Conservation status: VU
First record: AS Shrubbs, 1921
44
HINXTON
First saw Lizard orchid, 24.5.1921; protected it. AS Shrubbs, 27.5.1921; looked like Green man orchid. 18.6.1921; first flower opens, 10.6.1921; Mr Evans visited it, 11.6.1921; cut the specimen, 13.6.1921; Hinxton, specimen, [v. large], photos & drawing, A Shrubbs, 13.6.1921, CGE. see also BEC 1921,399.
Hinxton, 7.6.1922, Mills ann.
Leaves only, AS Shrubbs, 'on the main Cambridge and London Road, where the grass was annually cut or grazed by goats; and until the Great war the plant had very little chance to bloom.' Consequently Shrubbs and the present writer, in concert with the authorities of the Botany School, moved it in a 2-feet cube of chalk to a safe place on a neighbouring crossroad, where the surroundings were precisely similar.... Unfortunately the spot was burnt over by a Tramp's fire in 1923, after the orchis had flowered beautifully in 1922, and it has not been seen since.'
Evans1939,155 and CGE label.
HARSTON
Railway bank near Harston, 12 plants, 25-51 flowers/plant, 12-18" high, BFC Sennett, 1954. [On railway bank cutting, 424.499, f. FH Perring, 28.10.1975]; Mr Sennett stated it was near where the railway lines divided.
G Crompton & L Farrell looked one spring in the 1980s, at the grid reference given. The bank was very low and no plants were found. It may not have been the right place.
45
SHELFORD 49-54-
Lane in Shelford, School children, 1923, CGE.
Shelford Lane, opposite Hills farm, 1923, CGE.
This specimen was found by some school children of Fulbourn, Cambs. and given to Mr Cox, Forestry School.
Specimen was found on the Gogmagog Hills above Fulbourn, AH Evans, BEC Rep.1924,598; Evans,1939,155.
CAMBRIDGE
Botanic Garden Cambridge 'a solitary specimen occurred some 35 years ago' F Darwin, Dymes in litt.
54
Satyrium hircinum Lizard orchis once found in the Rivey near Linton. Okes ann. on flyleaf. [This does not appear to be Okes' own record.]
56
DEVIL'S DITCH NEAR BURWELL 57-65-
1 flower picked by lady and shown to BD Jones, 1947, f. BDJ 4.5.1977.
1 plant flowering, [c.9m. from 1300m. post]. JW Clarke, 21.6.1959.
On the Devil's Ditch near Reach, 1 plant, JW Clarke, 1959, conf. SM Walters.
Devils Dyke near Reach, 2.7.1959, PJ Bourne, ann.Evans & ann.CWT.
c.15 rosettes, 3 or 4 perhaps flowering, (potentially).
One c.40 yds on SW facing bank, xi.
Original plant on top, then 10-12 plants in new area c.150 yards from old railway, xiii.
6 more small ones c.25 [sic] yards this side of xiii.
[above] From sketch plan in SM Walters Field Notebook. 26.3.1961.
c.15 seedlings seen 60-70 yards SE of original [1959] site, JW Clarke.
Very cold winter 1962/3 killed off all plants, JW Clarke.
JC Faulkner, 1968, 80-col card.
1 plant flowering, Pop. map FH Perring, 9.7.1969.
2 plants fl. Pop. map & assoc. species list, ME Smith, 24.7.1971.
2 flowers, G Crompton & JW Clarke, 7.1974.
8 plants, G Crompton, 12.1974.
5 plants mapped, 1 by footpath, bruised, G Crompton, 18.1.1975.
15 plants mapped, 1 by footpath trodden & bruised incl. 1 on NE side of FP – (according to JWC there should have been 2 there–near ant hill and near rose bush.) WH Butcher, 25.1.1975.
2 fl. plants c.12 m. apart. JW Clarke, 24.6.1975.
15 plants. extending over 47 metres on SW bank. Plant on NE side not found. Almost all plants damaged by frost & one in path badly trampled. Pop. map & assoc. species list. WH Butcher, 16.4.1975.
(Pop. map shows that 13 plants, incl. one by FP, between 9 –15 m SE of 1300m post, No 14 was at 45m, No 15 at 50m all on SW side; No 16 by FP at 60m and No 17 by FP at 75m, on NE side.) WH Butcher, 15.1.1976 [sic.]
11 plants mapped as in 1975; the 'missing' 6 plants were all in the main area between 9–15m on SW side. WH Butcher, 15.1.1976.
