RPR

Suffolk Rare Plant Register

Italics indicates species exinct in Suffolk			Explanatory notes and references
Species Click on the link to see a distribution map	English	Threat status Definitions		Distribution status	E 25	W 26	Comment
Achillea ptarmica	Sneezewort	Locally scarce			E		Few native sites in NE Suffolk plus many garden escapes which are often double-flowered.
Adonis annua	Pheasant’s Eye	Endangered					Archaeophyte, extinct in the wild. Now only occuring as a deliberate introduction with arable weed mix.
Ajuga chamaepitys	Ground-pine	Endangered		Nationally scarce			Probably extinct, last seen at Ramparts Field, West Stow in the 1980s.
Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita	Lady’s Mantle	Locally rare			E		1 extant site at Blythe meadow, Cransford.
Alisma lanceolatum	Narrow-leaved Water-plantain	Locally scarce			E		Occasional in Broadland part of Waveney Valley.
Allium oleraceum	Field Garlic	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	5 records, very rare in E. Anglia. King’s Forest, Shakers Lane Bury, Culford, Hadleigh Rly Line and Marlesford.
Alopecurus aequalis	Orange Foxtail	Locally scarce			E	W	4 sites in damp grassland in the Waveney valley and at Polstead. Possibly under-recorded due to confusion with A. geniculatus.
Alopecurus bulbosus	Bulbous Foxtail	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		2 recent records from coastal marshes at Flatford and near Breydon Water.
Althaea hirsuta	Rough Mallow	Locally rare				W	One new (probably casual) record from Lakenheath in 2005. Currently on the ‘parking list’ in the new Red List, but will probably be classed as neophyte.
Althaea officinalis	Marsh-mallow	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		Occasional, about 20 sites in coastal ditches and edges of saltmarshes.
Alyssum alyssoides	Small Alison	Neophyte		RDB	E	W	Recent arrival, casual only found in about 10 sites in both Breck and Sandlings, introduced at a couple of sites in the Breck.
Anacamptis morio (Orchis morio)	Green-winged Orchid	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Around 50 sites on old grassland in NE Suffolk, still declining.
Anagallis minima	Chaffweed	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity		W	One record (1988) from Ropers Heath, Tuddenham, possibly now extinct.
Anagallis tenella	Bog Pimpernel	Locally scarce			E	W	About 25 wetland sites scattered across the northern half of the county.
Anisantha tectorum	Drooping Brome	Neophyte		RDB		W	Recent arrival, about 8 records from Breckland.
Anthemis arvensis	Corn Chamomile	Endangered			E	W	Archaeophyte, occasional in arable and as a casual introduction with wild flower seed mixes.
Anthemis cotula	Stinking Chamomile	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, less than 100 arable sites scattered throughout the county.
Apera spica-venti	Loose Silky-bent	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	Archaeophyte, widespread in Brecks and occasional in the Sandlings.
Apium inundatum	Lesser Marshwort	Locally rare			E	W	Records from ponds and dykes at Minsmere, Fressingfield, Burgate and Gt Livermere.
Arabis glabra	Tower Mustard	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E	W	Thriving in disturbed sites in Breckland, casual elsewhere. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Arnoseris minima	Lamb’s Succory	Extinct					Archaeophyte, extinct in the wild. Re-introduced at one arable weed site in the 1980s.
Artemisia campestris	Field Mugwort	Vulnerable		RDB		W	Very few native sites plus a few re-introductions in Breckland.
Asperula cynanchica	Squinancywort	Locally scarce				W	About a dozen records from Breckland and chalk grassland around Newmarket.
Astragalus danicus	Purple Milk-vetch	Endangered		Suffolk Rarity		W	Widespread on dry chalk in Breckland, e.g. Lakenheath Warren.
Atriplex pedunculata	Pedunculate Sea Purslane	Critically Endangered		RDB			Extinct since last record at Walberswick 1935. A re-introduction attampt at Walberswick in the 1990s was not successful.
Baldellia ranunculoides	Lesser Water-plantain	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	One or two recent records from Broads, other records need confirmation.
Berberis vulgaris	Barberry	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 40 records scattered across the county, probably only native on dry chalky soils in the west but distribution much confused by planting since medieval times.
Blackstonia perfoliata	Yellow-wort	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 30 sites on dry chalky soils.
Blechnum spicant	Hard Fern	Locally scarce			E		6 records all from the coastal strip: Holbrook, Belstead, Rishangles, Walberswick, Loound, Lowestoft. A species that is very common in wetter parts of the country.
Blysmus compressus	Flat-sedge	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E		4 sites, marshes at South Cove, Reydon, Barnby and Sizewell.
Botrychium lunaria	Moonwort	Locally scarce			E	W	6 sites in old grassland in Breckland and one E. Suffolk site at Blythe meadow, Cransford.
Brachypodium pinnatum	Tor- grass	Locally scarce			E	W	6 sites scattered across the county, probably native in chalk grassland in the Newmarket area. National status unclear due to confusion with recently separated B. rupestre, currently on the ‘waiting list’ in the new Red List.
Bromus hordeaceus subsp. thominei	A subspecies of Soft Brome	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Landguard Common, Felixstowe plus a few other possible sites, probably under-recorded or confused with B. × pseudothominei.
Bromus secalinus	Rye Brome	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte with 2 sites from arable plus a few casuals.
Bupleurum rotundifolium	Thorow-wax	Critically Endangered					Archaeophyte, extinct in the wild. Now only occuring as a casual or deliberate introduction with arable seed mix.
Bupleurum tenuissimum	Slender Hare’s-ear	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		Occasional in disturbed sites and on sea walls along the coast.
Butomus umbellatus	Flowering Rush	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 40 records from the lower reaches of major rivers.
Calamagrostis stricta	Narrow Small-reed	Vulnerable		RDB		W	A few records from Brecks fens at Lakenheath and Mildenhall. Status of some records doubtful due to confusion with other Calamagrostis taxa.
Calystegia soldanella	Sea Bindweed	Locally scarce			E		About 15 sites scattered along the coast.
Camelina sativa	Gold-of-pleasure	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Archaeophyte with half a dozen recent casual records, none from arable situations.
Campanula glomerata	Clustered Bellflower	Locally scarce				W	6 records from chalky grassland in the west: Moulton, Dalham, Risby, Higham, Elveden and Thetford.
Campanula latifolia	Giant Bellflower	Locally scarce			E	W	4 recent records: Eriswell, Playford, Darmsden and Framlngham, a rare native of ancient wet woods.
Carex acuta	Slender Tufted-sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 30 sites, scattered across the county in wet grassy places.
Carex acutiformis × riparia = C. ×sooi	A hybrid sedge	Vulnerable			E		A single record from Framlingham Mere, 1990, det. A. C. Jermy.
Carex appropinquata	Fibrous Tussock-sedge	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	3 sites: marshes at Barnby, Carlton and Brandon.
Carex binervis	Green-ribbed Sedge	Locally rare			E	W	2 recent records from moist acid sites at Dunwich and Ingham.
Carex curta	White Sedge	Locally rare			E		Small numbers in wet acid sites at Blythburgh, Dunwich and Westleton, rare in E Anglia.
Carex diandra	Lesser Tussock-sedge	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Fens at Thelnetham, Carlton and Minsmere.
Carex divisa	Divided Sedge	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		About 12 sites in damp coastal grassland.
Carex echinata	Star Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	About a dozen records from bogs and marshes along the coast and in the Waveney/Ouse valley.
Carex elata	Tufted Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	About 30 records from fens and marshes mainly in Breckland and the Waveney/Ouse valley.
Carex elongata	Elongated Sedge	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		The single site at Reydon Wood is the only one in E Anglia.
