Selinum carvifolia L. Conservation status: VU First record: W Marshall, 1882; WJ Cross, 1882 Fordham, Chippenham & Snailwell, W.M. 1882. (Centre of triangle on Ord. map made by words Fordham, Chippenham & Snailwell. It is very abundant but Mr Fryer believes introduced with trees in adjoining plantation. 9.12.1883, Bab.ann.99. Lees, F. Arnold, (1882, May), On a new British Umbellifer. J.Bot. 20:129–133, t.229; 284. RCL & BM Howitt (1963), A Flora of Nottinghamshire, p.99. WA Clarke, 1st Record British Flowering Plants, p.65 J.Bot., 1882, 93–129. W Marshall, J.Bot. (1882) 20: 284–288; J.Bot. May & Sept. 1882. BEC: 1882. 1:73. 1903. 2:19. 1934. 10:971. J.Bot, 1898; J.Bot. 1899. 37: 244;326–327;359. J.Bot. 1903:19; J.Bot. 1909. 47:71. J.Bot. 1932. BECR 1914/1915. SM Walters (1956), Selinum carvifolia (L.)L. in Britain. Proc. BSBI, 2:(2),119–122. M. Meade, 1989,...Selinum carvifolia ... on Sawston Hall Moor. (1959–1986) Nat. in Cambs, 31,43–45. Letter to NCC East Midlands Region, Northminster House, from Martin O'Leary regarding proposed grazing levels in North Meadow, Chippenham Fen, and notes on fossil pingoes and soil type at Chippenham Fen. 20.9.1988. 44 SAWSTON Wet meadow by Sawston Hall, SM Walters, 3.9.1949, CGE. Sawston, occasional in grazed, damp meadow, assoc. species list, Anagallis tenella & Samolus on wet banks of drains, sketch plan, 3.9.1949, SM Walters field notebook. Sawston, 20–30 spikes Selinum flowering well, much wetter, therefore less grazing by cattle, Serratula also good, 29.8.1950, SM Walters field notebook. Flowering in abundance, CNT exc. 3.9.1960, [R]. Sawston, over 600 plants including 400+ flowering, assoc species list, Pop. map, ME Smith et al, 12.9.1970. Sawston, flowering well, has spread NE since 1970, cattle absent, G Crompton visit with M Meade, 19.8.1974. Sawston, abundant in fruit, Brachy pin, first seen on ditch bank tops in 1971, spreading and now abundant in N end of Selinum area, Col. print, G Crompton and M Meade, 6.10.1978. Sawston, Map showing presence of Selinum, MJ O'Leary, Oct. 1987. Sawston Moor, 491.491, DA Wells & MJ O'Leary, 10.7.1990, [R]. Sawston Hall Meadows, still a large population but appears reduced in area compared to M J O'Leary's map of 1987. No grazing since 1983. Map showing occurrence of Selinum, Charron Pugsley & Colin Newlands, August 1994. English Nature. Sawston, 1800 fl. plants, R Hall, C Newlands & P Stebbings, 9.1994. 57 INTRODUCTIONS Kingfisher Bridge, planted, 54–73–, MD Crewe, 1997, [R]; C Turner & PH Oswald, 11.8.1998, [R]. Wicken Fen, behind brickpit to right of path, TCE Wells, c.1997. 66 CHIPPENHAM Between Fordham & Chippenham, W Marshall, 1882, CGE. Chippenham, W Marshall, 1882. Chippenham... it is very abundant, 9.12.1883, Bab ann. [see above] Chippenham Moor, A. Fryer, 26.8.1884, LIV. A Fryer in Hb Marshall, 5.9.1884, (2 sheets ), CGE. Selinum carvifolia is fairly plentiful at its locality in Dist. 5. I merely mention it because from the account in the Report of the Botanical Locality Record Club it would appear that the plant occurred in quantity in several localities over a considerable area. West,1898,252. In 1883 Mr Fryer and I made a careful examination of the locality of this plant, and though we were unable to cut through the raised ground on which it principally grew (to see if it was made ground). the conclusion we came to was that it was not an indigenous species, but probably introduced with the belt of trees; there may be sixty to eighty years of growth. The plant in 1883 was evidently extending itself into the fenny ground around, by plants here and there. Doubtless in Relhan's time, this fen (or