Bracken House and Selston Common Grasslands
Location: Portland Road, Selston, Nottinghamshire, England. | Latitude: 53.070650. Longitude: -1.293270. | Altitude: 485 feet.

Selston Common Grassland 2017 Survey

Selston Common Grassland has been surveyed occasionally since 1997 when a survey by Peter Acton stated:

'Horse grazed pastures with neutral species-rich sward and flush communities. Would appear to be unimproved and thus representative of local grasslands now almost all converted to arable or species-poor leys. Contrasts with the adjoining acid grasslands of Holly Hill (2/194). Valuable habitat for farmland birds and a wildlife reservoir close to a small town. Sighted a yellowhammer and small copper butterfly.'

Since moving into the property in October 2008, I have tried to maintain the pastures as they have been over the years and I have endeavoured to assist the local environment by encouraging wildlife, and creating wildflower areas. The pastures are as they were in 2008 and have only been lightly grazed by horses since then. The only major problem we have encountered in the pastures is the presence of Ragwort, which is pulled annually, and Himalayan Balsam, which has been virtually eradicated since it was pulled several years ago.

On July 4th 2017, Jane Carruthers from the Nottinghamshire Biological and Geological Records Centre conducted a further survey of the lands. Her extensive survey revealed the presence of 19 grasses, 5 sedges, 5 rushes, 66 wildflowers and 12 trees and shrubs. Two species were recorded in the Nottinghamshire Rare Plant Register, these being the Bog Pimpernel and the Marsh Pennywort. The Bog Pimpernel is recorded as 'scarce' in Nottinghamshire and is rare and decreasing.

The full list of recorded species follows ...

	Common Name	Scientific Name	Status
Grasses	Common Bent	Agrostis capillaris	Native
	Creeping Bent	Agrostis stolonifera	Native
	Silver Hair-grass	Aira caryophyllea	Native
	Meadow Foxtail	Alopecurus pratensis	Native
	Sweet Vernal-grass	Anthoxanthum odoratum	Native
	False Oat-grass	Arrhenatherum elatius	Native
	Quaking-grass	Briza media	Native
	Crested Dog's-tail	Cynosurus cristatus	Native
	Cock's-foot	Dactylis glomerata	Native
	Tufted Hair-grass	Deschampsia cespitosa	Native
	Common Couch	Elytrigia repens ssp. repens	Native
	a red fescue	Festuca rubra agg.	Native
	Yorkshire-fog	Holcus lanatus	Native
	Creeping Soft-grass	Holcus mollis	Native
	Perennial Rye-grass	Lolium perenne	Native
	Timothy	Phleum pratense	Native
	Smooth Meadow-grass	Poa pratensis	Native
	Rough Meadow-grass	Poa trivialis	Native
	Yellow Oat-grass	Trisetum flavescens	Native

Sedges	Brown Sedge	Carex disticha	Native
	Glaucous Sedge	Carex flacca	Native
	Hairy Sedge	Carex hirta	Native
	Common Sedge	Carex nigra	Native
	Pendulous Sedge	Carex pendula	Native

Rushes	Common Spike-rush	Eleocharis palustris	Native
	Jointed Rush	Juncus articulatus	Native
	Sharp-flowered Rush	Juncus acutiflorus	Native
	Compact Rush	Juncus conglomeratus	Native
	Soft-rush	Juncus effusus	Native