Carex ericetorum	Rare Spring-sedge	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce		W	Undisturbed grassland on calcareous soils in Breckland, no records post-1997, it is a poor competitor and soon disappears if under-grazing allows the sward to become too rank. Post-1990 records from Lakenheath Warren, Foxhole Heath, Knettishall Heath, West Stow, Eriswell and Icklingham.
Carex extensa	Long-bracted Sedge	Locally rare			E		Single site at Shingle Street. Scarce on the E. coast of Britain but much more frequent in the west.
Carex hostiana	Tawny Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	6 sites in wet meadows and marshes.
Carex lasiocarpa	Slender Sedge	Locally rare			E	W	Peaty fens at Redgrave, Hopton and Barnby.
Carex pulicaris	Flea Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	Fens at Redgrave, Thelnetham, Market Weston and at Sizewell dunes.
Carex rostrata	Bottle Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	About 20 records from ponds and in wet marshes on acid soils.
Carex strigosa	Thin-spiked Wood-sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 20 sites scattered across the county in ancient woodland on clay soils.
Carex vesicaria	Bladder-sedge	Locally rare			E	W	3 sites, meadows at Westhorpe, Laxfield and Culford.
Carex viridula subsp. brachyrrhyncha	Long-stalked Yellow Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 10 records for this subspecies which occurs on peaty soils in fens and marshes in the Waveney/Ouse valley, and in Breckland.
Carex viridula subsp. oedocarpa	Common Yellow Sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	Less about 12 records for this subspecies from fens and marshes in the Waveney/Ouse valley, on the coast and in Breckland.
Carex viridula subsp. viridula	Small-fruited Yellow Sedge	Locally rare			E	W	There are 2 records of this subspecies from Poors Fen, Lakenheath and Lound.
Carum carvi	Caraway	Endangered			E	W	Archaeophyte occurring only as a casual in Suffolk, 5 records.
Centaurea cyanus	Cornflower	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Archaeophyte, one stable site at Haughley plus scattered other casual records, a frequent garden escape and constituent of wild flower seed mixes. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Centaurium pulchellum	Lesser Centaury	Locally rare			E		Previously found on the coast at Walberswick and Sizewell the only recent records are from Lakenheath and Bramfield.
Ceratophyllum submersum	Soft Hornwort	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		About 20 records from eutrophic and brackish water in dykes and ditches along the coast and occasionally inland.
Ceterach officinarum	Rustyback	Locally rare			E		Three records from man-made structures at Mendham, Bungay and Oulton Broad - all (coincidentally) in the Waveney valley. A predominantly western species in Britain.
Chamaemelum nobile	Chamomile	Vulnerable					Extinct as a native, probably lost before 1970. Occasionally occuring as a casual or even cultivated as a crop (Occold 2001).
Chenopodium bonus-henricus	Good King Henry	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, widespread as a casual in disturbed places and edges of arable.
Chenopodium chenopodioides	Saltmarsh Goosefoot	RDB		RDB	E		1 recent record from Orfordness.
Chenopodium glaucum	Oak-leaved Goosefoot	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, rare casual in disturbed places and edges of arable.
Chenopodium murale	Nettle-leaved Goosefoot	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, rare casual in disturbed places and edges of arable.
Chenopodium vulvaria	Stinking Goosefoot	Endangered		RDB	E		Archaeophyte, only stable site is at Landguard, Felixstowe, inland sites are casual.
Chrysanthemum segetum	Corn Marigold	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, scattered distribution on light soils, especially in the Sandlings, occasionally abundant. Often included in wild flower seed mixes.
Cicuta virosa	Cowbane	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	6 records from wetland sites along the Waveney valley plus a doubtful record from Market Weston Fen.
Cirsium dissectum	Meadow Thistle	Locally scarce			E	W	About a dozen sites from marshes and fens in the Waveney valley and a few other W. Suffolk sites.
Cirsium eriophorum	Woolly Thistle	Locally rare				W	A species of rough ungrazed chalky grassland now only reliably found on the old railway between Melford and Lavenham. Suffolk is on the very eastern edge of the British range of this species.
Cladium mariscus	Great Fen-sedge	Locally scarce			E	W	About a dozen sites in peaty fens along the Waveney/Ouse valley and in a few of the wetter fens in Breckland.
Clinopodium acinos	Basil Thyme	Vulnerable			E	W	Occasional on disturbed chalky soils in Breckland and on sand over chalk in the Gipping valley.
Clinopodium calamintha	Lesser Calamint	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	Local on light soils in south Suffolk and more chalky soils around Newmarket.
Colchicum autumnale	Meadow Saffron	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Native in western England but introduced here. Long established in a few old meadows at Monewden, most other records are from churchyards or plants established from garden throwouts.
Convallaria majalis	Lily of the Valley	Locally rare			E	W	Native in ancient woodland sites on nutrient-poor free draining soils at Bentley and Woolpit but also naturalised in churchyards and other places.
Corynephorus canescens	Grey Hair-grass	Near threatened		RDB	E	W	Native in Breckland at Lakenheath and Wangford. Coastal records between Minsmere and Kessingland are a mixture of native occurrences and re-introductions following the 1953 floods.
Crambe maritima	Sea-kale	Locally scarce			E		Scattered on shingle beaches all along the coast, occasionally abundant.
Crassula tillaea	Mossy Stonecrop	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Widespread on dry tracks and trampled areas in Breck and Sandlings.
Crepis biennis	Rough Hawk’s-beard	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 20 sites. Status in Suffolk unclear, it may be native in a few sites on chalk in the west but most records are probably casuals introduced with grass seed .
Crithmum maritimum	Rock Samphire	Locally scarce			E		Less than ten sites scattered along the coast, mostly single plants.
Cuscuta epithymum	Dodder	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Very scarce on heathlands in Sandlings and Breck, only about 6 sites.
Cuscuta europaea	Greater Dodder	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce		W	A dozen sites on nettles in the Brett and Stour valleys.
Cynoglossum officinale	Houndstongue	Near threatened			E	W	Widespread in Brecks and occasional in the Sandlings.
Cyperus longus	Galingale	Near threatened			E	W	8 sites arising from garden escapes, not native in Suffolk.
Dactylorhiza incarnata	Early Marsh-orchid	Locally scarce			E	W	About 40 sites in damp meadows and fens scattered across the county.
Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca	Cream-flowered Early Marsh Orchid	Locally rare				W	Suffolk site at Market Weston Fen is probably one of only two British sites. Classed as ‘data deficient’ in the new Red List but is probably critically endangered.
Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides (D. traunsteineri)	Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Fens at Market Weston and Carlton Marshes, threatened by hybridisation with D. praetermissa.
Dactylorhiza viridis (Coeloglossum viride)	Frog Orchid	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E		Single Suffolk site at Metfield is one of only two in E. Anglia.
Danthonia decumbens	Heath-grass	Locally scarce			E	W	About 20 records from heathy sites, mainly in the north of the county.
Daphne mezereum	Mezereon	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce		W	Only Suffolk site is Rex Graham Reserve at Mildenhall where 213 plants were counted in 2005. Native status is unclear, it may be bird-sown from garden plants.
Dianthus armeria	Deptford Pink	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E		2 casual records from Ipswich, but a population at Brundon (Essex side of Stour near Sudbury) may be native.
Dianthus deltoides	Maiden Pink	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	Still frequent in a few Breckland sites, but declining due to loss of habitat. Rarely a garden escape (Ipswich 1988).
