Rare Plant Register for Huntingdonshire - Botanical Society of the ...

Viola canina L. ssp. montana (L.) Hartm.
Heath Dog-violet
National Status: Nationally Rare,
Endangered
County Status: Rare (2 sites, 2 tetrads)
Site Grid Reference Last Record
Holme Fen SSSI , Compartment 6 TL197892 (centroid) 2011 (MM)
Woodwalton Fen SSSI & SAC:
Compartment 41
Compartment 47
Compartment 58
85
TL227851
TL23038482
TL2284 (monad)
TL228843
2010 (MM)
2009 (MM)
2011 (MM)
2010 (PS)
This subspecies is Nationally Rare and restricted to a limited number of fenland sites where it
grows in wetter habitats than ssp. canina.
Viola persifolia Schreb.
Fen Violet
National Status: Endangered, BAP,
Schedule 8
Woodwalton Fen SSSI & SAC,
Compartment 55
County Status: Rare (1 site, 1 tetrad)
Site Grid Reference Last Record
TL228845 (centroid) 2011 (MM)
This species is widely distributed from western Ireland to Russia, but it is in decline across
Western Europe and is rare in many countries. It was formerly more widespread in England
but it is currently extant at only three sites (Woodwalton Fen, Wicken Fen and Otmoor). It
flourishes where the surface of the soil is periodically disturbed, and cannot persist in dense
vegetation. It is capable of forming a large and persistent seed bank and when peat was still
dug commercially in the Fens, a show of Viola persicifolia often appeared in the wake of the
peat diggers. During the 1960’s and 1970’s it appeared in abundance in various parts of
Woodwalton Fen in the years following the extraction of fen carr and disturbance caused by
excavating clay for waterproofing the banks around the SSSI. It is currently very rare at
Woodwalton Fen but its decline might be reversible with appropriate management (Palmer,
2006a).
Viola tricolor L. ssp. tricolor
Wild Pansy
National Status: Near Threatened County Status: Rare (2 sites, 2 tetrads)
Site Grid Reference Last Record
Field Farm TL122885 2004 (KW)
Ongutain Manor, near TL120898 2004 (KW)
Winwick TL1080 (tetrad) 2003 (TP)