BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles
BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles
BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles
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Important Notice.................................................. 2<br />
From <strong>the</strong> President...............................I. Bonner 2<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees<br />
........................M.C. Sheahan & D. Pearman 2<br />
Editorial................................................................ 3<br />
Notes................................................................ 4-48<br />
Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell, 12 years on: a cautionary<br />
tale ..................R.W.M. Corner & L. Robinson 4<br />
New sites for Martin’s Ramping-fumitory in<br />
v.cc.11 & 12...........................G. Knass et al. 8<br />
Lincolnshire Epipactis........................M. Lynes 10<br />
Loss <strong>of</strong> Wrexham Herbarium.................G. Wynne 15<br />
Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong><br />
waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong> Swaledale......T. Laurie 16<br />
Discovery <strong>of</strong> two unrecorded peloric forms <strong>of</strong><br />
Ophrys sphegodes in Dorset, 2010<br />
..................................................M.R. Chalk 21<br />
Archaeophyte herbal plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River Tweed<br />
.............................................M. Braithwaite 23<br />
Neglected Couch: <strong>the</strong> enigma <strong>of</strong> Elytrigia<br />
campestris ssp. maritima – a confused couch!<br />
.....................................................M. Wilcox 25<br />
Monitoring <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum (Yellow<br />
Horned-poppy) at Sand Bay, N. Somerset<br />
.......................M.A. Webster & H.J. Crouch 28<br />
Black Poplars (Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia)<br />
in v.c.67..................................A.J. Richards 32<br />
Lobelia urens at Flimwell: an update..S. Harrap 33<br />
Floral diversity <strong>of</strong> road verges at Ainsdale,<br />
Merseyside....P.H. Smith & P.A. Lockwood 34<br />
Late flowering <strong>of</strong> Smyrnium olusatrum<br />
(Alexanders.) in v.cc.25/27.......C.A. Jacobs 36<br />
Trichophorum cespitosum (Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Deergrass)<br />
and allied taxa in RSPB Abernethy Forest<br />
NNR..........................................A. Amphlett 37<br />
Return <strong>of</strong> Fumaria bastardii to SussexM.. Berry 39<br />
Phytophthora disease – a threat to our native<br />
vegetation?.............D. Dahl & M. Robinson 40<br />
Can vice-county boundaries change over time?<br />
.............................................M. Braithwaite 41<br />
Can vice-county boundaries change over time?<br />
– a response.................................A. Chater 42<br />
Rosebay Willowherb..................M. O’Sullivan 42<br />
Local <strong>BSBI</strong> groups: why every vice-county<br />
should have one ............................L. Marsh 43<br />
Remarkable Bee Orchid plant........W. Shepard 44<br />
New names and taxa in <strong>the</strong> third edition <strong>of</strong><br />
Stace – corrections......R. Ellis, D. Pearman 45<br />
Strange Cotswold Water Park Marsh Horsetails<br />
.......................................................J. Oliver 45<br />
Aliens............................................................. 49-58<br />
Adriatic Bellflower (Campanula garganica)<br />
recorded as an established alien......C. Pope 49<br />
Buttonweed (Cotula coronopifolia) found in<br />
Northamptonshire.........................R. Wilson 50<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Hypericum coris L. (Heath-leaved St John’s-wort)<br />
on Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight..................P. Stanley et al. 50<br />
Iberis × Arabis?...................................T. Evans 51<br />
Scrophularia grandiflora in Surrey<br />
...............................................G. Hounsome 52<br />
Problems over identification <strong>of</strong> Pyracantha<br />
bushes.....................................E.J. Clement 53<br />
Saxifraga umbrosa – one <strong>of</strong> our rarest flowers?<br />
.............................................N.A. Thompson 55<br />
Verbascum speciosum (Hungarian Mullein)<br />
new to north-west England at Formby,<br />
Merseyside (v.c.59)....................P.H. Smith 56<br />
Notes from Wisley (v.c.17): <strong>the</strong> sex forms <strong>of</strong><br />
Cortaderia selloana..................J. Armitage 57<br />
Notices........................................................... 58-60<br />
Commander John Martin Williamson Topp,<br />
OBE (1937-2011).....................C.M. Lovatt 58<br />
Information about ‘Plant Records’ in <strong>the</strong> New<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany.........................M. Porter 59<br />
AEM: vegetative i.d. Quiz.................J. Poland 60<br />
Requests......................................................... 61-64<br />
Can you save <strong>the</strong>se aliens?<br />
...............................C. Stace & D. Pearman 61<br />
Blinks (Montia fontana) (ssp.)..........M. Wilcox 62<br />
Gentianopsis ciliata (Fringed Gentian)<br />
recovery project...S.J. Leach & J. Hodgkins 62<br />
Seeking variations in Alnus glutinosa......M. Bell 63<br />
Appeal for digital photos for <strong>BSBI</strong> Annual<br />
Review 2011.............................C.M. Lovatt 63<br />
101 rare plants <strong>of</strong> Wales: request for digital<br />
images......................L. Cranmer & T. Rich 64<br />
Offers............................................................. 65-66<br />
<strong>Botanical</strong> meetings in Devon............D.J. Allen 65<br />
Plant slides from <strong>the</strong> late S. Thomson .............. 65<br />
G<strong>of</strong>ynne seed list 2012.........................A. Shaw 65<br />
Seeds from Ware 2011 collections.....G. Hanson 66<br />
News <strong>of</strong> Members – Gwynn Ellis – Marsh Award<br />
for Botany...................................S. Leach et al. 67<br />
<strong>Botanical</strong> crossword 17......................Cruciada 69<br />
Book Notes...................................J. Edmondson 70<br />
Obituary Notes...................................M. Briggs 70<br />
Obituaries in <strong>BSBI</strong> Yearbook.............M. Briggs 71<br />
Recorders and Recording.................................. 72<br />
Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees and Specialists. M.C. Sheahan 72<br />
Panel <strong>of</strong> Vice-county Recorders....D. Pearman 72<br />
Recording Strategy.............................N. Miller 72<br />
Notes from <strong>the</strong> Officers................................ 73-75<br />
From <strong>the</strong> Hon. General Secretary........L. Farrell 73<br />
From <strong>the</strong> Acting Scottish Officer...... A. Hannah 73<br />
2011 Scottish Annual Meeting.......R. McGuire 74<br />
Diary................................................................ 75<br />
Solution & crib to Crossword 17........................ 75<br />
Deadline for News 120........................................ 75<br />
Cover picture – : Taraxacum fulvum (Cinnamon-fruited Dandelion). Photo C. Ferguson-<br />
Smyth © 2011. Winner <strong>of</strong> Sex life <strong>of</strong> plants section <strong>of</strong> Scottish photo competition (see p. 75)
2<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees<br />
MARY CLARE SHEAHAN, 61 Westmoreland Road, London, SW13 9RZ; (m.sheahan@kew.org)<br />
DAVID PEARMAN, ‘Algiers’, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA; (dpearman4@aol.com)<br />
A remarkable advantage <strong>of</strong> belonging to <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> is that we have access to <strong>the</strong> scholarship<br />
and helpfulness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> large number (more<br />
than 100) <strong>of</strong> referees, who are prepared to give<br />
up <strong>the</strong>ir time to make identifications for<br />
members. They not only provide an extremely<br />
valuable service to us as individuals; <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
identifications also underpin much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> society in producing accurate records<br />
and in publications such as floras.<br />
Important Notices – From <strong>the</strong> President / <strong>BSBI</strong> Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees<br />
IMPORTANT NOTICES<br />
From The President<br />
IAN BONNER, Cae Trefor, Tynygongl, Anglesey, LL74 8SD<br />
(01248 852651; <strong>BSBI</strong>@caetrefor.co.uk)<br />
By <strong>the</strong> time you read this 2011 will be behind<br />
us – a successful year for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>.<br />
Higher than anticipated grant income<br />
enabled us to streng<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> staff complement<br />
around <strong>the</strong> Plant Unit, developing <strong>the</strong> DDb<br />
and delivering on a range <strong>of</strong> projects <strong>of</strong> mutual<br />
benefit to <strong>the</strong> Country Agencies and to<br />
ourselves.<br />
Amongst a huge range <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r activities to<br />
be proud <strong>of</strong> are - <strong>the</strong> first issues <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany, continued production <strong>of</strong><br />
News, <strong>the</strong> Yearbook, <strong>the</strong> Website, <strong>the</strong> National<br />
magazines, a highly successful Spring Conference<br />
and AGM in Galway, regional Annual<br />
Meetings, Exhibition Meetings and 40 Field<br />
Meetings.<br />
All this has been achieved by our small team<br />
<strong>of</strong> dedicated staff and <strong>the</strong> much larger number<br />
<strong>of</strong> fantastic volunteers who collect and feed<br />
<strong>the</strong> plant data which fuels <strong>the</strong> Plant Unit (via<br />
Records Committee) as well as carry out all<br />
our o<strong>the</strong>r activities coordinated through<br />
Meetings, Publications, Training & Education<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Regional Committees – a massive<br />
thank you to everyone involved.<br />
2012 promises to be an equally busy and<br />
exciting year.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> current economic climate <strong>the</strong>re are<br />
bound to be uncertainties about grant income<br />
for <strong>the</strong> Plant Unit. However <strong>the</strong> Agencies are<br />
increasingly reliant on information provided<br />
by us which ought to result in a more stable<br />
funding arrangement!<br />
On <strong>the</strong> TPP front, we will be embarking on<br />
<strong>the</strong> final field season; but also making a major<br />
push to complete reports on species covered in<br />
previous years – some <strong>of</strong> which will appear as<br />
papers in <strong>the</strong> NJB.<br />
A new initiative, <strong>the</strong> Plant Surveillance<br />
Scheme, largely developed by <strong>BSBI</strong>, is to be<br />
trialled over <strong>the</strong> summers <strong>of</strong> 2012/13 as part <strong>of</strong><br />
a DEFRA funded project.<br />
In addition to all our usual activities, we look<br />
forward to <strong>the</strong> Recorders Conference in<br />
Shrewsbury in April, our AGM and Conference<br />
in Reading in May, and <strong>the</strong> international<br />
conference in Edinburgh in September to<br />
celebrate progress in plant recording since<br />
publication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first Atlas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
Flora in 1962.<br />
With all <strong>the</strong>se enjoyable events in mind, I<br />
look forward to meeting as many <strong>of</strong> you as<br />
possible during <strong>the</strong> year.<br />
Ian Bonner<br />
It is <strong>of</strong> concern to us that <strong>the</strong> overall success<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> system is sometimes obscured by <strong>the</strong><br />
occasional problems, though we accept that<br />
<strong>the</strong>se can cause difficulties. A number <strong>of</strong><br />
referees are currently being sent more material<br />
to identify than <strong>the</strong>y can reasonably cope with.<br />
Parcels may contain up to 100 individual<br />
specimens. It is not surprising that this can<br />
sometimes lead to delays in replying and a<br />
handful <strong>of</strong> referees find it difficult to deal with
Important Notices – From <strong>the</strong> President / <strong>BSBI</strong> Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees / Editorial<br />
enquiries within an acceptable time. There<br />
have been occasional complaints from people<br />
who have waited for up to three years or more<br />
for <strong>the</strong> return <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir specimens, and in a<br />
(thankfully very few) cases <strong>the</strong>ir specimens<br />
have become lost or mislaid and never<br />
returned to <strong>the</strong>m. Of course, <strong>the</strong>re can only be<br />
sympathy for referees, many <strong>of</strong> whom are<br />
busy academics who find it hard to find time<br />
to deal with <strong>the</strong>se extra-curricular labours.<br />
We are regularly in contact with referees to<br />
find out if <strong>the</strong>y are happy to continue, and<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y would like assistance.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r pressing problem is that universities<br />
are not producing field botanists in <strong>the</strong> same<br />
numbers as in <strong>the</strong> past. Up to now we have on<br />
<strong>the</strong> whole been able to keep abreast <strong>of</strong> replacements<br />
when referees retire, but <strong>the</strong> society<br />
would like to produce some more long-term<br />
solutions, and we have given much thought to<br />
how we might recruit new referees to <strong>the</strong> panel.<br />
It is our belief (and hope) that <strong>the</strong>re may be<br />
many members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> society who already<br />
have considerable knowledge <strong>of</strong> certain taxa,<br />
and who might be prepared to <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
TREVOR JAMES (Receiving Editor), 56 Back Street, Ashwell, Baldock, Herts., SG7 5PE<br />
(01462 742684; trevorjjames@btinternet.com)<br />
GWYNN ELLIS (General Editor), 41 Marlborough Road, Roath, Cardiff, CF23 5BU<br />
(02920 496042; rgellis@ntlworld.com)<br />
Congratulations to our members who were<br />
awarded MBE in <strong>the</strong> New Years Honours List<br />
(see p. 73).<br />
New Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany – a correction<br />
Frank Horsman points out that on page 60 <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> first issue <strong>of</strong> our new journal, <strong>the</strong>re is a<br />
reference in <strong>the</strong> Teesdale section to “John<br />
Binton”. The correct name should be John<br />
Binks – apparently a typing error.<br />
The second issue <strong>of</strong> NJB has been published<br />
and should have reached all members by now.<br />
If you have not received a copy please contact<br />
<strong>the</strong> Membership Secretary.<br />
<strong>British</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Hawkweeds<br />
This book has now been published and all<br />
pre-publication orders were posted to<br />
members last year. If a copy you ordered has<br />
services. We are <strong>the</strong>refore appealing for<br />
volunteers to come forward. This article is<br />
addressed to two groups <strong>of</strong> volunteers: one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m is people who have already made some<br />
study <strong>of</strong> a particular taxon or group <strong>of</strong> taxa,<br />
feel reasonably well-informed about it, and<br />
would be happy to identify specimens for<br />
members. The o<strong>the</strong>r group would be <strong>of</strong> people<br />
who would like to learn more about certain<br />
taxa, perhaps with <strong>the</strong> assistance <strong>of</strong> specialists<br />
on <strong>the</strong> subject. What we have in mind is an<br />
assistant who could receive queries in <strong>the</strong> first<br />
instance, deal with those he or she is confident<br />
about, and keep problematic specimens to<br />
discuss with an existing referee or expert.<br />
The only vacancy currently listed in <strong>the</strong><br />
Yearbook is for Betula, but o<strong>the</strong>rs we would<br />
like to fill include Amaranthus, Aster,<br />
Crataegus and Crepis/Pilosella. But<br />
members will note that <strong>the</strong>re are very many<br />
genera for which <strong>the</strong>re is currently no referee<br />
and it may well be that you are interested in<br />
one <strong>of</strong> those. If so, <strong>the</strong>n please contact us and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Records Committee will discuss <strong>the</strong><br />
suggestion.<br />
not arrived again please contact <strong>the</strong> Membership<br />
Secretary<br />
Local <strong>BSBI</strong> Groups<br />
The note by Louise Marsh on p. 43 about <strong>the</strong><br />
activities <strong>of</strong> a <strong>BSBI</strong> group set up in Leicestershire<br />
makes compulsive reading. I was<br />
amazed to discover that <strong>the</strong>y have recruited 17<br />
new <strong>BSBI</strong> members in only three years, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> possibility <strong>of</strong> several more in <strong>the</strong> pipeline.<br />
It just goes to show what can be achieved by a<br />
small group <strong>of</strong> determined and talented<br />
leaders. If this was to be replicated in o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
vice-counties we’d soon reach and exceed <strong>the</strong><br />
magic number <strong>of</strong> 3,000 members, and,<br />
perhaps more importantly, we might manage<br />
to keep <strong>the</strong>m for more than a couple <strong>of</strong> years<br />
by giving <strong>the</strong>m something interesting and<br />
worthwhile to do on a local level.<br />
3
4<br />
The flora surrounding <strong>the</strong> Civil Aviation<br />
Authority radar station on <strong>the</strong> exposed summit<br />
<strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell at 848m within <strong>the</strong> Moor<br />
House National Nature Reserve in <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
Pennines <strong>of</strong> Cumbria was first noted to be<br />
unusual by Linda Robinson (LR) in 1996. A<br />
new station had been built in 1985, and <strong>the</strong><br />
surroundings fenced <strong>of</strong>f against grazing<br />
animals. Her photograph <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lush flora<br />
featured in Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Halliday’s A flora <strong>of</strong><br />
Cumbria (1997). She listed <strong>the</strong> plant species,<br />
noting that many were at a higher altitude than<br />
had been previously recorded for <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong> and Ireland. Two fur<strong>the</strong>r visits to <strong>the</strong> site<br />
were made in 1999, toge<strong>the</strong>r with Rod Corner<br />
(RC), and <strong>the</strong> results published in <strong>BSBI</strong> News<br />
(Corner & Robinson, 2001). Later, information<br />
on <strong>the</strong> environmental restoration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
site showed that much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> altitudinal data<br />
given in <strong>the</strong> above was invalid, as many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
species had originated from introduced seed.<br />
Penny Anderson <strong>of</strong> Penny Anderson Associates<br />
Ltd. stated that <strong>the</strong> site had been seeded in<br />
1986 and 1988, but <strong>the</strong> source and species<br />
mixture <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seed was not stated. It seems<br />
relevant that a research student who had been<br />
at <strong>the</strong> site mentioned to LR that seed bags<br />
noted <strong>the</strong>re were <strong>of</strong> German origin. We were<br />
told that local plant material had also been<br />
collected and grown on, with 2800 plants <strong>of</strong><br />
Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry),Galium<br />
saxatile (Heath Bedstraw) and Carex<br />
bigelowii (Stiff Sedge) planted; and, in<br />
addition, clumps <strong>of</strong> local rushes were divided<br />
and planted in <strong>the</strong> wet areas. Additionally, it<br />
was stated that <strong>the</strong> site had been monitored in<br />
1988 to 1991, and again in 1998 and it was<br />
intended to publish <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> changes<br />
over time (Anderson, 2001). Corner & Halliday<br />
(2002) criticised this introduction <strong>of</strong><br />
‘foreign’ seed into a National Nature Reserve.<br />
After 12 years, it was felt that <strong>the</strong> site should<br />
NOTES<br />
Notes – Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell<br />
The flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell, twelve years on: a cautionary tale<br />
R.W.M. CORNER, Hawthorn Hill, 36 Wordsworth Street, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7QY<br />
L. ROBINSON, The Cottage, Melmerby, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1HN<br />
be re-surveyed, and, having cleared access<br />
with <strong>the</strong> authorities, she and RC spent three<br />
hours examining <strong>the</strong> site in ideal sunny calm<br />
conditions on 27 th July 2011. Noting that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re were several ‘absentees’ in <strong>the</strong> list, LR<br />
bravely visited <strong>the</strong> perimeter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site on 12 th<br />
November 2011, in difficult conditions, and<br />
was able to reinstate some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Since <strong>the</strong> last survey <strong>the</strong>re has been an<br />
obvious increase in <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> colonies <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> more vigorous species. The yellow carpets<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> buttercups R. repens (Creeping<br />
Buttercup) and R. acris (Meadow Buttercup),<br />
<strong>the</strong> concentrated beds <strong>of</strong> Alchemilla glabra<br />
(Smooth Lady’s-mantle), A. xanthochlora<br />
(Pale Lady’s-mantle), Tussilago farfara<br />
(Colt’s-foot), <strong>the</strong> tall, massed stems <strong>of</strong> fruiting<br />
Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow Parsley) and<br />
flowering Heracleum sphondylium (Hogweed),<br />
with vegetative stands <strong>of</strong> Chamerion<br />
angustifolium (Rosebay Willowherb) were<br />
conspicuous (see Colour Section, plate 4 (1 &<br />
2)). Interestingly, <strong>the</strong> Chamerion seemed not<br />
to flower here. Luzula luzuloides (White<br />
Wood-rush) had formed many additional<br />
strong colonies throughout <strong>the</strong> site and Carex<br />
leporina (Oval Sedge) has joined it as a<br />
species which has escaped from <strong>the</strong> confines<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> station into <strong>the</strong> surrounding grassland,<br />
where <strong>the</strong> strongly growing tufts stood out<br />
from <strong>the</strong> bare sheep-grazed turf (Corner,<br />
2000) (see CS, plate 4 (3 & 4)). Saxifraga<br />
hypnoides (Mossy Saxifrage) was a conspicuous<br />
mat-forming species scattered over <strong>the</strong><br />
more base-rich areas, and had probably<br />
become commoner here. This herb-rich<br />
community covered most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site, but a wet<br />
area on <strong>the</strong> north side, an acid stony habitat<br />
next to <strong>the</strong> station, and a small area <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
original fell top habitat on <strong>the</strong> west side,<br />
provided o<strong>the</strong>r habitats.
