Conservation status: VU
First record: W Turner, 1562
Anchusa degener and acis milii solis P.432. Corbyn,1656. ?Scordium. Corbyn,1656.
Scordium Officinarium n.l., Martyn,1727,54.
Cambridgeshire, Mr Wigham, (but no reliance can be placed in him), Hb HC Watson, K.
n.l., S Hailstone, n.d. YRK:976. [T. scordium is not in SH Cat.]
29
Bassenhally Pits, 28–98–, 9.9.1967, FH Perring. A second Cambridgeshire locality for this extremely rare plant. The only other place in Great Britain is in N. Devon. Nat. in Cambs,(1968)11:37.
Twenty plants, some of them juvenile, on bare mud in a dry cutting across ditch at Bassenhally Pits, 287.985, FH Perring. 9.9.1967, Plant Records, Proc.BSBI 7(3):398.
Bassenhally Pit, by path used as a short–cut by clay–pigeon shooters, (f. FH Perring, 1975).
Bassenhally Pit, 28–98–, I Hepburn & CNT exc. 22.6.1968, [R].
Plant collected for CUBG. 29.6.1968.
Bassenhally Pits List, PH Langton, 1969.
Bassenhally Pits, not found after clay–pigeon shooting ceased (f. FH Perring, 1975).
Bassenhally Pits, Not seen for 2 years. 1970, Trust Management Committee Minutes.
Bassenhally Pit, Large patch (c.1ft sq.), planted in open peaty ground by ditch to north of original site, with Rumex hyd, Typha lat, Carex rip, Lythr sal, Menth aqu, Galiu pal, by SM Walters, JO Mountford and R Pankhurst, 19.9.1973.
Bassenhally Pits, original site searched– path no longer used; too overgrown for Teucrium. Re–introduction site – Patch still there, but shoots rather etiolated, and non-flowering in fairly dense reed swamp. Assoc. species list made. SM Walters, JO Mountford, SR Payne, R Mellors, Martin Walters & G Crompton, 22.8.1975.
Flourishing colony in bottom of one of the main ditches, CNT exc. 7.9.1975, [R].
46
Near Cambridge M–i–s–s ? Davies, 1775 Hb Banks, BM.
The officinal Scordium has been supposed almost peculiar to the marshes of the Isle of Ely, where it grows in plenty. Mr. Relhan has however observed it in several situations nearer Cambridge, and from thence we received a wild specimen by favour of the Rev. J Holme. Smith,Eng.Bot. (1801) 12:828.
Cambridge, Dr Hooker, n.d., BM.
Near Cambridge, Hb.? Turner, n.d., Hb Hooker, K.
Cambridge, JS Henslow, 5.8.1826, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
... disappeared from... localities between Cambridge and Ely given in Babington's Flora...Evans,1911,214.
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... Also in a ditch on the left hand of the road leading from Cambridge to Histon, about the midway thither. Ray,1660,152(112).
In the ditch under Histon Moor plentifully. JM.ann.
Histon JM.ann.
Teucrium Histon Th.M.ann.Meth.–Index Loc.10.
Histon. In the way from Cambridge. In a ditch on the right hand of the road. Martyn,1763,Herbat.III.
[Scordium] By the way from Cambridge to Histon in a ditch on the right hand, plentifully; August 1. 1760. Th.M.ann.Meth.54.
T. scordium HC in the Way ––fm. Cambridge) Fisher ann. Berkenhout,160.
Teucrium scordium Water Germander. In a Ditch on the Left–hand Side of the Road leading from Cambridge to Histon, near the first Pond.... Relhan,1785;1802;1820.
' [text] In several places about Cambridge Relh.' on the left of the road from thence to Histon. Waterbeach. &c. Dreyer ann. Smith,1800:607.
Ditch on the Left Hand Side of the Road leading from Cambridge to Histon,... Bab.ann.Relhan,232.
On the left of the Histon Road, near the first pond. Bab.1860,185.
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In a ditch in the open fields near Arborough hedges. JM.ann.
Arborough Th.M.ann.Meth.–Index Loc.1.
Between Cambridge and Impington, Blunt, 10.1832, K.
King's Hedges, near Cambridge, CC Babington, 1835, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
King's Hedges, JA Power, 17.8.1835, Hb CE Salmon, BM.
