Flowering Plants and Ferns at Keele

poppies Keele is perhaps more interesting for its trees than its flowering plants, however there are a few unusual species amongst them.

The deciduous woodland, consisting mainly of Oak and Sycamore has a poor ground flora which makes for a fine display of Bluebells in the spring. The old sewage-works site, just south of lake 5, is the site of a small colony of Harebell and Betony. The area between that site and the entrance to Lymes Road used to be very good for plants. Indeed, there was a colony of Common Spotted Orchids and a few Northern Marsh Orchids. These would appear to have gone - it is too overgrown now.

Keele has a good bramble flora and is the type locality for Rubus sneydii, named by Eric Edees.

One plant, Rhododendron ponticum, is causing problems in the deciduous woodland where it is very invasive. Unfortunately there is not the manpower to remove it.

The list below contains many of the commoner species but further records would be welcome.

Please send any sightings to me  by E-Mail or to Geography, Geology and the Environment, William Smith Building.

 

Flowering Plants and Ferns of Keele University  (PDF) format.

Equisetaceae

Equisetum arvense   Common Horsetail

Dennstaedtiaceae

Pteridium aquilinum   Bracken

Woodsiaceae

Athyrium felix-femina   Lady Fern

Dryopteridaceae

Dryopteris dilatata   Broad Buckler-fern
Dryopteris felix-mas   Male Fern

Nymphaeaceae

Nuphar lutea   Yellow Water-lily
Nymphoides peltata  Fringed Water-lily

Ranunculaceae

Anemone nemorosa   Wood Anemone
Caltha palustris   Marsh Marigold
Clematis vitalba   Traveller's Joy
Ranunculus acris   Meadow Buttercup
Ranunculus ficaria   Lesser Celandine
Ranunculus repens   Creeping Buttercup

Urticaceae

Urtica dioica   Stinging Nettle
Urtica urens  Annual Nettle

Chenopodiaceae

Atriplex patula   Common Orache
Chenopodium album   Fat hen
Chenopodium bonus-henricus   Good-King-Henry
Chenopodium ficifolium   Fig-leaved Goosefoot

Caryophyllaceae

Arenaria serpylifolia   Thyme-leaved Sandwort
Cerastium glomeratum   Sticky Mouse-ear
Lychnis flos-cuculi   Ragged Robin
Moehringia trinerva   Three-veined Sandwort
Silene album   White Campion
Silene dioica   Red Campion
Spergula arvensis   Corn Spurry
Stellaria graminea   Lesser Stitchwort
Stellaria holostea   Greater Stitchwort
Stellaria media   Common Chickweed

Polygonaceae

Polygonum amphibium   Amphibious Bistort
Polygonum aviculare   Knotgrass
Polygonum convolvulus   Black Nightshade
Polygonum persicaria   Redleg
Reynoutria japonica   Japaneese Knotweed
Rumex acetosa   Common Sorrel
Rumex acetosella   Sheep's Sorrel
Rumex crispus   Curled Dock
Rumex obtusifolius   Broad-leaved Dock

Clusiaceae

Hypericum perforatum   Common St. John's Wort
Hypericum tetrapterum   Square-stemmed St. John's Wort

Violaceae

Viola reichenbachiana   Wood Dog Violet

Brassicaceae

Alliaria petiolata   Jack-by-the-hedge
Arabidopsis thaliana   Thale Cress
Capsella bursa-pastoris   Shepherd's Purse
Cardamine flexuosa   Wavy Bittercress
Cardamine hirsuta   Hairy Bittercress
Cardamine pratense   Lady's Smock

Primulaceae

Anagellis arvensis   Scarlet Pimpernel
Lysimachia nemorum   Yellow Pimpernel

Saxifragaceae

Chrysoplenium oppositifolium   Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage

Rosaceae

Alchemilla vulgaris agg. Lady's Mantle
Fillipendula ulmaria   Meadowsweet
Geum urbanum   Wood Avens
Potentilla anserina   Silverweed
Potentilla erecta   Tormentil
Potentilla reptans   Creeping Cinquefoil
Potentilla sterilis   Barren Strawberry
Rubus fruticosus agg. Bramble

Fabaceae

Lathyrus pratensis   Meadow Vetchling
Lotus corniculatus   Bird's-foot Trefoil
Lotus uliginosus   Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil
Medicago lupulina   Black Medick
Trifolium dubium   Common Yellow Trefoil
Trifolium pratense   Red Clover
Trifolium repens   White Clover
Vicia craca   Tufted Vetch
Vicia hirsuta   Hairy Tare
Vicia sativa   Common Vetch
Vicia sepium   Bush Vetch

