Species List
Plants on the reserve
Chesil Beach is a major shingle beach and provides a maritime shingle environment. The seaward side of the beach is highly mobile under storm conditions and cannot support any plant communities. The eastern side of the beach is much more stable enabling plant communities to establish. In some areas the beach is sufficiently stable for a turf to form, particularly at Ferrybridge.
The three lists located on the drop down menu at the top of the page show the species that have been recorded on the beach, lagoon and the land shore. For a definitive plant list, including occurrence and distribution along the Fleet (FSG), comprised by the Fleet Study Group, please click the button below.
Fleet Species
Common & Scientific Name
Wild (Babington’s) leek – Allium ampeloprasum var. babintonii
Bulbous foxtail – Alopecurus bulbosus
Marsh mallow – Althea officinalis
Compact brome – Anisantha madritensis
Wild asparagus – Asparagus officinalis ssp. Prostatus
Long-stalked orache – Atriplex longipes
Slender hare’s-ear – Bupleurum tenuissimum
Divided sedge – Carex divisa
Sea holly – Eryngium maritimum
Sea spurge – Euphorbia paralias
Longleaf – Falcaria vulgaris
Nit grass – Gastridium ventricosum
False oat-grass – Gaudinia fragilis
Little-robin – Geranium purpureum
Yellow vetchling – Lathyrus aphaca
Sea pea – Lathyrus japonica
Rock sea lavender – Limonium dodartiforme
Toothed medick – Medicago polymorpha
Purple broomrape – Orabanche minot var. maritima
Yarrow broomrape – Orobanche purpurea
Curved hard-grass – Parapholis incurve
Four-leaved Allseed – Polycarbon tetraphyllum
Stiff saltmarsh-grass – Puccinella rupestris
Brackish water crowfoot – Ranunculus baudoti
Small-flowered buttercup – Ranunculus parviflora
Spiral tasselweed – Ruppia cirrhosa
Perennial Glasswort – Sarcocornia perennis
Shrubby sea-blite – Suaeda vera
Sea clover – Trifolium squamosum
Hairy-fruited corn salad – Valerianella eriocarpa
Bithyian vetch – Vicia bithynica
Slender tare – Vicia parviflora
Bearded (purple) fescue – Vulpia ciliata var. ambigua
Dune fescue – Vulpia fasciculate
Narrow-leaved eelgrass – Zostera angustifolia
Dwarf eelgrass – Zostera nolti
Chesil Beach Species
Sea Couch – Agropyron pungens
Silvery hair grass – Aira caryophylla
Early hair grass – Aira praecox
Scarlet pimpernel – Anagallis arvensis
Kidney vetch – Anthyllis vulneraria
Thrift – Ameria maritima
Thyme-leaved sandwort – Arenaria serpyllifolia
Tall oat-grass – Arrhenatherum elatius
Sea beet – Beta vulgaris
Darnel’s grass – Catapodium marinum
Common centaury – Centaurium erythraea
Red valerian – Centranthus ruber
Common mouse-ear – Cerastium fontanum
Sea mouse-ear – Cerastium diffusum
Creeping thistle – Cirsium arvense
Danish scurvygrass – Cochlearia Danica
Sea kale – Crambe maritima
Samphire – Crithmum maritimum
Cocksfoot – Dactylus glomerata
Sea spurge – Euphorbia paralias
Portland spurge – Euphorbia portlandica
Red fescue – Festuca ruba
Lady’s bedstraw – Galium verum
Herb Robert – Geranium robertianum
Yellow horned poppy – Glaucium flavum
Sea-purslane – Halimione portulacoides
Common velvet grass – Holcus lanatus
Tree mallow – Lavatera arborea
Sea pea – Lathyrus japonicas
Bird’s foot trefoil – Lotus corniculatus
Common mallow – Malva sylvestris
Restharrow – Ononis repens
Lesser broomrape – Orobanche minor var minor
Buck’s-horn plantain – Plantago coronopus
Ribwort plantain – Plantago lanceolate
Blackthorn – Prunus spinose
Blackberry – Rubus fruticosa agg.
Curled dock – Rumex crispus
Procumbent pearlwort – Sagina procumbens
Biting stonecrop – Sedum acre
Sea campion – Silene maritima
Woody nightshade – Solanum dulcamera
Black nightshade – Solanum nigrum
Perennial sow-thistle – Sonchus arvensis
Shrubby sea blight – Suaeda fruticose
Annual sea blight – Suaeda maritima
Dandelion – Taraxacum officinale
Breckland thyme – Thymus serpyllum
Haresfoot clover – Trifolium arvense
Lesser trefoil – Trifolium dubium
Rough clover – Trifolium scabrum
Sea mayweed – Tripleurospermum maritimum