Suffolk County Flora

SUFFOLK COUNTY FLORA Progress Report as at 31st December, 1970 STEADY

progress has been made during the year by Mr. F. W. Simpson, assisted by Mr. W. E. Lewis, with the result that about half the text of the new Flora has been drafted. Valuable help has also been given by Simon Brown of Great Bealings and the Leys School, Cambridge, who gave u p part of his school holidays to assist with the work of checking the distributions of species from the records.

T h e work of card indexing records from various sources, including the Society's own records, the "Breckland Survey",' and Mr. Simpson's personal records was almost completed by the end of 1969, though further records which continue to come in from time to time are still being dealt with.

In January, 1970, a Start was made on drafting the text for each individual species in a form which is considered to be suitable for the eventual publication. T h e drafting of the text for each species has been done on individual cards, and after further checking and re-arrangement of the cards into systematic order these will form the basis for the produetion of the final draft.

T h e draft text for each species contains the following information:— (a)

T h e systematic name of the species according to the latest aeeepted botanical authority. In general, these correspond to the names given in the second edition of the Flora of the British Isles by Clapham, Tutin, and Warburg, 1962, except where a name is known to have been changed since that date. In respect of grasses, the names used by C. E. H u b b a r d in the revised edition of his "Grasses" 1968 have been adopted.

(b)

Synonyms commonly used in botanical literature, includine Hind's Flora of 1889.

(c)

One or more common English names, including any local Suffolk names where known.

(d)

T h e name of the original recorder and the date of first record, taken either f r o m Hind's Flora, or from more recent records in cases where the species is not given in Hind's Flora.

(e)

A general note by Mr. Simpson on the habitat, frequency, soil preferences, and general distribution of the species in the County, including any matters of special interest and an indication as to whether the species is increasing or declining in frequency.

392 (/)

Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 15, Part 4 An indication by reference to map squares, of the distribution of the species in the County, incorporating records obtained over the last twenty years. Where a species is of such limited distribution that it has not been recorded in more than about ten map squares, the names of the actual parishes in which it has been found are also quoted, where they are known. In the case of very common species of almost universal distribution, this is merely indicated by the words "all squares" or "all squares except . . .", giving the numbers of those squares in which no actual record of the species has been obtained. Although this information is limited by the amount of actual records available, it is hoped that its publication may stimulate the collectors of the future to fill in the gaps.

T h e total number of species represented in the Society's original card index is 1,795. Of these, the text for 970 species, or 54% of the total have been written up and typed on cards up to the end of 1970. T h e present rate of progress is at the rate of about eighty species per month.

Each card carries on its reverse side a recommendation as to whether its recorded distribution in Suffolk is of sufficient interest to Warrant the publication of a miniature distribution map in the Flora, if this should prove to be feasible.

T h e response by members of the Society to the list of underrecorded species published in the Transactions of January, 1970, has been disappointing and little or no additional information on these species has been forthcoming, although a few botanists have volunteered assistance with some of the more critical species.

It is unlikely therefore that some of the more difficult genera (e.g., Rubus, Rosa, Salicornia, etc.) can be dealt with in any detail in the new Flora, but should further information regarding t h e m become available in the future, the possibility of Publishing it in the form of supplements can be considered.