moor) was very much wetter than it is now, hence more difficult of access: but he could not have failed to see the plant when in bloom (if it was there?) and there is no record of Peucedanum thence, for which it might have been mistaken; and the Rev. J Holme, of Snailwell, who gathered Senecio paludosus and Eriophorum latifolium, would surely have found it.. To me the whole aspect of the plant and its growth is against it being indigenous. Is the Lincolnshire station more likely to be indigenous ? Of course it is quite naturalized and wild at Chippenham. Bennett,1899,244. Chippenham Moor. A Fryer, 26.8.1884. First noticed in the County by Mr WJ Cross in 1882; it grows in abundance but locally and has the appearance of an introduced rather than a native plant. At present rapidly spreading in the fen. Folder 23, Gen.Hb.WBCH. Chippenham (wet Fen), ex hort Croydon, A Bennett, 1884, NWH. Chippenham A Bennett in Hb Marshall, 7.1884, CGE. Chippenham Moor, JW Carr, 26.8.1884, CGE. RNG. LIV. Chippenham Moor, A Fryer, 9.1884, LIV. Chippenham Fen, RI Lynch, 25.9.1885, CUBG. Chippenham Fen, H Goss, 8.1886, LIV. Chippenham Fen, AS Shrubbs, 1887, DHM. Chippenham WJ Cross, 9.1891, CGE. Chippenham 1894–5–6, West ann. Chippenham Fen, WJ Cross, 1.10.1900, (3 sheets, ), CGE. Chippenham Fen, SH Bickham, 1901, DHM. Chippenham Fen, SH Bingham, 7.9.1901, CGE. Chippenham 'certainly spreading into the fen proper since... 1895', A Hosking,1903. Chippenham Fen, A Hosking, 12.9.1899, CUBG. Chippenham Fen, A Hosking, 17.7.1901, CUBG. Chippenham Fen, HJ Riddelsdell, 8.1903, LIV. K. Chippenham Fen, RI Lynch, 20.9.1904, CUBG. Chippenham Druce, 1903, BECR/1914/145. Seed from Chippenham Fen cultivated Underdown Ledbury, SH Bickham, 7.8.1905, CGE. Chippenham Fen, AJ Crosfield, 15.9.1909, CGE. Chippenham Fen, CE Moss, 1912, DHM. Chippenham Fen, JE Little, 25.9.1912, NWH. CGE. Chippenham Fen, JE Little & CE Moss, 25.11.1912, CGE. Chippenham ND Simpson, c.1913. Chippenham AS Shrubbs, 2.8.1921, Hb Clift. HS Redgrove, 8.1921, K. Chippenham Fen, T Stephenson, 8.1921, CGE. Chippenham T Stephenson, 8.1924, LIV. Chippenham NE of far end of grass drove across fen, 16.8.1924, Mills ann. Chippenham Fen, AJ Crosfield, 9.9.1929, CGE. Chippenham Fen, WT Stearn (& JSL Gilmour), 27.8.1931, K & Hb Clift. Chippenham Fen, Mrs E Macalster Hall, 31.8.1933, K. Chippenham Fen, abundant, JE Lousley, 19.8.1934, K. RNG (photos by SW Graveson & cf BEC Rep), 1934, RNG. LIV. JE Lousley, 11.10.1934, RNG, K, LIV. Chippenham type specimen for drawing for supplement to 3rd edition of English Botany, (in Cambs folder), NE Brown, n.d., K. Chippenham JL Crosby & AP Conolly, 1940. Chippenham Fen, SM Walters, 17.7.1945, CGE. Chippenham plentiful, James A Whellan, 12.8.1945. Chippenham Fen, CD Pigott, 7.1947, CGE. Chippenham Fen, ND Simpson, Hb NDS, 10.8.1947. Chippenham Fen, P Taylor, 10.8.1947, K. Chippenham rough grazed pasture, border of Fen, peat, sandy soil and in mixed fen, right of drove, assoc. species lists in Proc. BSBI (1956) 2:121, SM Walters, 9.1949. From Chippenham take the Newmarket rd and after 1 mile turn R where rd turns sharply L. Go straight on into wooded part of C. Fen and then turn right into first Cladium area in which Selinum carvifolia grows, see also Epipactis & Gymnadenia, PH Oswald, 19.7.1953. Chippenham Fen, CC Townsend, basic Fen peat, 15.8.1956, K. Chippenham Fen, HE Green, 7.9.1960, LIV. Chippenham Fen, P Wright & CNT exc. 23.7.1972, [R]. Chippenham Fen, abundant, M Musgrave, 1978. Chippenham, c.950 flowering Selinum, S Grimshaw, 1990. N Meadow, W of footbridge, 646.697, PH Oswald, DA Wells & CFG group, 17.6.1995, [R]. Chippenham Fen, map of distribution of 17,500 flowering Selinum, M Wright, 1996. English Nature. FORDHAM Ely,882, LIV. Fordham, W Marshall, 1882. Cambridgeshire, WJ Cross, 7.1882, LIV. Between Fordham & Chippenham, W Marshall, 7.1882, CGE. Fens. Cambs. Newly discovered. Rare in damp ground. n.c., July 29th – CGE. On swampy land near Fordham, WJ Cross in W Marshall, J. Bot. (1882) 20: 284, 8.1882. Marshes, Ely, WJ Cross, 9.1882, ( corn merchant, Ely), cf J.Bot. May & Sept. 1882), NWH. CGE. LIV. Fordham,... W.M. 1882. 