Notes – Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell 5<br />
Table 1. Species new to <strong>the</strong> site<br />
Agrostis capillaris Occasional<br />
Botrychium lunaria 6 plants<br />
Cardamine flexuosa One small group<br />
Carex sylvatica One clump with 5 flowering heads<br />
Dactylorhiza maculata One spike<br />
Diphasiastrum alpinum Single group <strong>of</strong> very small plants<br />
Epilobium obscurum One plant<br />
Eriophorum angustifolium Very local<br />
Eriophorum vaginatum Several clumps<br />
Euphrasia nemorosa Rare<br />
Euphrasia cf. scottica Rare<br />
Huperzia selago One plant<br />
Hypericum tetragonum? One small sterile plant<br />
Hypochaeris radicata One plant<br />
Pilosella <strong>of</strong>ficinalis Rare<br />
Poa cf. pratensis Frequent<br />
Potentilla erecta One small clump<br />
Potentilla fruticosa One plant 12 ´ 12cm<br />
Salix phylicifolia × cinerea? One multi-branched shrub 30cms tall<br />
Scrophularia nodosa? One small sterile plant<br />
Sorbus aucuparia One plant 6cm tall<br />
Triglochin palustris A localised group <strong>of</strong> 20 small plants<br />
Veronica chamaedrys One good sized colony<br />
Vicia sepium One very small group<br />
Table 1 lists species new to <strong>the</strong> site, with <strong>the</strong><br />
single colony <strong>of</strong> Carex sylvatica (Wood<br />
Sedge) being most unexpected, and well<br />
above <strong>the</strong> old altitudinal record <strong>of</strong> 640m in <strong>the</strong><br />
Clova mountains in <strong>the</strong> Scottish Highlands<br />
(Watson, 1852). Triglochin palustris (Marsh<br />
Arrowgrass), in <strong>the</strong> moist area, would have<br />
come in from local stock, as had <strong>the</strong> two<br />
cottongrasses, Eriophorum vaginatum<br />
(Hare’s-tail Cottongrass) and E. angustifolium<br />
(Common Cottongrass), with <strong>the</strong> former being<br />
much <strong>the</strong> commoner. Not surprisingly,<br />
Juncus effusus (S<strong>of</strong>t Rush) had increased in<br />
quantity, with 20 tussocks. It was good to see<br />
that Diphasiastrum alpinum (Alpine<br />
Clubmoss) and Huperzia selago (Fir<br />
Clubmoss) had started to colonise <strong>the</strong> bare<br />
stony ground, with Botrychium lunaria<br />
(Moonwort) in less acid conditions nearby. A<br />
single tiny plant <strong>of</strong> Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan)<br />
in <strong>the</strong> same bare area was not entirely<br />
unexpected, but a slightly larger plant <strong>of</strong><br />
Potentilla fruticosa (Shrubby Cinquefoil)<br />
certainly was, and it is tempting to think that it<br />
has come from <strong>the</strong> good native stock from<br />
Upper Teesdale. The single plant <strong>of</strong> Dactylorhiza<br />
maculata (Heath Spotted-orchid) was<br />
new, and <strong>the</strong> colony <strong>of</strong> D. fuchsii (Common<br />
Spotted-orchid) had increased in size. A small<br />
sterile Hypericum sp. was tentatively identified<br />
as H. tetragonum (Square-stemmed St<br />
John’s-wort), and a single small plant as<br />
sterile Scrophularia nodosa (Common<br />
Figwort). A number <strong>of</strong> very small willows
6<br />
were all concentrated on <strong>the</strong> south-east side,<br />
and had grown larger since last observed, but<br />
were only c. 30cms tall. Not seen previously<br />
was a shiny-leaved species, which could be<br />
<strong>the</strong> hybrid S. phylicifolia × S. cinerea (Tealeaved<br />
× Grey Willow). They had been<br />
partially grazed, possibly by voles, although<br />
<strong>the</strong> single sheep disturbed in <strong>the</strong> site may have<br />
been partly responsible! Sagina nodosa<br />
(Knotted Pearlwort) was only just hanging on,<br />
with only two tiny flowering plants. It was<br />
interesting how Geranium pratense (Meadow<br />
Table 2. Species not re-found<br />
Alchemilla alpina Malva moschata<br />
Cardamine hirsuta Matricaria discoidea<br />
Carex demissa Myosotis discolor<br />
Conopodium majus Phalaris arundinacea<br />
Cryptogramma crispa Phleum pratense<br />
Cynosurus cristatus Plantago lanceolata<br />
Dryopteris sp. Poa humilis<br />
Elytrigia repens Potentilla anserina<br />
Epilobium hirsutum Saxifraga aizoides<br />
Epilobium montanum Sedum acre<br />
Euphrasia confusa Sedum rupestre<br />
Galium mollugo Stachys sylvatica<br />
Holcus lanatus Veronica arvensis<br />
Hypericum perforatum Viola riviniana<br />
Leontodon hispidus<br />
Table 2 lists <strong>the</strong> species not re-found, although<br />
one can never be certain that <strong>the</strong> survey has<br />
been complete, even in such a comparatively<br />
small area, and identification problems have<br />
blurred <strong>the</strong> picture. The three species:<br />
Alchemilla alpina (Alpine Lady’s-mantle),<br />
Saxifraga aizoides (Yellow Saxifrage) and<br />
Sedum rupestre (Reflexed Stonecrop), which<br />
stood out as being almost certain introductions,<br />
had gone, and may have been deliberately<br />
removed. Epilobium hirsutum (Great<br />
Willowherb) and Phalaris arundinacea (Reed<br />
Canary-grass), which had also looked out <strong>of</strong><br />
place in <strong>the</strong> wet area, had also gone, and we<br />
could be reasonably certain that <strong>the</strong> following<br />
Notes – Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell<br />
Crane’s-bill), Hypochaeris radicata<br />
(Common Cat’s-ear) and Scorzoneroides<br />
autumnalis var. pratensis (Leontodon autumnalis<br />
ssp. pratensis) (Autumn Hawkbit)<br />
maintained <strong>the</strong>ir single plant status, and<br />
Centaurea nigra (Common Knapweed) and<br />
Primula veris (Cowslip) also survived, with a<br />
single clump each. The Euphrasia spp.<br />
(Eyebrights) were tentatively identified, as<br />
were <strong>the</strong> Salix spp., but <strong>the</strong> Hieracium spp.<br />
(Hawkweeds) and <strong>the</strong> Taraxacum sp. (Dandelion)<br />
were lumped as aggregates.<br />
were no longer present: Carex demissa<br />
(Common Yellow-sedge), Conopodium majus<br />
(Pignut), Cynosurus cristatus (Crested Dog’stail),<br />
Dryopteris filix-mas (Male-fern), Galium<br />
mollugo (Hedge Bedstraw), Malva moschata<br />
(Musk-mallow), Myosotis discolor (Changing<br />
Forget-me-not), Plantago lanceolata<br />
(Ribwort Plantain), Potentilla anserina<br />
(Silverweed), Sedum acre (Biting Stonecrop),<br />
Veronica arvensis (Wall Speedwell) and Viola<br />
riviniana (Common Dog-violet). We were<br />
surprised that <strong>the</strong> large plant <strong>of</strong> Cryptogramma<br />
crispa (Parsley-fern) had gone.<br />
Matricaria discoidea (Pineappleweed) and<br />
Stachys sylvatica (Hedge Woundwort) had
Notes – Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell 7<br />
been recorded in 1996, but not in 1999, and<br />
were not re-found in 2011, but Rumex crispus<br />
(Curled Dock), although seen in 1996, but not<br />
in 1999, had reappeared, with 6 plants.<br />
Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bittercress) and<br />
C. flexuosa (Wavy Bittercress) may have been<br />
confused. Vegetative Holcus lanatus<br />
(Yorkshire-fog) and Elytrigia repens<br />
(Common Couch) may have been missed, but<br />
it is difficult to explain <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> Phleum<br />
pratense (Timothy) when Alopecurus pratensis<br />
(Meadow Foxtail) was so relatively<br />
common. Hypochaeris radicata had almost<br />
certainly been recorded previously in error as<br />
Leontodon hispidus (Rough Hawkbit). The<br />
large size <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> colony <strong>of</strong> Veronica chamaedrys<br />
(Germander Speedwell) probably meant<br />
that it had been overlooked previously. The<br />
Poa pratensis (Smooth Meadow-grass)<br />
looked ‘odd’, and had been previously identified<br />
as P. humilis (Spreading Meadow-grass),<br />
but it is probably an introduced strain <strong>of</strong><br />
P. pratensis, as was <strong>the</strong> large-flowered Ranunculus<br />
repens. The failure <strong>of</strong> Chamerion<br />
angustifolium to flower may show that <strong>the</strong>se<br />
plants originated from a ‘lowland’ strain,<br />
which has been unable to acclimatise to more<br />
severe conditions. Silene dioica (Red<br />
Campion) was much reduced from competition,<br />
and may not survive much longer.<br />
Although Vaccinium myrtillus was mentioned<br />
as being re-introduced in <strong>the</strong> restoration<br />
process, not a single plant was observed here<br />
during our surveys.<br />
Bryophytes and lichens<br />
Only a very superficial examination <strong>of</strong> this<br />
flora was made. Dense and extensive mats <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> moss Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus covered<br />
large areas as an under-storey in <strong>the</strong> herb-rich<br />
areas, and probably acts as a physical barrier<br />
to plant colonisation. Its presence in such<br />
quantity may well indicate <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong><br />
atmospheric nitrogen deposition over <strong>the</strong> site.<br />
Dense cushions <strong>of</strong> Bryum pseudotriquetrum,<br />
Dichodontium pellucidum and fruiting<br />
Philonotis fontana, with mats <strong>of</strong> Cratoneuron<br />
filicinum, produced an extensive, variegated<br />
carpet over <strong>the</strong> moist soil on <strong>the</strong> north side;<br />
and <strong>the</strong> bare, acid, stony area close to <strong>the</strong> west<br />
side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> station had <strong>the</strong> mosses Pogonatum<br />
urnigerum, Dicranum scoparium and <strong>the</strong><br />
macro-lichen Cladonia furcata, with poorly<br />
developed Cladonia portentosa. Interestingly,<br />
Cetraria islandica occurred as a single<br />
large cushion.<br />
Conclusions<br />
Rawes (1981) found that <strong>the</strong>re was a decline<br />
in species at sites left ungrazed for a period <strong>of</strong><br />
eight years, during studies on <strong>the</strong> Moor House<br />
National Nature Reserve, with an on-going<br />
change in composition. No shrubs or trees<br />
appeared, but this may have been related to <strong>the</strong><br />
small size <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> protected areas. The present<br />
survey shows that <strong>the</strong>re have been more losses<br />
than gains at <strong>the</strong> Great Dun Fell site, but<br />
comparisons with Rawes’ study are hardly<br />
relevant because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> artificial nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
site and <strong>the</strong> confused origin <strong>of</strong> its flora.<br />
Willows have appeared very locally as small<br />
shrubs and probably came in naturally. Of <strong>the</strong><br />
42 plant species listed from this site in <strong>the</strong><br />
altitudinal booklet (Pearman & Corner, 2004),<br />
most should probably be removed from any<br />
new edition, as <strong>the</strong>re are now strong grounds<br />
for believing <strong>the</strong>m to be introductions. Unfortunately,<br />
sorting out <strong>the</strong> provenance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
flora here will be a long term problem and may<br />
never be satisfactorily resolved. Penny<br />
Anderson Associates were contacted and told<br />
<strong>of</strong> this impending paper, and were asked to<br />
comment, but no communication has been<br />
received, nor have we received any details <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir surveys.<br />
In spite <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> introduced flora, <strong>the</strong> site is<br />
still <strong>of</strong> interest, showing <strong>the</strong> dynamic interplay<br />
between species in an exposed wet and cold<br />
habitat, with gains and losses, and it is hoped<br />
that monitoring will continue into <strong>the</strong> future.<br />
Although <strong>the</strong> dome and buildings, with fans<br />
venting hot air over parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site, are incongruous<br />
and intrusive, on a fine day <strong>the</strong><br />
glorious views from <strong>the</strong> elevated position, and<br />
<strong>the</strong> unusual flora, make botanising <strong>the</strong>re<br />
worthwhile.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
The station personnel should be thanked for<br />
giving access to <strong>the</strong> site, and David Chamberlain<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh,
8<br />
for identifying <strong>the</strong> moss Dichodontium pellucidum.<br />
References:<br />
ANDERSON, P. (2001). ‘Plant colonisation on<br />
Great Dunn [sic] Fell, Cumbria’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News<br />
88: 26.<br />
CORNER, R. & HALLIDAY, G. (2002). ‘Plant<br />
Colonisation on Great Dun Fell, Cumbria’.<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News 89: 22.<br />
CORNER, RODERICK & ROBINSON, LINDA<br />
(2001). ‘Observations on plant colonisation<br />
at <strong>the</strong> Civil Aviation Authority Station on<br />
<strong>the</strong> summit <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell (848m),<br />
Cumbria, with comparisons to <strong>the</strong> Icelandic<br />
Flora’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News 86: 20-24.<br />
CORNER, R.W.M. (2006). ‘White Wood-rush<br />
(Luzula luzuloides) naturalised on Great<br />
Dun Fell, nor<strong>the</strong>rn Pennines, Cumbria’.<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News 101: 9-10.<br />
HALLIDAY, G.H. (1997). A flora <strong>of</strong> Cumbria.<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Lancaster.<br />
RAWES, M. (1981). ‘Fur<strong>the</strong>r results <strong>of</strong> excluding<br />
sheep from high-level grassland in <strong>the</strong><br />
north Pennines’. Journal <strong>of</strong> Ecology 69:<br />
651-669.<br />
PEARMAN, D.A. & CORNER, R.W.M. (2004).<br />
Altitudinal limits <strong>of</strong> <strong>British</strong> and Irish vascular<br />
plants. <strong>BSBI</strong>, London.<br />
WATSON, H.C. (1852). Cybele Britannica; or<br />
<strong>British</strong> plants and <strong>the</strong>ir geographical<br />
relations. Vol. 3. Longman, London.<br />
(p.131).<br />
New sites for Martin’s Ramping-fumitory Fumaria reuteri in<br />
Hampshire (v.cc.11 & 12)<br />
GARETH KNASS, Hungerford, Berkshire; (garethknass@btinternet.com)<br />
TONY MUNDELL, 38 Conifer Close, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hants., GU52 6LS;<br />
(vc12recorder@hantsplants.org.uk)<br />
JOHN NORTON, 215 Forton Road, Gosport, Hants., PO12 3HB; (john@jnecology.com)<br />
MARTIN RAND, 21 Pine Road, Chandlers Ford, Hants., SO53 1LH;<br />
(vc11recorder@hantsplants.org.uk)<br />
On 24 th September 2010 permission was<br />
sought from an allotment holder to view some<br />
interesting looking allotments in <strong>the</strong> Titchfield<br />
area <strong>of</strong> South Hampshire. While walking<br />
through <strong>the</strong> site, Gareth Knass noted a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> declining arable weeds, such as Stachys<br />
arvensis (Field Woundwort), and <strong>the</strong> Red Data<br />
List species Misopates orontium (Weasel’s<br />
Snout) and Spergula arvensis (Corn Spurrey)<br />
as abundant weeds across many plots. Patches<br />
<strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r interesting arable plants were seen,<br />
including Fumaria muralis ssp. boroei<br />
(Common Ramping-fumitory) and Lamium<br />
amplexicaule (Henbit Dead-nettle). It was in<br />
<strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allotments that a<br />
more robust ramping-fumitory was discovered,<br />
which looked different in structure and<br />
appearance from <strong>the</strong> Common Ramping-fumitory<br />
already noted. The plants were large and<br />
many flowered, with mostly short racemes on<br />
longer flower stalks. The sepals were generally<br />
non-too<strong>the</strong>d, and <strong>the</strong> plants were brightly<br />
Notes – Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Dun Fell / Fumaria reuteri in Hampshire<br />
coloured. A number <strong>of</strong> photographs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
plants were taken and <strong>the</strong> photos were passed<br />
to Martin Rand and Tony Mundell, <strong>the</strong> County<br />
Recorders for Hampshire.<br />
The photographs were inconclusive for<br />
identification, but <strong>the</strong> two possibilities were a<br />
robust variant <strong>of</strong> Common Ramping-fumitory<br />
(perhaps F. muralis ssp. boroei var. major) or<br />
<strong>the</strong> nationally rare Schedule 8 Wildlife &<br />
Countryside Act species F. reuteri (Martin’s<br />
Ramping-fumitory). The site was re-visited to<br />
take a few more photos and some measurements,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>se were sent to <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> referee<br />
for fumitories, Rose Murphy. She wrote back<br />
promptly asking for specimens and providing<br />
some fur<strong>the</strong>r insight into identification criteria.<br />
Natural England and <strong>the</strong> landowners (Fareham<br />
Borough Council) were contacted, and three<br />
specimens were taken <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mystery fumitory,<br />
with a fourth specimen <strong>of</strong> what was considered<br />
to be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> more robust Common<br />
Ramping-fumitories from <strong>the</strong> same area on <strong>the</strong>
Notes – Fumaria reuteri in Hampshire 9<br />
13 th October 2010. These specimens were<br />
packed in separate plastic bags and a Jiffy bag,<br />
and posted special delivery to Rose Murphy so<br />
that she had fresh material to examine.<br />
The three specimens were all determined as<br />
Martin’s Ramping-fumitory, and <strong>the</strong> fourth<br />
specimen was a Common Ramping-fumitory,<br />
but not <strong>the</strong> scarcer var. major. From a visit on<br />
13 th October 2010, Martin Rand and Gareth<br />
Knass recorded <strong>the</strong> Martin’s Ramping-fumitory<br />
as widespread on at least five plots at <strong>the</strong><br />
sou<strong>the</strong>rn end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> allotments. Common<br />
Ramping-fumitory is also widespread here<br />
and fur<strong>the</strong>r north in <strong>the</strong> allotments. The news<br />
was relayed to <strong>the</strong> allotment owners and <strong>the</strong><br />
local allotment association, with information<br />
on <strong>the</strong> species, arable flora in general, and<br />
some advice on maintaining <strong>the</strong> population<br />
from Natural England, who oversee <strong>the</strong> Isle <strong>of</strong><br />
Wight population, and from Plantlife.<br />
Shortly after hearing about <strong>the</strong> discovery <strong>of</strong><br />
Fumaria reuteri at Titchfield, John Norton emailed<br />
Martin Rand to say that he and Debbie<br />
Allan had walked past <strong>the</strong>ir local allotments in<br />
Gosport, on 25 th October 2010, and were sure<br />
<strong>the</strong>y had found <strong>the</strong> species. Photographs taken<br />
by Debbie show <strong>the</strong> almost untoo<strong>the</strong>d sepals,<br />
but a specimen sent to Rose Murphy was<br />
immature and did not show <strong>the</strong> short peduncle<br />
and long raceme, so she was reluctant to verify<br />
<strong>the</strong> identification at that stage. Better material<br />
was obtained and sent to her in early May 2011,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> identification duly confirmed. A little<br />
later in 2011 Martin Rand and John Norton<br />
carried out a more thorough survey <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Gosport site, finding it ra<strong>the</strong>r uncommon, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> largest population confined to <strong>the</strong> fenced<br />
margins <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site.<br />
On 23 rd September 2011, just a year after <strong>the</strong><br />
first discovery <strong>of</strong> F. reuteri in South<br />
Hampshire, John Moon was visiting Henry<br />
Edmunds’ farm near Cholderton. This is quite<br />
a large farm that straddles <strong>the</strong> Hampshire/<br />
Wiltshire border, and Henry is well known as<br />
a champion <strong>of</strong> organic farming. The two <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m spotted a group <strong>of</strong> about 20 unusual<br />
fumitories, which puzzled <strong>the</strong>m, in a field<br />
within <strong>the</strong> North Hampshire part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> farm.<br />
A small fresh piece was sent via Tony<br />
Mundell to Rose Murphy, who determined it<br />
as F. reuteri. John and Henry returned on 27 th<br />
September 2011 and found that <strong>the</strong>re were<br />
actually a few thousand plants <strong>of</strong> it scattered<br />
widely amongst <strong>the</strong> turnip crop. For <strong>the</strong> last<br />
five years this particular field has been grazed<br />
by cattle in winter and <strong>the</strong>n used to raise<br />
Lapwings in spring. It is left fallow in summer<br />
until <strong>the</strong> Lapwings have fledged, <strong>the</strong>n it is<br />
harrowed and sown with turnips. It seems<br />
likely that <strong>the</strong>re were a few F. reuteri plants<br />
present at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> this sequence <strong>of</strong><br />
five years and that <strong>the</strong>se have multiplied up as<br />
a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> annual cultivation. Ironically<br />
Tony Mundell had been on a group visit with<br />
<strong>the</strong> Reading and District Natural History<br />
<strong>Society</strong> to <strong>the</strong> farm earlier on 25 th June 2011<br />
and had been delighted to see a few plants <strong>of</strong><br />
Fumaria parviflora (Fine-leaved Fumitory)<br />
on <strong>the</strong> edge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same field, but <strong>the</strong> group<br />
had not ventured across <strong>the</strong> sea <strong>of</strong> poppies out<br />
into <strong>the</strong> field itself.<br />
Given <strong>the</strong> little run <strong>of</strong> recent reports <strong>of</strong><br />
Fumaria reuteri (McHaffie, 2010; Hounsome,<br />
2011), it seems not unlikely that new sites<br />
could be found for this species in Hampshire<br />
and elsewhere. The authors hope to make a<br />
more extensive search <strong>of</strong> Hampshire allotments<br />
during 2012.<br />
Visiting<br />
The allotment owners at Fareham and local<br />
allotment association are happy to receive<br />
visitors who arrange in advance when <strong>the</strong>y<br />
intend to visit <strong>the</strong> site. The contact details are:<br />
Matt Wakefield, Horticultural Development<br />
Officer, Fareham Borough Council (Tel.:<br />
01329 824543) (www.fareham.gov.uk).<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
Rose Murphy, Peter Sell and Rosemary<br />
Parslow are thanked for <strong>the</strong>ir help in <strong>the</strong><br />
identification <strong>of</strong> this species.<br />
References:<br />
HOUNSOME, G. (2011). ‘Fumaria reuteri in<br />
Surrey (v.c.17)’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News 118: 20.<br />
MCHAFFIE, H. (2010). ‘Two more Fumaria<br />
reuteri (Martin’s Ramping-fumitory)<br />
locations in Scotland’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News 114: 26-27.<br />
MURPHY, R. (2009) Fumitories <strong>of</strong> Britain and<br />
Ireland. <strong>BSBI</strong>, London. <strong>BSBI</strong> Handbook<br />
No. 12.
