UPDATING THE SUFFOLK FLORA FRANCIS SIMPSON
Since the publication of Simpsons Flora of Suffolk in 1982 many new records have been made, the more interesting of which have been published in Suffolk Natural History. There have been several surveys. One project on the orchids was very successful, resulting in publication of The Orchids of Suffolk by Martin Sanford. Unfortunately, since 1982 several species have become less frequent, rare, and possibly are now extinct in Suffolk. The Flora cites localities, but many of the habitats have been lost or changed and the pressure on others by developers will continue. We have lost the old chalk pits at Blood Hill, Bramford and Coddenham which had good floras. The brick and sand pit in Paper Mill Lane, Bramford, although dating only from the early 19th Century, had an interesting flora with four species of Orchids. It is being filled up with household and other waste. Very little remains of the once extensive heaths on the outskirts of Ipswich. Warren Heath has been developed for housing and a super-market. Nearby Purdis Heath remains undeveloped and there are fragments of Rushmere Common not used as a Golf Course. On the coast we have lost the saltings and shingle beach at Fagbury, Trimley, to the extensions of Felixstowe Dock. However, the single specimen of the Shrubby Sea Blite (Suaeda vera) (illustrated on page 501 of the Flora) was saved and removed to another site. There is little we can do in some areas to protect the flora from erosion. The fine colony of Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum) photographed for the Flora (page 497) at Minsmere has gone. Elms, which used to be such a feature of the landscape, have died from Dutch Elm disease. No longer can we look across the fields in early spring and see the elms 'red' with their flowers. In addition the hurricane of October 1987 devastated many woods, more so on the eastern side of the County. The bluebell woods on the light sandy soils suffered very badly, especially those of the Shotley Peninsula, Cutlers Wood and Holbrook Park, allowing the rapid growth of brambles. Dodnash Wood, Bentley, was severely damaged. Here there has also been much felling, resulting in the loss of some of its spring flora. No longer are to be seen the carpets of Wood Anemones followed by Bluebells. In some woods nettles have increased alarmingly recently 'suffocating' other flora. This has possibly been caused by the seepage of nitrates from arable and in some cases by the disposal of slurry in the woods and surplus straw. DĂźring the past decade several ancient woods have been destroyed or much reduced in size with the loss of flora. The Oxlip (Primula elatior) has disappeared from a number of woods and copses where it was once plentiful and its numbers are declining elsewhere due mainly to the extensive drainage of surrounding land. The Primrose has also suffered. It used to occur in many woods near Ipswich. Gone are the sites where there used to be carpets of
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 28 (1992)