The past and present distribution of Stachys germanica L. in Britain

known post-1950 sites are scrubby wood edges, hedges, uncultivated banks and verges, quarries and fallow fields on oolitic limestone soils. All the known populations are small and vary from 1-100+ plants. Flowering is erratic and long-term seed dormancy is followed by a few years of flowering and seed production, usually after wood cutting. The majority of sites are in old hedges in association with ancient routeways, although two populations occur in semi-natural habitats. S. germanica is probably a native species, well-adapted to traditional forms of forestry and agricultural practice on the Oxfordshire oolite, but is vulnerable to modem changes, including the removal or neglect of old hedgerows and copses. INTRODUcnON Stachys germanica L. is a robust and attractive labiate, readily distinguished from other native British members of the genus by the long, silky hairs which co~er the stem, leaves and calices. The garden escape, S. byzantina C. Koch (=S. lanata Jacq.) (Lamb's ear), is often mistaken for the native plant but differs markedly in a number of characters, notably general habit, leaf shape and lanate-tomentose hair covering. The ecology, phenology and popUlation dynamics of S. germanica are discussed by Dunn (1987). S. germanica is a widespread species of dry calcareous pastures, roadsides and hedgebanks in