10<br />
A Lincolnshire Epipactis<br />
MARK LYNES, Westlands, 21 Akeferry Road, Westwoodside, Doncaster, South Yorkshire,<br />
DN9 2DX; (maslyni@gmail.com)<br />
Epipactis dunensis (Dune Helleborine) is<br />
currently known from a single Lincolnshire<br />
site, Messingham Sand Quarry Lincolnshire<br />
Wildlife Trust reserve. Previously, it occurred<br />
at two o<strong>the</strong>r sites. O<strong>the</strong>r than a short article<br />
using <strong>the</strong> same title as this one, however,<br />
nothing has been published on <strong>the</strong> status <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
species in Lincolnshire and <strong>the</strong>re has been no<br />
attempt to collate population data from <strong>the</strong><br />
three sites. The current article is an attempt to<br />
chronicle <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> this rare, endemic<br />
species in its Lincolnshire outpost and<br />
hopefully also to encourage botanists to search<br />
for o<strong>the</strong>r populations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plant, which I am<br />
convinced must lurk elsewhere in <strong>the</strong> county.<br />
Crowle Waste<br />
Now part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Crowle Moors Lincolnshire<br />
Wildlife Trust reserve, and long a SSSI for a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> reasons, not least botanical, <strong>the</strong> site<br />
lies in <strong>the</strong> county <strong>of</strong> Lincolnshire but forms part<br />
<strong>of</strong> v.c.63 South-west Yorks. Part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> much<br />
larger Thorne Moors National Nature Reserve,<br />
it was for many years cut for peat, although, by<br />
<strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> discovery <strong>of</strong> E. dunensis, this<br />
had mostly ceased on Crowle Waste, albeit<br />
continuing for a number <strong>of</strong> years on Thorne<br />
Moors proper.<br />
E. dunensis was first noted at Crowle on 5 th<br />
July 1981, when <strong>the</strong> late Irene Weston (IW),<br />
found a total <strong>of</strong> 33 spikes <strong>of</strong> E. helleborine<br />
(Broad-leaved Helleborine) and E. dunensis.<br />
On 13 th July, 30 spikes, all attributed to<br />
E. dunensis, were recorded, although <strong>the</strong>y were<br />
not <strong>the</strong>n in flower. Aware that this would<br />
constitute a first record for Lincolnshire, IW<br />
wrote to Franklyn Perring (FP), whom she<br />
evidently knew, requesting his help in <strong>the</strong> determination<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants. He wrote back<br />
promptly, stating that he was no expert on<br />
Epipactis and suggested she might like to send<br />
a small specimen to <strong>the</strong> Referee, “Dr Knight”.<br />
This she evidently did, and, on 28 th July, Dr<br />
J.T.H. Knight (JK) wrote back, indicating that<br />
he had received flowers and slides from her <strong>the</strong><br />
previous Saturday while he was away on<br />
Notes – Lincolnshire Epipactis<br />
holiday and that his daughter had kept <strong>the</strong>m in<br />
a cool place until his return <strong>the</strong> previous night.<br />
He commented that <strong>the</strong> slides were very good<br />
and that he had taken <strong>the</strong> liberty <strong>of</strong> attaching<br />
self-adhesive discs on each one, evidently with<br />
an attempted determination. “I think no. 4 is<br />
<strong>the</strong> questionable one and could well be<br />
Epipactis dunensis Godfery”. He <strong>the</strong>n went on<br />
to comment in detail on <strong>the</strong> specimens/slides,<br />
noting that he was guarded about both, stating:<br />
“The flowers are suspicious both in perianth<br />
segments and <strong>the</strong> ovaries, which do not quite fit<br />
with Epipactis helleborine.” However, he went<br />
on to say that E. helleborine was so variable<br />
that he had seen specimens resembling “exactly<br />
yours”. He determined one slide (No. 1) as E.<br />
helleborine, a good clustered specimen,<br />
commenting that he had seen one in Sussex<br />
with 27 flowering stems, from which it should<br />
be deduced that Epipactis purpurata (Violet<br />
Helleborine) “does not hold <strong>the</strong> prerogative <strong>of</strong><br />
possessing clustered flowering stems.” He<br />
fur<strong>the</strong>r noted that all <strong>the</strong> pollinia in <strong>the</strong><br />
specimen flowers had disappeared, but that <strong>the</strong><br />
flowers were afflicted with a fungus infection,<br />
which made determination difficult. He urged<br />
her to find “a sickly-looking plant with<br />
biflorous leaves” and to send him two flowers,<br />
one about to open and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, just above it, in<br />
bud. This way he would be able to dissect <strong>the</strong><br />
flowers and have a good look for <strong>the</strong> presence<br />
or absence <strong>of</strong> a glandular rostellum. “If that is<br />
weak or absent, <strong>the</strong> flowers will be those <strong>of</strong> Ep.<br />
dunensis.” IW must have acceded to his<br />
request promptly, for, on 7 th August, JK wrote<br />
back: “Congratulations! It looks now as if we<br />
have a record for E. dunensis Godfery from<br />
Lincolnshire”. Dissection <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flowers<br />
had revealed complete dispersal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pollinia<br />
and no semblance whatever <strong>of</strong> a glandular<br />
rostellum. In <strong>the</strong> same letter, JK comments at<br />
length as to how E. muelleri (Mueller's Helleborine)<br />
can be eliminated and on his suspicions<br />
that E. dunensis may yet turn out not to be<br />
endemic to Britain. He also writes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Notes – Lincolnshire Epipactis 11<br />
futility <strong>of</strong> attempting to identify Epipactis<br />
species from photographs.<br />
Around <strong>the</strong> same time as writing to FP and<br />
JK, IW and also Miss E.J. Gibbons evidently<br />
wrote to Pr<strong>of</strong>essor A.J. Richards (AJR), who<br />
was by <strong>the</strong>n well known in <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong><br />
Epipactis research. In a letter <strong>of</strong> 8 th September<br />
AJR remarked that E. dunensis on peat and<br />
amongst Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken) was<br />
indeed a remarkable, albeit not entirely unprecedented,<br />
record. It was around this time that<br />
AJR and o<strong>the</strong>rs began to have suspicions that<br />
one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> North East populations <strong>of</strong> what were<br />
<strong>the</strong>n unequivocally thought to be E. leptochila<br />
(Narrow-lipped Helleborine) was in fact<br />
comprised <strong>of</strong> E. dunensis. He goes on to say<br />
that “<strong>the</strong> only real distinguishing marks<br />
between E. leptochila and E. dunensis are<br />
labellum shape and posture, and, <strong>of</strong> course,<br />
habitat.” He fur<strong>the</strong>r comments that E. dunensis<br />
is probably merely a dune variant <strong>of</strong> E. leptochila<br />
and that it “deserves only subspecific<br />
rank, if that.” AJR ends <strong>the</strong> letter by stating he<br />
would be very interested in borrowing a few<br />
slides. Some time later, having evidently<br />
received <strong>the</strong> requested slides, he writes again to<br />
IW. In a short letter he concurs with <strong>the</strong><br />
identification <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants as E.<br />
dunensis, while stating that “ra<strong>the</strong>r more may<br />
be helleborine than you thought”. He goes on<br />
to provide a few guidelines as to <strong>the</strong> separation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two taxa. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se hold good today,<br />
however a few would raise eyebrows:<br />
“dunensis is never (?) multi-stemmed; helleborine<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten is”; “dunensis never has pink<br />
tepals, although it is sometimes slightly pink on<br />
<strong>the</strong> labellum”; <strong>the</strong> lower leaves <strong>of</strong> dunensis are<br />
“not cordate or clasping”. In comments which<br />
some orchidophiles would do well to take on<br />
board today he also advises that “Weak plants<br />
<strong>of</strong> helleborine can be small, yellowish, tworanked,<br />
with green flowers and singlestemmed.”<br />
The Crowle plants continued to be monitored<br />
in some detail annually by IW and o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />
There were counts <strong>of</strong> 25 in 1982 (with 35<br />
E. helleborine ) and 48 (50 E. helleborine ) in<br />
1983. Subsequently <strong>the</strong> species was noted in<br />
each year until <strong>the</strong> final record in 1990;<br />
however regrettably <strong>the</strong>re are no fur<strong>the</strong>r counts.<br />
The plants grew on <strong>the</strong> north part <strong>of</strong> Crowle<br />
Moors, on <strong>the</strong> track around what was <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong><br />
North Reserve, much <strong>of</strong> which was formerly a<br />
small-gauge railway track for removing <strong>the</strong> cut<br />
peat. Slides (see inside back cover) show <strong>the</strong><br />
plants growing up through copious amounts <strong>of</strong><br />
P. aquilinum. The ownership <strong>of</strong> Crowle is<br />
fragmented into strips. The LWT holding<br />
consisted <strong>the</strong>n <strong>of</strong> a North and South Reserve,<br />
widely separated by land owned by o<strong>the</strong>rs. This<br />
still applies today, but just recently a link has<br />
been established between <strong>the</strong> North and South<br />
Reserves, though a significant part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> intervening<br />
land is still not owned by <strong>the</strong> LWT.<br />
The track itself was largely removed by <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>n warden, Ken Green, in <strong>the</strong> 1970s. The<br />
baulks supporting <strong>the</strong> railway track were built<br />
up with warp (alluvium) and clinker. Precisely<br />
what <strong>the</strong> substrate where <strong>the</strong> helleborines grew<br />
is not recorded. Paul Kirby, <strong>the</strong> recorder for<br />
North Lincolnshire, has commented: “I can’t<br />
be absolutely sure but I think that <strong>the</strong> Dune<br />
Helleborines were only found on baulks that<br />
had supported railway track, whereas <strong>the</strong><br />
Broad-leaved Helleborines, though present on<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>se baulks, also occurred elsewhere.”<br />
Examination <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> slides taken by IW<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Crowle plants today reveals<br />
that a number <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m are indeed obviously<br />
E. dunensis and that, as commented by AJR,<br />
many more, indeed <strong>the</strong> majority, are, E. helleborine.<br />
This makes an accurate assessment <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> population size somewhat difficult.<br />
It is widely considered that flooding extirpated<br />
<strong>the</strong> Crowle population. However, whilst<br />
<strong>the</strong> principal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two main sites at Crowle<br />
was subsequently flooded, one o<strong>the</strong>r remains to<br />
this day. Ironically it may in fact be that a lack<br />
<strong>of</strong> water was responsible. 1989–1991 was a<br />
very dry period, with rainfall figures from RAF<br />
Finningley (18km SW <strong>of</strong> Crowle) showing<br />
mean rainfall as follows: 1979–1995: 572mm;<br />
1980–1987: 615mm; and 1988–1995: 520mm.<br />
E. helleborine continues to be present at<br />
Crowle. However, <strong>the</strong>re have been no fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
records <strong>of</strong> E. dunensis, despite searching by <strong>the</strong><br />
writer and o<strong>the</strong>rs. There remains much habitat at<br />
Crowle which, superficially at least, resembles<br />
that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1980s, and <strong>the</strong> plant’s habit <strong>of</strong><br />
growing up through stands <strong>of</strong> Bracken would
12<br />
make it easily overlooked. I, at least, remain<br />
hopeful that <strong>the</strong> species may yet be re-found here.<br />
Osgodby Corner<br />
Osgodby Corner is part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> much larger<br />
Willingham Woods Forestry Commission<br />
complex near Market Rasen. The small area<br />
where <strong>the</strong> helleborines grew was planted partly<br />
with conifers and partly with broad-leaved<br />
trees. The conifers, mostly Pinus nigra ssp.<br />
laricio (Corsican Pine) were planted in 1955,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> broad-leaves, mostly Quercus rubra<br />
(Red Oak), ten years earlier, as a narrow strip<br />
around <strong>the</strong> periphery <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site. The substrate<br />
is acidic cover-sands.<br />
In 1978 IW came across a small number <strong>of</strong><br />
helleborines, which, at <strong>the</strong> time, and for some<br />
time <strong>the</strong>reafter, she identified as E. helleborine.<br />
Ten plants were located when <strong>the</strong> population<br />
was initially found, with 11 plants noted in<br />
1979. She continued to monitor <strong>the</strong> population<br />
and, by 1982, had seemingly become<br />
convinced that <strong>the</strong> plants were in fact<br />
E. dunensis, <strong>the</strong>n considered a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
E. leptochila. This was presumably because <strong>of</strong><br />
her experience with <strong>the</strong> Crowle population,<br />
which had recently been confirmed as this<br />
taxon. On 7 th July 1982, 25 spikes, all in bud,<br />
were counted, and on 13 th July <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same year<br />
she sent material to AJR. In a telephone call to<br />
IW on 18 th July, John Richards confirmed her<br />
identification as E. dunensis. By 21 st July 1982,<br />
a total <strong>of</strong> 46 spikes in full bloom was counted,<br />
some <strong>of</strong> which were photographed by IW and<br />
G.S. Phillips. A special visit, in <strong>the</strong> company <strong>of</strong><br />
E.J. Gibbons, was made on 25 th July to map <strong>the</strong><br />
plants (see p. 13). As can be seen from <strong>the</strong> map<br />
<strong>the</strong> colony occurred over a relatively small area,<br />
growing amongst a ground cover <strong>of</strong> Equisetum<br />
arvense (Field Horsetail). At this time <strong>the</strong><br />
woodland would still have been relatively<br />
young and immature, with relatively little<br />
competition for <strong>the</strong> helleborines. Photographs<br />
from <strong>the</strong> earlier visit were exhibited at <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
exhibition meeting in November 1982, and a<br />
short note published in Watsonia (Weston,<br />
1983), with <strong>the</strong> title “A Lincolnshire<br />
Epipactis”. In <strong>the</strong> note IW remarked that <strong>the</strong><br />
plants exhibited epichiles which were “in <strong>the</strong><br />
young florets … straight, typical <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> form<br />
seen in E. leptochila, but recurved as <strong>the</strong> florets<br />
Notes – Lincolnshire Epipactis<br />
matured to resemble a lip characteristic <strong>of</strong><br />
E. dunensis”. She postulated that <strong>the</strong> Osgodby<br />
population could be an intermediate form<br />
between <strong>the</strong> two species. E. leptochila, as it<br />
was <strong>the</strong>n understood, had not at that time been<br />
recorded in Lincolnshire, as it was before local<br />
government reorganisation; <strong>the</strong> plants on<br />
Crowle being marooned in Humberside.<br />
Emboldened by <strong>the</strong> telephone call from John<br />
Richards, IW wrote again to Dr Knight. On 16 th<br />
November 1982 he wrote back. The news was<br />
not good. He commented that her remarks<br />
about <strong>the</strong> behaviour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> epichile were quite<br />
out <strong>of</strong> character for E. leptochila, although that<br />
was in any event irrelevant, as it was “<strong>the</strong> nature<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> column and <strong>the</strong> presence or absence <strong>of</strong> a<br />
glandular rostellum in unopened flowers”<br />
which was important. For emphasis he underlined<br />
<strong>the</strong>se words. He went on to say that he<br />
presumed it was such material as had been sent<br />
to John Richards and that, had she sent him one<br />
or two fruits, he may still have been <strong>of</strong> assistance<br />
to her. “The fruits are so characteristic<br />
that I have been able to determine this species<br />
in <strong>the</strong> past from <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fruits.” He<br />
concluded by saying that “as regards recording<br />
... it looks as if it had better stand as E. helleborine<br />
(L.) Crantz for <strong>the</strong> time being”, John<br />
Richards’ determination as E. dunensis<br />
seemingly being insufficient. On 24 th July <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> following year, IW led a Wild Flower<br />
<strong>Society</strong> visit to <strong>the</strong> site specifically to see <strong>the</strong><br />
helleborines; although seemingly this was an<br />
un<strong>of</strong>ficial visit, as no record survives in <strong>the</strong><br />
Wild Flower <strong>Society</strong> annals (P. Llewellyn,<br />
pers. comm.). Notwithstanding <strong>the</strong> comments<br />
<strong>of</strong> JK in 1982, it is clear from a <strong>BSBI</strong> record<br />
card completed by IW in <strong>the</strong> same year that she<br />
regarded <strong>the</strong> identification as proven, <strong>the</strong> plants<br />
being recorded as Epipactis leptochila var.<br />
dunensis. Examination <strong>of</strong> photographs taken<br />
at <strong>the</strong> time reveals plants typical <strong>of</strong> E. dunensis<br />
(see inside back cover).<br />
IW seemingly continued to monitor <strong>the</strong> site,<br />
although unfortunately <strong>the</strong>re are no fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
surviving population counts. She last noted<br />
E. dunensis at Osgodby in 1989. Follow up<br />
visits in August 2005 (IW & Paul Kirby) and<br />
July 2010 by <strong>the</strong> writer failed to find any plants.<br />
In 2005 IW remarked that <strong>the</strong> area had changed
Notes – Lincolnshire Epipactis 13<br />
Osgodby record card <strong>of</strong> Epipactis dunensis, 1982, per Paul Kirby
14<br />
dramatically – <strong>the</strong>re was no sign <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
E. arvense among which <strong>the</strong> helleborines originally<br />
grew, and much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> area was under a<br />
continuous mat <strong>of</strong> Hedera helix (Common Ivy).<br />
In 2010 <strong>the</strong> situation was, if anything, even<br />
worse, with a ground layer carpeted with Ivy<br />
and a field layer dominated by tangled masses<br />
<strong>of</strong> impenetrable Rubus sp(p.) (Bramble) and<br />
Dryopteris dilatata (Broad Buckler-fern). The<br />
site is now eminently unsuitable for <strong>the</strong> species.<br />
From photographs taken at <strong>the</strong> time, it is<br />
evident that, in <strong>the</strong> early 1980’s, around <strong>the</strong><br />
time <strong>the</strong> plant was first identified, <strong>the</strong> area<br />
where <strong>the</strong> plants grew was still a relatively<br />
immature area <strong>of</strong> woodland, with a ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
closed canopy and consequently limited<br />
ground/field layer. By 1989 <strong>the</strong> plantation was<br />
evidently maturing and was clearly already<br />
unsuitable. By 2010, succession had well and<br />
truly taken hold, and <strong>the</strong> site is now an<br />
unremarkable piece <strong>of</strong> woodland. Even larger<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> potentially suitable habitat exist<br />
nearby, however, and it remains possible that<br />
E. dunensis could yet be re-discovered in <strong>the</strong><br />
general area.<br />
Messingham Sand Quarry LWT Reserve<br />
After a lengthy ‘absence’ from <strong>the</strong> Lincolnshire<br />
flora, E. dunensis made a welcome re-appearance<br />
at Messingham Sand Quarry Lincolnshire<br />
Wildlife Trust Reserve in 2006. A former<br />
working sand quarry, <strong>the</strong> site has been leased<br />
and managed by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust<br />
since 1981. The excavation <strong>of</strong> sand has left a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> lagoons <strong>of</strong> differing depths, with fringing<br />
beds <strong>of</strong> Phragmites australis (Common<br />
Reed). There is a small area <strong>of</strong> remnant heath,<br />
supporting Calluna vulgaris (Hea<strong>the</strong>r), Genista<br />
anglica (Petty Whin) and o<strong>the</strong>r heathland flora.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tracks and drainage dykes are<br />
fringed with scrub, comprised <strong>of</strong> Betula (birch)<br />
and Salix (willow). Small areas <strong>of</strong> more mature<br />
woodland, including some planted conifers,<br />
complete a mosaic <strong>of</strong> habitats.<br />
The plants have until recently been confined to<br />
an extremely limited area <strong>of</strong> no more than 20<br />
square metres, growing in a damp, dingy hollow<br />
under Betula and Salix, in a strip <strong>of</strong> scrub<br />
woodland sandwiched between one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
principal areas <strong>of</strong> Phragmites marsh and one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> many broad tracks which criss-cross <strong>the</strong> site.<br />
Notes – Lincolnshire Epipactis<br />
Interestingly, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dominant species <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
ground layer is E. arvense, which in some years<br />
carpets <strong>the</strong> ground; <strong>the</strong> helleborines growing<br />
through it seemingly without too much difficulty.<br />
The site appears to be becoming increasingly<br />
wet, with <strong>the</strong> E. dunensis favouring <strong>the</strong><br />
drier, raised areas. Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants are<br />
extremely small. A significant proportion do not<br />
flower each year, perhaps indicating habitat<br />
conditions are less than optimal.<br />
The species was first found at this site by Vi<br />
Wilkin (<strong>the</strong>n Voluntary Reserve Manager) on<br />
<strong>the</strong> annual Open Day in June 2006. Subsequently<br />
<strong>the</strong> population averaged around 12 or so<br />
spikes until a record count in 2009, when 23<br />
were counted (pers. obs.). In 2010, when 14<br />
spikes were recorded, a single plant was noted<br />
growing alongside <strong>the</strong> track bordering <strong>the</strong> main<br />
site, some 30m away. The annual mowing <strong>of</strong><br />
this particular track had been delayed that year,<br />
thus, it seems, allowing <strong>the</strong> plant to mature and<br />
flower.<br />
Concerned as to <strong>the</strong> management <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helleborines,<br />
I made representations to <strong>the</strong> reserve<br />
management in late 2010. As a consequence it<br />
was agreed that, inter alia, <strong>the</strong> track alongside<br />
and beyond <strong>the</strong> main site would not be mown<br />
over <strong>the</strong> summer. In 2011 a total <strong>of</strong> 19 spikes<br />
was noted at <strong>the</strong> main site and in two discreet<br />
populations along <strong>the</strong> trackside within 30m <strong>of</strong><br />
it. As a precaution, <strong>the</strong> two populations were<br />
taped <strong>of</strong>f and visitors deterred from entering <strong>the</strong><br />
main site (see inside back cover). Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
plants along <strong>the</strong> track were distinctly robust,<br />
more so than <strong>the</strong> plants at <strong>the</strong> main site,<br />
although robust plants have been found in<br />
previous years. With a significant range extension<br />
beyond <strong>the</strong> original core site and <strong>the</strong><br />
thinning out <strong>of</strong> scrub connecting it with <strong>the</strong><br />
trackside populations it is hoped <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> species here is somewhat more secure than<br />
it o<strong>the</strong>rwise might have been. Note that <strong>the</strong>re<br />
is no open public access to Messingham;<br />
however interested naturalists are welcomed.<br />
Varietal determination<br />
All three Lincolnshire populations have been<br />
comprised <strong>of</strong> plants showing a distinct reddish<br />
base to <strong>the</strong> pedicel and a prominently pinktinged<br />
epichile, and appear identical to <strong>the</strong><br />
coastal plants. Inland plants in Northumber-
Notes – Lincolnshire Epipactis / Loss <strong>of</strong> Wrexham Herbarium 15<br />
land and Cumbria (so called var. tynensis)<br />
typically show a green base to <strong>the</strong> pedicel and a<br />
cleaner, paler epichile, although are o<strong>the</strong>rwise<br />
morphologically very similar. The Messingham<br />
plants, at least, are clearly autogamous,<br />
although a somewhat reduced viscidium is<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten apparent in recently opened flowers, as is<br />
also <strong>the</strong> case with coastal populations.<br />
Similar inland populations have been found<br />
in recent years in an arc seemingly connecting<br />
<strong>the</strong> coastal Lancashire plants with those on<br />
Anglesey. It is likely <strong>the</strong>re are more populations<br />
waiting to be found in this area. A huge<br />
population on <strong>the</strong> site <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r former sand<br />
and gravel quarry near Wrexham had for many<br />
years masqueraded as E. helleborine, even<br />
being recorded as such on a <strong>BSBI</strong> meeting.<br />
It must be stressed that none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lincolnshire<br />
plants have been genetically analysed.<br />
With plants at Messingham in some years<br />
showing features conceivably indicative <strong>of</strong><br />
introgression with E. helleborine and with<br />
similar suspicions clouding at least some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
west coast plants, it remains possible <strong>the</strong><br />
apparent adventurousness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lincolnshire<br />
helleborines is indicative <strong>of</strong> a promiscuous<br />
origin. However, if it walks like a duck...<br />
Where did <strong>the</strong> plants come from?<br />
E. dunensis has never been known from <strong>the</strong><br />
Lincolnshire coast, <strong>the</strong> nearest east coast<br />
population being some considerable way to <strong>the</strong><br />
Loss <strong>of</strong> Wrexham Herbarium<br />
north in coastal County Durham. It is not<br />
known from whence <strong>the</strong> planted Pinus at<br />
Osgodby Corner originated, and so <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>the</strong><br />
possibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> helleborines <strong>the</strong>re having<br />
arrived as seeds on <strong>the</strong> roots <strong>of</strong> saplings transported<br />
from nurseries on <strong>the</strong> Lancashire coast,<br />
although this seems unlikely. Equally it is<br />
possible <strong>the</strong> plants arrived from wind-borne<br />
seed blown across from Lancashire or North<br />
Wales on <strong>the</strong> predominantly westerly airflow.<br />
More intriguing still is <strong>the</strong> thought <strong>the</strong>y may in<br />
fact have originated independently <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
known populations from some quite separate<br />
selfing <strong>of</strong> E. helleborine. Unless and until <strong>the</strong><br />
Lincolnshire plants have <strong>the</strong>ir DNA looked at,<br />
it is likely we will never know.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
Madge McLean <strong>of</strong> Axholme Camera Club<br />
kindly scanned old slides for me. Paul Kirby<br />
provided extensive and invaluable assistance,<br />
including <strong>the</strong> loan <strong>of</strong> original slides and photographs,<br />
upon which much <strong>of</strong> this article is<br />
based. He also provided constructive criticism<br />
<strong>of</strong> an early draft. Ma<strong>the</strong>w Blissett <strong>of</strong> Lincolnshire<br />
Wildlife Trust permitted access to<br />
Messingham Sand Quarry SSSI and<br />
commented on <strong>the</strong> section relating to that site.<br />
Reference:<br />
WESTON, R.P. (1983). ‘A Lincolnshire Epipactis.’<br />
Watsonia 14(4): 457-458.<br />
GORONWY WYNNE, Gwylfa, Licswm, Holywell, Flintshire, CH8 8NQ<br />
During <strong>the</strong> 1970s and 1980s, while on <strong>the</strong> staff<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> North East Wales Institute (previously<br />
Cartrefle College) at Wrexham, I built up an<br />
herbarium <strong>of</strong> some 1,000 sheets, mainly <strong>of</strong><br />
plants collected in v.c.50 (Denbighshire) and<br />
v.c.51 (Flintshire). The collection was housed<br />
in herbarium cabinets at <strong>the</strong> College. It was<br />
registered in <strong>British</strong> and Irish herbaria by<br />
D.H.Kent and D.E.Allen (1984), p.71.<br />
During <strong>the</strong> 1990s, after my retirement, <strong>the</strong><br />
College was re-sited to ano<strong>the</strong>r location in<br />
Wrexham, and became part <strong>of</strong> what is now<br />
Glyndwr University. Unfortunately, due to a<br />
misunderstanding in <strong>the</strong> administration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
University, <strong>the</strong> herbarium was destroyed in<br />
August this year. When I made enquiries<br />
during November, I received a letter explaining<br />
that <strong>the</strong> Estates team were instructed, in error,<br />
to destroy <strong>the</strong> herbarium. The college authorities<br />
accepted responsibility for this unfortunate<br />
situation and <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>the</strong>ir apologies. New<br />
administrative procedures have been put in<br />
place to try to avoid a similar loss in future.
