Viola persicifolia Schreb. (V.stagnina Kit.)
Conservation status: EN
First record: Henslow, 1829
Viola lactea Henslow,1829,3.
First recorded by CCB in Manual Ed.3 1857, but as lactea by Henslow in Cat. ed.2. 1835. Bab.ann.
Viola lactea? Gamlingay, Hb JA Power, 29.5.1838, All ericetorum forms not lactea fide WH Beeby, RTE. 47
Once grew near Lockspit Hall, Cottenham. Bab.1860,28.
Suton Dole Fen, 25.5.1995, A. ann.
[49
Wimblington Fire Lots, (Hamlet of Hook) A Fryer, 26.5.1883, (–strap– in Hb Bennet, ? Hybrid,) BM; No! 23.5.1895, AF.ann.] 56
Viola lactea (new to the Cambridge Flora) Fen below Clay–hithe [Bottisham Fen] 27.5.1829. Henslow Exc.
Bottisham Fen, CC Babington, 27.5.1829, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
Bottisham Fen on both sides of the lode to NW of Steam Drain, Bab.ann.
Viola lactea was last year found in Bottisham fen, during an herborizing excursion in May; [in Exc. List for 27.5.1829] Report Botanical Museum and Library, [Henslow] 25.3.1830. CUB.
Viola lactea Bottisham Fen Prof Henslow, n.d., Hb Rev. J.Dalton YRK:163. [V. stagnina – 1830 in HJW Cat.] – one specimen is Viola per: the other is probably Viola canina, det G Crompton & CD Preston.
Viola lactea Bottisham Fen, Camb. W.L.P.G., 4.5.1830, SWN.
Bottisham Fen, JS Henslow, 15.5.1830, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
V. canina var. lactea Bottisham fen, J.S.Henslow, 15.5.1830, BATHG.
Bottisham Fen, JS Henslow, 26.5.1830, (with 1 specimen of V. canina), det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
Bottisham Fen, Mrs Casborne, 30.5.1832, (with specs of V.canina, same sheet), det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
V. lactea Bottisham Fen J.D., 30.5.1832, NTM.
From the Fens Cambridgeshire, Mr Leighton, " In May, 1832, in company with Professor Henslow and other friends, I collected in the fens [? Bottisham fen, for one] near Clayhithe, Cambridgeshire, many specimens of Viola lactea...' annot. V. stagnina Kit., det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
Near Clayhithe, WA Leighton, 31.5.1832, Hb Boswell Syme, BM.
Viola lactea Hornsea fen, Hb.JA Power, 5.1832, No, it is stagnina but simulating lactea in some respects fide WH Beeby, RTE.
Viola lactea Bottisham Fen. (Prof.Henslow) M Barry, sp. [in Hb Watson] NBG,1835,144.
Bottisham Fen, CC Babington, 31.5.1844, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
Viola lactea Bottisham fen Gibson,1848,309.
Hort and I went to Bottisham Fen. We examined carefully the usual ground, hoping to find Viola stagnina, of which we got none. 18.5.1850, Bab.Mem.153.
Bottisham Fen, CC Babington, 5.6.1850 & 16.7.1850, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
Viola stagnina Bottisham Fen, CCB, 5.6.1850, Huntly Hb.,ABO.
Viola stagnina Botisham Fen, WW Newbould, 1850, SWN.
Bottisham Fen, Hb J Boswell Syme, 1850, BM.
I went with Adams, Reyner, Overton, and Cooper to Bottisham Fen. We did not find many plants, but got plenty of Viola stagnina, which had just commenced flowering. 5.6.1850, Bab.Mem.153.
Coleman, Newbould, and I went to Bottisham Fen, and found Viola stagnina in fruit in plenty, 16.7.1850, Bab.Mem.155.
Bottisham Fen. FJA Hort, 6.1851, BM.
Bottisham Fen, WW Newbould, 18.8.1852, BM.
Mr. Borrer, his son Linfield, and daughter Isabella, having come yesterday, we went to Bottisham Fen, where he wanted to see Viola stagnina in seed. 18.8.1852, Bab.Mem.164.
The specimens figured were gathered in Bottisham Fen, near Cambridge, on June 5, 1852, by the present writer. – C.C.B. Smith.Eng.Bot.Suppl.(1863)5:2985.
Stratton and I went by rail to Waterbech and then into Bottisham Fen. Vegetation very backward. We went up the fen to the south of the Lode, nearly as far as its extremity; then crossed the Lode, and went to White Fen. Returned by Horningsey. We found only one root of Viola stagnina with flowers, and apparently the others were not far enough advanced. 8.6.1855, Bab.Mem.177.
Bottisham Fen, Hb Carleton Rea, 10.7.1856, BM.
