An autumn Walk from Poynings, through Poynings Shaw ancient woodland, to the spring. 02.09.26. Vascular plants, lichen, bryophytes, fungi & birds.

Enterographa crassa

I walked from where the path left the road, west of the church, along the Poynings stream, past the dammed mill pond to the point marked by the blue pin TQ 26656 11636 |, where the spring that forms the small narrow mill pond (dammed) rises. 

This posts list all the species that I saw from north to south along the path; but I only illustrate some of these with photographs 

TQ 26656 11636 | OS Maps

Ancient Woodland (England) | Natural England Open Data Geoportal marking ancient woodland in dark blue

I got to Poynings from Brighton on the 17 bus, 17 Bus Route & Timetable: Brighton - Horsham | Stagecoach and got off at Newtimber, Crossways Cottages, then walked the short route along the footpath to Poynings. I tried to record all the vascular plants that I saw.

From the Poynings Road, to the bottom of the Mill Pond. The path starts at the Forge Garage, previously the village blacksmiths, I walked beside the Poynings Stream.

Equisetum telmateia Great Horsetail

Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed

Phragmites australis Common Reed

Rumex crispus Curled Dock

Torilis japonica Upright Hedge-Parsley

Verbascum thapsus Great Mullein

Dactylis glomerata Cock's-Foot

Arctium minus Lesser Burdock

Golovinomyces depressus Burdock Mildew

Salix atrocinerea Rusty Willow

Rubus ulmifolius Elmleaf Blackberry

Hedera helix Common Ivy

Sambucus nigra Elder

Rumex conglomeratus Clustered Dock

Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle

Crataegus monogyna Common Hawthorn

Polygonum aviculare Common Knotgrass

Arctium lappa Greater Burdock

Around and in the Mill Pond

Equisetum telmateia Great Horsetail

Trifolium hybridum Alsike Clover

Mentha aquatica Water Mint

Groenlandia densa Opposite-leaved Pondweed

Persicaria amphibia Amphibious Bistort

Salix alba White Willow

Dioscorea communis Black Bryony

Rosa canina Dog-Rose

Equisetum telmateia Great Horsetail

Phragmites australis Common Reed

Prunus domestica Plum

Salix alba White Willow

Scirpus sylvaticus Wood Club-Rush

Cornus sanguinea Common Dogwood

Prunus spinosa Blackthorn

Graphis scripta Common Script Lichen

Possibly Phaeographis dendritica, possibly Arthonia atra. It is very difficult to differentiate between Graphidaceae family lichens without spore microscopy; and I am rubbish at spore microscopy,

On lovely row of ancient coppiced Acer campestre Field Maple

Sambucus nigra Elder

Hypnum cupressiforme Cypress-leaved Plait-Moss

Eupatorium cannabinum Hemp Agrimony

Flavoparmelia soredians Shadow Greenshield Lichen on a dead Ash

Cryphaea heteromalla Lateral Cryphaea

Corylus avellana Hazel

Brachypodium sylvaticum False-Brome

Fraxinus excelsior Ash

All of these lichens and bryophytes were on the branches of this dead ash

Lecidella elaeochroma Lecidella Lichen

Ramalina fraxinea ("belonging to the ash tree" Linnaeus, not always on Ash) on Fraxinus excelsior killed by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (Ash dieback). BLS conservation status: notable & an International Responsibility species. Now rare in the South East. I have only seen in three times in Sussex.

Parmotrema perlatum Black Stone Flower

Frullania dilatata Dilated Scalewort

Punctelia jeckeri Powdered Speckled Shield Lichen

Lecanora symmicta Fused Rim Lichen

Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta

Evernia prunastri Oakmoss

Ramalina fastigiata Dotted Ribbon Lichen

Metzgeria furcata Forked Vielwort

Corylus avellana Hazel

Pertusaria pertusa Pepper-Pot Lichen

Huge ancient Fagus sylvatica Beech

On which there is a great deal of Enterographa crassa; a very common lichen of ancient beech in Sussex, but very under recorded as it is very small - this image is x20 magnification. A distinctive species often dominating large areas of trunk in pure mosaics of small interlocking waxy brown thalli, spotted with small dot like apothecia, which often line up in dendritic patterns. Very common in south western and Irish woodlands on humid shaded trunks. Enterographa crassa | The British Lichen Society

Along with the mosses:

Thamnobryum alopecurum Fox-tail Feather-Moss 

Anomodon viticulosus Rambling Tail-Moss

Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-tongue Fern

Hart's-tongue Fern is extremely common on the South Downs at the bottom of scarp face ancient woodlands, made wet bysprings where the porous chalk meets the Wealden clay

Map from online British Geological Survey Geology Viewer

KeyL

Upper Greensand Formation-Siltstone and sandstone. These sedimentary rocks are shallow-marine in origin. They are detrital, ranging from coarse- to fine-grained (locally with some carbonate content) forming interbedded sequences.

Zig Zag Chalk Formation-Chalk. These sedimentary rocks are shallow-marine in origin. They are biogenic and detrital, generally comprising carbonate material (coccoliths), forming distinctive beds of chalk.

Holywell Nodular Chalk Formation-Chalk. 

New Pit Chalk Formation-Chalk. 

Lewes Nodular Chalk Formation-Chalk. 

West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation-Chalk. 

All text from BGS Geology Viewer