16<br />
Notes – Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong> Swaledale<br />
Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong><br />
Swaledale<br />
TIM LAURIE, Flat 3, 15 Pierremont Crescent, Darlington, Co. Durham, DL3 9PB;<br />
(tclaurie2000@yahoo.co.uk)<br />
This is a short introduction to a programme <strong>of</strong><br />
current fieldwork designed to record <strong>the</strong> distribution<br />
<strong>of</strong> native tree species and woodland<br />
fragments throughout <strong>the</strong> River Swale catchment,<br />
west <strong>of</strong> Richmond. My intention is to<br />
publish a full account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fieldwork in due<br />
course. For comparative purposes, adjacent<br />
areas within Wensleydale and <strong>the</strong> Tees–Greta<br />
Uplands (Stainmore) are also included. The<br />
area <strong>of</strong> this survey is very large (see Map, (p.<br />
21) which shows Upper Swaledale <strong>the</strong> first <strong>of</strong><br />
six study areas). With few exceptions, records<br />
have been confined to localities at or above <strong>the</strong><br />
moorland edge. Woods wholly within<br />
improved pastures have been excluded. Thus,<br />
<strong>the</strong> scope has been confined to woodland<br />
localities on or clearly visible from CROW<br />
Access Land.<br />
I have been concerned with <strong>the</strong> recording <strong>of</strong><br />
archaeological landscapes throughout<br />
Wensleydale, Swaledale and <strong>the</strong> Swale –<br />
Tees/Greta Uplands (my study area) for<br />
almost 40 years, and was introduced to <strong>the</strong><br />
significance <strong>of</strong> ancient woodland in <strong>the</strong><br />
landscape by Andrew Fleming. It followed<br />
that no real understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong><br />
early human activity in <strong>the</strong> Pennine Uplands<br />
(based on hunting and transhumance) was<br />
possible without considering <strong>the</strong> contemporary<br />
prehistoric woodland environment<br />
My purpose in undertaking this survey is to<br />
place on record <strong>the</strong> relict woodland vegetation<br />
at <strong>the</strong> remote waterfall ravines and on <strong>the</strong><br />
extensive limestone cliffs <strong>of</strong> Swaledale and<br />
adjacent areas. These localities can be<br />
regarded as refugia for native trees and<br />
formerly more extensive woodland, worthy <strong>of</strong><br />
record on aes<strong>the</strong>tic grounds as <strong>the</strong> final refuge<br />
<strong>of</strong> specimen trees <strong>of</strong> great age, <strong>of</strong> individual<br />
character and <strong>of</strong> many different species. Each<br />
locality has unique botanical interest, with<br />
plant communities reflecting different<br />
geology, aspect, aridity, accessibility and<br />
economic use or, more recently, modification<br />
from planting schemes. Each woodland<br />
locality may include specimen trees which<br />
possess an individual sculptural quality that<br />
reflects <strong>the</strong>ir hard and long life. Although<br />
having enjoyed a fairly intense interest in<br />
upland flora throughout my life, I am not a<br />
trained botanist and could not achieve <strong>the</strong> aims<br />
<strong>of</strong> this survey without <strong>the</strong> assistance and active<br />
participation <strong>of</strong> Linda Robinson (LR), one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Recorders for v.c.65. LR has<br />
accompanied me on much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fieldwork<br />
and all <strong>the</strong> credit for <strong>the</strong> botanical records<br />
must be assigned to her.<br />
The survival <strong>of</strong> native woodland on <strong>the</strong><br />
limestone scars and in <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong><br />
Wensleydale differs from that <strong>of</strong> Swaledale,<br />
and today does not include Juniperus<br />
communis (Juniper), and only very rarely<br />
Taxus baccata (Yew). Populus tremula<br />
(Aspen) is common at lower elevations only.<br />
The vegetation <strong>of</strong> Stainmore resembles that <strong>of</strong><br />
Upper Swaledale, except for <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong><br />
Juniper. Plants, including trees, recorded at<br />
very many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sites have been listed by LR.<br />
Mosses and lichens have not been recorded<br />
with <strong>the</strong> exception <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> non-flowering flora<br />
recorded by Dr Allan Pentecost on <strong>the</strong> exceptional<br />
tufa formation at <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ravine<br />
at How Edge Scars.<br />
Preliminary conclusions on <strong>the</strong> data<br />
1. Limestone Ash-wood, with and without<br />
Yew, is limited to localities on or below <strong>the</strong><br />
top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Main Limestone.<br />
2. Aspen has been recorded in <strong>the</strong> Swale<br />
catchment above <strong>the</strong> confluence <strong>of</strong> Arkle<br />
Beck at a total <strong>of</strong> more than 20 sites. Aspen<br />
records are usually for cloned colonies<br />
where old ‘mo<strong>the</strong>r’ trees and three or four<br />
generations <strong>of</strong> young ramets springing from<br />
her roots are present. Regeneration <strong>of</strong> aspen<br />
is only possible when rabbit damage is<br />
minimal. Fur<strong>the</strong>r work is necessary to deter-
Notes – Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong> Swaledale 17<br />
mine whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>se colonies are clones and<br />
<strong>of</strong> single sex. (see Colour Section, plate 3<br />
(1)). Elsewhere, Aspen has been recognised<br />
at Sleightholme Beck on Stainmore, on<br />
Deepdale Beck, and is widespread throughout<br />
UpperTeesdale and also in Lower<br />
Wensleydale.<br />
3. Juniper has been recognised to date at more<br />
than 40 localities in <strong>the</strong> Swale Catchment<br />
upstream <strong>of</strong> Ellerton Scar. The prostrate<br />
form <strong>of</strong> Juniper is thought to be present at all<br />
or most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> localities.<br />
4. As elsewhere throughout <strong>the</strong> uplands, <strong>the</strong><br />
Junipers which survive in Swaledale are<br />
usually single bushes or isolated populations<br />
<strong>of</strong> less than four bushes at any one location.<br />
These Junipers are not viable and, sadly<br />
recent rabbit ring-barking has led to severe<br />
damage or <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> very many isolated<br />
bushes. (see CS, plate 3 (2)).<br />
5. Juniper has not yet been found on Stainmore<br />
within <strong>the</strong> Greta catchment, but has<br />
recently been identified by LR, toge<strong>the</strong>r with<br />
Aspen, in Baldersdale. Both Aspen and<br />
Juniper are widespread elsewhere in Upper<br />
Teesdale.<br />
6. No recent record <strong>of</strong> Juniper in Wensleydale<br />
exists (Millward, 1988).<br />
7. Yews are perhaps <strong>the</strong> most impressive <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> relict woodland trees <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> limestone<br />
scars <strong>of</strong> Swaledale. The similar limestone<br />
cliffs <strong>of</strong> Wensleydale are devoid <strong>of</strong> Yews;<br />
most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> high limestone scars <strong>of</strong> Wensleydale<br />
are barren <strong>of</strong> any woodland vegetation<br />
for that matter. The cliff Yews <strong>of</strong> Swaledale<br />
are <strong>of</strong> exceptional value for every reason,<br />
both as surviving specimen trees <strong>of</strong> great<br />
beauty, and as a resource for future research.<br />
Many will, I am certain, prove to be <strong>of</strong><br />
immense age. (see CS, plate 3 (3)). It has<br />
become apparent that <strong>the</strong> cliff yews may be<br />
cloned populations.<br />
8. Discussion <strong>of</strong> Aspen, Juniper and Yew<br />
should not deflect attention or detract from<br />
<strong>the</strong> significant populations <strong>of</strong> trees <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
species – Fraxinus excelsior (Ash), Ulmus<br />
glabra (Wych Elm), Prunus padus (Bird<br />
Cherry), Prunus avium (Wild Cherry),<br />
Corylus avellana (Hazel), Rosa spp. (roses),<br />
Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan), rare Sorbus<br />
rupicola (Rock Whitebeam), Salix spp.<br />
(sallows and o<strong>the</strong>r willow species), all<br />
present on and below <strong>the</strong> limestone cliffs<br />
and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong><br />
Swaledale.<br />
9. The risk that Yews, Alnus glutinosa<br />
(Alders), elms and o<strong>the</strong>r trees will suddenly<br />
succumb to virus disease is ever present. For<br />
example a large population <strong>of</strong> Yews at West<br />
Applegarth includes a significant and<br />
growing number <strong>of</strong> recently dead trees. This<br />
dire situation needs to be monitored under a<br />
programme <strong>of</strong> research from a <strong>British</strong><br />
university at local level.<br />
10. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, I<br />
shall draw attention to <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> an<br />
extensive and healthy population <strong>of</strong> Tilia<br />
platyphyllos (Large-leaved Lime) trees,<br />
mostly managed coppice, but also self-coppiced<br />
ancient trees on <strong>the</strong> face and top edge<br />
<strong>of</strong> sheer limestone cliffs, in <strong>the</strong> woods <strong>of</strong><br />
Lower Swaledale. This population is<br />
scattered for upwards <strong>of</strong> 2km on <strong>the</strong> southfacing<br />
cliffs, eastward from West Applegarth,<br />
beyond Willance’s Leap to Whitecliffe<br />
Woods. The presence <strong>of</strong> Large-leaved<br />
Limes in Swaledale, at <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn limit for<br />
this species in Britain, was, I believe, first<br />
recognised by Dr C.D. Pigott.<br />
Future contamination from planting schemes<br />
I know that I shall be treading on toes in<br />
expressing my view that <strong>the</strong> planting <strong>of</strong><br />
inappropriate ‘berried’ shrubs (i.e. Crataegus<br />
monogyna (Hawthorn)) in vast numbers above<br />
sheltered ravines with native woodland which<br />
includes Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) but<br />
largely excludes Hawthorn will have long<br />
term effects which are not understood. The<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> this extensive planting on <strong>the</strong> native<br />
woodlands nearby are uncertain. As an<br />
example <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> unforeseen consequences <strong>of</strong><br />
plantation, may I refer <strong>the</strong> reader to <strong>the</strong><br />
limestone cliff above Hooker Mill on <strong>the</strong> west<br />
facing slopes <strong>of</strong> Kisdon Hill, where a fine<br />
population <strong>of</strong> Aspen, Juniper (prostrate form)<br />
and ancient Yews is now (hopelessly) competing<br />
for space with a flourishing population <strong>of</strong><br />
self seeded Larix europaea (Larch), which
18<br />
Notes – Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong> Swaledale<br />
originates from a small mature plantation<br />
located below <strong>the</strong> cliff. (see CS, plate 3 (4)).<br />
The Larch plantation was planted a century<br />
ago for <strong>the</strong> best <strong>of</strong> landscape reasons, when <strong>the</strong><br />
presence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Aspen, Juniper and Yew on<br />
<strong>the</strong> cliff were probably not recognised.<br />
The woodland localities<br />
Space limitations preclude <strong>the</strong> addition <strong>of</strong> a<br />
detailed gazetteer here; however brief<br />
accounts <strong>of</strong> just two localities representative<br />
<strong>of</strong> a high limestone cliff and a waterfall ravine<br />
cut through sandstones and shales (with local<br />
enrichment from marine shales and tufa<br />
springs) can be included:<br />
1. Oxnop Scar (SD937952), 495m. (see CS,<br />
plate 3 (5 & 6)). West-facing sheer<br />
limestone cliff with Aspen on face <strong>of</strong> cliff<br />
and two Junipers. Surprisingly, this exposed<br />
high cliff also supports a varied relict<br />
woodland, with Ash, Blackthorn, Sambucus<br />
nigra (Elder), Hazel, and Rosa mollis<br />
(Downy Rose) at <strong>the</strong>ir local altitudinal limit.<br />
Thalictrum minus (Lesser Meadow-rue) is<br />
also present (Table 1).<br />
2. Great Ash Gill (NY869007), 420m. Stream<br />
cut ravine through Namurian Sandstones<br />
and mudstones with waterfalls, with two<br />
Aspen cloned colonies and two isolated<br />
Junipers (?prostrate form). Generally acidic<br />
vegetation, but with local enrichment from<br />
tufa springs just above <strong>the</strong> stream. Rubus<br />
saxatilis (Stone Bramble) and Gymnocarpium<br />
dryopteris (Oak Fern) are present<br />
(Table 1).<br />
Finally for fur<strong>the</strong>r details <strong>of</strong> this on-going<br />
Woodland Project, <strong>the</strong> reader is referred to <strong>the</strong><br />
Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeological<br />
<strong>Society</strong> (SWAAG) website: http://www.<br />
swaag.org, where accounts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> woodland<br />
fragments in <strong>the</strong>ir landscape setting and<br />
photographic portraits <strong>of</strong> all woodland localities<br />
visited are or will soon be available.<br />
Table 1. Vascular plant species lists from Great Ash Gill and Oxnop Scar, courtesy Linda<br />
Robinson<br />
Species Acidic rock;<br />
Great Ash Gill<br />
Limestone<br />
Oxnop Scar<br />
Acer pseudoplatanus *<br />
Achillea millefolium *<br />
Agrostis capillaris *<br />
Agrostis stolonifera *<br />
Alchemilla glabra * *<br />
Anthoxanthum odoratum *<br />
Arabis hirsuta *<br />
Arenaria leptoclados *<br />
Arenaria serpyllifolia *<br />
Asplenium ruta-muraria *<br />
Asplenium trichomanes *<br />
Asplenium viride *<br />
Bellis perennis *<br />
Betula pubescens *<br />
Blechnum spicant *<br />
Calluna vulgaris *<br />
Campanula rotundifolia * *<br />
Cardamine hirsuta *<br />
Cardamine pratensis *
Notes – Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong> Swaledale 19<br />
Carduus nutans *<br />
Carex caryophyllea *<br />
Carex flacca *<br />
Carex panicea *<br />
Cerastium fontanum * *<br />
Chamerion angustifolium * *<br />
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium *<br />
Cirsium palustre * *<br />
Cirsium vulgare *<br />
Corylus avellana *<br />
Crataegus monogyna * *<br />
Crepis paludosa *<br />
Cruciata laevipes *<br />
Cynosurus cristatus *<br />
Cystopteris fragilis * *<br />
Digitalis purpurea *<br />
Draba incana *<br />
Dryopteris dilatata *<br />
Dryopteris submontana *<br />
Epilobium brunnescens *<br />
Epilobium montanum *<br />
Erica tetralix *<br />
Eriophorum vaginatum *<br />
Euphrasia confusa *<br />
Euphrasia sp. *<br />
Festuca ovina *<br />
Festuca rubra *<br />
Fragaria vesca *<br />
Fraxinus excelsior *<br />
Galium saxatile *<br />
Galium sterneri *<br />
Galium verum *<br />
Geranium lucidum *<br />
Geranium robertianum * *<br />
Geum rivale *<br />
Gymnocarpium dryopteris *<br />
Hedera helix *<br />
Helian<strong>the</strong>mum nummularium *<br />
Heracleum sphondylium *<br />
Hieracium sp. * *<br />
Holcus lanatus *<br />
Hornumgia petraea *<br />
Hypericum pulchrum *<br />
Juncus effusus *
20<br />
Notes – Relict woodland on <strong>the</strong> cliffs and within <strong>the</strong> waterfall ravines <strong>of</strong> Swaledale<br />
Juncus squarrosus *<br />
Juniperus communis ssp. nana * *<br />
Koeleria macrantha *<br />
Linum catharticum *<br />
Luzula pilosa *<br />
Luzula sylvatica *<br />
Molinia caerulea *<br />
Montia fontana *<br />
Mycelis muralis *<br />
Myosotis arvensis *<br />
Nardus stricta *<br />
Oxalis acetosella * *<br />
Pilosella <strong>of</strong>ficinarum *<br />
Pimpinella saxifraga *<br />
Pinguicula vulgaris *<br />
Plantago lanceolata *<br />
Poa annua * *<br />
Populus tremula * *<br />
Potentilla erecta *<br />
Potentilla sterilis * *<br />
Primula vulgaris *<br />
Prunella vulgaris * *<br />
Prunus spinosa *<br />
Ranunculus acris * *<br />
Ranunculus repens *<br />
Rubus saxatilis *<br />
Rumex acetosa * *<br />
Rumex acetosella *<br />
Sagina procumbens *<br />
Sambucus nigra *<br />
Saxifraga hypnoides *<br />
Scabiosa columbaria *<br />
Sedum acre *<br />
Senecio jacobaea * *<br />
Sesleria caerulea *<br />
Solidago virgaurea *<br />
Sorbus aucuparia * *<br />
Stellaria alsine *<br />
Taraxacum agg. *<br />
Teucrium scorodonia *<br />
Thalictrum minus *<br />
Thymus polytrichus *<br />
Trichophorum germanicum *
Notes – Relict woodland in Swaledale / Two peloric forms <strong>of</strong> Ophrys sphegodes in Dorset 21<br />
Trifolium repens *<br />
Tussilago farfara *<br />
Urtica dioica * *<br />
Vaccinium myrtillus *<br />
Veronica arvensis *<br />
Veronica chamaedrys *<br />
Veronica <strong>of</strong>ficinalis *<br />
Veronica serpyllifolia *<br />
Vicia sepium *<br />
Viola lutea *<br />
Viola riviniana * *<br />
Discovery <strong>of</strong> two unrecorded peloric forms <strong>of</strong> Ophrys sphegodes in<br />
Dorset, 2010<br />
MICHAEL R. CHALK, 7 Allendale Avenue, Emsworth, Hants., PO10 7TJ<br />
Introduction<br />
The normal Ophrys sphegodes (Early Spiderorchid)<br />
flower consists <strong>of</strong> a perianth <strong>of</strong> six<br />
segments (bilaterally symmetrical), arranged<br />
in an outer and inner whorl, at <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
flower stalk (pedicel), which includes <strong>the</strong><br />
ovary. The outer perianth segments are large,<br />
pointed oblong and yellow-green in colour,<br />
with slightly wavy margins. The upper, outer<br />
perianth segment arches over <strong>the</strong> central<br />
column or rostellum and <strong>the</strong> upper inner whorl<br />
is made up <strong>of</strong> three petals, <strong>of</strong> which two are<br />
alike and are similar to <strong>the</strong> outer sepals. These<br />
are tinged orange-brown on <strong>the</strong> margins. The<br />
third is much larger, coloured and marked, and<br />
is known as <strong>the</strong> labellum or lip. The labellum is<br />
velvety brown, with a furry hump on ei<strong>the</strong>r side.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> centre <strong>the</strong>re is a silver-grey ‘H’ mark,<br />
rarely red. The central column houses <strong>the</strong><br />
pollinia, on each side, in pouches known as <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>cae. There are pseudo eyes, which are an<br />
iridescent greenish grey.