Kings hedges, Hb JA Power, 17.8.1835, RTE.
King's Hedges. Bab.1860,185.
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Teucrium scordium Waterbeach. Relhan,1785;1802;1820.
Teucrium scordium Cottenham. Relhan,1785;1802;1820.
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This is extinct in all the localities recorded in District 4. Such marshy places as still remain by the Histon Road and near King's hedges are very limited in extent, and quite unproductive.... West,1898.
48
Mepole. Martyn,1763,Herbat.XII.
Mepole Fisher ann. Berkenhout,160.
Mepal, JS Henslow, 30.8.1831, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
Mepal Prof Henslow 30.8.1831, NTM.
Mepal ! ; H. Bab.1860,185.
In District 6 I have looked for this at Mepal...but always in vain. West,1898.
Mepal, Hb HJ Riddelsdell, 8.1903, BM.
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Horseway, pits on the left hand side towards Welches Dam, 1876, A Fryer Mss.
Horseway. (Chatteris district), AF.cat.
Chatteris, Pits by Vermuyden's Drain at Horseway, now destroyed. 17.9.1879. A Fryer, BM.
Mr Bennett informed me that he had a specimen gathered some years ago by Mr Fryer in the Chatteris district, but in what I (rightly) believed to be the spot there was no trace of the plant in 1895, and I find in Herb. Brit. Mus. a specimen labelled 'Pits by Vermuyden's Drain at Horseway, now destroyed, Sept. 17, 1879, A Fryer.' West,1898.
Hundred Foot, Fryer sp. Bennett,1899,245.
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Sutton, by 100ft. AF.cat.
In the Washes, Sutton Gault, sides of a Fen dyke, CR Billups, 10.8.1892, LTR.
(?Ely) 1899, AH ann.Bab.
Ditch, Sutton Gault to W Fen Drove, Sept. 1900, (extinct). Bennett,1902.
Ditch by the Hundred Foot Sutton, Cambridgeshire, District 6...In great abundance. Arth. Bennett, 3.8.1901, LCN.
Ditch, near Sutton Gault on the Ely side. In great abundance here, hundreds of specimens might have been gathered. A Fryer and A Bennett, n.d., Bennett,1902;
District 6 of Babington's Flora...The species is becoming very rare in the county, and it is probable that the spot where those were gathered is the only one at present existing. J & A Bennett, 3.8.1901, BM. & BEC(1902)Report for 1901,24.
[near Cowbit, GC Druce, 9.1911, 'I am glad to see this – it is poor compared with the Cambs specimens, I saw it there by the hundreds (oh! thousands).LCN. [a quite large, heavily branched flowering specimen, G Crompton]
District 6. 'Ely' of Babington's Flora of Camb. J & A Bennett, 3.8.1901, BM.
Ditch in District (6. Ely) of Babington's Flora of Cambridgeshire, abundant, J. & A. Bennett, 3.8.1901. Hb HJ Wilkinson, YRK:976. LIV.
District 6 'Ely', Bank of stream, Ely, J & A Bennett, 3.8.1901, LTR.
'Ely', J & A Bennett, 3.8.1901, det PD Sell 1977, CGE. BEL. K. LIV. (Watson BEC), LCN.
Near Ely, WJ Cross, 2.10.1901, LTR; det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
I hoped to have searched at Welney last August [1901] when at Ely, but was unfortunately called home before I could do so; but trust to do so some time, or induce my keen friend, Alfred Fryer of Chatteris, to do so. Bennett,1902.
Edge of ditch near Gault Bridge, Sutton, AJ Crosfield, 16.9.1909, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
By ditch near E bank of New Bedford River, near Gault Bridge, Sutton, CE Salmon, 16.9.1909, BM.
Chatteris, Shrubbs ann.
... has presently disappeared from Sutton Gault, Horseway near Chatteris...Evans,1911,214.
57
Juncus swamp, Sare, RS Adamson, 20.7.1910, BM.
... still found near Upware... it grows in pits or on banks of ditches, and is hardly to be called a fen plant. Evans,1911,214.
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Marsh, Juncus dominant, N Pit, Upware, (fen type), RS Adamson, 10.8.1911, BM.
Upware N Pit, CE Moss, 20.9.1911, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
Upware Pits, ND Simpson, c.1913.
