Hainault Forest Website
Written, Designed and Photographed by © Brian Ecott
FLORA
Aquatic plants

HOME PAGE     AQUATIC PLANTS  AUTUMN FLOWERS  AUTUMN FRUITS  GRASSES  LATE SUMMER FLOWERS 

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BRANCHED BUR-REED Sparganium erectum. Found in Sheepwater and Roe's Well, where it grows from tuberous roots in liquid mud and shallow water. Photo: July 2005. BROOKLIME Veronica beccabunga.  An aquatic speedwell. It grows on the margins of Sheepwater and Roe's Well.  Photo: June 2005. WATER MINT Mentha aquatica. A wet marginal plant found in Sheepwater and Roe's Well and the Lake. Flowers July onwards. Aromatic.

WATER FORGET-ME-NOT Myosotis scorpioides. A wet marginal plant found in Roe's Well and the Lake.

Photo: July 2005.

GREATER SPEARWORT Ranunculus lingua.

A tall aquatic marginal buttercup with lance-shaped leaves. Up to 1.2m tall. Found in Chigwell Row Recreation Ground pond. Flowers June - July.

 LESSER SPEARWORT Ranunculus flammula. An aquatic buttercup with spear-shaped leaves. Swampy and marginal plant found in Sheepwater.
FOOL'S WATER-CRESS Apium nodiflorum. An umbellifer growing in the muddy margins of Sheepwater. The photograph (above, centre) shows a close up of the umbel.  Photo: July 2005. WATER CRESS Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum. Marginal plant in Sheepwater.
SOFT RUSH Juncus effusus. Clumps of Soft rush are found in and around the margins of both Sheepwater and Roe's Well. The photograph (above, centre) shows a close op of an individual stem. Photos: July 2005. YELLOW IRIS Iris pseudacorus. Found as a marginal plant in Sheepwater, Hainault Lake and Chigwell Row Reserve Pond. Flowers May-June.
BULRUSH or REED MACE Typha latifolia in Hainault Lake and Chigwell Row Pond. Photo: July 2005. WATER CHICKWEED Myosoton aquaticum. Marginal plant found in the feeder ditch to Hainault Lake. Photographed by the bridge July 2003.

IRIS Iris sp. A marginal plant in Sheepwater. Not native but dumped here. Photo: June 05.
THREAD-LEAVED WATER CROWFOOT   Ranunculus trichophyllus. Local in SE. England. Found in Roe's Well. No floating leaves, only feather-like submerged leaves. Flower tiny, appears above the water.

IVY-LEAVED WATER CROWFOOT

Ranunculus hederaceus. Grows in the mud in Roe's Well.

INDIAN BALSAM or POLICEMAN'S HELMET Impatiens glandulifera. A marginal plant introduced from the Himalayas. The seed pods explode throwing seeds everywhere. A potential weed. Found in the ditch feeding Hainault Lake. TRIFID BUR-MARIGOLD Bidens tripartita. A marginal plant found near the Lake outfall. An annual, flowering July onwards. GIPSYWORT Lycopus europaeus. A deadnettle with whorls of tiny white flowers. Found on the Lake margins. Flowers July onwards.
FROGBIT Hydrocharis morsus-ranae in Sheepwater. Flowers infrequently. A floating plant, luxuriant growth this year. Photo: July 2005.

Common duckweed also present - see below

 WATER SOLDIER Stratiotes aloides. A floating plant, but most of it submerged. Closely related to Frogbit. An introduced species found in Chigwell Row Recreation Ground Pond where it dominates. Photo: July 2005. Ivy-leaved duckweed present - see below. MARE'S-TAIL Hippuris vulgaris in Sheepwater. A mud loving flowering plant, not to be confused with the Horsetails. Probably dumped there this year. Photo: July 2005.

WILD CELERY Apium graveolens.

Several plants grow along the southern edge of the lake near the outfall (above centre). It is a biennial plant that normally grows in brackish areas near the sea, occasionally found inland. More detail (above left).

Photos: 7July 2005.

GREATER WILLOW HERB or CODLINS AND CREAM Epilobium hirsutum. Likes damp soil and margins of the forest ponds. Flowers July onwards.

COMMON DUCKWEED Lemna minor.

A tiny floating plant comprising a frond and single root. Fronds between 1-7mm. Common in all the forest ponds. A flowering plant although this rarely happens.  Photo: July 2005.

IVY-LEAVED DUCKWEED Lemna trisulca.

Generally floats just below the surface. Has stalks. Common in Sheepwater and Chigwell Row Recreation Ground Pond. Photo: July 2005.

GREATER DUCKWEED Spirodela polyrhiza

Fronds up to 10mm. Differs from Common duckweed in that each frond has many roots. In Hainault Lodge.

Photo: July 2005

 

CURLED PONDWEED Potamogeton crispus

Submerged plant with narrow undulating leaves. In Sheepwater. Photo: July 2005

RIGID HORNWORT Ceratophyllum demersum

Submerged plant with whorls of leaves. Common in Roe's Well. Photo: July 2005