Bottisham Fens near Cambridge, ––– CC Babington, 6.1857. An interesting relic . Extinct at Botitsham but still to be found at Wicken, ES Gregory, 1.1.1916, BM.
Bottisham, ...Fen. Bab.1860,28.
Seen a little NW of i in Engine on June 20, 1864. Bab.ann.
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Fen near Cambridge, Polwhele, 5.1852, Hb Boswell, CGE.
Fens below Cambridge, JR Polwhele, 5.1852, Hb Boswell, BM.
White Fen, JR Polwhele in Hb CC Babington, 8.6.1852, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
White Fen.[Bottisham] Bab.1860,28.
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[Verrall's Fen: Compartment 02, SW of Malcarse Drain, (71) Quadrats and scattered plants:.... 547.699. 548.699. Species Recovery Reports: Jane Croft et al, 1994–1996.
Over 300 plants in 2 new areas in recently cleared carr, 547.699, JM Croft, 6.1944, [R].
'I have recently taken a G.P.S, meter down to the Fen to check out the positions of the plants and found that all of the groups have occurred in 52/57.' J Croft in litt. 14.12.2000.For details see TL 57 below.] 57
WICKEN FEN
Wicken Fen, spur green, JR Polwhele, 5.6.1852, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
He [WH Purchas], Newbould, Hiley, Stratton, and I went by train to Waterbech, and then walked to Upware, and went to Wicken Fen. Found Viola stagnina, etc. 23.6.1857, Bab.Mem.185.
Wicken Fen, per Mr James Thomas, 4.6.1869, BM.
Wicken,...Fen. Bab.1860,28.
Wicken Fen, TB Blow, 6.1875, BM.
Wicken Fen, true stagnina, creeping & stoloned, TB Blow, 6.1876, BM.
V. stagnina, which we feared was lost, has been seen abundantly about twelve miles from here lately. 6.6.1876 In litt. to J Backhouse, Bab.Mem.375.
Wicken Fen, HL Jones, 6.1876, BM.
Wicken, HD.ann.
Wicken Fen, A Shrubbs, 20.7.1881 CGE.
Wicken Fen, RI Lynch, 2.9.1881, CUBG 132/81.
Wicken Fen, H & J Groves, 30.5.1882, CGE. BM. NWH.
Wicken Fen, H & J Groves, 7.8.1882, CGE. BM.
Wicken Fen, TB Blow, 1882, BM.
Wicken Fen, JW Carr, 21.5.1883, Hb HJ Wikinson, YRK:163. BM. LIV. RNG.
Wicken Fen, G Goode, 21.5.1883, Hb Lousley, RNG.
Wicken Fen, JW Carr, 5.1884, LIV.
Wicken Fen, A Fryer, 18.6.1885. LIV.BM.
Wicken Fen, A Shrubbs, 28.6.1886, CGE & Shrubbs ann.
Wicken Fen, RI Lynch, 31.5.1888, K.
Wicken Fen, A Wallis, 3.6.1900, as V. stagnina, det SM Walters 1982, CGE.
Wicken Fen, Among Molinia, AJ Wilmott & CE Moss, 18.6.1910, BM.
VERRALL'S FEN
Soil samples taken from underneath scrub and monitored at CUBG Conservation Unit. One Viola seedling and subseq. produced cleistogamous flowers twice and set seed. TA Rowell, SM Walters & HJ Harvey. SM Walters, (1982) Watsonia,14(2):183-4.
Plants in cult. CUBG from soil/seed coll. at 5486.701 (Verrall's Fen), TA Rowell, 1981..
Hundreds of plants in Verrall's Fen, 547.700, 547.701, 548.701, TA Rowell, 6.1982.
Abundant in open vegetation with a surface of c.50% more or less bare peat on Verrall's Fen, between Malcarse and New Dyke, Wicken Fen, 549.701, assoc. species: Calamagrostis canescens, C. epigejos, Cirsium arvense, Eupatorium cannabinum, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Lysimachia vulgaris, Mentha arvensis, Molinia caerulea (occasional), Phragmites australis, (rare), Rubus fruticosus agg. and Urtica dioica.SM Walters, 82/100, 15.7.1982, CGE.
Patches of V. per NE of New Dyke, Verrall's Fen, 54–70–. (also 1 patch of V. canina near path with V. per at bridge end of compartment, and another at 126m from bridge near Lathy pal.) V. per extended over 166m and c.100m (at SW end). Pop. Map, V Morgan, Richard Ward and G Crompton, 24.6.1983 and SM Walters, V Morgan and G Crompton, 8.6.1984.
