Species of the Day: Round-headed Rampion

By James Duncan

Learning and Engagement Officer

June 16th signals 'Sussex Day', an annual commemoration of the magnificent history, culture and landscape of the county. Sussex is particularly elongated, comprising nearly 1500 square miles of remarkable topography, much of which harbours a multitude of spectacular species. Its very identity is tied in to the spectacular environments it contains - the emblematic rolling hills of the South Downs National Park, the charismatic ancient woodlands of the High Weald AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the captivating coast and bountiful seas, protected by no less than nine Marine Conservation Zones. Sussex truly is a magical county, providing habitats of significant ecological importance, something to be both celebrated and cherished.  

Sussex Day was chosen back in 2007 to mark the feast day of St. Richard of Chichester, patron saint of the county. Five years prior, Sussex had already chosen a county flower, the rather uncommon Round-headed Rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare), now known widely as the 'Pride of Sussex.' It does indeed have intricate ties with Sussex, for it grows in the highest densities on the chalk grasslands for which the county is so famed. Unfortunately it won't be possible to celebrate the day by spotting a blooming Round-headed Rampion, for it's a little too early in the year. These herbaceous perennials thrive when the sun is at its peak, waiting until the warmth of mid-summer before unfurling their complex flowers. 

Round-headed Rampion belongs to an extensive cosmopolitan family of plants known as Campanulaceae, the 'bellflowers.' The globular blue-purple flower-heads seem as if they'd be more at home in the sea, for they look like a cross between an 'over-armed' octopus and a colourful sea anemone. Each head may appear to be one flower, but is in fact a cluster of up to approximately thirty individual florets, though they're all packed closely together. Sometimes they're surprisingly conspicuous as the flowers may perch upon a leafless stem of over 40cm. In line with other chalk specialists, they won't prosper in nutrient-rich soils and show a high level of tolerance to grazing. Should they be heavily grazed, they'll typically produce short stems with open rosettes of basal leaves (those at the base of the stem).

Their distribution currently seems fairly stable, though vast quantities of species-rich chalk downland has been lost to agricultural intensification in the last eighty years. Where once it was numerous, Round-headed Rampion is now overwhelmingly localised, and nationally scarce. The ongoing conservation of its habitat is essential for the continued survival of this wonderful flower. In the heat of summer, keep your eyes peeled for the county's proudest flower at a selection of our downland nature reserves.

Round-headed Rampion © Derek Middleton