Fivehead Cornfields, Somerset

Acquisition of Fivehead Cornfields, on the Fivehead Ridge, just south of West Sedgemoor. These are arable fields supporting one of the most important assemblages of cornfield flowers in Britain. The national rare Broad-fruited Cornsalad (Valerianella rimosa) can be found, which is included in the British Red Data Book of vascular plants. This is now one of only two sites for this species in the south west and there have been only four sites known in Britain in the last ten years (Wilson, 1996, pers. comm). Corn Parsley (Petroselinum segetum) is also present, which is listed by the IUCN as a species undergoing rapid decline in Europe, though is not nationally scarce in Britain. There aer also populations of the nationally scarce Shpherd's Needle (Scandix pecten-veneris), Broad-leaved Spurge (Euphorbia platyphyllos), Spreading Hedge-parsley (Torilis arvensis) and Slender Tare (Vicia parviflora). there aer, of course, many other more common plants found in the fields such as Cleavers (Galium aparine), Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and Black Medick (Medicago lupulina). Also present are some vigorous and invasive grasses in particular Alopecurus myosuroides (Blackgrass) and Arrhenatherum elatius var bulbosum (Onion counch).