Drosera rotundifolia	Round-leaved Sundew	Locally rare				W	Still at Market Weston Fen but probably now lost from Barnby.
Dryopteris cristata	Crested Buckler-fern	Critically Endangered		RDB			Extinct, last recorded at Purdis Farm pre-1980.
Eleocharis palustris subsp. palustris	Spike rush subspecies	Locally rare			E		1 recent record from Southwold 1996 (conf. S. M. Walters), an under-recorded taxon which may be more widespread. Data deficient for assessment of national threat evel.
Eleocharis quinqueflora	Few-flowered Spike-rush	Locally rare				W	One recent record from Hopton Fen in 2000.
Eleocharis uniglumis	Slender Spike-rush	Locally scarce			E		8 sites in damp grassland near the coast.
Eleogiton fluitans	Floating Club-rush	Locally scarce			E		4 sites in the lower reaches of the Waveney valley: marshes at Carlton and Oulton, Howards Common Belton and Lound Waterworks.
Epilobium palustre	Marsh Willowherb	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 60 sites from marshes and fens scattered across the county.
Epipactis helleborine	Broad-leaved Helleborine	Locally scarce			E	W	24 sites from woodland (ancient and modern plantations).
Epipactis palustris	Marsh Helleborine	Locally rare			E	W	Fens at Redgrave, Market Weston and Barnby.
Epipactis phyllanthes	Green-flowered Helleborine	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce			No recent records, though present in Cambs and Norfolk, may be extinct. Last definite record from Melton 1952.
Epipactis purpurata	Violet Helleborine	Locally scarce			E	W	Ancient woods on boulder clay at Cockfield, Bradfield, Hintlesham, Little Waldingfield and Groton.
Equisetum arvense × telmateia = E. ×robertsii	A hybrid horsetail	Vulnerable					Records in Simpson’s Flora have been checked and are errors for odd forms of E. arvense.
Equisetum fluviatile × telmateia = E. ×willmottii	A hybrid horsetail	Vulnerable					Record in Simpson’s Flora has been checked and is an error for an odd form of E. fluviatile.
Erica tetralix	Cross-leaved Heath	Locally rare			E		Wet fens at Redgrave, Dunwich, Walberswichk and Westleton. Probably now extinct in W. Suffolk.
Eriophorum angustifolium	Common Cottongrass	Locally scarce			E	W	16 sites, in marshes on the coast and broads plus fens in the Waveney valley.
Erodium lebelii	Sticky Stork’s-bill	Locally scarce			E		Landguard Common, Felixstowe plus one or two other records requiring confirmation. May be confused with E. cicutarium subsp. dunense.
Erodium maritimum	Sea Stork’s-bill	Locally rare			E		Newly discovered in sandy turf at Minsmere in 2005.
Eryngium maritimum	Sea Holly	Locally scarce			E		Scattered in low numbers on vegetated shingle along much of the coast.
Euphorbia exigua	Dwarf Spurge	Near threatened			E	W	Widespread archaeophyte, on arable, mainly on clays.
Euphorbia paralais	Sea Spurge	Locally scarce			E		Less than 10 sites on vegetated shingle along southern part of the coast.
Euphorbia platyphyllos	Broad-leaved Spurge	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 10 sites in arable farmland. Possibly under-recorded.
Euphrasia confusa	An eyebright	Locally scarce			E	W	Little Heath, Barnham, Thetford Lodge Warren, King’s Forest, Lakenheath Warren in Breckland and acid grassland at Thorpeness and Sizewell. Data deficient for assessment of national threat level.
Euphrasia pseudokerneri	an eyebright	Endangered		Nationally scarce		W	An annual ‘near endemic’ of herb-rich downland turf on chalk and soft limestones. Bury Hill at Moulton is the only recent record though it was noted at Risby Black Ditches in the 1970s. Suffolk is on the edge of its British range.
Festuca arenaria	Rush-leaved Fescue	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		A dozen sites scattered along the coast.
Festuca longifolia	Blue Fescue	RDB		RDB	E	W	Rare in Breckland plus Landguard Common at Felixstowe.
Filago gallica	Narrow-leaved Cudweed	Extinct in the wild					Archaeophyte, extinct in the wild, Records in the 1980s were from deliberate introductions with arable weed mix.
Filago lutescens	Red-tipped Cudweed	Endangered		RDB	E	W	Native or alien, still surviving in the Sandlings but appears to be doing better in disturbed Breck sites. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Filago pyramidata	Broad-leaved Cudweed	Endangered				W	Archaeophyte only found at one site, Worlington Chalk Pit. Deliberate introduction with arable seed mix at Snape
Filago vulgaris	Common Cudweed	Near threatened			E	W	Frequent on light soils in the Sandlings and Brecks.
Filipendula vulgaris	Dropwort	Locally scarce			E	W	Occasional in chalky grassland in Breckland and as far east as Wortham and Stuston. Records from other parts of the county are usually due to confusion with Meadowseet.
Frankenia laevis	Sea-heath	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E		2 sites on the coast at Hollesley and Orfordness.
Fritillaria meleagris	Fritillary	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	Scatter of a dozen damp meadow sites across mid-Suffolk.
Fumaria densiflora	Dense-flowered Fumitory	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Archaeophyte, casual on light chalky soils in four sites in the far west of the county and one, north of Lowestoft, at Belton.
Fumaria muralis subsp. boraei	Few-flowered Fumitory	Locally scarce			E	W	17 sites, occasional in arable on the Shotley peninsula and in NE Suffolk.
Fumaria parviflora	Fine-leaved Fumitory	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce		W	Archaeophyte with a scatter of records from light chalky soils in Breckland and the Newmarket area, mainly casuals rather than large populations in arable sites.
Fumaria vaillantii	Few-flowered Fumitory	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce			No recent sightings, last record Wrentham 1979.
Gagea lutea	Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem	Locally rare				W	Only recent record is from Kedington Churchyard, may not be native here.
Galeopsis angustifolia	Red Hemp-nettle	Critically Endangered			E	W	Archaeophyte, 4 doubtful records, but probably correct for Orfordness.
Galeopsis speciosa	Large-flowered Hemp-nettle	Vulnerable				W	Archaeophyte, about a dozen records from fenland soils in the N.W.
Galium odoratum	Woodruff	Locally scarce			E	W	In about 20 chalky, ancient woodland sites scattered across the boulder clay.
Galium parisiense	Wall Bedstraw	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	About 10 dry, infertile sites in Breckland plus one site in the Sandlings at Westleton Heath.
Galium tricornutum	Corn Cleavers	Critically Endangered					Archaeophyte, extinct in the wild. Records in the 1980s were from deliberate introductions with arable weed mix.
Genista anglica	Petty Whin	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity		W	5 fen sites: Market Weston, Redgrave, Thelnetham, Hinderclay and West Stow.
Genista tinctoria	Dyer’s Green weed	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 30 sites mainly in old grassland and verges in NE Suffolk.
Gentianella amarella	Autumn Gentian	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than a dozen sites on exposed chalk in Breckland and Newmarket area plus Lineage old railway line and a chalk pit at Blakenham.
Geranium columbinum	Long-stalked Crane’ s-bill	Locally scarce			E	W	8 scattered records; some may be erroneous.
Geranium sanguineum	Bloody Crane’s-bill	Locally scarce			E	W	About 20 records from Breck and Sandlings, possibly native in Breckland but records are confused by regular garden escapes.
Gnaphalium sylvaticum	Heath Cudweed	Endangered		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	5 sites in the Sandlings and one in the Breck.
Groenlandia densa	Opposite-leaved Pondweed	Vulnerable			E	W	Few sites in base-rich water in Waveney and Lark valleys.
Gymnadenia densiflora (Gymnadenia conopsea subsp. densiflora)	Marsh Fragrant Orchid	Locally rare			E	W	Fens at Market Weston, Redgrave and Barnby. Data deficient for assessment of national threat level as this taxon only recently raised to species level.
Gymnocarpium robertianum	Limestone Fern	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce			A garden escape on a wall in Campsea Ash and a tomb in an Ipswich churchyard in the 1980s. No recent records.
Helianthemum nummularium	Common Rock-rose	Locally scarce			E	W	Occasional in dry chalky grassland in Breckland plus a few isolated records in E. Suffolk on exposed chalk at Blakenham and Stuston and on crag soils at Newbourne and Aldringham.
