Cornish Biodiversity Network  -  Supporting Wildlife Recording

   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z restore

Cornish Red Data (2009)

The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.

Centunculus minimus - Chaffweed



Range & Status

Native. European Temperate plant; also in North America. Mainly found in coastal counties of western and southern Britain and northern and western Ireland.

Regional Distribution

In Cornwall it is found scattered in heathy areas; the Lizard heaths are a stronghold. In the Isles of Scilly the plant is only found on St. Martin' s (SV91) and St. Agnes (SV80). There is an earlier record from Tresco (SV81).

Habitat & Ecology

A tiny, easily overlooked, plant of compacted heathland tracks, forestry tracks, gravel carparks and quarry floors, anywhere where there is little competition from other vegetation. Occurs on some mine sites, particularly where mineral processing took place.

Threats

Surfacing of trackways and loss of heathland.

Conservation

Some of the sites are in SSSI.



Click here to see Aphotoflora images by David Fenwick

Source:

I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press.

The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.