Stratiotes aloides L. Conservation status: C First record: How, c.1650 Last record: C Turner, 1960 57/58 ISLE OF ELY Militaris aizoides Lob. Water Soldier Copiose prope pagum Over Jun. Julio et Augusto floret in aquis stagnantibus et fossis limosis Eliensis Insulae. How MS.1650–6. [Gunther 290.] Militaris aizoides Water Sengreen, or Fresh–water–Souldier. In fluentis pigrioribus & palustribus fossis in insula Eliensi copiose. Ray,1670:209. Militaris Aizoides Water–Aloe, or Fresh–water–Soldier. In fluentis pigrioribus & palustribus fossis in insula Eliensi copiose. Ray,1690,208; Ray,1696,281. Stratiotes foliis Aloes semine, longo Water Aloe, or fresh Water Soldier. In fluentis pigrioribus & palustribus fossis in insula Eliensi copiose. Ray,1724,290. I gather'ed in the Isle of Ely &... Aug. 1725. Joseph Andrews Hb.3:14,BM. Stratiotes foliis Aloes semine longo. Gundelsh. Water Aloe, or Fresh Water Soldier. 'Only female flowers normally occur in Britain...' Flora,1964. [25 Ñ not in Cambs or V.c.29 INTRODUCTION abundant in pond and probably not there 10 years ago, Mill Ware Pond, Great Gransden, 274.562, C. Turner, 7.7.1975. Pond used for fishing by small boys. CS, G Crompton, 27.10.1975. Only there a very few years.] 26 INTRODUCTION Moat, Papley, near Eltisley, 276.613, probably introduced, SJ Douglas & PG Seccombe, 11.7.1979; P Round, 1980. 29 Whittlesey, J Balding, Bab.1860,222. Whittlesea, AF.cat. 35 INTRODUCTION Pond on Golf Course, Great Eversden, 36–55–, RGH Cant, 1997, [R]. 36 INTRODUCTION Village pond, Swavesey, 361.689, CD Preston & SE Yates, 5.7.1992, [R]. 37 Over. Bab.ann.Relhan,218. Over; Newbould. Bab.1860,222. 39 March, &c. Relhan,1802;1820. ––––––––––––––––––––– Doddington, now lost, AF.cat. 45 In many places near Cambridge. Dr Thomas Manningham. Blackstone,1746,95. [Stratiotes] In a ditch by Granchester meadow July 25 1759. Th.M.ann.Meth.77 & Bab.ann. ––––––––––––––––– INTRODUCTION Stratiotes was introduced from the Botanical Gardens into a pond on Sheep's Green, Cambridge, where it has driven out the other aquatic plants. West,1898,256. 'Cambridge' ponds, CC Mountford, 7.1900, UPP. Coe Fen, Bennett,1899,245, ann.Wallis. Coe Fen before 1905, A Malins Smith. 46 Rampton. Relhan,1802;1820. 47 ...and in the river and ditches about Audrey causey abundantly. Ray,1660,98(85). Militaris aizoides, Fresh–water Souldier,... In Lincoln–shire Fens, and those of Ely, and at Awdrey Causey in the way from London to Cambridge. Merrett,1667,77. Audrey Causey JM.ann. Audrey Causeway Th.M.ann.Meth.–Index Loc.1. Isle of Ely. Audrey Causeway. Martyn,1763,Herbat.XII. Audrey Causeway Fisher ann. Berkenhout,152. Audrey Causeway, Relhan,1785;1802;1820. By Aldreth Causeway. Bab.1860,222. ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Pond at Earith between Delph Drove and the Ouse. WWN. Bab.ann.Relhan,218. Between Delph drove and the Old Ouse, near Earith; Newbould. Bab.1860,222. 48 In ye ditch by Mepole Toll–gate plentifully. JM.ann. Stratiotes sive Militaris Aizoides n.l., Martyn,1727,77. Mepole Th.M.ann.Meth.–Index Loc.12. See P.1. Mepole. Martyn,1763,Herbat.XII. Mepole Fisher ann. Berkenhout,152. Mepole. Relhan,1785;1802;1820. Mepal; JM. Bab.1860,222. Chatteris, now lost, AF.cat. Washes, AF.cat. 49 Sixteen Foot, lost, AF.cat. 56 I think I have been told by the Curator of the Botanic Garden at Cambridge that he has received Stratiotes Aloides – from ditches in Burwell fen, & on the strength of this we searched diligently for these plants – but without success... Jenyns,JNH,25.7.1826. In Burwell Lode, in quantity, Corry, 1881, Bab.ann. 57 Militaris aizoides Water–Sengreen, or Fresh–water Souldier. In a ditch on the left hand as you go to Stretham ferry, and in the river about the same ferry,... Ray,1660,98(85). Stratiotes. About Stretham ferry, in the river and ditches and on the banks. Ray,Index Loc.JM.ann. Stretham Ferry. Martyn,1763,Herbat.XII. Stretham Ferry Fisher ann. Berkenhout,152. Stratiotes aloides Fresh–water Soldier. Water–aloe. Stretham Ferry. Relhan,1785;1802;1820. Streatham, CM Lemann, 7.1831, CGE. In the ditch on the left–hand side as you go to Stretham Ferry; Ray. Bab.1860,222. Near Stretham Ferry, in old gravel–pits, Marshall. Bennett,1899,245. (In a ditch on the left hand... Ray) still here, CEM.ann. –––––––––––––– I embrace