Frequent in North Pit, Upware, n.d., [c.1950s] JE Raven Notes.
North Pit, Upware, PM Garnett, 3.8.1951, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
North Pit, Upware, abundantly PM Garnett; SM Walters, 1951 & 1952; less so, SM Walters, 1953.
Upware North pit, luxuriant, O Vaughan, 6.1955, (with sketch plan), Trust File.
Pool near Upware, CC Townsend, 10.9.1955, K.
On mud in reeds, Upware Pit, 544.728, RJ Pankhurst, 20.9.1971, CGE.
Upware North Pit One large patch at north end (c.200 plants, 7.1972), 1 small patch in SW corner and 1 plant on SE side (found 6.5.1973). mapped by P Adam, H Gaultby & C Prentice.
Upware, CPs and Pop. map of main colony opposite new bungalow. This colony was flowering freely and was perhaps double in area as mapped in 1973, no plants found at other colonies, P Adam & G Crompton , 10.8.1976.
Upware, not flowering, and rather overgrown, AC Leslie & JM Spencer–Smith, 1978.
Upware North Pit, no plants found in major colony, neither former assoc. species such as Cladium, Carex elata & C. acuta. 15 veg. plants in NW corner, in moss carpet under reed, pond sedge and other tall emergents, none at T2 & T3. CPs, JO Mountford & G Crompton, 3.8.1989.
Upware North Pit, only 1 plant seen, V Hobbs, 1990.
Upware North Pit, Pop. map, 13 plants (only 1 flowering) in c.16 sq.m., A Arbon, V Hobbs & P Stebbings, 6.9.1991, Trust File.
Upware North Pit, 545.728, C Turner & S Tomkins, 1992, [R].
Upware North Pit, middle part of the site has been carefully cut back and the majority of shoots of germander occurred within this area, some 12 x 8m in extent. (i.e. c.100 m square)... 144 shoots 3 fl., est. 50 plants. J Croft & JO Mountford, 6.9.1996, JOM in litt. to Roger Beecroft, 14.2.1997.
SUMMARY: UPWARE NORTH PIT
1972 est. 200
1976 ± common
1989 15 veg. no Cladium, Carex elata, C. acuta, JO Mountford & G Crompton.
1991 13 plants [shoots] in flower A Arbon
1991 area of c.16 sq.m. cut around colony by Green [A Arbon – i.e. cut dead reed
in autumn – S Tomkins]
1993 30 – 60 shoots/flowers found by S Tomkins' research student, who was also
growing it experimentally at Homerton in varying pH.]
1996 144 shoots, 3 fl. c.50 plants, in cut area of 100m square J Croft & JO
Mountford.
Wicken Fen, Mr Crosby, 19.9.1894, K.
Wicken, 1894, Crosby sent it Bot Garden. A Hosking ann.Bab.
Wicken Fen, 1894, cult CUBG, 6.8.1897, det SM Walters 1953, CGE.
Wicken Fen, on edge of pool, spec. pulled while getting Utricularia, sketch map [suggests site at brick pits near Windmill], EH Ellis, 22.8.1921, BM.
Wicken Fen, ? new record, EH Ellis, 22.8.1921, BM.
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INTRODUCTION
Kingfisher Bridge, Wicken, 54–73–, C Turner & PH Oswald, 11.8.1998, [R].
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Mid Fen, Ely, FK [?FH] Harlock, 18.9.1916, 'very rare now in Camb.' det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
Mid Fen, Ely, AS Shrubbs, 12.9.1917, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
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Ely, JS Henslow, 29.7.1822, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
Ely, L.J., 5 8.1822, 14.8.1822, BATHG.
Ely, Winch Hb!; 1822, Bennett,1902.
Ely, JS Henslow, 1.8.1826, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
In ditches by the road to Ely, abundantly; Henslow. Bab.1860,185.
Pits by Streatham Bridge over Old West River, Ely Rd. 1896. Shrubbs ann.
Ditch bank of Gault pit E of Ely Rd just beyond Streatham Bridge, 24.7.1930, Mills ann.
Near Stretham, FJ Hanbury, 27.7.1930, BM.
Near bridge where Cambridge–Ely Road crosses R Ouse, G Taylor, 13.9.1931, BM.
Ditch near Stretham, R Ross, 9.8.1935, BM.