22<br />
Naturally occurring floral abnormalities can<br />
be found in natural populations <strong>of</strong> orchids,<br />
although rare. Peloric mutations have radially<br />
symmetrical (actinomorphic) flowers, but<br />
occur in species characterised by bilaterally<br />
symmetric (zygomorphic) flowers.<br />
Plant A (see inside back cover) typifies<br />
actinomorphism, with <strong>the</strong> labellum absent,<br />
showing only outer and inner perianth<br />
segments <strong>of</strong> normal colouration. A deviation<br />
in whorls has occurred, with an arrangement<br />
<strong>of</strong> five flowers on <strong>the</strong> stalk bearing four, four,<br />
five, and four segmented perianths. The third<br />
flower failed to open. All flowers had three<br />
an<strong>the</strong>r caps, with pollinia intact but sealed<br />
within <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>cae, thus any form <strong>of</strong> pollination<br />
would not be viable. This form is extreme and<br />
was unlikely to attract any pollinators.<br />
Plant B (see inside back cover) shows an<br />
interesting and not unattractive mutant. The<br />
flower stalk bears three flowers, two <strong>of</strong> which<br />
are fully open. The lower flower has a normal<br />
reflexed labellum, with upper and inner petals.<br />
Two have become fused. The second flower<br />
has no labellum or a vestige <strong>of</strong> one, and this<br />
has upper and inner petals (three) showing<br />
hypochromy, a white colour anomaly, very<br />
rare with this taxon, with greenish-yellow<br />
veining. One petal on each flower shows part<br />
labelloid, part petalloid structure. This<br />
suggests an incomplete cyc-1 gene mutation<br />
(petal development). Both flowers have three<br />
an<strong>the</strong>r caps, with pollinia intact and viable,<br />
fully capable <strong>of</strong> visiting insect withdrawal.<br />
The plant itself is probably sterile, as with<br />
plant A. The top flower, with five an<strong>the</strong>r caps,<br />
remained in a petal ‘bonnet’-type structure.<br />
On visiting <strong>the</strong> plant at a later date this structure<br />
had not unfurled.<br />
On re-visiting <strong>the</strong> Dorset site in 2011, both<br />
peloric plants had re-appeared; not in itself<br />
unusual owing to <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> mutation and <strong>the</strong><br />
lack <strong>of</strong> labellums on plant A and part-labellums<br />
on plant B. These mutational changes<br />
Notes – Two peloric forms <strong>of</strong> Ophrys sphegodes in Dorset<br />
will make for unusual growth patterns and<br />
will appear for two to three seasons. The<br />
normal plants <strong>of</strong> Ophrys sphegodes will reflower<br />
at least two to three times depending<br />
on appropriate site management, grazing and<br />
wea<strong>the</strong>r patterns. On examining plant A, this<br />
had three perianths, two less than <strong>the</strong> 2010<br />
plant. The second, four-segmented perianth<br />
displayed a fur<strong>the</strong>r evolutionary change, and<br />
shows one half labelloid and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r half<br />
petaloid. Plant B exhibited no fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
mutational changes.<br />
Acknowledgement:<br />
I am grateful to my friend and fellow botanical<br />
adventurer, Andrew Merrick, for pointing out<br />
Plant B, having missed it!<br />
References :<br />
HUFFORD, I. (1996). The an<strong>the</strong>r form, function<br />
and phylogeny. Cambridge University<br />
Press, Cambridge.<br />
PRESTON, J.C. & HILLMAN, L.C. (2009).<br />
‘Developmental genetics <strong>of</strong> floral symmetry<br />
evolution’. Trends in Plant Science 14(3):<br />
147-154. Elsevier, Holland.<br />
RAJKUMARI, J.D. & LONGJAM, R.S. (1993).<br />
‘Mutant flowers in evolution’. Abst. Suppl.,<br />
17 th Int. Cong. Genetics: Genetics and <strong>the</strong><br />
understsanding <strong>of</strong> life, d. 130, pp 6–7.<br />
Birmingham.<br />
WITHNER, C.L., NELSON, P.K. & WEJKSNORA,<br />
P.J. (1974). ‘The anatomy <strong>of</strong> orchids’. in:<br />
C.L. Withner (ed.) The orchids: scientific<br />
studies, 267-348. Wiley Interscience, New<br />
York.<br />
CARPENTER, R. & COEN E.S. (1990) ‘Floral<br />
homeotic mutations produced by transposon<br />
mutagenesis in Antirrhinum majus’. Genes<br />
Dev. 4: 1483-1493.<br />
RUNDALL P.J. & BATEMAN, R.M. (2003).<br />
‘Evolutionary change in flowers and inflorescences:<br />
evidence from naturally occurring<br />
terata’. Trends in Plant Science 8(2):<br />
76-82. Elsevier, Holland.
Notes – Archaeophyte herbal plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River Tweed 23<br />
Archaeophyte herbal plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River Tweed<br />
MICHAEL BRAITHWAITE, ‘Clarilaw’, Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland, TD9 8PT<br />
On 8 th August 2011, I was botanising in<br />
Berwickshire (v.c.81), on a steep bank at<br />
Dalcove Braes (NT63), overlooking <strong>the</strong> River<br />
Tweed, and paused for my lunch (see Colour<br />
Section, plate 4). The bank is a coarse<br />
conglomerate <strong>of</strong> sand and gravel, which may be<br />
<strong>the</strong> oldest stratum <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Upper Old Red<br />
Sandstone ra<strong>the</strong>r than a glacial moraine. It<br />
erodes to maintain an open habitat, colonised<br />
by rank weeds, especially Carduus crispus<br />
(Welted Thistle). I noticed a large rosette <strong>of</strong><br />
leaves which did not seem quite right for a<br />
thistle, and this I inspected after finishing my<br />
lunch. I was baffled, and collected a leaf. It<br />
took input from my wife, Paddy, to identify it<br />
as Hyoscyamus niger (Henbane). Re-visiting<br />
<strong>the</strong> site, I found a dozen flowering or fruiting<br />
plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Henbane, obscured by <strong>the</strong> thistles,<br />
and 168 rosettes <strong>of</strong> this biennial plant spread<br />
over 150m <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bank, suggesting a long-established<br />
colony. Associated species included<br />
Ballota nigra (Black Horehound), Conium<br />
maculatum (Hemlock), Echium vulgare<br />
(Viper’s Bugloss), Malva sylvestris (Common<br />
Mallow) and Reseda luteola (Weld).<br />
Henbane, once cultivated for use as an anaes<strong>the</strong>tic<br />
and for <strong>the</strong> hallucinations it can induce,<br />
had not been seen in Berwickshire since 1956,<br />
and I had not expected to re-find it, except<br />
perhaps on a building site round one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
villages near <strong>the</strong> coast, where it was known in<br />
<strong>the</strong> distant past and where viable buried seed<br />
might still persist. Interestingly, Henbane was<br />
reported at or near <strong>the</strong> Dalcove site in <strong>the</strong><br />
second volume <strong>of</strong> George Johnston’s A flora <strong>of</strong><br />
Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1831. There, it is<br />
given for “North bank <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tweed opposite<br />
Littledean Castle, Mr R.D. Thomson”. Littledean<br />
Tower is on <strong>the</strong> south (Roxburghshire)<br />
side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tweed 1.5km upstream <strong>of</strong> Dalcove<br />
Braes. So we do indeed have persuasive<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> a long-established colony <strong>of</strong><br />
Henbane far away from sandy habitats at <strong>the</strong><br />
coast, as Dalcove Braes is 40km from <strong>the</strong> sea.<br />
This is a rare occurrence for Scotland.<br />
Dalcove Braes lies immediately below <strong>the</strong><br />
small farmstead <strong>of</strong> Old Dalcove, where a<br />
small house stands to this day, and this may be<br />
where <strong>the</strong> herbs were cultivated. There must<br />
surely have been a link with <strong>the</strong> hospital<br />
associated with Ru<strong>the</strong>rford village, immediately<br />
across <strong>the</strong> river. The exact location <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> hospital is not known, so it could have<br />
been at Dalcove. It was dedicated to St Mary<br />
Magdalene and was first recorded in 1276,<br />
though it may have been founded by James I<br />
<strong>of</strong> Scotland (1153-1163). Such hospitals <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
cared as much for travellers as for <strong>the</strong> sick and<br />
were frequently found near a river crossing.<br />
There was still a ferry across <strong>the</strong> Tweed at this<br />
point in 1863 and a ford nearby. The hospital<br />
and <strong>the</strong> village were destroyed by <strong>the</strong> English<br />
in 1544. The 1863 map shows an island in <strong>the</strong><br />
Tweed at this point, with <strong>the</strong> stream on its<br />
north side undercutting Dalcove Braes. The<br />
braes are now separated from <strong>the</strong> river by a<br />
broad haugh, and <strong>the</strong> erosion, aided by cattle<br />
plodging that maintains <strong>the</strong> open habitat, may<br />
be slowing, as <strong>the</strong> erosion debris at <strong>the</strong> base <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> bank is no longer washed away. The line<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> former river channel is still visible on<br />
<strong>the</strong> haugh and its western limit is marked by a<br />
venerable Alder.<br />
My mind <strong>the</strong>n turned to <strong>the</strong> associated<br />
species: Ballota, Conium, Echium, Malva and<br />
Reseda. All <strong>the</strong>se, like <strong>the</strong> Hyoscyamus, were<br />
cultivated in <strong>the</strong> past. The Ballota was<br />
sometimes used as an infusion; <strong>the</strong> Conium as<br />
a poultice and as a poison; <strong>the</strong> Echium as an<br />
aphrodisiac, and its roots as a red dye; <strong>the</strong><br />
Malva as a poultice on wounds and <strong>the</strong> Reseda<br />
as a yellow dye. Unlike <strong>the</strong> Hyoscyamus, <strong>the</strong>se<br />
four species have a series <strong>of</strong> sites in Berwickshire,<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten on sandstone rock exposures along<br />
<strong>the</strong> Tweed, though <strong>the</strong>re are additional sites<br />
near habitation. A suspicion grew in my mind<br />
that something has been going on here that I<br />
had not considered before. Could it be that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was a small group <strong>of</strong> plants that had been<br />
cultivated as herbal plants, as in all probability<br />
at Dalcove, and had naturalised down <strong>the</strong><br />
Tweed in this specialised habitat? The river<br />
banks and river gravels have long been known<br />
as habitats for a range <strong>of</strong> aliens, both archaeo-
24<br />
phyte and neophyte, including herbal and<br />
cottage garden plants like Chenopodium bonushenricus<br />
(Good-King-Henry), Hesperis matronalis<br />
(Dame’s Violet), Myrrhis odorata (Sweet<br />
Cicely) and, I would argue, Symphytum<br />
tuberosum (Tuberous Comfrey). But what<br />
about <strong>the</strong> sandstone outcrops?<br />
Species typical <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sandstone outcrops, in<br />
addition to <strong>the</strong> Ballota, Conium, Echium,<br />
Malva and Reseda, are Dipsacus fullonum<br />
(Teasel) and Lactuca virosa (Great Lettuce).<br />
The Lactuca is also a herbal plant, once used<br />
as a sedative. The odd one out is <strong>the</strong> Dipsacus<br />
and this just might hold <strong>the</strong> key to my hypo<strong>the</strong>sis.<br />
For <strong>the</strong> Dipsacus was not recorded<br />
beside <strong>the</strong> Tweed until 1893 and, as <strong>the</strong> earlier<br />
nineteenth-century botanists could hardly<br />
have missed such a prominent species, this<br />
makes it a recent neophyte in this habitat. So<br />
how did it get <strong>the</strong>re? First <strong>the</strong>re needs to have<br />
been a source and, while George Johnston<br />
writing in 1853 records having once seen a<br />
small field planted with Teasel near Melrose,<br />
that is likely to have been Dipsacus sativus<br />
(Fuller’s Teasel), grown for use in <strong>the</strong> tweed<br />
mills, so garden plants grown for ornament<br />
seem a more likely source. Then <strong>the</strong>re needs<br />
to be a distribution route. Dipsacus is adapted<br />
for <strong>the</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> its spiny fruits by<br />
animals but <strong>the</strong>re is no reason why <strong>the</strong> river<br />
should not also play a part. But an essential<br />
element is <strong>the</strong> availability <strong>of</strong> landing stages<br />
and <strong>the</strong>se are not lacking. The sandstone rock<br />
exposures by <strong>the</strong> Tweed reach right down to<br />
<strong>the</strong> river so <strong>the</strong> habitat is right <strong>the</strong>re where<br />
seeds might be washed up in a flood. Once a<br />
plant is established on <strong>the</strong> rocks it will<br />
colonise upwards over time.<br />
I suggest that this recent example supports<br />
<strong>the</strong> hypo<strong>the</strong>sis that <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r species in my<br />
group could have colonised in <strong>the</strong> same way.<br />
But, you may ask, surely some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m are<br />
native species? The Echium is almost<br />
certainly native on <strong>the</strong> Northumberland coast,<br />
but not necessarily so up <strong>the</strong> River Tweed.<br />
The Conium likewise might be native near <strong>the</strong><br />
coast, but inland it is strongly associated with<br />
old buildings and, at least until recently, <strong>the</strong><br />
Tweedside colonies were much <strong>the</strong> most<br />
extensive ones away from <strong>the</strong> coast. I have<br />
Notes – Archaeophyte herbal plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River Tweed<br />
observed it with some surprise on <strong>the</strong> ruins <strong>of</strong><br />
Overton Tower, at 250m above Camptown<br />
near Jedburgh, and it grows by an old byre at<br />
our own home at Clarilaw, which much predates<br />
<strong>the</strong> Victorian farmhouse. I had always<br />
imagined <strong>the</strong> Lactuca to be native as its habitat<br />
on <strong>the</strong> cliffs is so very distinctive, but, after<br />
learning <strong>of</strong> its herbal uses, I am now inclined<br />
to change my mind.<br />
If <strong>the</strong>se species are indeed archaeophytes, <strong>the</strong><br />
dates <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir first introduction become <strong>of</strong><br />
interest. Alas, one cannot determine those from<br />
distribution patterns alone. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> introductions<br />
could date back to prehistory, but I<br />
leave fur<strong>the</strong>r speculation to archaeologists.<br />
Two fur<strong>the</strong>r taxa might be considered: Hypericum<br />
perforatum (Perforate St John’s-wort) and<br />
H. ×desetangsii (Hybrid St John’s-wort). The<br />
latter in particular is extraordinarily frequent by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Tweed in <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> H. maculatum<br />
(Imperforate St John’s-wort), both on <strong>the</strong> river<br />
banks and round <strong>the</strong> edge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sandstone<br />
cliffs. Hypericum species, particularly<br />
H. perforatum, have also been used by herbalists.<br />
Nei<strong>the</strong>r taxon is necessarily native inland<br />
in <strong>the</strong> Scottish Borders but <strong>the</strong>ir present distribution<br />
may owe more to <strong>the</strong> coming <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
railways than to herbalists, for <strong>the</strong>y spread<br />
freely along <strong>the</strong> ballast and seed would have<br />
reached <strong>the</strong> river from <strong>the</strong> railway bridges.<br />
So my hypo<strong>the</strong>sis is this. There is an interesting<br />
group <strong>of</strong> archaeophyte herbal plants<br />
that have colonised <strong>the</strong> sandstone cliffs by <strong>the</strong><br />
River Tweed outside <strong>the</strong>ir native ranges that<br />
comprise some or all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following: Ballota<br />
nigra (Black Horehound), Conium maculatum<br />
(Hemlock), Echium vulgare (Viper’s<br />
Bugloss), Hypericum perforatum (Perforate St<br />
John’s-wort), H. ×desetangsii (Hybrid St<br />
John’s-wort), Lactuca virosa (Great Lettuce),<br />
Malva sylvestris (Common Mallow) and<br />
Reseda luteola (Weld). If you still consider<br />
one or two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se to be native, even inland in<br />
<strong>the</strong> hill-girdled Tweed Valley, I won’t hold it<br />
against you, as we will never all come to agree<br />
on <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> status, but, please, at least<br />
allow me to sow some seeds <strong>of</strong> thought in your<br />
mind as to what to take into account when next<br />
you consider native and alien status in a<br />
regional context.
Notes – Archaeophyte herbal plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> R. Tweed / Enigma <strong>of</strong> Elytrigia campestris ssp. maritima 25<br />
References:<br />
HARDING, G.R., The Hospital <strong>of</strong> Saint Mary<br />
Magdalene at Ru<strong>the</strong>rford.<br />
(www.genealogy.com)<br />
JOHNSTON, G. (1829, 1831). A flora <strong>of</strong><br />
Berwick-upon-Tweed. J. Carfrae & Son,<br />
Edinburgh, and Longman, London.<br />
Neglected Couch: <strong>the</strong> enigma <strong>of</strong> Elytrigia campestris ssp. maritima -<br />
a confused couch!<br />
MIKE WILCOX, 32 Shawbridge Street, Cli<strong>the</strong>roe, Lancashire, BB7 1LZ;<br />
(michaelpw22@hotmail.com)<br />
In earlier floras Elytrigia campestris ssp.<br />
maritima went through various name changes,<br />
e.g.: Agropyron maritimum (Koch & Ziz)<br />
Jansen & Wachter, (Clapham et al., 1962) and<br />
Elymus repens ssp. arenosus auct. non<br />
(Spenn.) Melderis, and is retained as such in<br />
this genus by some to this day (Cope & Gray,<br />
2009). With <strong>the</strong> useful practical solution <strong>of</strong><br />
separating <strong>the</strong> rhizomatous couches into<br />
Elytrigia, it became Elytrigia repens ssp.<br />
arenosa auct. non (Spenn.) Á. Löve, (Stace,<br />
1997). However, in <strong>the</strong> present flora (Stace,<br />
2010), it is placed as a subspecies within a<br />
European taxon called Elytrigia campestris<br />
JOHNSTON, G. (1853). The natural history <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> eastern Borders. J. van Voorst, London.<br />
Royal Commission on <strong>the</strong> Ancient and Historic<br />
Monuments <strong>of</strong> Scotland (RCAHMS).<br />
Ru<strong>the</strong>rford Village.<br />
(www.accessingscotlandspast.org.uk)<br />
Ordnance Survey Maps Six-inch 1st Edition, Berwickshire Sheet XXXI, surveyed 1858,<br />
published 1862.JPG<br />
(Godr. & Gren.) Kerguélen, which is given <strong>the</strong><br />
new epi<strong>the</strong>t <strong>of</strong> ‘ssp. maritima’ (Tzvelev) H.<br />
Scholz (Scholz, 1998), and, for us at least, has<br />
<strong>the</strong> English name Neglected Couch.<br />
This is undoubtedly a confused couch grass.<br />
Material was studied in detail by Trist (1995),<br />
who showed some variable aspects to <strong>the</strong><br />
characters <strong>of</strong> this so-called taxon. Material<br />
was looked at in this study from several<br />
herbaria where it occurred, as this was part <strong>of</strong><br />
a wider study <strong>of</strong> Elytrigia hybrids. For<br />
Neglected Couch, material has also been<br />
reviewed that was used in <strong>the</strong> taxonomic and<br />
nomenclatural changes by Scholz (1998).