the Opportunity of my Housekeeper going to London to send you the Stratiotes Aloides which I bro't this morning from Upware... Newmarket, 1.8.1796, Hemsted in litt. Sowerby 26:162. We went, under the direction of Henslow, into the fens. We had the conservators' barge... We followed the river as far as Upware and went into the sedge fen. Saw in flower Stratiotes aloides. [?Wicken Fen] 29.6.1833. Bab.Mem,17. Upware, JS Henslow, 29.6.1833, CGE. Went with Newbould, Wauton [sic], and Stratton to Waterbeach, then walked by the river side to Upware, and along the Spinney bank across the fen to a house near Wicken. Examined Wicken Fen, finding... Stratiotes,... 15.7.1851. Bab.Mem.158. Wicken Fen. Bab.ann.Relhan,218. Wicken Fen, n.c., 15.7.1857, CGE. In the fen near the village of Wicken, Bab.1860,222. Wicken Fen, before 1905, A Malins Smith. ––––––––––––––––––––––––– By the railway, Thetford, Bab.1860,222. ––––––––––––––––––––– Pumping station lock 1 mile S of Ely, 542.788, Miss Thurnett, c.1940. –––––––––––––––––––––– STRETHAM PITS Pond by river at Elford Closes, (fem.) DH Valentine,1931, & EF Warburg, c.1935, Ñ could not be found, DH Valentine & EF Warburg, 1938. Plentiful in a pit near the Old W. River where it crosses the Stretham–Cambridge road, 500.720. One plant flowering 16.8.1949. DE Coombe Card index. Stratiotes pits. C. otrubae. C. riparia, C. disticha, C. hirta. O. fistulosa.[i.e. no Stratiotes] 27.5.1950, SM Walters' Field Notebook 1949–51. Elford Closes, [southernmost pit, 501.721], C Turner, 1958 & 1960. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– INTRODUCTION Commissioner's Pit, Upware, 539.708, P Stebbings, 1991, [probably introduced; only there for one year f. Stebbings, 2.7.2000]. 58 Passing thro' Littleport & crossing thtleport Bridge I proceeded up the droveway leading to Milden Hall for the purpose of examining the broad ditch wh runs for a considerable distance, at the left hand side of the road commonly called Mildenhall Drain....This ditch was full of the Stratiotes Aloides,... Jenyns,JNH,2.8.1827. Today I visited Prickwillow a small hamlet situate on the bank of the river about four miles North of Ely. In the washes between those two places... I noticed the... Stratiotes aloides & Ranunculus Lingua; the two last in plenty. Jenyns,JNH,3.8.1827. Beyond Littleport. Relhan,1785;1802;1820. Littleport; Relhan. Bab.1860,222. ––––––––––––––––––––––– Ely. In the ditches by the bridge. Martyn,1763,Herbat.XII. E(ly). Fisher ann. Berkenhout,152. Near the Bridge at Ely. Relhan,1785;1802;1820. Near the Bridge at Ely. gravel pits & ditches (about Ely) between the river & the road about 1 mile above Ely, in great plenty. Henslow ann. l:218. Ely, L.J., 13.7.1822, BATHG. Ely, JS Henslow, 31.7.1822, 9.7.1823, 23.6.1830, CGE. Ely J.D., 23.6.1830, NTM. Ely, JS Henslow, 29.6.1833, CGE. Ely, L Waddington, 7.1857, CGE. One mile above Ely, betweeen the river and the road, Henslow, Bab.1860,222. Ely, West ann. ––––––––––––––––––––––– Roswell Pits, Ely, CC Babington, 5.7.1853, CGE. Roswell Pits, Ely. Bab.ann.Relhan,218. Roswell Pits, Ely. Bab.1860,222. Went to Rossall Pit at Ely, with Potter, Cowell, and some students. We found Stratiotes in abundance, but without flower;... 9.8.1887. Bab.Mem.251. Roslyn Pits, RI Lynch & W Hillhouse, 18.6.1880, CUBG 84/80. Roswell Hole, AF.cat. Still in large lagoons of old marl pits + Rossal pits near Ely, 1893, S.Baring–Gould in The Ely Fenland, Chambers Journal, 305–7. Roswell Pits, Bennett,1899,245, ann,Wallis. Still in Roswell Pits, WJ Cross in CBSC. Abundant in Roswell Pits, 24.8.[c.1924], F B[lades]. ann.Bab. 59 [?Norfolk] [In the pits of the railway, Downham parish, 8.8.1884, AF.ann. Railway Pits, AF.cat. Welney, A Peckover, Bab.1860,222.] 64 INTRODUCTION Pond opp. Pond Farm, Bartlow Road, Castle Camps, 629.434, P Stebbings 1999; introduction reportedly there for c.5 years. 41 This elegant aquatic is scarcely found in any other part of England than Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, where it grows in the deep ditches of the fens, sometimes so copiously as to occupy the surface entirely, to the exclusion of all other plants. We received fresh specimens from Mr. William Skrimshire of Wisbeach. Smith,Eng.Bot. (1797) 6:379. [Stratiotes aloides Bardelph Fen. [Norf.] Skrim.MS.]