Wild Flowers	Yarrow	Achillea millefolium	Native
	Sneezewort	Achillea ptarmica	Native
	Bog Pimpernel	Anagallis tenella	Native
	Cow Parsley	Anthriscus sylvestris	Native
	Mugwort	Artemisia vulgaris	Native
	Daisy	Bellis perennis	Native
	Welted Thistle	Carduus crispus	Native
	Common Knapweed	Centaurea nigra	Native
	Common Mouse-ear	Cerastium fontanum	Native
	Rosebay Willowherb	Chamerion angustifolium	Native
	Creeping Thistle	Cirsium arvense	Native
	Marsh Thistle	Cirsium palustre	Native
	Spear Thistle	Cirsium vulgare	Native
	Wild Basil	Clinopodium vulgare	Native
	Pignut	Conopodium majus	Native
	Common Spotted-orchid	Dactylorhiza fuchsii	Native
	Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	Native
	Great Willowherb	Epilobium hirsutum	Native
	Hoary Willowherb	Epilobium parviflorum	Native
	Hedge Bedstraw	Galium album	Native
	Cleavers	Galium aparine	Native
	Common Ivy	Hedera helix	Native
	Hogweed	Heracleum sphondylium	Native
	Marsh Pennywort	Hydrocotyle vulgaris	Native
	Square-stalked St John's-wort	Hypericum tetrapterum	Native
	Cat's-ear	Hypochaeris radicata	Native
	Yellow Iris	Iris pseudacorus	Native
	Meadow Vetchling	Lathyrus pratensis	Native
	Least Duckweed	Lemna minuta	Introduced
	Oxeye Daisy	Leucanthemum vulgare	Native
	Common Bird's-foot-trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	Native
	Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil	Lotus pedunculatus	Native
	Water Mint	Mentha aquatica	Native
	Red Bartsia	Odontites vernus	Native
	Coloured Water-lily	Nymphaea marliacea	Introduced
	Red Bartsia	Odontites vernus	Native
	Fox-and-cubs	Pilosella aurantiaca	Introduced
	Ribwort Plantain	Plantago lanceolata	Native
	Greater Plantain	Plantago major	Native
	Tormentil	Potentilla erecta	Native
	Creeping Cinquefoil	Potentilla reptans	Native
	Selfheal	Prunella vulgaris	Native
	Bracken	Pteridium aquilinum	Native
	Meadow Buttercup	Ranunculus acris	Native
	a lesser spearwort	Ranunculus flammula	Native
	Creeping Buttercup	Ranunculus repens	Native
	Yellow-rattle	Rhinanthus minor	Native
	Bramble	Rubus fruticosus agg.	Native
	Common Sorrel	Rumex acetosa	Native
	Clustered Dock	Rumex conglomeratus	Native
	Curled Dock	Rumex crispus	Native
	Great Burnet	Sanguisorba officinalis	Native
	Marsh Ragwort	Senecio aquaticus	Native
	Hoary Ragwort	Senecio erucifolius	Native
	Common Ragwort	Senecio jacobaea	Native
	Lesser Stitchwort	Stellaria graminea	Native
	a dandelion	Taraxacum agg.	Native
	Goat's-beard	Tragopogon pratensis	Native
	Red Clover	Trifolium pratense	Native
	White Clover	Trifolium repens	Native
	Colt's-foot	Tussilago farfara	Native
	Common Nettle	Urtica dioica	Native
	Tufted Vetch	Vicia cracca	Native
	Hairy Tare	Vicia hirsuta	Native
	Common Vetch	Vicia sativa subsp. segetalis	Archaeophyte
	Bush Vetch	Vicia sepium	Native

Trees and Shrubs	Sycamore	Acer pseudoplatanus	Introduced
	Hawthorn	Crataegus monogyna	Native
	Ash	Fraxinus excelsior	Native
	Holly	Ilex aquifolium	Native
	Honeysuckle	Lonicera periclymenum	Native
	Dog-rose	Rosa canina agg.	Native
	Japanese Rose	Rosa rugosa	Introduced
	Goat Willow	Salix caprea	Native
	Grey Willow	Salix cinerea	Native
	Elder	Sambucus nigra	Native
	Rowan	Sorbus aucuparia	Native
	Gorse	Ulex europaeus	Native

Links: Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland | Checklist of the Flora of Nottinghamshire | Nottinghamshire Rare Plant Register 2nd edition (February 2017) (download pdf file)