No plants were found in the area of the s in 1983 & 1984, which by 1986 was very overgrown & difficult of access, during 1986. But on the sketch plan of Experimental plots, plants, mainly around the edges of the area, are shown, where V. pers was seen 15.5. 1986 & 30.5.1986, as well as the location of the plots with introduced plants of Wicken origin via CU Botanic garden. V Morgan, 19.9.1986.
Visit to Viola field with MG Walters, Photos of V.p. taken. c.100 flowers, & some small plants around 'excavated pit' probably seedlings. 30.5.1990, SM Walters' Wicken notebook, p.55.
Scattered plants, 547.700, JCA Rathmell, 18.5.1994, [R].
Wicken, 548.702, JCA Rathmell, 27.5.1994, [R].
Verrall's Fen, main site [see Croft Reports] first re–found by JCA Rathmell, 1994.
Verrall's Fen, Compartment 02, SW of Malcarse Drain, (71) Quadrats A - Q and scattered plants: 547.701. 546.700. 547.700. 548.700. 547.699. 548.699. Jane Croft et al. 1994-1996. Species Recovery Reports 1994-66 plants at: 5484.7018, J Croft, 1994.
New grid references verified by GPS, in 2000: 5484.7018 (first colony); 5488.7015 (second colony); 5575.7032 (reinforcement population). J Croft in litt. 14.12.2000 & Nat. in Cambs (2000) 42:27–33.
Numbers of plants in quadrats declined from 292 in 1994 to none in 1999. J Croft. one small group of plants, 5488.7015, J Croft, 2000. Verrall's Fen, 5481.7009, disturbance plots made in 1997; 10 plants found in 1999. Verrall's Fen, main site for management and numbers of plants, 1995-1999, see Croft Reports on Species Recovery Programme 1993–2000; and Nat. in Cambs (2000) 42:27–33.
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SEDGE FEN
2 veg. plants, Sedge Fen, 562.705, TA Rowell, 6.1982.
Verified 2 'seedlings' c.1" high in Terry Rowell's exptal plots. [Sedge Fen], 1 obviously V. persicifolia, other presumably same (though leaf broader), SM Walters, 1.6.1982, Wicken Fen notebook,. 2 veg. plants, Sedge Fen, 562.705, TA Rowell, 6.1982.
Wicken Fen, 562.705, TA Rowell, 27.7.1982, CGE.
SEDGE FEN INTRODUCTION
Wicken Fen, 2 plants from Woodwalton, 9.6.1950; still surviving, 26.9.1950; no trace, 13.5.1951, SM Walters field notebook.
Map showing the location of the plots 54–70–, with introduced plants of Wicken origin via CU Botanic garden. V Morgan, 19.9.1986.
Compt 18, Gardiner's Drove, halfway between Christy's and Verrall's Drove, 5575.7032, J Croft & CD Preston, 1996. Translocation of 50 plants (grown from Wicken Fen seed) to SSE side of Gardiner's Drove at 5155.7703, July 1996 The number of surviving plants were 1996:44, 1997:46, 1998:20, 1999:12. 2000:11. Species Recovery Reports : Jane Croft et al, 1993–2000. and Nat. in Cambs (2000) 42:27–33.
Map showing the location of the plots 54–70–, with introduced plants of Wicken origin via CU Botanic garden. V Morgan, 19.9.1986. 58
? V.lactea By Stretham Ferry, I of Ely, n.c., 5.1833, det ES Gregory 1915, CGE.
West Fen, Ely, WJ Cross, 1879 in Hb JE Little, CGE.
West Fen, Ely, WJ Cross, 6.1880, NWH. BM.
Ely, JW Carr, 6.1880, LIV.
West Fen, Ely, WJ Cross, 5.1882, LIV. BM.
West Fen, Ely, W Cross, 1882, ? hybrid, BM.
West Fen, Ely, WJ Cross, n.d., 'This is a puzzling plant it has the leaves of V. montana (bulging above the base) and the larger flowers of V. lactea. The Ñ is absent unfortunately. ES Gregory.'
West Fen, WJ Cross, 6.1883, BM.
Root from West Fen, hort Croydon, 1885, det ? persicifolia x canina, SM Walters 1980, CGE.
Spec. grown from root from W. Fen in Hb Marshall, 1885.
Root from West Fen, Hort Croydon, A Fryer, n.d., LIV.
In a turf fen near Ely, WJ Cross, 6.1894, det PM Hall 1936, CGE.
Fens near Ely, WJ Cross, 1894, BM.
Formerly in West Fen, Ely, W.M. Bab.ann.
Viola sta West Fen, Ely; W Marshall, Bennett,1899,243.
West Fen, AF.cat.
Roswell Pits, Marshall. Bennett,1899,243. 66
Chippenham Fen, 1893, Shrubbs ann. [unconfirmed record]