26<br />
Material was sought from Berlin Dahlem<br />
museum (B) <strong>of</strong> both Elytrigia campestris<br />
(revised to ssp. campestris in Scholz, 1998)<br />
and some plants that had been re-named ssp.<br />
maritima.<br />
All <strong>the</strong> material seen in UK herbaria so far<br />
was ei<strong>the</strong>r small to medium-sized Elytrigia<br />
repens (L.) Desv. (Common Couch),<br />
E. a<strong>the</strong>rica (Link) Kerguélen (Sea Couch), or<br />
<strong>the</strong> hybrid between <strong>the</strong> two. The binomial for<br />
<strong>the</strong> latter is currently E. ×drucei Stace. This<br />
name is likely to stand correct, but <strong>the</strong>re<br />
appear to be one or two problems surrounding<br />
<strong>the</strong> identification <strong>of</strong> some plants relating to <strong>the</strong><br />
nomenclatural updates given in Stace (2001).<br />
A fur<strong>the</strong>r note will be given on this topic at a<br />
later date.<br />
In NMW, specimens re-determined by Trist<br />
were, in my opinion, small E. repens (NMW,<br />
numbers: 35.179.543; 29.527.189; 29.527.190<br />
and 51.260.78). The first three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se sheets<br />
are G.A. Ringselle’s, each being a duplicate<br />
for Plantae Suecicae, (Trist, 1995: 390).<br />
Table 1. E. campestris ssp. campestris: floral, leaf and sheath characters<br />
Character B10 0020433–94/2009-1 B10 0325536–94/2009-2<br />
Fertility Fertile – an<strong>the</strong>rs dehisced Fertile – an<strong>the</strong>rs dehisced<br />
Main ridges in TS Distinct elevated round topped Distinct elevated round topped<br />
Sheath margin hairs Appear clean and glabrous Appear clean and glabrous<br />
No. spikes per sheet 5 spikes 2 spikes<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r Cataphylls with hairs on margin Not visible<br />
Leaves Without long hairs but scabrid Without long hairs but scabrid<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants used in <strong>the</strong> typification <strong>of</strong><br />
ssp. maritima Scholz were also reviewed<br />
(Table 2. These two plants, on different<br />
sheets, were labelled by Scholz as E. campestris<br />
ssp. maritima.<br />
Table 2. General aspects <strong>of</strong> plants on sheets: B10 0325537–94/2009-3 and B10 0325538–<br />
94/2009-4<br />
Character B10 0325537–94/2009-3 B10 0325538–94/2009-4<br />
Fertility An<strong>the</strong>rs indehiscent Fertile – an<strong>the</strong>rs dehisced<br />
Main ridges in TS confused round-flat-topped Mainly flat-topped<br />
Sheath margin hairs Distinct hairs on free-margin Distinct hairs on free-margin<br />
No. spikes per sheet 8 spikes + shoots 2 spikes + 1 shoot<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r Widest leaf 4.5mm Widest leaf 5mm<br />
Leaves No long-hairs seen, barely<br />
scabrid<br />
Notes – Enigma <strong>of</strong> Elytrigia campestris ssp. maritima<br />
Material was also looked at from Spurn<br />
Point, Hull (v.c.61) and sites listed by Cook<br />
(1999). Visits to <strong>the</strong> sites showed a similar<br />
situation to that given above for <strong>the</strong> herbarium<br />
material. However, <strong>the</strong> situation <strong>the</strong>re seemed<br />
to be that, on more open bare ground and near<br />
to and on <strong>the</strong> tracks, plants were more <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
small forms <strong>of</strong> E. a<strong>the</strong>rica, which became<br />
taller and denser on <strong>the</strong> sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tracks.<br />
Elytrigia a<strong>the</strong>rica seems to occur in good<br />
numbers in this area, with some hybrid plants<br />
scattered around, whereas in o<strong>the</strong>r areas<br />
hybrids seem to be very common, with<br />
E. a<strong>the</strong>rica being rare or absent (Greenwood,<br />
2004).<br />
The specimens from Berlin Dahlem museum<br />
(courtesy <strong>of</strong> H. Scholz) were also in question,<br />
based on plants known and since reviewed in<br />
Britain. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants from <strong>the</strong> Berlin<br />
Dahlem museum, Germany are summarised in<br />
<strong>the</strong> tables below. Two plants sent here as<br />
E. campestris ssp. campestris are summarised<br />
in Table 1.<br />
No long hairs seen, barely<br />
scabrid
Notes – Enigma <strong>of</strong> Elytrigia campestris ssp. maritima 27<br />
E. campestris ssp. campestris was a distinct<br />
grass and, although <strong>the</strong> key in Scholtz (1998)<br />
says that it has <strong>the</strong> leaf sheath margins<br />
glabrous (or rarely with hairs on <strong>the</strong> free<br />
margin), two o<strong>the</strong>r plants <strong>of</strong> E. campestris<br />
reviewed had hairs on <strong>the</strong> free margin, but still<br />
appeared to be E. campestris s. str., based on<br />
<strong>the</strong> rib characters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> upper surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
leaves. The main ribs <strong>of</strong> this taxon are<br />
distinctly rounded and <strong>of</strong>ten spaced from one<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r, with a smaller, rounded rib between.<br />
This species clearly has affinities to E. a<strong>the</strong>rica<br />
and that relationship needs to be looked at,<br />
although it does appear distinct from <strong>the</strong> latter,<br />
<strong>of</strong> which <strong>the</strong> main ribs are distinctly flattopped,<br />
more or less square in transverse<br />
section (TS).<br />
The plants <strong>of</strong> E. campestris ssp. maritima<br />
Scholz, on two separate sheets, were clearly<br />
two different taxa. Plant B10 0325538–<br />
94/2009-4 was E. a<strong>the</strong>rica, with distinct, flattopped<br />
ribs (in TS), and appeared to be dehiscent.<br />
Plant B10 0325537–94/2009-3 was<br />
originally labelled as a hybrid on <strong>the</strong> sheet.<br />
There were eight spikes on <strong>the</strong> sheet, roughly<br />
74 spikelets in total, with an average <strong>of</strong> about<br />
three flowers per spikelet, and (approximately)<br />
all 222 flowers had indehiscent<br />
an<strong>the</strong>rs. The an<strong>the</strong>rs were clearly small, dark<br />
brown, and <strong>the</strong> pollen grains sterile. This<br />
plant is a hybrid between E. a<strong>the</strong>rica and<br />
E. repens (E. ×drucei Stace). These plants<br />
have rounded to confused, rounded-flattopped<br />
ribs (in TS), and so <strong>the</strong>y appeared<br />
superficially like E. campestris sensu stricto.<br />
Some plants <strong>of</strong> E. a<strong>the</strong>rica × E. repens exhibit<br />
<strong>the</strong> long hairs found in E. repens on <strong>the</strong> upper<br />
surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaves, but <strong>the</strong>y are usually<br />
sparse to scattered and/or absent. In this case,<br />
none were seen, as it is not possible to unroll<br />
all <strong>the</strong> leaves to check for this character<br />
without splitting <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
From <strong>the</strong>se limited findings it showed that<br />
<strong>the</strong> grass E. campestris ssp. maritima is an<br />
enigma and apparently confused with ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
small to medium-sized forms <strong>of</strong> E. repens,<br />
E. a<strong>the</strong>rica and <strong>the</strong>ir hybrid. Therefore,<br />
though it is only one opinion, technically<br />
E. campestris ssp. maritima does not exist,<br />
regardless <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> name applied to it now or in<br />
<strong>the</strong> past, and E. campestris s. str. remains a<br />
single taxon, which has not been detected in<br />
Britain. As a number <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants are<br />
E. a<strong>the</strong>rica × E. repens (E. ×drucei Stace),<br />
<strong>the</strong>n perhaps <strong>the</strong> English name <strong>of</strong> this hybrid<br />
couch should be ‘Confused Couch’ to reflect<br />
this chequered history.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
Thanks to Pr<strong>of</strong>. H. Scholz for sending material<br />
from Berlin-Dahlem, and his herbarium staff.<br />
Also, thanks to Manchester Museum (Lindsey<br />
Loughtman), NMW and OXF.<br />
References:<br />
CLAPHAM, A.R., TUTIN, T.G. & WARBURG,<br />
E.F. (1962). Flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>. (2 nd<br />
ed.). Cambridge University Press,<br />
Cambridge.<br />
COOK, P.J. (1999). ‘Elytrigia repens (L.)<br />
Desv., ex Nevski subsp. arenosa (Spenner)<br />
Á Löve (Poaceae) in south-east Yorkshire<br />
(v.c.61)’. Watsonia 22: 421.<br />
COPE, T. & GRAY, A. (2009). Grasses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>. <strong>Botanical</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong>, London. <strong>BSBI</strong> Handbook No. 13.<br />
GREENWOOD, E.F. (2004). ‘Coastal Elytrigia<br />
species and hybrids in north-western<br />
England and nor<strong>the</strong>rn Wales’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News<br />
95: 15-19.<br />
SCHOLZ, H. (1998). ‘Taxonomy and nomenclature<br />
<strong>of</strong> ‘Elytrigia maritima’ Tzvelev’.<br />
Bulletin Société pour l’échange des plantes<br />
vasculaires de l’Europe et du bassin<br />
Méditerranéen 27: 102-104.<br />
STACE, C.A. (1997). New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong>. (2 nd ed.). Cambridge University Press,<br />
Cambridge.<br />
STACE, C.A. (2001). ‘The interspecific<br />
hybrids <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rhizomatous couches, Elytrigia<br />
Desv. (Poaceae)’. Watsonia 23: 543-547.<br />
STACE, C.A. (2010). New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong>. (3 rd ed.). Cambridge University Press,<br />
Cambridge.<br />
TRIST, P.J.O. (1995). ‘Elytrigia repens (L.)<br />
Desv., ex Nevski subsp. arenosa (Spenner)<br />
Á. Löve (Poaceae) in north-western<br />
Europe’. Watsonia 20: 385-390.
28<br />
Monitoring <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum (Yellow Horned-poppy) at<br />
Sand Bay, North Somerset<br />
MARGARET A. WEBSTER, 18 Lye Mead, Winford, Bristol, BS40 8AU<br />
HELENA J. CROUCH, Bronwen, Farrington Road, Paulton, Bristol, BS39 7LP<br />
Glaucium flavum (Yellow Horned-poppy) is a<br />
short-lived maritime perennial. Plants do not<br />
flower until <strong>the</strong>ir second year and live for up<br />
to about five years. It is predominantly a<br />
colonist <strong>of</strong> free-draining shingle or sand,<br />
appearing to be intolerant <strong>of</strong> water-logging<br />
and showing a marked preference for basic<br />
substrates (Scott, 1963).<br />
Nationally this species can be found around<br />
<strong>the</strong> coasts <strong>of</strong> England and Wales, extending in<br />
<strong>the</strong> east northwards to Spurn Point (v.c.61,<br />
S.E.Yorks.), <strong>the</strong>n with a few isolated occurrences<br />
north to Fife and on <strong>the</strong> west coast<br />
northwards to Arran (v.c.100) and Great<br />
Cumbrae (v.c.99). In Ireland it is largely<br />
restricted to <strong>the</strong> eastern and sou<strong>the</strong>rn coasts,<br />
but scattered in <strong>the</strong> west, north to Galway Bay.<br />
In North Somerset (v.c.6) Glaucium flavum<br />
had declined dramatically by <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> twentieth century, which White (1912)<br />
attributed to <strong>the</strong> pressure <strong>of</strong> tourists. Sightings<br />
since <strong>the</strong>n have been sporadic. Roe (1981)<br />
declared it “completely gone”, <strong>the</strong> last known<br />
records being at Burnham in 1924 and<br />
Kewstoke Bay in 1917. However, a solitary<br />
plant was found in 1956 on shingle near <strong>the</strong><br />
base <strong>of</strong> Brean Down (Willis, 1982). In 1981,<br />
a large flowering plant was seen at Burnham;<br />
a single seedling was found in 1982 at<br />
Kewstoke Bay (Sand Bay) and one plant was<br />
recorded on <strong>the</strong> south side <strong>of</strong> Brean Down in<br />
1992. These were <strong>the</strong> last records until 2008.<br />
The decline and loss <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum in<br />
North Somerset was attributed to habitat<br />
degradation and trampling by tourists. Its<br />
former abundance and sporadic re-appearances<br />
suggest that, although <strong>the</strong>re is little<br />
shingle along <strong>the</strong> coast here, <strong>the</strong> substrate is<br />
not unsuitable. Yet despite re-colonisation<br />
episodes, until 2008 this species had failed to<br />
become re-established in North Somerset.<br />
When, in <strong>the</strong> summer <strong>of</strong> 2008, 39 young plants<br />
<strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum were observed along <strong>the</strong><br />
length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> strandline in Sand Bay, this gave<br />
Notes – Monitoring <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum in v.c.6<br />
an opportunity for monitoring ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> establishment<br />
or <strong>the</strong> failure <strong>of</strong> a natural population<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> species in this area.<br />
Sand Bay (also referred to as Kewstoke Bay)<br />
lies just north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> town <strong>of</strong> Weston-super-<br />
Mare, and is bounded by two rocky promontories:<br />
Worlebury Hill to <strong>the</strong> south and Sand<br />
Point to <strong>the</strong> north. The bay is backed by a<br />
narrow band <strong>of</strong> sand dunes for most <strong>of</strong> its<br />
length, while <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn end has a growing<br />
section <strong>of</strong> salt marsh. Composition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
beach varies from sand to a mix <strong>of</strong> sand and<br />
shingle, with muddy sand fur<strong>the</strong>r to seaward.<br />
The whole bay is part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Severn Estuary<br />
SSSI and is a botanically important site.<br />
Fifteen o<strong>the</strong>r v.c.6 Rare Plant Register species<br />
have post-1987 records: Althaea <strong>of</strong>ficinalis<br />
(Marsh-mallow), Atriplex laciniata (Frosted<br />
Orache), Atriplex littoralis (Grass-leaved<br />
Orache), Atriplex portulacoides (Sea-purslane),<br />
Carex extensa (Long-bracted Sedge),<br />
Cynoglossum <strong>of</strong>ficinale (Hound’s-tongue),<br />
Honckenya peploides (Sea Sandwort), Juncus<br />
maritimus (Sea Rush), Parapholis incurva<br />
(Curved Hard-grass), Salicornia dolichostachya<br />
(Long-spiked Glasswort), Salsola kali<br />
ssp. kali (Prickly Saltwort), Calystegia<br />
soldanella (Sea Bindweed), Eryngium maritimum<br />
(Sea-holly), Polygonum oxyspermum<br />
ssp. raii (Ray’s Knotgrass) and Trifolium<br />
squamosum (Sea Clover), although <strong>the</strong> last<br />
four are feared lost.<br />
Monitoring methodology<br />
The first monitoring <strong>of</strong> young Glaucium<br />
flavum plants was carried out in early September<br />
2008. The position <strong>of</strong> each plant was<br />
recorded using a GPS, and, in addition, <strong>the</strong><br />
size <strong>of</strong> each plant was recorded on each visit,<br />
this being <strong>the</strong> width <strong>of</strong> rosette measured across<br />
<strong>the</strong> widest part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plant. This was repeated<br />
in November 2008, and in March, July,<br />
September and December <strong>of</strong> 2009. Photographs<br />
<strong>of</strong> some sites were taken as records.
Notes – Monitoring <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum in v.c.6 29<br />
Distribution <strong>of</strong> new seedlings was noted, as<br />
was <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> plants flowering and<br />
producing ripe seed. A search for new<br />
seedlings was carried out at intervals during<br />
2010 and 2011.<br />
Results<br />
Thirty-seven plants were found at <strong>the</strong> first<br />
monitoring in September 2008, but already<br />
two plants which had been seen at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong><br />
Table 1: Number <strong>of</strong> plants seen on each visit<br />
Sept<br />
2008<br />
discovery could no longer be found. The<br />
number <strong>of</strong> plants seen on each visit is shown<br />
in Table 1. The greatest concentration <strong>of</strong><br />
plants was found in <strong>the</strong> centre <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bay.<br />
Additional plants were found in November<br />
2008 and July 2009, but, despite this, <strong>the</strong><br />
number <strong>of</strong> extant plants declined steadily on<br />
each visit and only two plants remained by<br />
December 2009.<br />
Nov<br />
2008<br />
Mar<br />
2009<br />
Jul<br />
2009<br />
Sept<br />
2009<br />
Dec<br />
2009<br />
No. <strong>of</strong> new plants recorded 37 6 0 5 0 0 0<br />
No. <strong>of</strong> plants lost 2* 17 8 7 10 4 2<br />
No. <strong>of</strong> plants present 37 26 18 16 6 2 0<br />
Total seen to date 39 45 45 50 50 50 50<br />
*2 plants seen at time <strong>of</strong> discovery could not be found during first monitoring visit<br />
Using <strong>the</strong> recorded GPS coordinates, it was<br />
possible to check each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> original 37 plant<br />
positions at every visit so that where plants<br />
were lost we could consider possible reasons.<br />
We observed that in 2009 <strong>the</strong> predominant<br />
cause <strong>of</strong> plant loss was burial: by debris washed<br />
up by spring tides (see Colour Section, plate<br />
2(1)), and subsequently by blown sand, which<br />
accreted sufficiently to cover <strong>the</strong> debris entirely<br />
(see CS, plate 2(2)). In this way new foredunes<br />
were continuously built in a seaward<br />
direction during 2008 and 2009. From <strong>the</strong><br />
position <strong>of</strong> a line <strong>of</strong> Malva arborea (Tree-mallows),<br />
which it could be postulated had arisen<br />
from seed washed up in <strong>the</strong> past, it appeared<br />
that <strong>the</strong> dune system had recently advanced<br />
seaward considerably (see CS, plate 2(3)). As<br />
<strong>the</strong> new fore-dunes became colonised, competition<br />
ensued, so that <strong>the</strong> habitat eventually<br />
became less favourable for <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong><br />
Glaucium flavum seedlings. The five new<br />
seedlings found in 2009 were not on <strong>the</strong> current<br />
strandline, but were fur<strong>the</strong>r back in sand where<br />
<strong>the</strong> 2008 fore-dunes and/or strandline may have<br />
been. These seedlings did not survive. No<br />
Glaucium flavum plant that was lost was ever<br />
re-discovered on subsequent visits.<br />
Measurements <strong>of</strong> plant size (maximum<br />
width <strong>of</strong> rosette) showed no relationship with<br />
fate <strong>of</strong> plant (Table 2). The largest plant sizes<br />
Mar<br />
2010<br />
were recorded in November 2008 (plants in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir first year). Most plants decreased in size.<br />
Where an individual plant continued to<br />
decline in size in 2009, it was observed to be<br />
due to constant burial by ei<strong>the</strong>r debris or<br />
blown sand. The seedlings could not outgrow<br />
<strong>the</strong> accretion rate. Plants <strong>of</strong> all sizes<br />
succumbed to burial (see CS, plate 2(5)). The<br />
two plants remaining in December 2009 were<br />
considerably different in size at all times.<br />
Of <strong>the</strong> six plants that flowered, four were<br />
amongst <strong>the</strong> largest in November 2008, two<br />
were amongst <strong>the</strong> smallest. The two<br />
Glaucium flavum plants that survived to<br />
produce ripe seed were not large plants at<br />
flowering, but produced four and five seed<br />
pods respectively. Both had been lost by<br />
December 2009.<br />
In early March 2010, very high spring tides<br />
removed all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fore-dunes that had built up<br />
during 2009. The remaining two Glaucium<br />
flavum plants were lost at this time. Large<br />
amounts <strong>of</strong> debris were thrown up on to <strong>the</strong><br />
fixed dunes and by July 2010 plants normally<br />
associated with <strong>the</strong> strandline at Sand Bay,<br />
such as Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima (Sea<br />
Beet), Atriplex laciniata, Salsola kali ssp. kali<br />
and a few Atriplex littoralis were to be found<br />
growing through <strong>the</strong> debris (see CS, plate<br />
2(6)).
