57.
NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK by
F. W.
GRASSES
SIMPSON
BROMUS ERECTUS Huds. Upright Brome. Yery local in Suffolk. In 1959 I noticed a small area of this grass in the railway cutting at Rushmere, near Ipswich. It has now increased and become the dominant grass and suppresses much of the interesting flora of this habitat which I have known for over forty years. The soil is chalky boulder clay. Brach.ypod.ium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv., was formerly the dominant species in this area. Perhaps Bromus erectus was there all the time and overlooked, and now conditions have become more favourable for its rapid increase. There are very few rabbits compared with former years. HELICTOTRICHON PUBESCENS (Huds.) Pilger. Hairy Oat. This grass is an uncommon species in East Suffolk. Found on gravelly boulder clay railway cutting at Rushmere, Ipswich, 1959-61. Also in Ipswich Old Cemetery, 1961, with (abundant) Saxifraga granulata. ALOPECURUS BULBOSUS Gouan. Tuberous Fox-tail. A small patch of this rare grass was found at Sizewell in 1959 but I was unable to re-find it in 1960. It is possible that the exceptional fine and hot weather of that year encouraged its growth. Is frequent along the shores of the Mediterranean. AGROPYRON JUNCEIFORME X PUNGENS. Sea Couch. A strong growing hybrid and very variable Found at Covehithe, 1961. POA NEMORALIS (L). Wood Meadow-grass. somewhat local or scarce grass of shady banks and wood On a bank Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, 1961. It is an and the habitat looks fairly safe.
Hybrid. in habit. A now margins. old bank
CORYNEPHORUS CANESCENS (L.) Beauv. Grey Hairgrass. Noticed at Minsmere, Dunwich from 1959 to 1961. Also a few plants at Walberswick, 1960. The occurrence of this grass in these new habitats is almost certainly due to some plants or seeds being accidentally introduced with the roots of Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link) which were planted on the reconstructed embankments by the East Suffolk and Norfolk River Board. I believe that all the Marram Grass was brought from a Norfolk site where Corynephorus canescens occurs in considerable quantity.