Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus
Annual Knawel (Scleranthus annuus) is a small, inconspicuous plant of open, sandy and disturbed ground, easily missed amongst the sparse vegetation it favours. A declining arable and heathland edge species, it has been lost from much of its former range through agricultural intensification and the stabilisation of bare ground. Suffolk’s Breckland – with its light, sandy soils and tradition of arable cultivation – is one of the species’ most important remaining strongholds in Britain. It is most often found on field margins, tracks, and disturbed sandy heathland where competition from other vegetation is low. Image: © Stuart Read, Flickr.
Find out more: iNaturalist, Plantlife, Online Atlas of British and Irish Flora
Suffolk’s Priority Fern and Flowering Plant Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