9.12.1883, Bab.ann. [see above] Fens near Fordham A Fryer, 7.9.1883, LIV. Near Fordham, A Bennett, 9.1883, LIV. Circle c.200m across, Selinum carvifolia locally frequent, abundant on sides of paths and on damper parts of rough ground, little or no peat, damp, sandy soil, assoc. species list in Proc BSBI (1956) 2:119–121, SM Walters. Agros sto, Centa nig o, Cirsi arv o, Dacty glo o, Eupat can l.ab., Festu ovi f, F. aru f, Galiu uli o, Hiera pil r, Holcu lan f–ab, Lathyr pra r, Mentha sp r, Nepeta f, Plant lan o, Prune vul f, Scabi succisa l.f, Trifo rep o, Ulmaria l.ab, Vicia cra o, SM Walters field notebook, 16.9.1949. Rough pasture, edge of wood, grounds of Fordham Abbey, SM Walters, 16.9.1949, CGE. 'From memory the locality was around 634.698, I looked there in the 1960's and couldn't find any, but some ground was still + possible.' SM Walters. I believe I have now identified the site at Fordham where Selinum was recorded in 1949. This again contains hollows and hummocks and has an interesting marsh vegetation e.g. Triglochin palustris, Eleocharis palustris, Juncus articulatus, suggesting an undrained, unimproved meadow. (Grid Ref. 634.698). MJ O'Leary, in litt. 20.9.1988. SNAILWELL Snailwell, W Marshall, 1882. Snailwell,... W. Marshall 1882. 9.12.1883, Bab.ann. [see above] 1,800 flowering plants, Snailwell Meadows, 641.681, R Hall, C Newlands and P Stebbings, 9.1994, English Nature. MEADOW NO 3 Damp meadow (No.3) 639.677, R Payne, 11.6.1979; & Col. print, G Crompton & R Payne, 22.6.1979; rough meadow, first found by R Payne in June 1979, G Crompton & R Payne, 12.9.1979, CGE. About 200 plants, incl. 50 flowering, in c.13 x 10m. in NE corner of a small, ungrazed, unmown, rough, triangular meadow. The Selinum occurs only in a small transition zone between high ground with Pimpinella saxifraga, and low ground dominated by Cirsium arvense, Filipenula vulgaris, Urtica dioica. Pop. map & Col. prints, G Crompton & R Payne, 12.9.1979. ... just coming into flower in small meadow, (No 3),.... R Payne, 17.8.1984. Snailwell Meadow, 639.678, R Hall & P Stebbings, 9.1994, [R]. 'Field A' Transect (exclosure adjacent to road): 1,337 in 1994; 333 in 1995; 608 in 1996; 536 in 1997; 216 in 1998; 20 in 1999, English Nature. MEADOW NO 5 East of R. Snail, south of road, 640.681, first found by R Payne, 12.9.1979, [error for 11.6.1979], G Crompton, 13.9.1979, CGE. About 350 plants incl. 50 flowering and 100 in fruit. Sandy, peaty area in NE corner of damp, mown meadow, 639.681, 640.681. Plants short, >50cms. Distribution patchy in main colony in NE corner, frequent around edge to rare in centre. There are isolated scattered plants in the northern half of the meadow. (There is also a patch of Polygonum bistorta found by RP in 1978, more on the western side), and found to–day, a small patch of Menyanthes a few feet to the north of the main area of the Selinum.... more abundant & frequent in hay meadow, (No.5), R Payne, 17.8.1984. Many hundreds in (No 5) 641.681, G Crompton & DA Wells, 26.7.1994, [R]. 'Field B' Plots: 184 in 1994; 276 in 1995; 76 in 1996; 5 in 1997; 56 in 1998; 265 in 1999, English Nature.