30<br />
Size (cm)<br />
Nov 2008<br />
Table 2: Size <strong>of</strong> plant in November 2008 and fate in 2009-2010<br />
Size (cm)/fate<br />
Mar 2009<br />
Size (cm)/fate<br />
Jul 2009<br />
Size (cm)/fate<br />
Sept 2009<br />
Size (cm)/fate<br />
Dec 2009<br />
19 8 flowered lost 0 0<br />
18 10 flowered fruited lost 0<br />
17 11 9 lost 0 0<br />
16 ? flowered lost 0 0<br />
16 lost 0 0 0 0<br />
15 10 flowered lost 0 0<br />
15 10 lost 0 0 0<br />
12 4 lost 0 0 0<br />
12 lost 0 0 0 0<br />
12 15 12 11 ALIVE lost<br />
10 lost 0 0 0 0<br />
10 lost 0 0 0 0<br />
10 8 ? lost 0 0<br />
10 12 flowered fruited lost 0<br />
7 5 lost 0 0 0<br />
6 5 8 7 ALIVE lost<br />
4 6 flowered lost 0 0<br />
4 4 7 6 lost 0<br />
No Glaucium flavum seedlings were found,<br />
ei<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> debris on <strong>the</strong> fixed dune system or<br />
on <strong>the</strong> new strandline. To allow for possible<br />
seed germination in <strong>the</strong> second year,<br />
occasional monitoring was carried out during<br />
spring and summer <strong>of</strong> 2011, but no seedlings<br />
were found.<br />
Discussion<br />
Glaucium flavum is predominantly a plant <strong>of</strong><br />
shingle or sandy beaches, colonising bare<br />
ground in well-drained sites that are generally,<br />
except for <strong>the</strong> highest spring tides, above <strong>the</strong><br />
high tide line (Scott, 1963). The seedlings at<br />
Sand Bay were distributed along <strong>the</strong> 2008<br />
strandline, with some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants at <strong>the</strong><br />
extreme landward edge <strong>of</strong> this. The amount <strong>of</strong><br />
vegetation that might be expected ei<strong>the</strong>r on a<br />
sandy or a shingle beach will inevitably<br />
depend on <strong>the</strong> stability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> beach. It is<br />
considered that for short-lived perennials,<br />
such as Glaucium flavum, to become established<br />
<strong>the</strong> beach should remain stable for a<br />
period <strong>of</strong> more than three years (Randall,<br />
Notes – Monitoring <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum in v.c.6<br />
Fate<br />
Mar 2010<br />
2004). Observations from 2009 to 2010 show<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sand Bay strandline to be extremely unstable.<br />
This is illustrated by images <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site<br />
backed by a line <strong>of</strong> Malva arborea taken<br />
during 2009 and 2010 (see CS, plate 2 (3 & 4).<br />
The large fore-dunes had been completely<br />
eroded in March 2010 and replaced with<br />
shingle by September. The Malva arborea<br />
had died by September 2010, but <strong>the</strong> remains<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plants were still visible. The beach at<br />
Sand Bay has not remained stable and so may<br />
never become a suitable habitat for Glaucium<br />
flavum.<br />
At Sand Bay <strong>the</strong>re is shingle on parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
beach, but none above <strong>the</strong> high tide line,<br />
which is sand. Experiments on <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong><br />
substrate on seedling establishment, both by<br />
greenhouse and field trials at Sizewell beach,<br />
found that Glaucium flavum emergence was<br />
greater in sandy plots but that survivorship and<br />
growth were greater in shingle plots<br />
(Walmsley & Davy, 1997a). At Sizewell<br />
beach, as at Sand Bay, Glaucium flavum
Notes – Monitoring <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum in v.c.6 31<br />
seedlings exhibited a high mortality rate.<br />
However, at Sizewell, burial was described as<br />
being through tidal inundation, whereas at<br />
Sand Bay burial during 2009 was by tidal<br />
debris and also by large volumes <strong>of</strong> blown<br />
sand. The slower growth <strong>of</strong> Glaucium flavum<br />
in sandy plots at Sizewell was described as<br />
“unexplained”, but at Sand Bay it was<br />
observed that even where tidal inundation was<br />
not a factor, blown sand accreted faster than<br />
<strong>the</strong> seedlings could grow. This accretion<br />
favoured o<strong>the</strong>r strandline species, such as<br />
Salsola kali ssp. kali, Atriplex laciniata and<br />
Atriplex littoralis. These species, although<br />
very abundant in 2009, were found in much<br />
smaller quantities in 2010, when <strong>the</strong> foredunes<br />
had been eroded by <strong>the</strong> high spring tide.<br />
Laboratory experiments on burial survivorship<br />
using shingle ra<strong>the</strong>r than sand (Low,<br />
online report) also found Glaucium flavum to<br />
be extremely intolerant <strong>of</strong> burial. At Sand<br />
Bay, no plant lost due to burial was ever rediscovered,<br />
thus confirming intolerance to<br />
burial at this site.<br />
There did not appear to be any correlation<br />
between seedling size and ei<strong>the</strong>r survival or<br />
flowering at Sand Bay. Only two Glaucium<br />
flavum plants at Sand Bay bore fruit, producing<br />
four and five seed pods respectively. Scott<br />
(1963) found an average <strong>of</strong> 20 pods per plant<br />
and quoted a mean <strong>of</strong> 282 seeds per pod (Scott,<br />
1963). Although <strong>the</strong> Sand Bay plants had a<br />
below average number <strong>of</strong> pods, <strong>the</strong>se nine pods<br />
may have contained over 2500 seeds. Even if<br />
<strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> seeds was also below average<br />
<strong>the</strong>re should still have been a considerable<br />
number <strong>of</strong> seeds released at Sand Bay in 2009.<br />
Glaucium flavum seed has been shown to<br />
germinate usually in <strong>the</strong> second season and <strong>the</strong><br />
seed remains viable even after seven years<br />
(Walmsley & Davy, 1997b). The delay in<br />
germination is attributed to <strong>the</strong> hard testa,<br />
which takes time to deteriorate. There are also<br />
specific requirements for germination, and<br />
dormancy can be induced by high temperatures<br />
or salinity factors (Walmsley & Davy, 1997b).<br />
No seedlings were found ei<strong>the</strong>r on <strong>the</strong> strandline<br />
or among <strong>the</strong> debris washed up onto <strong>the</strong><br />
fixed dune region in 2010 or 2011. It is<br />
possible that seeds may yet germinate, but even<br />
should this occur establishment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> species is<br />
unlikely to be successful in this habitat.<br />
From observation, it would appear to be <strong>the</strong><br />
instability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> strandline that is a considerable<br />
obstacle to <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> Glaucium<br />
flavum at Sand Bay. This instability is<br />
tw<strong>of</strong>old, being caused both by deposition and<br />
by subsequent erosion. The rate <strong>of</strong> accretion<br />
<strong>of</strong> blown sand in particular will always be a<br />
serious problem for emerging Glaucium<br />
flavum seedlings, even for those that germinate<br />
above <strong>the</strong> high tide line. This may in fact<br />
be <strong>the</strong> single factor most responsible for<br />
Glaucium flavum growing less well on sandy<br />
sites in general.<br />
References:<br />
LOW, E.J. (2005) (online report). Shingle<br />
biodiversity and habitat disturbance.<br />
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/geography/researc<br />
hprojects/BAR/publish/shingle_bio-andhabitat_disturbace.pdf<br />
RANDALL, R.E. (2004). ‘Management <strong>of</strong><br />
coastal vegetated shingle in <strong>the</strong> United<br />
Kingdom’. Journal <strong>of</strong> Coastal Conservation<br />
10: 159-168.<br />
ROE, R.G.B. (1981). The flora <strong>of</strong> Somerset.<br />
Somerset Archaeological and Natural<br />
History <strong>Society</strong>, Taunton.<br />
SCOTT, G.A.M. (1963). ‘Biological flora <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>: Glaucium flavum (L.)<br />
Cranz’. Journal <strong>of</strong> Ecology 51: 743-754.<br />
WALMSLEY, C.A. & DAVY, A.J. (1997a).<br />
‘The restoration <strong>of</strong> coastal shingle vegetation:<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> substrate composition on <strong>the</strong><br />
establishment <strong>of</strong> seedlings’. Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Applied Ecology 34: 143-153.<br />
WALMSLEY C.A. & DAVY A.J. (1997b).<br />
‘Germination characteristics <strong>of</strong> shingle<br />
beach species, effects <strong>of</strong> seed ageing and<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir implications for vegetation restoration’.<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Applied Ecology 34: 131-<br />
142.<br />
WHITE, J.W. (1912). The flora <strong>of</strong> Bristol.<br />
John Wright & Sons, Bristol.<br />
WILLIS, A.J. (1982). ‘Bristol botany in 1981’.<br />
Proceedings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bristol Naturalists’<br />
<strong>Society</strong> (1981) 41: 81-90.
32<br />
Black Poplars (Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia) in South<br />
Northumberland (v.c.67)<br />
A.J. RICHARDS, ‘High Trees’, South Park, Hexham, NE46 1BT<br />
Since <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Black Poplar<br />
Survey were published (Milne-Redhead,<br />
1990), it has been generally accepted that <strong>the</strong><br />
western subspecies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Black Poplar,<br />
Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia) is native to<br />
lowland flood-plains in sou<strong>the</strong>rn England and<br />
Wales, south <strong>of</strong> a line from <strong>the</strong> Mersey to <strong>the</strong><br />
Humber. Hobson (1991) also suggests that it<br />
is native to <strong>the</strong> Irish Midlands. In <strong>the</strong>se areas<br />
it is a scarce and localised tree, and several<br />
authorities suggest that it is <strong>the</strong> rarest <strong>British</strong><br />
native tree (presumably excluding apomictic<br />
segregates) with about 7000 individuals<br />
surviving (Cottrell, 2004), a figure perhaps<br />
depending on an estimate by Mabey (1996).<br />
As for most native trees, it is interesting to<br />
consider what <strong>the</strong> word ‘native’ means here.<br />
Massive and sometimes clonal individuals in<br />
areas remote from habitation are clearly<br />
hundreds <strong>of</strong> years old and presumably predate<br />
<strong>the</strong> advent <strong>of</strong> modern transport. Poplars are<br />
readily propagated from shoots, and most<br />
extant individuals were probably planted<br />
originally. However, prior to 1800 it seems<br />
very unlikely that propagules would have been<br />
carried long distances, but are much more<br />
likely to have originated from local genotypes,<br />
surviving by serial propagation by man from<br />
pre-agricultural times.<br />
In this context it is perhaps surprising that<br />
Hutchinson & Preston (2002) state ‘it is no<br />
longer possible to separate native trees from<br />
those planted long ago’, inferring, wrongly in<br />
my view, that this is a useful distinction in <strong>the</strong><br />
case <strong>of</strong> indigenous trees <strong>of</strong> considerable age.<br />
Consequently, <strong>the</strong> map published in ‘The New<br />
Atlas’ is meaningless with respect to nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
England, as it includes some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> thousands<br />
<strong>of</strong> individuals that have been planted in recent<br />
years as part <strong>of</strong> reclamation and reafforestation<br />
schemes. It would have been useful to<br />
distinguish ancient individuals which<br />
probably predate 1800 and which are <strong>the</strong>refore<br />
likely to have descended from local native<br />
stock, not a difficult task in this species.<br />
Notes – Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia in v.c.67<br />
In recent years, <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn native limit <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Black Poplar has been subject to varying<br />
opinions. Meikle (1984) states firmly that<br />
north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mersey-Humber line that ‘it may<br />
occur as planted trees but cannot be considered<br />
indigenous’. Later, as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
survey, Milne-Redhead (1990) states that it is<br />
native as far north as <strong>the</strong> River Tees. This view<br />
seems to have been held generally, so that <strong>the</strong><br />
Durham Biodiversity Action Plan considers<br />
that only a few native trees survive in <strong>the</strong><br />
county, near <strong>the</strong> River Skerne in <strong>the</strong> Tees<br />
basin close to Darlington. This is supported by<br />
DNA fingerprinting, which shows that<br />
individuals sampled from fur<strong>the</strong>r north in<br />
Durham are <strong>of</strong> well-known clones (A’Hara in<br />
litt.) and so are likely to have been planted<br />
within <strong>the</strong> last hundred years. Most popular<br />
planted clones are male (Cottrell, 2004).<br />
However, Stace (2010) goes fur<strong>the</strong>r, stating<br />
that Black Poplars are native north to Cumberland<br />
and South Northumberland. This statement<br />
depends in part on Halliday (1997) who<br />
cites three localities for <strong>the</strong> native tree beside<br />
<strong>the</strong> River Eden in Cumberland (v.c.70). Until<br />
2011, <strong>the</strong> only Northumberland record<br />
concerned a single female tree found by G.A.<br />
Swan in 1995 beside a watercourse on an old<br />
farm boundary just north <strong>of</strong> Humshaugh (see<br />
inside front cover). This is a massive tree (>3<br />
m dbh), more than half <strong>of</strong> which was lost to<br />
gales in <strong>the</strong> winter 2010-11. In <strong>the</strong> v.c.67 draft<br />
Rare Plant Register (Flora North-East<br />
website), I made a case for this to be considered<br />
a native tree, but DNA fingerprinting has<br />
shown it to be clone 32 on <strong>the</strong> National<br />
Register, a clone planted over much <strong>of</strong><br />
England (Stuart A’Hara pers. comm.). In this<br />
context, it is interesting that such an apparently<br />
ancient tree seems to have been planted.<br />
I was delighted in September 2011 to<br />
stumble across a group <strong>of</strong> four trees while<br />
recording west <strong>of</strong> Stamfordham in a remote<br />
monad, NZ0672, selected randomly for <strong>the</strong><br />
Flora North-East Common Plant Survey.
Notes – Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia in v.c.67 / Lobelia urens at Flimwell: an update 33<br />
Much <strong>of</strong> this monad is taken up by a large<br />
marshy basin in which <strong>the</strong> only agricultural<br />
activity is rough cattle grazing and <strong>the</strong>re is no<br />
human habitation. Parts are very wet, even<br />
dangerously so, and can only be crossed safely<br />
by keeping to ancient field boundaries which<br />
are raised above <strong>the</strong> water table. The Black<br />
Poplars have all lodged many years previously,<br />
so that <strong>the</strong> upright stools that now grow<br />
from <strong>the</strong>m appear <strong>the</strong>mselves to be 50-100<br />
years old. They grow 20-40 m from a field<br />
boundary and range over 150 m. Three<br />
individuals cannot be closely approached as<br />
<strong>the</strong> ground is too wet. They are associated with<br />
old individuals <strong>of</strong> oak (Quercus robur) and<br />
alder (Alnus glutinosa) which root into drier<br />
ground nearer to <strong>the</strong> field boundary.<br />
There are several features <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se Black<br />
Poplars which lead me to think that <strong>the</strong>y may<br />
represent local native stock, namely <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
apparent age, <strong>the</strong> remoteness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> locality,<br />
<strong>the</strong> very wet ground, and <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>y<br />
were not part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> field boundary. It seems<br />
likely that <strong>the</strong> ground has never been drained<br />
successfully, so that <strong>the</strong>re was nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong><br />
motive or <strong>the</strong> means for <strong>the</strong> trees to have been<br />
felled, and it is quite possible that <strong>the</strong> trees<br />
represent aboriginal stock and have never<br />
been planted.<br />
References:<br />
COTTRELL, J. (2004). ‘Conservation <strong>of</strong> Black<br />
Poplar (Populus nigra L.)’. Forestry<br />
Commission Information note.<br />
HALLIDAY, G. (1997). A flora <strong>of</strong> Cumbria.<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Lancaster.<br />
HOBSON, D.D. (1991). ‘The status <strong>of</strong> Populus<br />
nigra L. in <strong>the</strong> Republic <strong>of</strong> Ireland’. Watsonia<br />
18: 303-4.<br />
HUTCHINSON, G. & PRESTON, C.D. (2002).<br />
‘Populus nigra L.’ in: New atlas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong> and Irish flora, edited by C.D.<br />
Preston, D.A. Pearman, & T.D. Dines.<br />
Oxford University Press, Oxford.<br />
MABEY, R. (1996). Flora Britannica.<br />
Sinclair-Stevenson, London.<br />
MEIKLE, R.D. (1984). Willows and poplars.<br />
<strong>Botanical</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>,<br />
London. <strong>BSBI</strong> Handbook No. 4.<br />
MILNE-REDHEAD, E. (1990). ‘The <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
Black Poplar Survey, 1973-1988’. Watsonia<br />
18: 1-5.<br />
STACE, C.A. (2010). New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong>. 3 rd ed. Cambridge University Press,<br />
Cambridge.<br />
Lobelia urens (Heath Lobelia) at Flimwell: an update<br />
SIMON HARRAP, 1 Holt Road, Edgefield, Norfolk, NR24 2RP<br />
Shimwell (2009) gave a synopsis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
history <strong>of</strong> Lobelia urens (Heath Lobelia) at<br />
Flimwell in East Sussex. On a visit in August<br />
2008 he found no sign <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> species within<br />
<strong>the</strong> 23ha compound <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> former bird park,<br />
but discovered around 50 flowering plants in<br />
an area along <strong>the</strong> eastern boundary.<br />
On 29 th August 2010, toge<strong>the</strong>r with Anne<br />
Harrap and Nigel Redman, I visited <strong>the</strong><br />
Flimwell bird park site, which, to all intents<br />
and purposes, remains abandoned. We made<br />
our way south from <strong>the</strong> A268 through <strong>the</strong><br />
overgrown car park and, via patches <strong>of</strong> broken<br />
glass and o<strong>the</strong>r debris, past <strong>the</strong> large ruined<br />
wooden chalet, to an open area <strong>of</strong> c. 80 × 40m,<br />
extending to <strong>the</strong> SSW and surrounded by<br />
trees, centred at about TQ72103088. In this<br />
area <strong>of</strong> short, rabbit-cropped turf, interspersed<br />
with brambles and patches <strong>of</strong> Pulicaria<br />
dysenterica (Common Fleabane), we found<br />
300-400 flowering L. urens, with <strong>the</strong> greatest<br />
concentration at <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
clearing (see inside front cover). We did not<br />
make any attempt to classify <strong>the</strong> vegetation,<br />
but it was certainly undistinguished and ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
‘weedy’. Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lobelias had been<br />
‘coppiced’, probably by nibbling rabbits, and<br />
had produced several stems.<br />
Reference:<br />
SHIMWELL, D.W. (2009). ‘Lobelia urens at<br />
Flimwell, East Sussex’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News 111: 29-<br />
30.
34<br />
Floral diversity <strong>of</strong> road verges at Ainsdale, Merseyside<br />
PHILIP H. SMITH, 9 Hayward Court, Watchyard Lane, Formby, Liverpool L37 3QP<br />
PATRICIA A. LOCKWOOD, 13 Stanley Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 7AN<br />
Road verges are a potentially important<br />
habitat for wild flowers, though <strong>the</strong>ir value<br />
can <strong>of</strong>ten depend crucially on <strong>the</strong> type <strong>of</strong><br />
management employed. Also significant is<br />
<strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> underlying substrate and<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore soil type. Kenilworth Road,<br />
Ainsdale, near Southport, Merseyside, (v.c.<br />
59) (SD306123) is bounded by verges that<br />
were formed when <strong>the</strong> suburban housing<br />
estate that <strong>the</strong> road serves was built on sanddunes<br />
in <strong>the</strong> early 1970s. They extend for<br />
about 500m on both sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> road and vary<br />
in width from about three to 34m, covering a<br />
total area <strong>of</strong> about 6750 m 2 (0.7ha) (see Colour<br />
Section, plate 4). The extent to which <strong>the</strong><br />
verges were initially modified, for example by<br />
importation <strong>of</strong> topsoil and re-seeding, is not<br />
known, but seems to have been minimal.<br />
Management has since consisted largely <strong>of</strong><br />
occasional mowing and it is not thought that<br />
any fertilisers have been applied. The only<br />
herbicides used have been confined to small<br />
areas around road signs and lamp posts. As a<br />
result, <strong>the</strong> verge community resembles a<br />
species-rich, grazed, fixed dune. Inherently<br />
low soil fertility, local trampling by pedestrians<br />
and susceptibility to summer drought has<br />
created a ra<strong>the</strong>r patchy, open sward, with<br />
occasional bare areas, especially along <strong>the</strong><br />
road and pavement edges, where winter salt<br />
applications have also suppressed <strong>the</strong> vegetation.<br />
Having been leached for about 40 years,<br />
<strong>the</strong> substrate may have lost some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> high<br />
calcium content associated with <strong>the</strong> younger<br />
Sefton Coast sand dunes (Smith, 2009).<br />
A survey <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> verges in spring and early<br />
summer 1999 produced 59 vascular taxa, four<br />
being regionally or nationally notable. They<br />
included Herniaria glabra (Smooth Rupture-<br />
Notes – Floral diversity <strong>of</strong> road verges at Ainsdale, Merseyside<br />
wort), a nationally rare species, which has its<br />
headquarters in <strong>the</strong> Brecklands <strong>of</strong> East Anglia.<br />
First discovered here in 1988, H. glabra was<br />
thought to be <strong>of</strong> casual origin, perhaps as a<br />
garden escape, and was <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> detailed<br />
surveys in 1999 and 2004. These revealed an<br />
increase <strong>of</strong> 111% between <strong>the</strong> two dates from<br />
71 to 150 patches (Smith, 2005). Interestingly,<br />
H. glabra was listed 180 years ago, with o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
wild flowers, for <strong>the</strong> Southport area by Whittle<br />
(1831). It was also noted by Dickinson<br />
(1851), who writes: “Mr John Harrison <strong>of</strong> St.<br />
Helens brought me on two occasions in 1850<br />
fresh specimens ga<strong>the</strong>red near St Helens Old<br />
Railway, at a distance from any house, yet I<br />
cannot but consider it as an outcast from some<br />
garden”. He also mentions its listing in Glazebrook’s<br />
Guide to Southport and Aughton’s<br />
List <strong>of</strong> Southport plants. This species was not<br />
recorded in later regional floras (e.g. Green,<br />
1933; Savidge et al., 1963), but <strong>the</strong> fact that<br />
<strong>the</strong> plant was known hereabouts so long ago<br />
might prompt a review <strong>of</strong> its local status.<br />
The verges were surveyed again in April-<br />
June 2011. A total <strong>of</strong> 84 vascular taxa was<br />
recorded, including seven regionally/nationally<br />
notable species (Table 1), representing an<br />
increase <strong>of</strong> 42% in species-richness since<br />
1999. The verges are also rich in mosses and<br />
lichens, but <strong>the</strong>se were not identified. Only<br />
eight plants found previously were not seen in<br />
2011, while 31 new species were added. Over<br />
<strong>the</strong> two surveys, <strong>the</strong> verges supported 93 taxa,<br />
12 (13%) being non-native or introduced<br />
native taxa. As before, H. glabra was a major<br />
component <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flora and appears to have<br />
increased fur<strong>the</strong>r, though this was not established<br />
quantitatively.
