 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Sussex Ouse
|
 |
| The beautiful Sussex Ouse above Hamsey |
| Flora |
| Flora is another collective term but this time relating to plant life in a particular area or region. |
| Plants & Flowers |
| Trees |
| Fauna |
| Like flora, fauna is a collective term for animal life inhabiting a particular area or region. |
| Birds |
| Fish |
| Mammals & Amphibians |
| Riverside Trees |
Crack Willow (Salix fragilis) Appearance: A tall tree up to 24m high with wide spreading branches and an open interior. The bark is dark brown with very rugged criss-crossing ridges. Leaves are alternate on the stalk and are thin and shiny up to 15cm long, oval shaped and slightly serrated at the edges. The side twigs snap easily and fall off, hence the name “Crack”. They can be carried away by the water and will stick in mud and take root to grow a new tree. Although green female and yellow male catkins are produced, the seeds are often sterile.Habitat: Throughout the British Isles in wetter ground and alongside rivers and streams. Common throughout the middle and upper reaches of the Sussex Ouse and tributaries, this picture was taken below White Bridge at Isfield. Did you know? Was frequently pollarded; cut down to 2-4m high to induce new growth and obtain poles for hurdles. Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) Appearance: A tall tree up to 30m high, domed and very open with slender limbs on a normally straight trunk. The bark is pale grey with regular shallow criss-cross ridges. Leaves are thin and serrated, 9-13 of them set directly onto a downy stalk in opposite pairs with one at the end. Black velvety buds develop in opposite pairs with feathery purple flowers. The fruits are green with a long attached wing.Habitat: Widespread throughout the British Isles , especially on lime rich soils. Common throughout the middle and upper reaches of the Sussex Ouse and tributaries, this picture was taken at White Bridge at Isfield. Did you know? This is the last wild tree to go into leaf and the first to loose them all. Very valuable for the blonde timber that is used to make oars, tool handles and furniture. Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa) Appearance: A tall tree up to 28m high with an arched crown and regular crooked branches. The bark is pale brown with deep ridges running vertically and shallower lines horizontally. Leaves are dark, shiny and rounded, with an indented tip and serrated edges set singly on the stalk. The male catkins are dark red in the winter and the females develop into small woody cones that ripen in spring to disperse their seeds.Habitat: Widespread throughout the British Isles on wet ground and its roots are helpful in binding river banks and poor soils. Now suffering from a water-borne disease that affects the roots. Common throughout the middle and upper reaches of the Sussex Ouse and tributaries, this picture was taken along the lower Bevern Stream, Barcombe Mills. Did you know? This tree was often coppiced for its white timber. This was once used for making charcoal ideal for gunpowder production. |
Registered as a charity - No : 1082447