Helleborus foetidus	Stinking Hellebore	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	30 records scattered across the county. Native status in Suffolk unclear but probably only a garden escape. The native range of this species has been obscured by the presence of numerous naturalised populations. It is often grown as a garden plant and escapes can become established in the wild, although sometimes for only a few years.
Helleborus viridis	Green Hellebore	Locally scarce				W	8 sites, all in ancient woodland on boulder clay in W Suffolk.
Herniaria glabra	Smooth Rupture-wort	RDB		RDB		W	11 sites scattered through Breckland on disturbed soils, occasionally abundant.
Himantoglossum hircinum	Lizard Orchid	Near threatened		RDB		W	Not seen in Breckland since 1996 and may be extinct. Still occurs just over the border in Cambs on the Devil’s Dyke at Newmarket.
Hippocrepis comosa	Horseshoe Vetch	Locally scarce				W	6 sites on dry chalk grassland in the west: Worlington, Barton Mills, Risby, Dalham, Cavenham, and Bury Hill Moulton
Hippophae rhamnoides	Sea Buckthorn	Nationally scarce		Nationally Scarce	E	W	Although this species is considered native on the east coast of England and it is widespread in sandy sites along the Suffolk coast, most populations are the result of deliberate planting rather than native origin. It is also occasionally introduced inland on dry soils.
Hordelymus europaeus	Wood Barley	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		4 sites post 1980, but only recently in ancient woodlands at Homersfield and Westhall.
Hordeum marinum	Sea Barley	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		About a dozen disturbed sites in coastal grasslands.
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae	Frogbit	Vulnerable			E		More than 30 sites in ditches in the Waveney valley and coastal marshes.
Hyoscyamus niger	Henbane	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte with about 30 sites on light soils, usually in disturbed sites, sometimes abundant.
Hypericum elodes	Marsh St. John’s-wort	Locally scarce			E	W	5 records from wet acid sites in Dunwich area plus one at Polstead.
Hypericum maculatum subsp. obtusiusculum	Imperforate St. John’s-wort	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 10 records scattered across the county. A difficult species to identify which may be under-recorded.
Hypochaeris glabra	Smooth Cat’s-ear	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	Locally frequent in dry, sites in Sandlings and Breck.
Hypochaeris maculata	Spotted Cat’s-ear	Near threatened		RDB		W	One site at Risby Black Ditches.
Inula crithmoides	Golden-Samphire	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		7 sites in saltmarshes on Orfordness and the Stour and Orwell estuaries. This is the northern limit of this species on the E. coast.
Isolepis cernua	Slender Club-rush	Locally rare			E		1 recent record from Sizewell Belts in 2000. A perennial found in wet, coastal grassland, in bare or open sites over damp sand, peat and mud, in short turf. It is predominantly a western species in Britain and very scarce in E. Anglia.
Isolepis setacea	Bristle Club-rush	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 30 sites scattered in damp acidic sites often on sand or gravel by ponds and tracks, probably under-recorded.
Juncus ambiguus	Frog Rush	Locally scarce			E		4 sites on the coast at Landguard and in the Southwold area, probably under-recorded due to confusion with J. bufonius.
Juncus compressus	Round-fruited Rush	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Less than 20 scattered records, coastal sites may be confusion with J. gerardii.
Juncus squarrosus	Heath Rush	Locally scarce			E	W	14 sites in damp acid grassland scattered across the county with a concentration in the Dunwich area.
Lathraea squamaria	Toothwort	Locally rare			E		One recent record from hazel coppice at Priestley wood in 1983, possibly now extinct.
Lathyrus aphaca	Yellow Vetchling	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	Less than 10 sites in dry open grassland on calcareous soils. Also as a casual in disturbed sites.
Lathyrus hirsutus	Hairy Vetchling	Locally rare				W	1 record from Market Weston, probably only a casual in Suffolk. Currently on the ‘waiting list’ in the new Red List but likley to be classed as a Neophyte.
Lathyrus japonicus	Sea Pea	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		In vegetated shingle all along the coast from Felixstowe to Lowestoft, sometimes abundant.
Lathyrus palustris	Marsh Pea	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	6 Fen sites in Broads and at Lakenheath.
Lepidium heterophyllum	Smith’s Pepperwort	Locally scarce			E	W	7 records, mainly from arable sites where it appears to be remarkably stable once established.
Lepidium latifolium	Dittander	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Frequent in saltmarshes, aprticularly in the Stour, Orwell and Deben estauries. Situation complicated by the spread into non-native,ruderal habitats inland where this species is quite successful. It may also be a relic of cultivation.
Limonium binervosum agg.	Rock Sea Lavender agg.	Locally rare			E		4 records from saltmarshes at Orfordness, Shingle Street, Boyton and Havergate Island, our plants are probably subsp. anglicum.
Limonium humile	Lax-flowered Sea-lavender	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		9 records from saltmarshes in the Stour and Orwell estuaries and at Sutton Hoo and Hollesley.
Linum bienne	Pale Flax	Locally rare			E		A few casual records, possibly native in coastal grassland at Kessingland and Landguard.
Linum perenne subsp. anglicum	Perennial Flax	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	An endemic chalk grassland species. 2 native records from Newmarket Heath and Lakenheath Warren plus casual records from Westerfield and Sizewell.
Liparis loeselii	Fen Orchid	Endangered					Listed under internatiopnal agreements: EC Directive annex IIb and Ivb plus Bern Convention and Conservation Regulations Schedule 4. Last recorded as a native at Thelnetham c. 1975. A recent re-introduction at a fen site in Suffolk was not successful.
Lithospermum arvense	Field Gromwell	Endangered			E	W	Archaeophyte, still quite widespread in arable in W. Suffolk.
Lithospermum officinale	Common Gromwell	Locally scarce			E	W	33 records from arable sites scattered across the county.
Littorella uniflora	Shoreweed	Locally rare			E		Single record from Lound Waterworks in 1996 needs confirmation.
Luzula forsteri	Southern Wood-rush	Locally rare					Probably extinct, last record Bentley 1979.
Luzula sylvatica	Great Wood-rush	Locally scarce			E		9 records from damp acid woodland sites in NE Suffolk.
Lythrum portula	Water Purslane	Locally scarce			E	W	10 records from damp acid sites on heaths and in woods.
Marrubium vulgare	White Horehound	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	May be native in Breckland (c. 12 sites) but occasionally introduced elsewhere, only 3 sites in E Suffolk.
Medicago minima	Bur Medick	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	Widespread in short grassland in the Breck and occasional in the Sandlings.
Medicago polymorpha	Toothed Medick	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		Six native records from open sandy and gravelly habitats by the coast and four as an introduction inland.
Medicago sativa subsp. falcata	Sickle Medick	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Increasingly rare as a native in Breckland, and possibly being replaced by the stable hybrid M. varia .
Melampyrum cristatum	Crested Cow-wheat	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce		W	6 sites on roadside verges in SW Suffolk on boulder clay - Haverhill, Cavendish, Sicklesmere, Dalham , Denham, Hargrave. Declining despite protection of sites.
Melampyrum pratense	Common Cow-wheat	Locally scarce			E	W	About 12 sites mainly in ancient woods and green lanes.
Mentha pulegium	Pennyroyal	Endangered					Extinct as a native before 1930. Occasional casuals from garden throwouts and grass seed impurities.
Menyanthes trifoliata	Bogbean	Locally scarce			E	W	Native in ponds and dykes at about 10 sites in Broadland, coastal marshes and wetlands in the Stour and Waveney valleys, introduced in a few ponds elsewhere.
Minuartia hybrida	Fine-leaved Sandwort	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E	W	Occasional in Breckland, rare in the Sandlings and on sandy soils in the Gipping valley.