CP
SE, 10 Hh, all ± dead, on SW bank, & CP of flags at 60m & 75m, on NW side. G Crompton, 8.6.1976.1 fl. plant, BD Jones & JW Clarke, 15.7.1977; one plant only with many flowers on its spike, SW facing slope, assoc. species: Bromu ere, Campa glo, Helia cha, Resed lutea, Ononb vic. CP Petch, Pop. map 14.7.1977.
1 fl. plant, BD Jones & JW Clarke, 1978.
Flymoed around bushes, except Hh area, by Cons. Corps, 2.1979.
CP
E showing scrub left, (in distance B. pinnatum patch), 2 rosettes only seen, G Crompton, 27.4.1979.3 fl. spikes near scrub and 1 fl. spike c.40 paces to east, which had been flymoed in Feb. 1979, (where JWC's original colony had been), M Boddy 1979.
None seen, G Crompton, 30.7.1980.
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Monitoring records started in winter 1980.
Between 1981 and 1993 there were an average of 8 plants incl. 2 fl. spikes. Between 1994 and 1997 there were an average of 15 plants incl. 4 fl. spikes (some of which were however abortive). In 1998 there were 7 plants incl. 1 fl. and in 1999 & 2000 there were only 5 plants incl. 2 flowering. G Crompton.
RAILWAY EMBANKMENT AT DEVIL'S DITCH 575.652
JW Clarke transplanted one large plant with sad from railway embankment facing south, a little NE of Ditch, onto SW facing bank of Devil's Ditch (v. close to the railway, but on the Reach side–where no plants have been recorded.) The Mildenhall Railway was still running and the embankment often caught fire. c.1960. The plant was not seen again.
66
DEVIL'S DYKE NEAR NEWMARKET
There is some evidence from verbal comments made on a Cttee Walk in 1980 when Prof. and Mrs Richards were present. that there were actually two sites known in the 1950's, but that all the visitors to the Dyke thought there was only one, i.e. 'theirs'. These two sites have been identified as Site 1 and Site 2, (see below).
[Devil's Ditch] H.h. seen by Mr Burn (amateur botanist of Luard Rd.) before WWI.
His daughters ran a school to which Martin Richards brought a floret from the site in 1946. Mr Burn's daughters' remembered that their father had seen it in the same area as in 1946] f. Prof. and Mrs PW Richards on Devil's Ditch Committee Walk, 4.9.1980.
... a fine spike was found in 1931 on the Devil's Dyke, where it crosses the London Road near Newmarket, by Miss Todd of Aldbourne, Wilts, who has as yet been unable to revisit the station. Evans,1939,155.
John Faulkner also remembers seeing one rosette at the London Road end in the 1940s. (f. 1.5.1975).
Devil's Dyke, n.c., 7.1946, CGE.
Near Newmarket, (J 24). several plants, J Rishbeth, 1946.
Near Newmarket, florets only, PW Richards, 2.7.1946, CGE.
Devils Dyke, PW Richards, 17 plants, 1946.
Devils Dyke, 2 plants only found in flower, these were suffering badly from drought. W Jones, 1947.
1 plant, PW Richards.
Devils Dyke, 22 plants flowering, CE Raven, 6.1948.
[Site 2] About 40 plants, mostly diseased, on the stretch of the Devil's Dyke at Newmarket between the long gap and the intersection of the raceourse–especially around a large hawthorn on top of the Dyke on the right, and for some distance beyond. n.d., JE Raven Notes. [i.e. NE side]
One only in flower, at foot of dyke on Newmarket side immediately beyond the large hawthorn, 26.6.1948, JE Raven notes.
From the only flowering plant in a colony of over 100 noted as diseased by John Raven earlier in year, Devil's Ditch 1
miles NW of main road, Newmarket, spec. and photos, JE Lousley, 28.6.1948, RDG; marO.S. map at a short distance from the Running gap. f. JE Lousley, 30.7.1973.20-30 plants in advanced bloom on the NW side of the Devil's Ditch nr Newmarket, 12.7.1949. 603.628, growing among tall Bromus erectus & Brachypodium pinnatum (wd) with such plants as Carex glauca, Onobrychis sativa, Pimpinella saxifraga, Poterium sanguisorba, Hippocrepis comosa, Linum catharticum and Centaurea nigra. Shown me by JE Raven. DE Coombe Card index.
23 plants counted there on 19.7.1949, including two eaten or pecked off, & one picked last week to be illustrated in the new British Flora. 18 on the east side & 5 on the W side of the ditch. Some plants with no swollen capsules; a few fat capsules on most, & one or two plants with the majority of capsules fertile. All but the topmost flowers on a few spikes withered, & the pollinia gone from these. Mostly the proximal part of the labium with purple spots, but one plant at the N limit quite unspotted, & the mid-lobe of the labium much broader than usual. DE Coombe Card index.