Gunneraceae

Gunnera tinctoria   Giant Rhubarb

Onagraceae

Chamerion angustifolium   Rosebay
Circaea leutetiana   Enchanter's Nightshade
Epilobium ciliatum   American Willowherb
Epilobium hirsutum   Great Willowherb
Epilobium montanum   Broad-leaved Willowherb
Epilobium roseum   Pale Willowherb

Euphorbiaceae

Mercurialis perennis   Dog's Mercury

Oxalidaceae

Oxalis acetosella   Wood Sorrel

Geraniaceae

Geranium robertianum   Herb Robert
Geranium columbinum   Long-stalked Cranesbill

Balsaminaceae

Impatiens glandulifera   Himalayan Balsam

Araliaceae

Hedera helix   Ivy

Apiaceae

Aegopodium podagraria   Ground Elder
Angelica sylvestris   Angelica
Anthriscus sylvestris   Cow Parsley
Apium nodiflorum   Fool's Water-cress
Conopodium majus   Pignut
Heracleum sphondylium   Hogweed

Gentianaceae

Centaurium erythraea Common Centaury

Solanaceae

Solanum dulcamara   Bittersweet
Datura stramonium  Thorn Apple

Boraginaceae

Myosotis arvensis   Wood Forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides   Water Forget-me-not

Lamiaceae

Ajuga reptans   Bugle
Betonica officinalis   Betony
Galeopsis tetrahit   Common Hemp Nettle
Glechoma hederacea   Ground Ivy
Lamiastrum galeobdolen   Yellow Archangel
Lamium album   White Dead Nettle
Mentha aquatica   Water Mint
Prunella vulgaris   Self-heal
Stachys sylvatica   Hedge Woundwort

Plantaginaceae

Plantago lanceolata   Ribwort Plantain
Plantago major   Ratstail Plantain

Scrophulariaceae

Digitalis purpurea   Foxglove
Scrophularia nodosa   Common Figwort
Veronica chamaedrys   Germander Speedwell
Veronica filiformis   Slender Speedwell
Veronica montana   Wood Speedwell

Campanulaceae

Campanula rotundifolia   Harebell

Rubiaceae

Galium aparine   Goosegrass
Galium saxatile   Heath Bedstraw
Lonicera periclymenum   Honeysuckle
Sambucus nigra   Elder

Adoxaceae

Adoxa moschatellina   Moschatel

Dispacaceae

Dipsacus fullonum   Teasel
Succisa pratensis   Devil's-bit Scabious

Asteraceae

Achillea millefolium   Yarrow
Achillea ptarmica   Sneezewort
Arctium minus   Lesser Burdock
Artemesia vulgaris   Mugwort
Bellis perennis   Daisy
Centaurea nigra   Common Knapweed
Cirsium arvense   Creeping Thistle
Cirsium palustre   Marsh Thistle
Cirsium vulgare   Spear Thistle
Gnaphalium uliginosum   Wayside Cudweed
Lactuca serroiola   Prickly Lettuce
Lapsana communis   Nipplewort
Leucanthemum vulgare   Ox-eye Daisy
Matricaria matricarioides   Pineapple Weed
Senecio jacobaea   Ragwort
Senecio viscosus   Sticky Groundsel
Senecio vulgaris   Groundsel
Sonchus arvensis   Common Sow-thistle
Sonchus asper   Prickly Sow-thistle
Sonchus oleraceus   Smooth Sow-thistle
Taraxacum officinale agg Dandelion
Tripleurospermum inodorum   Scentless Mayweed
Tussilago farfara   Coltsfoot

Araceae

Acorus calamus Sweet Flag
Arum maculataum Lords and Ladies
Lysichitum americanum Skunk Cabbage

Juncaceae

Juncus articulatus   Jointed Rush
Juncus bufonus   Toad Rush
Juncus conglomeratus   Compact Rush
Juncus effusus   Soft Rush
Luzula campestris   Good Friday Grass

Cyperaceae

Carex nigra   Common Sedge
Carex pendula   Pendulous Sedge
Carex remota   Remote Sedge

Poaceae

Agropyron repens   Common Couch
Alopecurus pratensis   Meadow Foxtail
Arrenatherum elatius   False Oat-grass
Cynosurus cristatus   Crested Dogstail
Dactylis glomerata   Cocksfoot
Deschamsia cespitosa   Tufted Hair-grass
Glyceria maxima   Reed Sweet-grass
Holcus lanatus   Yorkshire Fog
Lolium perenne   Perennial Rye-grass
Melica uniflora   Wood Melick
Phleum pratense   Timothy
Poa annua   Annual Meadow-grass

Liliaceae

Allium ursinum   Ramsons
Hyacinthoides non-scripta   Bluebell

Iridaceae

Iris pseudacoris   Yellow Flag

Orchidaceae

Epipactis helleborine   Broad-leaved Helleborine
Dactylorhiza fuchsii   Common-spotted Orchid