Misopates orontium	Weasel’s-snout	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, 15 sites; a rare plant in arable and cultivated ground.
Moenchia erecta	Upright Chickweed	Locally scarce			E		Less than 10 sites in dry gravelly places on the coast and inland at Bungay and Beccles.
Monotropa hypopitys	Yellow Bird’s-nest	Endangered		Suffolk Rarity			Probably extinct, last seen in the King’s Forest in 1980s .
Muscari neglectum	Grape-hyacinth	Vulnerable		RDB	E	W	About 20 native sites in Breckland, declining on verges but still in good numbers at RAF Lakenheath. Also occasional elsewhere in the county as a garden escape.
Myosurus minimus	Mousetail	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Less than 20 sites, an annual of muddy, seasonally flooded, nutrient rich places.
Myrica gale	Bog Myrtle	Locally rare			E		Lost from Pashford Poors Fen in the 1980s and now only at Barnby Broad.
Myriophyllum verticillatum	Whorled Water-milfoil	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	More than 30 sites in ditches in the Waveney valley and coastal marshes plus Redgrave Fen and Lakenheath washes.
Narcissus pseudonarcissus subsp. pseudonarcissus	Daffodil	Locally scarce			E	W	Native and introduced. It is now very difficult to establish the range of this species in the County but it probably only truly wild in about a dozen ancient woodland sites.
Neottia nidus-avis	Bird’ s-nest Orchid	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Less than 20 ancient woodland sites.
Nepeta cataria	Cat-mint	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, occasional in arable on dry calcareous soils in Breckland, casual elsewhere.
Nymphoides peltata	Fringed water-lily	Nationally scarce		Nationally Scarce	E	W	Possibly native in the Fens at Lakenheath but increasing as an escape from cultivation elsewhere with several sites along the Gipping and in ponds elsewhere.
Oenanthe aquatica	Fine-leaved Water-dropwort	Locally scarce			E	W	About 50 sites mainly from ponds and ditches on clay in NE Suffolk.
Oenanthe crocata	Hemiock Water-dropwort	Locally scarce			E		7 sites along the Waveney valley and one isolated record from Haughley.
Oenanthe fistulosa	Tubular Water-dropwort	Vulnerable			E	W	Less than 50 sites in ditches streams and marshes throughout the county.
Oenanthe fluviatilis	River Water-dropwort	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 30 sites from larger rivers, Waveney, Ouse, Stour, Gipping.
Oenanthe pimpinelloides	Corky-fruited Water-dropwort	Locally rare			E		Only site in the County is at Bourne Bridge, Ipswich.
Onobrychis viciifolia	Sainfoin	Near threatened			E	W	Probably native on a few chalk sites between Bury and Newmarket. Elsewhere a relic of cultivation or a constituent of wild flower mixes.
Ophrys insectifera	Fly Orchid	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	2 woodland sites, one in East Suffolk and one in West.
Ophrys sphegodes	Early Spider-orchid	RDB		RDB			Probably extinct, last seen at its Breckland site in 2000.
Orchis anthropophora (Aceras anthropophorum)	Man Orchid	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E	W	8 sites in Suffolk are almost the only ones left in E Anglia; most sites are on roadside verges. May be increasing as it has appeared in 2 new sites in the last 2 years. This species is also included as a character species in the Suffolk local BAP.
Orchis militaris	Military Orchid	Vulnerable		RDB		W	Strong population at the Rex Graham Reserve at Mildenhall.
Oreopteris limbosperma	Lemon-scented Fern	Locally rare					Probably extinct, last record Bradfield Woods 1960s.
Orobanche purpurea	Yarrow Broomrape	Vulnerable		RDB		W	Single site at Lakenheath has a very few plants, vulnerable to trampling.
Orobanche rapum-genistae	Greater Broomrape	Near threatened		Nationally scarce			Probably extinct, last seen at Benacre in 1996.
Osmunda regalis	Royal Fern	Locally scarce			E		6 records from shady marshes on the coast and in Broadland, some populations may be relics of cultivation.
Papaver argemone	Prickly Poppy	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, less than 40 sites on dry arable soils.
Papaver hybridum	Rough Poppy	Locally scarce			E	W	Archaeophyte less than 20 sites on dry chalky arable in Breckland plus a few records from crag sites in the Sandlings.
Parapholis incurva	Curved Hard Grass	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		7 sites in saltings along the coast.
Parnassia palustris	Grass of Parnassus	Locally scarce			E	W	5 sites, fens at Market Weston, Thelnetham, Redgrave, Barnby and Carlton.
Pedicularis palustris	Marsh Lousewort	Locally scarce			E	W	8 sites, fens at Thelnetham, Market Weston and Walberswick plus a few marshes in Broadland.
Pedicularis sylvatica	Lousewort	Locally scarce			E	W	4 sites, wetlands at Lound, Market Weston, Redgrave and Walberswick.
Persicaria bistorta	Common Bistort	Locally scarce			E	W	24 sites scattered in wet meadows across the county.
Persicaria minor	Small Water-pepper	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E		Rare small annual of wet marshy places only 2 or 3 records may be confused with P. mitis.
Persicaria mitis	Tasteless Water-pepper	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		Rare small annual of wet marshy places only 2 or 3 records may be confused with P. minor.
Petrorhagia prolifera	Proliferous pink	RDB		RDB		W	Found in 2005 at Santon Downham. Native status in Britain unclear and placed on the ‘waiting list’ in the new Red List. but thought to be relict native in Norfolk.
Petroselinum segetum	Corn Parsley	Locally scarce			E	W	4 or 5 sites in arable plus a couple of introductions with arable seed mix.
Peucedanum officinale	Hog’s Fennel	RDB		RDB	E		Discovery of this plant at Southwold in 1990 was first record and a significant extension to the national range.
Peucedanum palustre	Milk Parsley	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	In a few fens and marshes in Broadland and in quantity at Walberswick Fen, possibly still hanging on in a couple of Breck Fens.
Phleum phleoides	Purple-stem Cat’ s-tail	RDB		RDB	E	W	Occasional in dry chalky sites in Breckland plus one outlying site at Stuston. Probably under-recorded.
Pilularia globulifera	Pillwort	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E		One site at Lound Waterworks. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Pimpinella major	Greater Burnet-saxifrage	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 20 sites on roadsides and hedgebanks across the boulder clay.
Pinguicula vulgaris	Common Butterwort	Locally rare				W	Fens at Market Weston, Thelnetham and Redgrave.
Platanthera chlorantha	Greater Butterfly-orchid	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	About 30 sites in ancient woodlands on boulder clay.
Poa bulbosa	Bulbous Meadow-grass	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Scattered along the coast in about 20 dry grassland sites plus recent inland records from Wortham, Bungay, Icklingham and Newmarket.
Poa infirma	Early Meadow-grass	RDB		RDB	E		Native status in Suffolk unclear. Found recently in Felixstowe at Landguard Common and Felixstowe Ferry.
Polygala serpyllifolia	Heath Milkwort	Locally scarce			E	W	Fens at Market Weston, Thelnetham and Redgrave plus 5 damp acid sites in the Sandlings.
Polygala vulgaris	Common Milkwort	Locally scarce			E	W	About 20 sites on chalky soils in Breckland and W Suffolk plus a couple of sites on crag in the Sandlings.
Polygonatum multiflorum	Solomon’s-seal	Locally scarce			E	W	Native status in Suffolk unclear, the 14 Suffolk records all look like they could all be garden escapes.
Polygonum oxyspermum	Ray’s Knotgrass	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		Only 2 recent records, shingle at Felixstowe and Landguard Common.
Polygonum rurivagum	Cornfield Knotgrass	Locally scarce			E	W	Archaeophyte, 26 records from arable sites all over N. Suffolk. Probably under-recorded and equally widespread in S. Suffolk.
Polypogon monspeliensis	Annual beard-grass	Nationally scarce		Nationally Scarce	E	W	An annual of barish places by the sea, in damp, cattle-trodden grazing marshes. Possibly native at Beccles marshes and Felixstowe. Also 3 casual inland records. The native hybrid with Agrostis stolonifera - × Agropogon littoralis, Perennial Beard-grass was also recorded at Beccles and probably warrants inclusion in this list.
Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia	Black Poplar	Locally scarce			E	W	Thinly spread across the whole county in river valleys and wetlands. This species is also included as a character species in the Suffolk local BAP.
Potamogeton alpinus	Red Pondweed	Locally scarce			E	W	About 6 records from the Halesworth-Dunwich area plus an unconfirmed record from Preston St Mary.
Potamogeton berchtoldii	Small Pondweed	Locally scarce			E	W	40 records, mainly from Broadland and the coastal marshes plus a few from inland clay sites and the fens.
Potamogeton coloratus	Fen Pondweed	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	6 records - fens at Market Weston, Hopton, Redgrave and Lakenheath and marshes at Oulton and Belton.
Potamogeton compressus	Grass-wrack Pondweed	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E		2 recent records from NE Suffolk at Barnby Broad and Kessingland Levels.
Potamogeton friesii	Flat-stalked Pondweed	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Occasional in Broads and Dykes in the Waveney valley plus one record from Lakenheath.
Potamogeton gramineus	Various-leaved Pondweed	Locally rare					Probably extinct, no recent records since one at Sizewell in 1958.
Potamogeton obtusifolius	Blunt-leaved Pondweed	Locally scarce			E		6 records from dykes and rivers in Broadland.
Potamogeton perfoliatus	Perfoliate Pondweed	Locally scarce			E	W	6 record from R. Lark plus one from Litlle Ouse, and two from Waveney.
Potamogeton polygonifolius	Bog Pondweed	Locally scarce			E		4 records, one from Redgrave and the other 3 from coastal marshes. Some records may be due to confusion with P. natans.
Potamogeton praelongus	Long-stalked Pondweed	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity			Probably extinct, last record from the Waveney at Bungay 1976.
Potamogeton pusillus	Lesser Pondweed	Locally scarce			E	W	35 records, mainly from Broadland and the coastal marshes plus a few from inland clay sites and the fens.
Potamogeton trichoides	Hairlike Pondweed	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	13 records, mainly from Broadland plus one from the fens. Probably under-recorded or confused with P. pusillus.
Potentilla argentea	Hoary Cinquefoil	Near threatened			E	W	Widespread on light soils in the Sandlings and Brecks.
Potentilla palustris	Marsh Cinquefoil	Locally scarce			E	W	15 records from fens and marshes, mainly in Little Ouse and Waveney valleys.
Primula elatior	Oxlip	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	Still frequent in many ancient woods in W. Suffolk.
Puccinellia fasciculata	Borrer’s Saltmarsh-grass	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		Occasional in saltmarshes along the coast.
Puccinellia rupestris	Stiff Saltmarsh-grass	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		4 records, saltmarshes at Felixstowe, Landguard, Trimley and Gorleston.
Pulmonaria obscura	Unspotted Lungwort	Endangered		RDB	E		3 Mid-Suffolk sites in ancient woods at Burgate, Wortham and Botesdale are the only ones in Britain. This species is also included as a character species in the Suffolk local BAP.
Ranunculus arvensis	Corn Buttercup	Critically Endangered		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Archaeophyte, about 7 sites in mid-Suffolk in arable sites on boulder clay. Middleton, Beccles, Witnesham, Wattisham, Elmsett, Great Thurlow, Cowlinge.
Ranunculus baudotii	Brackish Water-crowfoot	Locally scarce			E		25 records scattered along the coast in brackish dykes and marshes.
Ranunculus lingua	Greater Spearwort	Locally scarce			E	W	25 records from ponds and marshes scattered across the county. It is frequently introduced and the distinction between native and alien populations is now hopelessly blurred.
Ranunculus parviflorus	Small-flowered Buttercup	Locally rare			E	W	Native annual with only 2 recent records; dry disturbed sites at Layham and Landguard Common, Felixstowe.
Rumex crispus subsp. uliginosus	A subspecies of Curled Dock	Nationally scarce		Nationally Scarce	E		A perennial herb of tidal mud- and river banks near the upper limits of tidal influence, especially where the banks are steep and unstable. Recorded at Snape by Peter Sell in 1992. Probably under-recorded
Rumex maritimus	Golden Dock	Locally scarce			E	W	25 records scattered across the county.
Rumex palustris	Marsh Dock	Locally scarce			E	W	25 records from wet exposed sites mainly in Breckland and the NE of the county.
Ruppia cirrhosa	Spiral Tasselweed	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E		Occasional in lagoons and brackish dykes, 14 records along the coast.
Ruppia maritima	Beaked Tasselweed	Locally scarce			E		7 records from coastal lagoons.
Ruscus aculeatus	Butchers Broom	Locally scarce			E	W	Listed in Annex Vb of the EC Directive. Native distribution largely restricted to the Shotley peninisula. Also widely established elsewhere through planting and garden escapes.
Salicornia nitens obscura fragilis pusilla	Glasswort species	Nationally scarce			E		These four species are all listed in Simpson’s Flora, and may well still occur here, but there are no recent confirmed records. S. fragilis and S. pusilla are Nationally Scarce, S. nitens and S. obscura are ‘Data deficient’.
Salix myrsinifolia	Dark-leaved Willow	Locally rare				W	Native status in Suffolk unclear. Last recorded at Red Lodge in 1980 plus one doubtful record from Sizewell in the 1980s.
Salix repens	Creeping Willow	Locally scarce			E	W	8 fen sites in the Waveney Ouse valley.
Salsola kali subsp. kali	Prickly Saltwort	Vulnerable			E		16 records from sandy sites along the coast plus one casual record from an inland sandpit at Mells.
Salvia pratensis	Meadow Clary	Near threatened			E	W	One or two casual records only, no definite native sites.
Samolus valerandi	Brookweed	Locally scarce			E	W	Less then 40 sites from wet places across the county especially the NE and in the Fens.
Sanguisorba officinalis	Great Burnet	Locally scarce				W	Fens at Thelnetham, Hopton, Lakenheath and damp meadows at Euston and Ampton.
Sarcocornia perennis	Perennial Glasswort	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		6 records from saltmarshes in Deben, Orwell, Alde and Blyth estuaries. Under-recorded.
Scabiosa columbaria	Small Scabious	Locally scarce			E	W	Widespread in Breckland in dry, chalky grassland and occasional on chalk soils elsewhere. An excellent habitat quality indicator.
Scandix pecten-veneris	Shepherd’s-needle	Critically Endangered		Nationally scarce	E	W	Archaeophyte, still about 100 sites in Suffolk, but very scarce outside E. Anglia. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Schoenus nigricans	Black Bog-rush	Locally scarce			E	W	Fens around the Waveney headwaters plus 2 or 3 other fen sites.
Scirpus sylvaticus	Wood Club-rush	Locally scarce			E	W	15 sites in woodlands and shady swamps scattered across the boulder clay.
Scleranthus annuus	Annual Knawel	Endangered			E	W	Occasional and sometimes abundant in arable on light soils.
Scleranthus annuus subsp. polycarpos	A subspecies of Annual Knawel	Locally scarce			E	W	First recorded from Freckenham by G. Crompton in 1986, there have been 6 records since then, 2 from Breckland and 4 from the Sandlings. Probably under-recorded. Data deficient for assessment of national threat level.
Scleranthus perennis subsp. prostratus	Perennial Knawel	Endangered		RDB		W	Endemic. 6 sites in Breckland including introduction at Thetford. Also doing well just over the border in Norfolk at Santon Downham on FE conservation track by the railway.
Sedum anglicum	English Stonecrop	Locally scarce			E	W	About 14 native sites on vegetated shingle along the coast plus another 30 inland where it is a garden escape.
Senecio paludosus	Fen Ragwort	Critically Endangered				W	1 site, re-introduced in several places at Lakenheath Washes, last native record c. 1850.
Silene conica	Sand Catchfly	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	Occasional on light soils in Breckland and on the coast at Thorpeness and Felixstowe.
Silene gallica	Small-flowered Catchfly	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E		1 reliable site at Westleton and a few casual records. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Silene noctiflora	Night-flowering Catchfly	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophye, scattered arable sites, more frequent in W. Suffolk.