Up to 100 flowers, including ones on opposite side of vallum, WJN Warner, c.1950, (f.4.3.1980).
About 8 plants seen on 17.2.1951 in a rather hasty visit; some with one, some with 2 leaves fully expanded (tips of other leaves visible in all cases). Most leaves with lesions, appearing injected with water, and some necrotic & perforated. Can this be mechanical damage from the rough Brachypodium pinnatum leaves touching the plants? Seems too irregular for frost damage. DE Coombe, Card index.
c.12 in flower/fruit, 22.7.1951, MG Rutterford Field Notebook.
Devils Dyke, 11 flowering spikes, RE Hardy, 6.6.1952.
Near road track from Exning, north side, before rose bush; south side, between last telegraph pole in field and first ditch. 7.6.1952, M Southwell Field Notebook.
...along the Dyke in a NW-ly direction, pass the first gap and a large hawthorn bush on the right-hand slope. H.h. grows betw. this bush and the gap for the race course, mainly on the left-hand slope. 604.627, 12.6.1952, PH Oswald Card index.
Locality secret (about 15 plants), Cambs, 12.6.1952, PH Oswald, WFS Diary.
Devil's Dyke, nr gap for race course, Newmarket, 10 [sic] spikes betw. hawthorn bush & briars, one 20ins. high, 12.6.1952, PH Oswald ann.Evans.
1 magnificent specimen, MG Rutterford, 15.6.1952, Field Notebook.
[Site 2] south of large hawthorn, east of Running Gap, 1 [spike] 22" high, 1 [spike] east. 25.6.1952, M Southwell Field Notebook.
Devil's Dyke (photo), KR Sporne, 1953, CGE.
Devils Dyke, only 1 flowering spike seen, M Southwell, 7.6.1953, (west of A.11–north bank opp. 5th telegraph post as told by SM Walters.)
Devils Dyke 5 flowering spikes seen, HLK Whitehouse, 6.7.1953.
Not flowering, PH Oswald, 9.6.1954, WFS Diary.
Devils Dyke burnt over, no flowering spikes? SM Walters, 7.1954.
New Locality in 1954. PH Oswald, ann.Evans
52/60-62-, CD Pigott & SM Walters, 28.2.1961.
10 KM record card, small colony, PD Sell, 27.6.1961.
[Site 2] about 7 plants, when the population was in a wide area on both sides of the Dyke. ME Smith, 1969.
[Site 2] 1 plant (flowering) in a partially cut-away portion c.350 yards from Running Gap & 150 yards NW of Commentator's Box. Pop. map, assoc. species: Anaca pyr, Brach pin, Asper cyn, Helia cha, Hippo com, Poter san, Scabi col. & Thymus drucei. ME Smith, 15.7.1972.
1 fl. spike, G Crompton, 7.1974.
[Site 1] 16 mature plants & 3 seedlings on either side of track down NE side, ± opp. 2nd pair of starting posts on SW side. 8 plants slightly frosted or bruised, 5 partly eaten, all nearer top of dyke. Pop. map. WH Butcher, 27.2.1975.
[NE of Site 2] 7 mature plants & 2 seedlings, in cut away portion to the NW of a central raised part, (within cut-away), large hawthorn NE of colony. Also 1 plant v. near footpath on SW side. 2 frosted slightly or bruised, 2 partly eaten. assoc. species, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Ctenidium molluscum & Campylium chrysophyllum. Pop. map WH Butcher, 27.2.1975.
[Site 4] opp. 1st starting gates 1 fl. broken below infl., leaves frosted. 1 fl. with Rosa rubiginosa nearby to east, 3 fl. heads of Pulsatilla on left; Anaca pyr all the way to the Commentator's Box. No Hh seen in 'cut'. JW Clarke, 24.6.1975. (first record of site 4).
[Site 4] 5 plants on NE bank near base, c.63 m. from race course fence at Running Gap, 602.628. Pop. map, G Crompton, 27.6.1975.
[Site 2] all plants at eastern end on NW bank with at least one leaf frosted. CP of 22 plants/flags, G Crompton, 22.4.1976.
[Site 2] SE side, recently burnt c.2 days previously, by accident; extinguished by fire engine and 1000s gallons of water, but heat radiation from ± bare soil very noticeable. Windy, cold day but sun v. bright, CP of 13 plants/flags all severely burnt and ± dead. G Crompton, 22.4.1976.
