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Species
fact sheet
Field Fleawort
Tephroseris integrifolia
ssp. integrifolia
Field fleawort is a member of the daisy family
(Asteraceae). It can grow from 7-30 cm tall and has
a single stem with a basal rosette of leaves. The
3-5 cm rosette leaves lie flat on the ground, are
round-oval shaped, untoothed, may be cottony and
have a short stalk. There are very few stem leaves
which are lanceolate and stalkless, clasping the
stem. Each plant produces 1-10 orange-yellow
flowers that are 1.5-2.5 cm across. The involucre,
a collar of bracts at the base of a flower, is 5-8 mm
long and the individual bracts have a tuft of hairs at
the tip. Field fleawort plants in Anglesey are of the
rare endemic ssp. maritima and grow slightly taller,
up to 60 cm (not included on the map). Larger plants
formerly found in Westmorland and now presumed
to be extinct (mapped as this subspecies) may have
represented an undescribed taxon.
© Bob Gibbons
Lifecycle
Field fleawort is a biennial or short-lived perennial,
flowering in May and June. Seed longevity is thought
to be short and grasslands require regular sympathetic
management to maintain the right conditions for this
scarce plant.
Habitat
This native plant grows on shallow soils over chalk or
more rarely on oolitic limestone. It occurs mainly on
species-rich south-facing short calcareous grassland
and downland in lowland areas and favours ancient
earthworks and tracksides which create a suitable
micro-climate. The NVC community that this species is
typically associated with is CG2 Festuca ovina – Avenula
pratensis grassland.
Distribution
In England it is confined to the south, particularly the
Chilterns, Dorset, the Cotswolds and the South Downs.
Field fleawort of the nominate ssp. integrifolia is not
present in Wales, Scotland or Ireland but the endemic
ssp. maritima occurs on Anglesey.
Field fleawort distribution across
Britain and Ireland
The data used to create these maps has
been provided under licence from the
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
(BSBI) and accessed from the Society’s
online distribution database.
Species
fact sheet
Field Fleawort
Tephroseris integrifolia ssp. integrifolia
Habitat management for field fleawort
Habitat management for field fleawort should focus on restoring the
appropriate levels of grazing to maintain a short fine species-rich
sward, particularly on ancient earthworks and along tracks. Historical
site management should always be reviewed as the baseline if the
populations of field fleawort are still present and appear in a similar
condition to historical records. Grazing by cattle and ponies and mixed
grazing with a few sheep will reduce the coarse grasses and sedges
opening up the sward for this species. Mixed grazing will also maintain
some bare ground which is important for the germination of this shortlived perennial, and might be the reason why field fleawort is often
associated with used trackways. Grazing only by sheep in the flowering
period may be detrimental as they may consume the leaf rosettes and
especially the flowering stems stopping the plant from completing its
lifecycle. Moderate livestock grazing should be undertaken outside of the
flowering period, primarily over the autumn and winter period on these
dry grasslands. No fertiliser should be applied to calcareous grasslands
with field fleawort and over-seeding with more vigorous grasses will
potentially increase the sward height and shade-out the more delicate
field fleawort.
Targeted scrub control will also help populations of field fleawort to
survive by removing taller vegetation that out-shades the plants. In
particular, scrub clearance on ancient earthworks and along disused
trackways with historical records of field fleawort would be particularly
beneficial although the possible short longevity of seeds may result in a
low rejuvenation rate from the soil seed bank.
Scrub management work around surviving populations will help them in
the short-term but continuity or re-instatement of adequate grazing is
vital for long-term management. Linking neighbouring grasslands with
field fleawort using suitable management regimes may enable longerterm survival of the species by connecting populations.
Habitat management should focus on restoring appropriate levels of grazing to maintain a
short fine species-rich sward, particularly on ancient earthworks and along tracks.
GB Status and rarity
It is classified as ‘Endangered’ in
The Vascular Plant Red Data List for
Great Britain 2005 and has suffered a
marked decline since 1960 which is still
continuing. Outlying sites are considered
most vulnerable and in need of urgent
action and all surviving populations need
to be assessed to establish the factors
causing the decline. Field fleawort is a
good indicator of high quality grassland
and is associated with a suite of declining
calcareous grassland plants including
purple milk-vetch Astragalus danicus,
frog orchid Coeloglossum viride and early
gentian Gentianella anglica.
Reasons for decline
These are not fully understood but
include agricultural improvement
of grasslands through application
of artificial fertilisers, ploughing of
grassland to create arable land and
re-seeding with more vigorous grass
varieties. Abandonment or discontinuity
of livestock grazing has resulted in scrub
encroachment or replacement of short
extremely species-rich communities
with coarser less diverse swards. It has
declined on some sites that appear well
managed and retain otherwise diverse
calcareous grassland.
Protection under the law
This plant is included as a species “of
principal importance for the purpose of
conserving biodiversity” under Section 41
(England) of the Natural Environment and
Rural Communities Act 2006.
Survey method
Individual plants are easily distinguishable
from neighbours, each one comprising a
single rosette and flowering stem. As this
species only forms a rosette of leaves in the
first year an additional search for these firstyear individuals should also be undertaken,
although they will be much harder to detect.
The flowering period is quite short, after
which plants will be hard to find.
© John Lees/Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
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