Silene nutans	Nottingham Catchfly	Near threatened			E		One long-established site at Campsey Ash Station, not native here.
Silene otites	Spanish Catchfly	Endangered		RDB		W	Widespread but declining in Breckland.
Sium latifolium	Great Water-parsnip	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E	W	6 recent records, 4 in Lothingland plus Redgrave Fen and Hurst Fen, Mildenhall. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Sonchus palustris	Marsh Sow-thistle	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		Occasional in coastal marshes, alongside dykes and ronds in NE Suffolk and Broadland plus one inland record from Redgrave Fen.
Sorbus torminalis	Wild Service-tree	Locally scarce			E	W	About 40 records mainly from ancient woodlands in Babergh district. Also planted occasionally.
Spartina maritima	Small Cord-grass	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E		Occasional in Suffolk estuaries.
Spergula arvensis	Corn Spurrey	Vulnerable			E	W	Archaeophyte, widespread and sometimes abundant on light soils throughout the Sandlings and in Breckland.
Spiranthes spiralis	Autumn Lady’s-tresses	Near threatened		Suffolk Rarity			Probably extinct, last record Theberton 1983.
Stachys arvensis	Field Woundwort	Near threatened			E	W	Archaeophyte, scattered sites in arable mainly in E. Suffolk.
Stachys officinalis	Betony	Locally scarce			E	W	About 30 wetland sites and old grassland scattered across the county but not found in coastal sites.
Stellaria palustris	Marsh Stitchwort	Vulnerable		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Less than 40 records from marshes and fens scattered across the county, never common.
Stratiotes aloides	Water-soldier	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	Occasional in Broadland dykes, introduced elsewhere.
Suaeda vera	Shrubby Seablite	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce			7 records (including 2 re-introductions) from Orwell, Deben and Alde estuaries and on the coast at Dunwich.
Teesdalia nudicaulis	Shepherd’s Cress	Near threatened			E	W	Occasional on dry heaths in Brecks and Sandlings.
Teucrium scordium	Water Germander	Endangered		RDB			Probably extinct, last record from Lakenheath Washes in 1970s.
Thalictrum minus subsp. minus	Lesser Meadow Rue	Locally scarce			E	W	40 records mainly from Breckland with a few on light chalky soils and about half a dozen in the Sandlings. Some of these may be subsp. arenarium.
Thelypteris palustris	Marsh Fern	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	10 sites, mainly in Broadland fens and marshes plus Market Weston Fen and Ipswich Golf Course.
Thesium humifusum	Bastard-toadflax	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce		W	3 sites:- Risby Black Ditches, Bury Hill, Moulton and Worlington Golf Course. No records from these sites in the last 15 years.
Thymus serpyllum	Breckland Thyme	RDB		RDB		W	31 sites in Breckland. A taxonomically difficult species, some records may be confusion with other taxa.
Tolypella intricata	Tassel Stonewort	Vulnerable			E		Found in a small ditch between arable fields at Mickfield in 1998 after a gap of 25 years. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Torilis arvensis	Spreading Hedge-parsley	Endangered		Nationally scarce	E	W	Archaeophyte, 2 or 3 stable arable sites plus a few casual records. This species is also included as a priority species in the national and local BAPs.
Trichophorum cespitosum	Deergrass	Locally rare				W	1 record from Barton Mills. A scarce species in E. Anglia but very common in wetter parts of western Britain.
Trifolium glomeratum	Clustered Clover	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	About 50 sites all through the Sandlings plus a few in the Waveney valley and Breckland.
Trifolium ochroleucon	Sulphur Clover	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E	W	Widespread throughout the boulder clay, mainly on roadside verges.
Trifolium ornithopodioides	Bird’s-foot clover	Locally scarce			E		About 35 sites all through the Sandlings plus one inland at Barham.
Trifolium squamosum	Sea Clover	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		Recorded at Hollesley and Shingle Street in the 1990s but no recent updates.
Trifolium suffocatum	Suffocated Clover	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	About 40 sites all through the Sandlings plus a few in Breckland.
Tulipa sylvestris	Wild Tulip	Locally scarce			E	W	An early introduction but probably neophyte, 11 scattered records.
Ulex gallii	Western Gorse	Locally scarce			E		Widespread in old heaths in the Sandlings.
Ulmus plotii	Plot’s Elm	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce			No recent records, probably a clone of U. minor. Taxonomic status uncertain.
Umbilicus rupestris	Navel wort	Locally scarce			E		5 sites on old walls, probably not native in Suffolk.
Utricularia minor	Lesser Bladderwort	Locally rare			E		Only one recent record from Smear Marshes at Reydon 2001, may be overlooked for U. vulgaris.
Utricularia vulgaris	Greater Bladderwort	Locally scarce			E	W	Less than 30 records from ponds and ditches in NE Suffolk mainly in the Waveney valley.
Valerianella dentata	Narrow-fruited Cornsalad	Endangered		Suffolk Rarity	E	W	Archaeophyte, recent records from Eriswell, Icklingham, Westleton and Worlingham.
Valerianella rimosa	Broad-fruited Cornsalad	Endangered					Archaeophyte, extinct in the wild. Records in the 1980s were from deliberate introductions with arable weed mix.
Verbascum pulverulentum	Hoary Mullein	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	About 20 records scattered across the county, probably only native in the Bury area.
Veronica praecox	Breckland Speedwell	Neophyte		RDB		W	Recent arrival, occasional in Breckland.
Veronica scutellata	Marsh Speedwell	Locally scarce			E	W	30 wetland sites scattered across the county.
Veronica spicata subsp. spicata	Breckland Spiked Speedwell	RDB		RDB		W	Native status not clear. 1 extant site at Brandon and 2 re-introductions. Other records are probably garden escapes. Currently on the ‘waiting list’ in the new Red List pending further taxonomic research..
Veronica triphyllos	Fingered Speedwell	Endangered		RDB		W	Archaeophyte, almost extinct, reintroduced at a couple of Breckland sites.
Veronica verna	Spring Speedwell	Endangered		RDB		W	16 sites, occasional in Breckland but in low numbers.
Vicia bithynica	Bithynian Vetch	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		1 recent casual record from Felixstowe, probably not native in Suffolk.
Vicia lutea	Yellow Vetch	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E		Rare, on the coast at Languard, Shingle Street and Orfordness.
Vicia parviflora	Slender Tare	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E	W	3 recent records from boulder clay in mid-Suffolk at Bildeston, Braiseworth and Earl Stonham. May be under-recorded due to confusion with V. tetrasperma.
Viola canina	Heath Dog-violet	Near threatened			E	W	Less than 50 records, mainly from Sandlings heaths and coastal grassland, rare on Breck heaths and in a few fens and ancient woodlands with acid soils.
Viola palustris	Marsh Violet	Locally scarce			E	W	5 sites, old fens and marshes at Barnby, Fritton, Carlton, Blythburgh and Redgrave.
Viola persicifolia	Fen Violet	Endangered					Probably extinct, last seen at Lakenheath c. 1968.
Viola tricolor	Wild Pansy	Near threatened			E	W	Scattered throughout the county on dry arable sites.
Viola tricolor subsp. curtisii	Breckland pansy	Locally scarce			E	W	About a dozen sites on sandy soils in Breckland and Sandlings.
Vulpia ciliata subsp. ambigua	Purple Fescue	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E	W	Occasional in Breckland plus scattered records from the coast.
Vulpia fasciculata	Dune Fescue	Nationally scarce		Nationally scarce	E		Less than ten coastal sites.
Vulpia unilateralis	Mat-grass Fescue	Neophyte		Nationally scarce	E		Possibly a recent arrival, more research needed to establish status. Recent records from sandy sites in the Gipping valley at Creeting and Barham.
Zostera marina	Eelgrass	Near threatened		Nationally scarce	E		Once frequent but now very rare in estauries and lagoons on the coast, only recent records are from Shotley, Thorpeness and Breydon Water. Z. angustifolia is included within this species.
Zostera noltii	Dwarf Eelgrass	Vulnerable		Nationally scarce	E		5 recent records from coastal lagoons at Benacre, Covehithe, Easton, Thorpeness and Breydon Water.

