Lake Allotments

Also within

Isle of Wight County

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Description Lake Allotments is of national importance to nature conservation as it contains the last known wild population of Martin’s ramping fumitory Fumaria martinii in Britain. The world distribution of Martin’s ramping fumitory is confined to Europe where, in addition to the Lake Allotments site, it is confined to scattered localities in France, Spain and Portugal. Martin’s ramping fumitory is an annual species, that is, it grows from seed and dies each year. It depends on the annual cultivation of the ground by the allotment holders to provide the conditions necessary for the seed to germinate. It seems to possess an unusual seed dormancy which makes it difficult to grow by sowing seed in other localities. It is thought that the soil in the Lake Allotments contains a large seed bank of Martin’s ramping fumitory which ensures its continued survival in this locality. The Lake Allotments also support a remarkable assemblage of other members of the fumitory family. Both the tall ramping fumitory Fumaria bastardii and the rare purple ramping fumitory Fumaria purpurea have been recorded from the allotments in their only locality on the Isle of Wight. In addition, the common ramping fumitory Fumaria muralis sub species boraei and the climbing corydalis Corydalis claviculata also grown in the allotments.

Species mentioned