[Site 4] CP of new site. CP new single plant, 37.5m. east of willow, on SW bank. G Crompton, 22.4.1976.
[Site 1] CP of largest plant in fruit. G Crompton, Devil's Ditch Cttee Walk, 23.7.1976.
CP of S facing bank between Commentator's Box & Running Gap, yellowish, old grass = unburnt; dark green, short grass (most areas) = burnt. G Crompton & RW Mellor, 5.11.1976.
[Site 4] 3 spikes in fl./bud, 1 variegated rosette, on both sides of dyke, G Crompton & V Gordon, 6.6.1977.
Running Gap 10-14 fl. plants, BD Jones & JW Clarke, 1977; also L Farrell & D Donald.
Devil's Dyke, B/W photos, PD Sell film 269/8, 19.7.1977, CGE.
Running Gap 7 fl. plants & 1 damaged, L Farrell & D Donald, 1978.
Searched for plants from Bomber Gap to next Gap east–none found. G Crompton, TCE Wells, D Donald & L Farrell, 22.3.1978.
Dyke burnt, 5.4.1978. CP
W, burnt NE bank; burnt SW bank (burning v. light on SW bank but vegetation was still v. thin from last burning). G Crompton, 19.4.1978.[Site 2] Sect. 1. NE side, 4 large plants on either side of FP going down, heavily burnt. CP of largest (?=Fl. size) nearest top of bank (c.1.25m. from centre of main FP on top of dyke). CPs showing various effects of fire damage & ? growth, since fire. G Crompton, 19.4.1978.
[Site 4] site nearest Running Gap, (JWC's) 3 good fl. plants unburnt on FP and c.19 ± burnt ones on quick count, in lower half of slope. G Crompton, 19.4.1978.
Searched for plants from A.11 to first big gap, (burnt 5.4.1978), G Crompton, L Farrell & D Donald, 19.4.1978.
7 fl. plants and 1 damaged, D Donald & L Farrell, 1978.
South side burnt again, 4.1979.
[Site 2] Many rosettes in permanent recording plots on S side survived frost or lay under snow, only to have top half of leaves burnt. c.6 expected to flower on N side. A number of plants have little holes on the leaves surrounded by brown tissue. G Crompton & D Donald, 16.5.1979.
[Site 1] 2 fl. spikes on N side, did not set good capsules. 1 fl. spike on S side may set 2-3 good capsules. D Donald, 1979.
[Site 2] Permanent plot: 45 rosettes. No new plants this year, 3 plants seen last year did not appear & 1 was confirmed as Anacamptis. 2 others had been dug up last year, D Donald, 1979.
North side: 6 fl. spikes, of which 2 turned brown and failed to develop after June. Individual flowers on 2 other spikes turned brown & 1 spike was late flowering & still had half swollen capsules on 19.9.1979, but probably no good capsules will be formed. Browning probably caused by spell of hot dry weather in May ? D Donald, 1979.
Total 9 fl. spikes, Conference Excursion, 20.7.1980.
14 fls counted, BD Jones, 1980.
603.628, G Crompton & J Bulleid, 1994, [R].
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Himantoglossum hircinum Devil's Ditch July Course TL 66.
FLOWERING SPIKES 1993–2000
1993130 David Leonard, 16.6.1993 and M Stanier, 23.6.1993.
-DA Wells & B Smith
1994150G Crompton & J Bulleid 23.6.1994
2.7.1994, -JCA Rathmell,[R].
29.6.1995. 252 Peter Carey, D Radley, R Hall, & G Crompton
c.1 July 1996 121Peter Carey.
26,6,1996 28JCA Rathmell, [R].
1997 10Peter Carey
10.7.1997 3JCA Rathmell, [R].
1998 49Peter Carey & students–now extended to very near Running Gap.
21.6.1998, 23JCA Rathmell, [R].
21.6.1999 205Peter Carey Between Commentator's Box & to within 10 yds of Running gap.
1999(4000 + at Sandwich]
2000 250Peter Carey, incl. c.10 on heath (July side).
[Monitoring records started in c.1978. Totals 1947-2000 are on file]
INTRODUCTION
35
Kingston, Crane's Lane: seed scattered from France in neighbour's garden (and possibly one plant transplanted from France, which did not live), adj. to Reynold's garden on SW side. c.1984
1 large fl. plant in Reynold's lawn, none in neighbours. 1994
11 rosettes in January, all withered in spring. 1995.
1 rosette before Christmas and 1 after. 1995-6.
10–12 still in our lawn and our neighbours, P Reynolds in litt. 23.4.2001.