The publication of The Vascular Plant Red Data List of Great Britain (Cheffings & Farrell, 2005) has prompted this revision of the Suffolk Rare Plant Register. For the first time, all native and archaeophyte taxa have been analysed, not just those that had already been identified as rare or scarce. This analysis has been made possible by the publication of the New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora (Preston et al., 2002), which has allowed comparisons to be made with the Atlas of the British Flora (Perring & Walters, 1962) for all taxa. The new register follows guidelines on which species to include issued by the Botanical Society of the British Isles in June 2005. We are now able to include species which are rare in terms of their distribution (number of squares) and those which are declining. The new list therefore includes species which are both rare and declining (e.g. Cream-flowered Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca) as well as species that are rare ,but have stable populations (e.g. Blue Fescue, Festuca longifolia) and species that are widespread, but declining (e.g. Weasel’s-snout, Misopates orontium).

The register includes all species occurring in Suffolk which are:

Internationally Rare - endemics and sps listed in IUCN Red Lists, EU Habitats Directive or the Bern Convention

Nationally Threatened - All IUCN threat categories CR (critically endangered), EN (endangered), VU (vulnerable) and NT (near threatened) plus Nationally Rare (=RDB) - species occurring in less than 16 10-km squares in Britain (listed in Cheffings, 2004 with most described in Wigginton, 1999)

Nationally Scarce - species occuring in 16-100 10-km squares in Britain (listed in Cheffings, 2004 with most described in Stewart et al., 1994)

Locally Rare - species which are present in 3 sites or fewer

Locally Scarce and Declining - species that are present in 10 sites or fewer, or are thought to be in serious decline

Recent extinctions of species in the above categories are also included, as are species in these categories which have only occurred as escapes or introductions and those which have both native and introduced populations.

The list below is sorted by threat category and includes a few species from ‘Data deficient, ‘Waiting’ and ‘Parking’ lists which may warrant inclusion on the basis of their status in Suffolk. Where the new status column still shows RDB (Nationally Rare) or Nationally Scarce it is because these species have been classed as ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN national threat ratings; they are still significant as national rarities, but their populations are considered to be relatively stable. A few RDB and Nationally Scarce species have changed status and are now classed as neophytes (ie now not regarded as native), these have been included in the register with appropriate information in the comments.

The ‘Suffolk Rarities’ in previous versions of the list equate to categories 4 and 5. Although these may be rated ‘Least Concern’ in a national context they may be very important at a local level. Many of these species are on the edge of their range or there may be very little suitable habitat available in the county. It is hoped that these new definitions will be taken up by all county registers so that lists are comparable and follow a standard methodology.

Many of the taxa which are appearing on the Suffolk list for the first time are ‘archaeophytes’. The New Atlas attempted to distinguish between native species (occurring in Britain and Ireland as a result of natural dispersal) and introduced, or alien, species (those known or thought to have been brought here by man). This also made a distinction between alien species known or suspected to have been introduced before AD 1500 (archaeophytes) and more recent introductions (neophytes).

In contrast to neophytes, it was decided that ancient introductions (archaeophytes) should be included along with native and ‘native or alien’ taxa in the Red List. This decision was taken for the following reasons:

Evidence of decline and the need for conservation action. Most archaeophytes (in contrast to neophytes) have either stable distributions or are declining. Analysis of the New Atlas dataset showed that archaeophytes as a group declined severely in the 20th century (Preston et al., 2002), with many of those species occurring in arable habitats continuing to decline, and some now under considerable threat of extinction. Many archaeophytes are known to be declining throughout their European range, not just in Britain.

Lack of a known ‘native’ world distribution. Archaeophytes, unlike neophytes, tend to have native world ranges which are not known, or which are highly uncertain; indeed, some archaeophytes are regarded as ‘alien’ throughout their known global range. If we were to argue that such species should be ignored on account of their ‘non-nativeness’, this could lead to them being ignored almost everywhere, and so an important group of species would effectively fall through the conservation net.

Cultural and historic importance – the ‘human’ dimension. Archaeophytes are of considerable historical and cultural interest. They have developed (and exploited) a close relationship with man which is, in effect, one of commensalism – many archaeophytes are, quite literally ‘followers of man’. The way in which humans now value these species is partly a consequence of having been so intimately associated with them over such a long time period.

Preston et al. (2004) provide a detailed assessment of British archaeophytes and an explanation of the rationale (and evidence required) for treating certain species as archaeophytes. The new Red List has taken as archaeophytes all those listed as such in the New Atlas and in Preston et al. (2004). The distinction between archaeophytes and neophytes (as also between archaeophytes and native species) is not always clear-cut, and that further research may be needed to reassess the status of a few taxa for which there remains some uncertainty or disagreement. These species are included in the Waiting List. Once the native status of Waiting List taxa has been clarified, those that qualify can be included in the IUCN threat analysis.

Nomenclature used generally follows that used in the New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora (Preston et al., 2002). There are a number of subspecific taxa which are not mapped in the New Atlas, and for these the taxonomy given in Stace’s New Flora of the British Isles (2nd Edn., 1997) is followed. For orchids the list follows the new classification of Bateman et al. as published by Foley & Clarke (2005). Note this has meant genus name changes for Man Orchid (from Aceras to Orchis), Frog Orchid (Coeloglossum to Dactylorhiza) and Green-winged Orchid (Orchis to Anacamptis).

References

Cheffings, C. 2004. New Plant Status Lists for Great Britian. BSBI News 95: 36–43.

Cheffings, C. & Farrell, L. (eds). 2005. The Vascular Plant Red Data List of Great Britain. Species Status No. 7. JNCC, Peterborough. (Available in Acrobat pdf form online at http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-3354 ).

Foley, M. & Clarke, S. (2005). Orchids of the British Isles. Griffin Press Publishing Ltd. in association with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Cheltenham.

Perring, F. H. & Walters, S. M. (eds). 1962. Atlas of the British Flora. Thomas Nelson & Sons, London.

Preston, C. D. , Pearman, D. A. & Dines, T. D. (eds). 2002. New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. Oxford.University Press, Oxford.

Preston, C. D., Pearman, D.A. & Hall, A. R. 2004. Archaeophytes in Britain. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 145: 257-294.

Simpson, F. W. 1982. Simpson’s Flora of Suffolk. Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, Ipswich.

Stewart, A., Pearman, D. A. & Preston, C. D. (eds) 1994. Scarce Plants in Britain. JNCC, Peterborough.

Wigginton, M. J. (ed.) 1999. British Red Data Books 1 Vascular Plants. 3rd Edition. JNCC, Peterborough.