Conservation status: N
First record: Sir John Cullum,1775
First British Record: 'Gathered by Prof. Babington and Mr J.Ball in 1833.' Syme, Eng. Bot. (ed.3, x:129).
'As far as I can remember the date of the Carex being first gathered was 1833 but I believe it is stated in Eng. Bot. 2971.' Babington in letter to Mr Duthie, 8 Oct.1874.'
'Found by CC Babington and J.Ball in 1838 on the Gogmagog Hills, Cambridge, but remained undistinguished till 1861.' Eng.Bot.Supp.t.2971,(1863).
Error –see 'Carex montana, on Newmarket Heath, April 12, 1775; April 12 1776.' Sir John Cullum's Naturalists Journal, quoted in Hind, Fl.Suff.... I have little doubt it was ericetorum ...so that Sir J.Cullum would be the first observer of the plant. First published: The Linn.Soc.Journal, Nov.1, 1861, p.30, by CC Babington.
Carex ericetorum L. J.Bot.1877, XV, 57, 85; 1881: 360; 1885: 179; 1898
Watsonia 1982, 13:225.
Trans.Norf.Norw.Nat.Soc.(TNNNS) 9:22-24,(A.Bennett).
45
Bank by the roman road near the Duke of Leeds' grounds Gogs 'First gathered by me on the 3rd of May 1838, but not identified until 1861, when Mr J.Ball directed my attention to it. Again, 3 May 1862, and 3 May 1876. Bab. ann.
Gog Magog Hills, CCB. 3.5.1838, CGE.
Gog Magog Hills, J.Ball, 1838, CGE.
Walked to Gogmagog Hills...back by Woolstreet and Wort's Causeway. Went to seek Carex ericetorum, but found only C. praecox... 22.4.1861. Went the same round as on April 22nd, and found the Carex ericetorum, one patch, by the the south side of the Woolstreet, nearly opposite to the Hill's Farm. May 28,1861, Bab Mem. p.196-7.
Wool Street, A Shrubbs, 28.5.1861, CGE.
On the SW slope of the Woolstreet at about 4.5 miles from Cambridge, A Shrubbs, 28.5.1861, CGE.
Roman Road, ex Hb. J.Clarke, 18.4.1863, CGE.
Walked with Hiley to Gogs and Woolstreet... Saw several patches, on the last ascent of Woolstreet, towards Cambridge, May 3 1862, Bab.Mem.199.
Bonney, Hiley and I went to the Woolstreet, and found ... Carex ericetorum just producing its fruit. 26 April 1863, Bab.Mem.201
Gogmagog Hills, FA Hanbury, 5.1863, OXF.
Syme came for the day. He and I went to the Gogs, and found ... Carex ericetorum etc.May 9 1863, Bab.Mem.201.
This Carex was gathered near the Wool Street by Mr. J. Ball, F.L.S. and myself in 1838, but remained undetected in our cabinets until 1861, when my attention to it was directed by Mr.Ball.... This plant has as yet, been only found on the slopes of a Roman Road, called Wool Street, at about 4
miles from Cambridge. It there grows, intermixed with an abundance of C. praecox,
in a very dry chalky soil. Unfortunately that is one of the very few places now
remaining on the chalk hills of Cambridgeshire which have not been ploughed; and
even there, many interesting plants often suffer from the removal of the turf
by gardeners. The spot on which this plant grew in 1861 has been now (1863) thus
destroyed; but other patches of it are found in the immediate neighbourhood, from
one of which the fruit figured was obtained by me on June 23, 1863, and the flowering
plant on the preceding May 3. CC B. Smith,Eng.Bot.Suppl. (1863)5:2971.Went to the Gogs with Mr. T.B. Blow, and found Carex ericetorum in tolerable abundance in the old place,... 31 May 1876, Bab.Mem.222.
On the SW bank of the old Roman Road over the Gog Magog Hills, (the'Wool-street'), 8.5.1895, W.West Jnr, OXF.
Carex ericetorum I found this in very small quantity on the Gogmagog Hills, 1895-6. The main reason for its diminution was once given by Prof. Babington in this Journal (1877, p.85). The practice of carrying away the turf of the Roman Road for use in Cambridge gardens still continues, and threatens several of the Wool-street plants with extinction. The only species not affected are Cnicus acaulis, Poterium Sanguisorba, and Linum perenne, the last-named soon forming very fine plants on the bared places. West,1898,258.
Gogmagog Hills, WW[alton], 1895-6, J.Bot, 1898.
Gogmagog Hills... Evans,1911,244.
55
WEST WRATTING
Rd from A.11 to Valley Farm, one patch E side of road a little beyond 1st furze bushes also a single plant further on, (? 1936 ) & 4.5.1947; (2 spikes, 5.5.1951), Mills ann. Bab.
Side of road to Valley Farm, West Wratting, W.H.M[ills], 1947.