Ditch near Elford Closes (on Stretham Rd) EF Warburg, c.1937.
Near Stretham, Preston, – 1938, det SM Walters, CGE.
Ditch near Elford Closes (on Stretham Rd) WB Gourlay, 6.1943.
In ditch by old pits behind 'Royal Oak', Elford Closes, Stretham, JE Lousley, 9 July & 9 Sept. 1945, RNG.
Root from Chittering [= ditch, Elford Closes]. cult. CUBG, TG Tutin, 9.1949, LTR.
In a ditch c.100 yards north of the Inn just N of the bridge, c.1
miles towards Cambridge from Stretham, (with sketch plan), c.1950, JE Raven Notes.Old pit near Stretham, SM Walters, 27.10.1950, CGE.
Near Streatham, 'ref. no & date' –370831, AJ Wilmott, 31.8.1937, BM.
58
Water Germander ... it may be called in English Water germander, or merrish germander or Garleke germander. It groweth in Oxfordshire and in Cambridgeshire in good plenty. Turner,1562,562.
Scordium. Water Germander.... Also it groweth in great plenty in the Isle of Ely,... Gerard,1597,534–5;1633 & 1636,661.
Scordium or Water Germander: On the Bankes in the Isle of Ely you may mow it. How,1650,110.
Water Germander. In many ditches in the Isle of Ely, in the Osier holts about Ely city... Ray,1660,152(112).
Scordium, Water Germander... abundantly only on the banks of the Isle of Ely, and... neer Aristotles Well at Oxford. Merrett,1667,110.
Scordium Water–Germander. In palustribus Eliensibus copiose. Ray,1670:278.
Osier holts about Ely city, besides these there grow large quantities of Scordium or Water Germander upon the banks of ditches, Ray in Gibson's Edition of Camden's Brittania, 1695. (Bennett,1902).
Mr Ja Sherard found it growing in the Isle of Ely, Hb Du Bois, OXF. BEC Rep.1927,481.
Scordium In palustribus Eliensis insula copiose provenit. Ray,1690,85; Ray,1696,133; Ray,1724,246.
Chamaedrys palustris, canescens, seu Scordium officinarum. Water Germander. In the Isle of Ely. Martyn,1732,1:172.
Ely JM.ann.
Ely Th.M.ann.Meth.–Index Loc.6.
Isle of Ely. Martyn,1763,Herbat.XII.
I(sle of ) E(ly) Fisher ann. Berkenhout,160.
... about Ely, great Quantaties not quite in Blossom, 9.7.1773, Sir John Cullum, ann.Hudson,218, WSRO.
Isle of Ely, Bishop Goodenough, June, K.
Teucrium scordium Water Germander. Isle of Ely, &c. Relhan,1785;1802;1820.
In the Isle of Ely plentifully. Ray. Smith,1800,2:607.
Isle of Ely &c. Henslow ann.l:232.
Ely, Mr Marshall, 1853, BM.
Isle of Ely.... Bab.ann.Relhan,232.
[Ely?] W Marshall, sp. 1875, Bennett,1902.
[Ely?] W Cross sp. 1880, Bennett,1902.
Ely, WJ Cross, 8.1881, BM.
Ely, Hb H Stanley Redgrove, 8.1921, BM.
Ely, T Stephenson, 8.1921, BM.
Ely, SC Thompson, 1929; apparently extinct in 1930.
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Roswell Pits near Ely, SW Wanton, 1851, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
Roswell pits, Ely. Bab.ann.Relhan,232.
Roswell Pits, Ely. Bab.1860,185.
Roswell Pits, Ely. Bab.1860,185.
In District 6 I have looked for this...repeatedly at Roswell Pits, but always in vain. West,1898.
Roswell Pits, Ely, JE Little, 27.8.1878, det PD Sell 1977, CGE & JE Little Diaries VI:138, HTN.
Roswell Pits, Ely, n.c., 29.7.1903, det PD Sell 1977, CGE.
Roswell Pits, Ely, FRA, 1904, in CBSC.
...still found... at Roswell Pits, Ely,... Evans,1911,214.
30
It grows on the marshes by the River side beyond Guyhirn. Skrim.MS.
40
Teucr scordium Friday Bridge near the Gate leadg. from Wood–House to Coldham Hall. 1796. Skrim.MS.
