Filsham Reedbed

Field meeting reports

Meeting date: 7 August 2004

(Leader: Pam Marchant)

Filsham reedbed was originally floodplain pasture, crossed by a network of dykes (hand-dug and pre-dated 1780). Since about 1974 it has been a nature reserve, within the Coombe Valley SSSI, owned by Hastings BC and managed by SWT. Initially the site was left to develop naturally as a reedbed, but by the 1990s it was realised that it was in poor condition, and many wetland species had been lost. The SBRS survey will assist appropriate management.

The first hour was taken up surveying the approach-route, with the forthcoming Flora in mind. The river gave us Nymphoides peltata (Fringed Water-lily), Sparganium emersum (Unbranched Bur-reed) and Callitriche platycarpa (Various-leaved Water-starwort).

In the Reserve Phragmites australis (Common Reed) dominated, with many Salix species, scrub, and a good array of the more common plants of ditches and wet places. The more special finds included Potamogeton obtusifolius (Blunt-leaved Pondweed), two large colonies of Oenanthe aquatica (Fine-leaved Water-dropwort), a few specimens of O. pimpinelloides (Corky-fruited Water-dropwort), a single Alnus cana (Grey Alder), two Rubus species, R. ulmifolius and R. armeniacus, and one stonewort Chara vulgaris. Three hybrids were identified: Prunus x fruticans (P. spinosa x P. domestica), Salix x smithiana (S. cinerea x S. viminalis) and Calystegia x lucana (C. sepium x silvatica).

Sadly this was an ‘off-year’ for the Utricularia (Bladderwort) for which the site is renowned. However, a few flowers were found and the most reliable identification feature was demonstrated: ‘glands present on inside of both abaxial and adaxial sides of the spur’ for U. australis, in contrast to U. vulgaris (for an explanatory illustration see Stace!).

In passing – another useful object lesson for some of us was Galeopsis bifida (Bifid Hemp-nettle), a more common species than expected: its similarity to its ‘common’ lookalike was a sharp reminder of the dangers of identification by recognition of general appearance!