Editing Ashdown Forest (section)

====Heathland====
Ashdown Forest is noted for its heathland plants and flowers, such as the [[Gentiana pneumonanthe|marsh gentian]], but it also provides other distinctive or unusual plant habitats.

The extensive areas of dry heath are dominated by [[Calluna|ling]] (''Calluna vulgaris''), [[bell heather]] (''Erica cinerea'') and [[Ulex minor|dwarf gorse]] (''Ulex minor''). Important lichen communities include ''Pycnothelia papillaria''. [[Common bracken]] (''Pteridium aquilinum'') is dominant over large areas. On the damper heath, [[cross-leaved heath]] (''Erica tetralix'') becomes dominant with deer-grass (''[[Trichophorum]] cespitosum''. The heath and bracken communities form a mosaic with acid grassland dominated by [[Molinia caerulea|purple moor-grass]] (''Molinia caerulea'') mingled with many specialised heathland plants such as [[Genista anglica|petty whin]] (''Genista anglica''), [[Salicaceae|creeping willow]] (''Salicaceae'' sp.) and [[Dactylorhiza maculata|heath spotted orchid]] (''Dactylorhiza maculata'').

In the wet areas are found several species of [[Sphagnum|sphagnum moss]] together with [[Narthecium ossifragum|bog asphodel]] (''Narthecium ossifragum''), [[Eriophorum angustifolium|common cotton-grass]] (''Eriophorum angustifolium'') and specialities such as [[Gentiana pneumonanthe|marsh gentian]] (''Gentiana pneumonanthe''), [[Wahlenbergia|ivy-leaved bell flower]] (''Wahlenbergia hederacea''), [[Rhynchospora alba|white-beaked sedge]] (''Rhynchospora alba'') and [[Lycopodiella inundata|marsh club moss]] (''Lycopodiella inundata''). The marsh gentian, noted for its bright blue trumpet-like flowers, has a flowering season lasting from July well into October and is found in about a dozen colonies.

[[Ulex europaeus|Gorse]] (''Ulex europaeus''), [[Betula pendula|silver birch]] (''Betula pendula''), [[Quercus robur|pedunculate oak]] (''Quercus robur'') and [[Pinus sylvestris|Scots pine]] (''Pinus sylvestris'') are scattered across the heath, in places forming extensive areas of secondary woodland and scrub. Older woodlands consist of [[Fagus sylvatica|beech]] (''Fagus sylvatica'') and [[Castanea sativa|sweet chestnut]] (''Castanea sativa''). These contain [[Common bluebell|bluebell]] (''Hyacinthinoides non-scripta''), [[Vaccinium myrtillus|bilberry]] (''Vaccinium myrtillus''), [[Blechnum spicant|hard fern]] (''Blechnum spicant'') and [[Lonicera periclymenum|honeysuckle]] (''Lonicera periclymenum'') with [[Neottia nidus-avis|birds-nest orchid]] (''Neottia nidus-avis'') and [[Epipactis purpurata|violet helleborine]] (''Epipactis purpurata'') found particularly under beech. In the woodlands can also be found [[Anemone nemorosa|wood anemone]] (''Anemone nemorosa'') and [[Oxalis acetosella|common wood sorrel]] (''Oxalis acetosella'').

[[File:Ashdown Forest - Friends Clump.jpg|thumb|right|Friends Clump]]