West Wratting Valley Farm Rd, lane W. of West Wratting Valley Fm: v. sparingly 3 small plants, 2 flowering with frequent C.caryophyllea, on NW side of road, (one yard from fence, opposite 20th fence post, not counting the first two, which in l974, were fallen (near gate), from the cross fence at the crest of the hill, or the 11th post counting eastwards from the Potentilla (southern site). N.B. the 23rd/8th post is the extra large post, 555.543, RW David, 23.4.1974. no sign 20 May 1991. RW David Card index.
West Wratting– ...near the top of the hill is another broad gap in the right hand hedge–big enough to turn a car in. The left hand verge about 33 yards further up the hill is full of Carex flacca and C. caryophyllea (cowslips again in evidence), but though I examined dozens of plants none were C. ericetorum. But thereabouts is where it was (of course all my marking fence posts have been changed) and there it still might be. RW David in litt. 14.5.1988.
FLEAM DYKE
55-53-, DE Coombe 8.5.1965, CGE.
Near the foot of the S.W. facing slope of the vallum of Fleam Dyke, in a patch of short grassland (with little Bromus erectus), in the N.W. part of the Juniperus colony. About 6 inflorescences scattered about 3 x 2 m. DEC as above; still there, 1972, DE Coombe.
66
Newmarket Heath, April 12, 1775; April 12, 1776, Haec est quae in siccis Ericetis prima omnium Caricium floret. Sir John Cullum, Fl. Suffolk, (1889) ; '....I have little doubt it was C. ericetorum....' A.Bennett, TNNNS, 9:22-24.
Newmarket Heath, on the right hand side of the road as you approach the Devil's Ditch (on an open piece of ground) on the way from Bottisham. Begining of July, 1876, HL Jones of Caius College, CGE. [see also Sir John Cullum's record 1775, above in 'First British record.']
Newmarket Heath, near the Devil's Ditch on the Cambridge side. HL Jones, 1876. Bab.ann.262.
Newmarket Heath, GC Druce & WH Evans, 7.1904, OXF.
Low place, left of the Newmarket Rd, n.d. Mills ann.,
Newmarket Heath, Card index. of Hb Bernard Ward, 1.5.1954, SRD.
DEVILS DITCH
... and Devil's Dyke. Evans,1911,244.
Devil's Ditch, ND Simpson, 30.5.1913.
Devil's Ditch, plenty of Pulsatilla, especially just before the Ry bridge, also Carex ericetorum in considerable quantity in various places. AW Graveson, 30.4.1914, Diary, DOR.
Devils Dyke, HC G[ilson],1933.
Devil's Ditch, J Chapple, 3.5.1935, OXF.
Devil's Ditch, (E. of A.11), n.d. [?1936], Mills ann.
Devil's Ditch Newmarket, near the Railway, sparingly fruiting. Hb DEC/297. 6.6.1946. DE Coombe, Card Index.
Devils Ditch, Newmarket, 6.6.1946, DE Coombe Herbarium No. 297.
On the Devil's Ditch nr Newmarket, CD Pigott, May, 1947, CGE.
On the Devil's Ditch nr Newmarket, RE Hardy, 1954.
On the edge of the path at the very top of the west bank of the Devil's Ditch, c.40 yards N. of the Cambridge-Newmarket railway, JE Raven Card index., n.d.
still there, 1975 & 1984, G Crompton.
Newmarket: Devil's Dyke, sparingly on S. rim 100 yards W. of railway nr Stechworth, 630.605.– with CC.caryophyllea and flacca 2nd June 1961, RW David Card Index.
Devil's Dyke, sparingly on southern rim 100 paces W. of railway near Stetchworth, with CC.caryophyllea and flacca 24 JuDavid ann.CTW.
5 plants seen on each 'rim' (N & S)–8 flowering–53 paces W. of stile; 2 more c.50 paces further W. 6 paces before scrub begins 13 May 1978, RW David Card index.
a few vegetative plants between 30–40 yards from railway stile, G Crompton, 15.6.1991; and c 40 seen with RW David, 2.7.1991, and which David conf. in litt. 4.7.1991.
c.6 small patches, non-flowering c.32 yds W of stile 2 July 1991. RW David Card index.
1 plant flowering 91 yards from railway; 17 metres from last bush on right hand side going towards the railway, 630.605, A Arbon, 19.4.1992.
Summary–Carex ericetorum Devil's Ditch between the Newmarket Road (old pines) and the railway.
Measurements from old pines
31 yds 1975 ---35 yds
1st tee
40 yds 1975,
1982, 1984, 2nd tee --------------------------------
from railway
30yds/m 1982.
1984. 30–40 1991 70 1975,
1982, 1984, 1985. 91 1992
A.Arbon. (17 m from last bush from A.11) 100 1961 150 1978. 