrid False Oxlip? General
  • Primula veris L. (ssp. veris - Kew, GBIF) (Cowslip) / Grassland
  • Hottonia palustris L. (Water-violet) /- Wetland
  • Lysimachia vulgaris L. (Yellow Loosestrife) - Wetland
  • Lysimachia thyrsiflora L. (Tufted Loosestrife) - spelt wrong in old flora as 'L. thrysiflora' 1782 Wetland
  • Lysimachia punctata L. (Dotted Loosestrife) /- General
  • Lysimachia nummularia L. (Creeping-Jenny) / Wetland
  • Lysimachia maritima (L.) Galasso, Banfi & Soldano (Stace) Glaux maritima L. (NBN) (Sea-milkwort) / Coasts
  • Lysimachia minima (L.) U. Manns & Anderb. (Stace) Centunculus minimus L. (NBN) Anagallis minima (L.) E.H.L. Krause (old name) (Chaffweed) 1915 General
  • Lysimachia tenella L. (Stace) Anagallis tenella (L.) L. (NBN) (Bog Pimpernel) / Wetland
  • Lysimachia nemorum L. (Yellow Pimpernel) / Woodland
  • Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U. Manns & Anderb. (Stace) Anagallis arvensis L. ssp. arvensis (NBN) (Scarlet Pimpernel) / Stace does not mention sspp. NBN does - check General
  • Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U. Manns & Anderb. f. lilacina (Alef.) Schinz & R. Keller (Scarlet Pimpernel) - [on DB as Anagallis arvensis arvensis lilacina - known here by C.M. Lovatt since 2014] General
  • Lysimachia foemina (Mill.) U. Manns & Anderb. (Stace) Anagallis arvensis L. ssp. foemina (Mill.) Schinz & Thell. (NBN) (Blue Pimpernel) 1961 General
  • Cyclamen hederifolium Aiton (ssp. hederifolium - Kew, GBIF) (Sowbread) / Woodland
  • Cyclamen persicum Mill. (Florist's Cyclamen) General
  • Cyclamen coum Mill. (Eastern Sowbread) General
  • Cyclamen repandum Sibth. & Sm. (var. repandum - Kew, GBIF) (Spring Sowbread) /- Woodland
  • Samolus valerandi L. (Brookweed) /- Wetland
  • Androsace maxima L. ssp. maxima (Annual Androsace - GBIF, Greater Rock-jasmine - iNaturalist, Greater Fairy Candelabra?) - [Brist. Fl., Sandwith, 1932] General

Species to add:

  • Primula elatior (L.) Hill (ssp. elatior - Kew, GBIF) (Oxlip) - Mistake? possibly intended to be the hybrid False Oxlip? /
  • Androsace maxima L. ssp. maxima (Annual Androsace - GBIF, Greater Rock-jasmine - iNaturalist, Greater Fairy Candelabra?) - [Brist. Fl., Sandwith, 1932] /
  • Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U. Manns & Anderb. f. lilacina (Alef.) Schinz & R. Keller (Scarlet Pimpernel) - [on DB as Anagallis arvensis arvensis lilacina - known here by C.M. Lovatt since 2014] /
  • Cyclamen persicum Mill. (var. persicum - Kew, GBIF) (Florist's Cyclamen) /
  • Cyclamen coum Mill. (ssp. coum - Kew, GBIF) (Eastern Sowbread) /

f. azurea Hyl. (Lysimachia loeflingii F.J. Jiménez & M. Talavera) General f. carnea (Schrank) Schinz & R.Keller