Weeds of arable fields near Old Sulehay

Nick Owens

The fields around Old Sulehay are a good hunting ground for arable weeds as they seem to have been less intensively farmed than many areas. The preliminary list below shows some species recorded in June 2003.

Field at TL 051199 97956

This is a wheat field near the entrance to Ring Haw. It has been left in an untidy state over the winter to provide food for game birds. Significant amounts of small flowered buttercup, occurred in spring 2002 and 2003 at the northern end of the field, very close to the Ring Haw reserve. These plants have long spreading stems and seem adapted to rapid colonisation of bare ground. The species is present in Sulehay Quarry on rabbit scrabbled areas. It was also found in Castor Hanglands in 2003. Both species of fluellen, were abundant. The field is owned by the Howards. It has recently been seeded with rye grass for sheep pasture, but no herbicide was used.

Field at TL 06454 98300

This field belongs to Yarwell Village and is ‘town land’. It has been farmed by the Berry family for many years and although herbicide is used, it is used sparingly. The field lies along the eastern edge of Old Sulehay near the sycamore area and south of East Field. One corner of the field has been left as set-aside for 2 years. Interesting species include venus’s looking glass, both fluellen species, night-flowering catchfly (in 2002), common cudweed (here growing much larger than on the reserve) and blue pimpernel. This form of pimpernel is uncommon in the county though was formerly found in the Stamford area in some numbers by John Chandler. The late Peggy Tuffs also found some in the Sulehay area relatively recently (Gill Gent pers.comm.).

Management implications

It would be good if these sites were spared herbicide altogether, as this would also reduce herbicide drift onto the reserve. It may be possible to negotiate organic management for Yarwell town land which is managed by Trustees.

Weeds of arable fields June 2003
				TL 05199	TL 06454
				97956	98300
Sycamore seedlings	Acer pseudoplanatus	Aceraceae	C		*
Common forget-me-not	Myosotis arvensis	Boraginaceae	VC	*	*
Hound's tongue	Cynoglossum officinale	Boraginaceae	R		*
Venus's looking glass	Legousia hybrida	Campanulaceae	R		*
Sandwort	Arenaria serpyllifolia	Caryophyllaceae	VC	*
White campion	Silene alba	Caryophyllaceae	C	*	*
Night flowering catchfly	Silene noctiflora	Caryophyllaceae	R		2002
Fat hen	Chenopodium album	Chenopodiaceae	VC	*	*
Spear thistle	Cirsium vulgare	Compositae	VC		*
Creeping thistle	Cirsium arvense	Compositae	F		*
Common cudweed	Filago vulgaris	Compositae	VR		*
Scentless mayweed	Tripleurospermum inodorus	Compositae	C	*
Prickly sowthistle	Sonchus asper	Compositae	C	*	*
Shepherd's purse	Capsella bursa pastoris	Cruciferae	VC	*
Charlock	Sinapis arvensis	Cruciferae	VC	*	*
Penny cress	Thlaspi arvensis	Cruciferae	C	*	*
Hedge mustard	Sisymbrium officinale	Cruciferae	VC		*
Jack by the hedge	Allialaria petiolata	Cruciferae	C		*
White bryony	Bryonia dioica	Curcubitaceae	F		*
Dwarf Spurge	Euphorbia exigua	Euphorbiaceae	F		*
Common fumitory	Fumaria officinalis	Fumariaceae	C	*	*
Storksbill	Erodium cicutarium	Geraniaceae	O	*
Cut leaved cranesbill	Geranium dissectum	Geraniaceae	C	*
Rough meadow grass	Poa trivialis	Graminae	C		*
Soft brome	Bromus mollis	Graminae	C		*
Sterile brome	Bromus sterilis	Graminae	VC		*
Annual meadow grass	Poa annua	Graminae	VC	*
White dead-nettle	Lamium album	Labiatae	VC		*
Red dead-nettle	Lamium purpureum	Labiatae	VC		*
Ash seedlings	Fraxinus excelsior	Oleaceae	F		*
Great willowherb	Epilobium hirsutum	Onagraceae	C		*
Broad-leaved willowherb	Epilobium montanum	Onagraceae	VC		*
Field poppy	Papaver rhoeas	Papaveraceae	F	*	*
Opium poppy	Papaver sominiferum	Papaveraceae	F		*
Great plantain	Plantago major	Plantaginaceae	VC	*	*
Black bindweed	Polygonum convolvulus	Polygonaceae	C	*	*
Common knotgrass	Polygonum aviculare	Polygonaceae	C		*
Scarlet pimpernel	Anagallis arvensis	Primulaceae	O	*	*
Blue pimpernel	Anagallis arvensis subsp caerulea	Primulaceae	ER		*
Small flowered buttercup	Ranunculus parviflorus	Ranunculaceae	VR	*
Creeping buttercup	Ranunculus repens	Ranunculaceae	C	*	*
Old man's beard	Clematis vitalba	Ranunculaceae	F		*
Weld	Reseda luteola	Resedaceae	C	*
Parsley piert	Aphanes arvensis	Rosaeceae	F	*
Field madder	Sherardia arvensis	Rubiaceae	O	*	*
Persian Speedwell	Veronica persica	Scrophulariaceae	C	*	*
Wall speedwell	Veronica arvensis	Scrophulariaceae	C	*	*
Thyme leaved speedwell	Veronica serpyllifolia	Scrophulariaceae	F	*	*
Sharp leaved fluellen	Kickxia elatine	Scrophulariaceae	R	*	*
Round leaved fluellen	Kickxia spuria	Scrophulariaceae	R	*	*
Field pansy	Viola arvensis	Violaceae	F	*	*
Records by Nick Owens