Notes – Floral diversity <strong>of</strong> road verges at Ainsdale, Merseyside 35<br />
Table 1. Nationally and regionally notable taxa recorded on <strong>the</strong> Kenilworth Road verges<br />
r = rare; o = occasional; f = frequent; l = locally; v = very.<br />
NR = Nationally Rare; NS = Nationally Scarce; SCI = Species <strong>of</strong> Conservation Importance in<br />
North West England; * = non-native or introduced native taxon.<br />
Taxon English name 1999 2011 Status<br />
Herniaria glabra* Smooth Rupture-wort o lf NR<br />
Myosotis ramosissima Early Forget-me-not r r SCI<br />
Ornithopus perpusillus Bird’s-foot lf SCI<br />
Trifolium micranthum Slender Trefoil r SCI<br />
Trifolium striatum Knotted Clover lf SCI<br />
Vicia lathyroides Spring Vetch o o SCI<br />
Vulpia fasciculata Dune Fescue lf vlo NS<br />
Total: 7<br />
A particular feature is <strong>the</strong> frequency and<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> winter annuals, including especially<br />
Aira caryophyllea (Silver Hair-grass),<br />
A. praecox (Early Hair-grass), Aphanes<br />
arvensis (Parsley-piert), Arenaria serpyllifolia<br />
(Thyme-leaved Sandwort), Cerastium<br />
diffusum (Sea Mouse-ear), C. semidecandrum<br />
(Little Mouse-ear), Erophila verna (Common<br />
Whitlow-grass), Myosotis discolor (Changing<br />
Forget-me-not), Veronica arvensis (Wall<br />
Speedwell) and Vulpia bromoides (Squirreltail<br />
Fescue), all <strong>of</strong> which occur in some quantity.<br />
O<strong>the</strong>r annuals were less common, including<br />
<strong>the</strong> nationally scarce Vulpia fasciculata (Dune<br />
Fescue) and <strong>the</strong> regionally notable Myosotis<br />
ramosissima (Early Forget-me-not) and Vicia<br />
lathyroides (Spring Vetch). Evidently, <strong>the</strong>se<br />
species readily colonise <strong>the</strong> short open sward<br />
with frequent bare patches. O<strong>the</strong>r significant<br />
finds in 2011 were Ornithopus perpusillus<br />
(Bird’s-foot), Trifolium striatum (Knotted<br />
Clover) (see Colour Section, plate 4) and<br />
T. micranthum (Least Trefoil), all being<br />
regionally notable (Table 1). The presence <strong>of</strong><br />
O. perpusillus and also frequent Rumex<br />
acetosella (Sheep’s-sorrel), with Ellenberg<br />
reaction values <strong>of</strong> 4, suggests a moderately<br />
acid soil, at least in places (Hill et al., 2004).<br />
The dominant grasses are Agrostis capillaris<br />
(Common Bent), Festuca rubra (Red Fescue)<br />
and F. ovina (Sheep’s Fescue), <strong>the</strong> high<br />
species-richness and abundant mosses and<br />
lichens suggesting a community close to <strong>the</strong><br />
UK National Vegetation Classification’s<br />
SD8b: Festuca rubra-Galium verum fixed<br />
dune, Luzula campestris sub-community.<br />
However, a shift towards dryer, more acidic<br />
conditions in some areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> verges may<br />
indicate a vegetation type closer to SD12:<br />
Carex arenaria-Festuca ovina-Agrostis capillaris<br />
dune grassland (Rodwell, 2000).<br />
Mowing <strong>the</strong> Kenilworth Road verges has<br />
evidently been successful in maintaining this<br />
fixed-dune habitat and even increasing<br />
species-richness, despite <strong>the</strong> inevitable dogfouling<br />
and <strong>the</strong> fact that arisings are not<br />
thought to be collected. This form <strong>of</strong> management<br />
may have application elsewhere on <strong>the</strong><br />
Sefton Coast sand-dunes, where rich fixeddune<br />
communities are threatened by scrub<br />
invasion and <strong>the</strong> overgrowth <strong>of</strong> coarse grasses,<br />
such as Arrhena<strong>the</strong>rum elatius (False Oatgrass)<br />
(Smith, 2009). In places, this has been<br />
addressed by <strong>the</strong> introduction <strong>of</strong> livestockgrazing,<br />
a well-established management<br />
practice for maintaining diverse dune communities<br />
(Plassmann et al., 2010; Rodwell, 2000).<br />
However, grazing can be expensive in<br />
manpower and infrastructure (Smith, 2009).<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> large areas involved and<br />
topographic constraints, mowing is less <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
used but has produced benefits at Altcar Rifle<br />
Range (SD290040) and in some dune-slacks<br />
where grazing in not possible (Smith, 2009).
36<br />
Notes – Floral diversity <strong>of</strong> road verges at Ainsdale / Late flowering <strong>of</strong> Smyrnium olusatrum<br />
in v.cc.25/27<br />
The present study suggests that wider application<br />
<strong>of</strong> mowing in dune areas accessible to<br />
machinery could be beneficial.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
We are grateful to Dr Mary Dean for assistance<br />
with field work.<br />
References:<br />
DICKINSON, J. (1851). The flora <strong>of</strong> Liverpool.<br />
Deighton & Laughton, Liverpool.<br />
GREEN, C.T. (ed.) (1933). The flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Liverpool district. T. Buncle & Co.,<br />
Arbroath.<br />
HILL, M.O., PRESTON, C.D. & ROY, D.B.<br />
(2004). PLANTATT. Attributes <strong>of</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
and Irish plants: status, size, life history,<br />
geography and habitats. Centre for Ecology<br />
& Hydrology, Monks Wood, Cambridge.<br />
PLASSMANN, K., LAURENCE, M., JONES, M. &<br />
EDWARDS-JONES, G. (2010). ‘Effects <strong>of</strong><br />
long-term grazing management on sand<br />
dune vegetation <strong>of</strong> high conservation interest’.<br />
Applied Vegetation Science 13: 100-<br />
112.<br />
RODWELL, J.S. (ed.) (2000). <strong>British</strong> plant<br />
communities. Volume 5.: Maritime communities<br />
and vegetation <strong>of</strong> open habitats.<br />
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.<br />
SAVIDGE, J.P., HEYWOOD, V.H. & GORDON,<br />
V. (eds.) (1963). Travis’s flora <strong>of</strong> South<br />
Lancashire. Liverpool <strong>Botanical</strong> <strong>Society</strong>,<br />
Liverpool.<br />
SMITH, P.H. (2005). ‘Herniaria glabra on <strong>the</strong><br />
Sefton Coast, Merseyside’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News 100:<br />
23-25.<br />
SMITH, P.H. (2009). The sands <strong>of</strong> time revisited:<br />
an introduction to <strong>the</strong> sand-dunes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Sefton Coast. Amberley Publishing, Stroud,<br />
Gloucestershire.<br />
WHITTLE, P. (1831). Marina; or a historical<br />
and descriptive account <strong>of</strong> Southport,<br />
Lytham and Blackpool, situate on <strong>the</strong><br />
western coast <strong>of</strong> Lancashire. P. & H.<br />
Whittle, Preston.<br />
Late flowering <strong>of</strong> Smyrnium olusatrum (Alexanders.) in v.cc.25/27<br />
COLIN A. JACOBS, 35 Milton Road, East Lowest<strong>of</strong>t, Suffolk, NR32 19U;<br />
(benacre2001@yahoo.co.uk)<br />
During <strong>the</strong> closing weeks <strong>of</strong> October and <strong>the</strong><br />
opening weeks <strong>of</strong> November 2011, I noticed<br />
several flowering plants <strong>of</strong> Smyrnium olusatrum<br />
L. (Alexanders.) on <strong>the</strong> coastline<br />
between Lowest<strong>of</strong>t, East Suffolk (TM59) and<br />
Gorleston in East Norfolk (TM59). In fact<br />
S. olusatrum is <strong>the</strong> UK’s most easterly plant,<br />
growing by Ness Point in Lowest<strong>of</strong>t. Here,<br />
and along to Gorleston, <strong>the</strong> plants had many<br />
umbels with extended stigmas. At <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong><br />
writing, it has been so far a very mild autumn,<br />
with temperatures reaching a consistent 15ºC,<br />
typical early spring temperatures, when <strong>the</strong><br />
flowers would be opening. The plants were<br />
introduced from <strong>the</strong> Mediterranean by <strong>the</strong><br />
Romans, and <strong>the</strong> species is typically coastal,<br />
but can be found as far inland as Norwich,<br />
where seeds have presumably floated up from<br />
<strong>the</strong> river systems. Even <strong>the</strong> rust fungus<br />
Puccinia smyrnii, which grows on <strong>the</strong> Alexanders,<br />
was common, ano<strong>the</strong>r spring species.<br />
The plant can survive <strong>the</strong> cold east winds but<br />
does not like more than five days <strong>of</strong> freezing<br />
temperatures that kill or significantly damage<br />
<strong>the</strong> plants, which take weeks to recover.<br />
Reference:<br />
MABEY R. (1996). Flora Britannica.<br />
Sinclair-Stevenson, London.
Notes – Trichophorum cespitosum and allied taxa in RSPB Abernethy Forest NNR 37<br />
Trichophorum cespitosum (Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Deergrass) and allied taxa in<br />
RSPB Abernethy Forest NNR<br />
ANDY AMPHLETT, RSPB, Forest Lodge, Nethy Bridge, Inverness-shire, PH25 3EF<br />
This note outlines current knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
distribution, relative abundance and habitats<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three taxa: Trichophorum cespitosum<br />
(Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Deergrass), T. germanicum<br />
(Deergrass), and <strong>the</strong>ir hybrid T. ×foersteri in<br />
<strong>the</strong> RSPB Abernethy Forest NNR and nearby<br />
areas. Abernethy Forest is <strong>the</strong> largest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
remnant Caledonian pinewoods, and is<br />
situated on <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn flanks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cairngorm<br />
Mountains. Most locations referred to in<br />
this note are at relatively low altitude, from<br />
210m to 410m AOD, but some collections<br />
were made at over 1100m AOD.<br />
I first found T. cespitosum (Nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
Deergrass) in July 2004, growing beside a<br />
runnel leading down to a Myrica gale (Bogmyrtle)<br />
dominated mire, on <strong>the</strong> south side <strong>of</strong><br />
Tulloch Moor (NH9616) in v.c.96. Here, one<br />
or two clumps were growing in close<br />
proximity to species such as Nar<strong>the</strong>cium<br />
ossifragum (Bog Asphodel) and Carex<br />
panicea (Carnation Sedge). Two days later, I<br />
found T. cespitosum growing in <strong>the</strong> lagg zone<br />
<strong>of</strong> an extensive blanket bog c.600m to <strong>the</strong><br />
north-west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> original site, within <strong>the</strong><br />
RSPB reserve. Here, <strong>the</strong> topography indicated<br />
that <strong>the</strong>re might be some local movement <strong>of</strong><br />
water <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> surrounding heathland, although<br />
<strong>the</strong> flora was distinctly acidic, dominated by<br />
Eriophorum vaginatum (Hare’s-tail Cottongrass).<br />
Although I continued to occasionally<br />
look at Trichophorum specimens in <strong>the</strong> course<br />
<strong>of</strong> general botanising, it was not until July<br />
2010 that I found an additional site for<br />
T. cespitosum, again on Tulloch Moor, but this<br />
time within a very gently sloping valley mire,<br />
in monad NH9516. Here, Carex pauciflora<br />
(Few-flowered Sedge) was very frequent<br />
amongst typical M18 bog vegetation (Erica<br />
tetralix-Sphagnum papillosum raised and<br />
blanket mire), with abundant Sphagnum<br />
species. NVC communities are described in<br />
Rodwell (1991, 1992).<br />
Although <strong>the</strong>re were considerable floristic<br />
differences between <strong>the</strong>se three sites, at all <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong>re was some indication <strong>of</strong> groundwater<br />
movement. The adjacent heathland is<br />
<strong>the</strong> species-rich Pyrola media – Lathyrus<br />
linifolius sub-community H16a <strong>of</strong> Calluna<br />
vulgaris-Arctostaphylos uva-ursi heath. This<br />
heath type supports a number <strong>of</strong> species indicative<br />
<strong>of</strong> more mesotrophic conditions than is<br />
<strong>the</strong> norm on dry heaths in this part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Cairngorms. Hence I was able to convince<br />
myself that <strong>the</strong> sites were not too dissimilar to<br />
those described by Swan (1999).<br />
In June 2011, I showed T. cespitosum to a<br />
small group <strong>of</strong> local botanists, re-kindling my<br />
enthusiasm for looking for this species. On<br />
25 th July 2011, I looked for, but did not find<br />
<strong>the</strong> population <strong>of</strong> T. cespitosum I had found in<br />
<strong>the</strong> lagg zone on Tulloch Moor seven years<br />
earlier. Moving on, I cut across an area <strong>of</strong><br />
M18 bog, and found a few clumps <strong>of</strong> fruiting<br />
T. cespitosum on <strong>the</strong> ombrotrophic bog<br />
surface, well away from any soligenous influences.<br />
This rang immediate bells, as Roberts<br />
(2011) had recently published a note on<br />
finding a very large population growing on<br />
Butterburn Flow in Cumbria, in ra<strong>the</strong>r similar<br />
habitat. Suspecting that T. cespitosum might<br />
occur in similar habitats elsewhere, over <strong>the</strong><br />
next three weeks I looked for Trichophorum<br />
growing on a sample <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> many areas <strong>of</strong> bog<br />
within <strong>the</strong> forest area <strong>of</strong> Abernethy.<br />
My efforts proved successful. In total I have<br />
now made 54 individual records <strong>of</strong> T. cespitosum<br />
at 33 locations (different 6-figure grid<br />
references), in 11 1km grid squares, in nine<br />
tetrads. Twenty-six <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> recorded locations<br />
were within <strong>the</strong> RSPB Abernethy Forest NNR.<br />
The remaining sites were on immediately<br />
adjacent bogs. Records were from v.c.95 and<br />
v.c.96. All 54 individual records I made <strong>of</strong><br />
T. cespitosum were <strong>of</strong> fruiting plants. I<br />
checked stem cross-sections <strong>of</strong> specimens for<br />
36 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se records, and in all cases my field<br />
identification was correct.<br />
Of <strong>the</strong> 33 recorded locations, T. cespitosum<br />
grew on deep peat deposits at 32. Of <strong>the</strong>se, at
38<br />
Notes – Trichophorum cespitosum and allied taxa in RSPB Abernethy Forest NNR<br />
only three (all in close proximity) was <strong>the</strong>re<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> a mineral-rich soligenous influence.<br />
This site, in monad NH9618, has such<br />
species as Carex dioica (Dioecious Sedge)<br />
and Eleocharis quinqueflora (Few-flowered<br />
Spike-rush) as close associates. This is part <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> mire complex described by McVean &<br />
Ratcliffe (1962) (p. 128). All but two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
locations were on undisturbed bogs. The o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
two were in areas where peats had been cut in<br />
<strong>the</strong> past. Although my recent survey effort has<br />
been deliberately biased towards bogs, from<br />
my knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>of</strong> such habitats<br />
here, and <strong>the</strong> relative lack <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r suitable<br />
habitat for Trichophorum on low ground at<br />
Abernethy, I am confident that <strong>the</strong> primary<br />
habitat for this species in Abernethy Forest is<br />
M18 bog. Apart from on Tulloch Moor, all<br />
<strong>the</strong> bogs with T. cespitosum are partially<br />
wooded, carrying an open canopy <strong>of</strong> low<br />
growing native Pinus sylvestris ssp. scotica<br />
(Scots Pine). These bog woodlands in<br />
Abernethy Forest form part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most extensive<br />
example <strong>of</strong> this habitat type in Scotland.<br />
At all locations, T. cespitosum was accompanied<br />
by T. ×foersteri (Hybrid Deergrass),<br />
which was always much <strong>the</strong> more abundant <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> two taxa. Of 28 records I have made <strong>of</strong><br />
this taxon, 26 have been from bogs, and only<br />
two (in v.c.94, not within Abernethy) were on<br />
wet heath. All records were confirmed by<br />
checking stem sections under a microscope.<br />
On one or two occasions I collected putative<br />
hybrids, which on detailed examination<br />
proved to be T. germanicum (Deergrass) that<br />
had failed to set fruit. On no occasion did<br />
specimens collected as <strong>the</strong> hybrid turn out to<br />
be T. cespitosum.<br />
I have also recorded T. germanicum on 35<br />
occasions at a range <strong>of</strong> locations in v.cc. 94, 95<br />
and 96, both within and outwith Abernethy.<br />
Habitat was recorded for 25 records: 16 from<br />
M16 Erica tetralix – Sphagnum compactum<br />
wet heath, five from high attitude U7 Nardus<br />
stricta-Carex bigelowii snowbeds, and four<br />
from bogs. Some populations showed no<br />
indication <strong>of</strong> having set fruit, and it is possible<br />
I overlooked this species on bogs, amongst <strong>the</strong><br />
much more abundant sterile hybrid. However<br />
I did deliberately search for this species on<br />
bogs at Abernethy, and feel it must be, at most,<br />
very local here, in this habitat. Conversely, on<br />
wet heaths, which at Abernethy occur at<br />
slightly higher altitude around <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
margin <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forest (above c.400m AOD),<br />
T. germanicum was <strong>the</strong> only taxon I could<br />
find. The wet heath community here is very<br />
species-poor, and lacks Sphagnum<br />
compactum, at times being perhaps better<br />
described as intermediate between M16 wet<br />
heath and H12 Calluna vulgaris-Vaccinium<br />
myrtillus heath. The small sample <strong>of</strong> plants<br />
from high altitude (to more than 1000m<br />
AOD), were all <strong>of</strong> T. germanicum.<br />
Jeremy Roberts’ web pages (http://www.<br />
edencr<strong>of</strong>t2.demon.co.uk/index.html) include<br />
an absolute wealth <strong>of</strong> detail on <strong>the</strong> identification<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se three taxa, both in <strong>the</strong> field and<br />
under <strong>the</strong> microscope. They are an essential<br />
resource for anyone wishing to get to grips<br />
with <strong>the</strong>m. I can only add a few additional<br />
comments. Stem cross sections <strong>of</strong> T. germanicum,<br />
in my experience, usually show larger<br />
aerenchyma (air channels) than is, at <strong>the</strong> time<br />
<strong>of</strong> writing, illustrated by Roberts. When<br />
cutting stem sections under a stereo microscope<br />
at ×10 magnification, those <strong>of</strong><br />
T. germanicum are almost instantly recognisable,<br />
<strong>the</strong> clear aerenchyma standing out even<br />
when viewed with incident illumination<br />
against a white background. Cutting sections<br />
requires some practice. Using a fresh, sharp<br />
razor blade improves <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> sections a<br />
great deal. I cut on a glass slide, and razor<br />
blades are quickly blunted. Inevitably you get<br />
a mix <strong>of</strong> thicknesses <strong>of</strong> section when cutting<br />
by hand. Too thick and <strong>the</strong> section is too<br />
opaque to see details clearly. Too thin, and<br />
sections <strong>of</strong> T. cespitosum, which lack aerenchyma,<br />
can appear to have pale patches<br />
amongst <strong>the</strong> green tissue. With a little experience<br />
it becomes obvious which sections are<br />
<strong>the</strong> ones to look at more closely.<br />
On <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> confirmed identifications,<br />
T. cespitosum is nationally rare. However,<br />
targeted fieldwork has been geographically<br />
very restricted, and presumably <strong>the</strong> species is<br />
under-recorded. A more accurate picture <strong>of</strong> this
Notes – Trichophorum cespitosum in Abernethy Forest / Return <strong>of</strong> Fumaria bastardii to Sussex 39<br />
species’ actual distribution will take some time<br />
to develop. Unfortunately this is confounded<br />
by <strong>the</strong> considerable confusion over which taxon<br />
recorders actually mean when <strong>the</strong>ir records<br />
refer to T. cespitosum, as this name may refer<br />
(as here) to <strong>the</strong> rarer species, or to <strong>the</strong> aggregate<br />
<strong>of</strong> both species and <strong>the</strong> hybrid.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
Michael Braithwaite confirmed my first original<br />
specimens <strong>of</strong> T. cespitosum, and also a<br />
recent collection (a new vice-county record for<br />
v.c.95). Ian Perks collected specimens from<br />
high altitude sites in <strong>the</strong> Cairngorms. Jeremy<br />
Roberts and Michael Braithwaite commented<br />
on an earlier draft <strong>of</strong> this note.<br />
References:<br />
MCVEAN, D.N. & RATCLIFFE, D.A. (1962).<br />
Plant communities <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Scottish<br />
Highlands. HMSO, Edinburgh. Monographs<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nature Conservancy, No. 1.<br />
ROBERTS, F.J. (2011). ‘Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Deergrass<br />
(Trichophorum cespitosum): calciphile or<br />
calcifuge?’ <strong>BSBI</strong> News 117: 37-38.<br />
RODWELL, J.S. (ed.) (1991). <strong>British</strong> plant<br />
communities. Vol. 2.: Mires and heaths.<br />
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.<br />
RODWELL, J.S. (ed.) (1992). <strong>British</strong> plant<br />
communities. Vol. 3: Grasslands and<br />
montane communities. Cambridge University<br />
Press, Cambridge.<br />
SWAN, G.A. (1999). ‘Identification, distribution<br />
and a new nothosubspecies <strong>of</strong> Trichophorum<br />
cespitosum in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong> and<br />
NW Europe’. Watsonia 22: 209-233.<br />
Return <strong>of</strong> Fumaria bastardii to Sussex<br />
MATTHEW BERRY, Flat 2, 11 Southfields Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1BU<br />
In September 2011, four members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Sussex <strong>Botanical</strong> Recording <strong>Society</strong> (H.<br />
Proctor, J. Linsell, M. Berry and R. Wells)<br />
were recording for <strong>the</strong> new ‘Flora <strong>of</strong> Sussex’<br />
project in <strong>the</strong> Camber area <strong>of</strong> East Sussex<br />
(v.c.14), close to <strong>the</strong> border with Kent, in<br />
tetrad TQ91Z.<br />
While examining stony ground alongside an<br />
isolated house (TQ99181818), we came<br />
across a patch <strong>of</strong> a pale-flowered fumitory.<br />
Using <strong>the</strong> key in Fumitories <strong>of</strong> Britain and<br />
Ireland (Murphy, 2009), this was later determined<br />
as Fumaria bastardii (Tall Rampingfumitory),<br />
and <strong>the</strong> identification was subsequently<br />
confirmed by Rose Murphy.<br />
The last confirmed record for Sussex was in<br />
1959, when Ken Bull found it growing in<br />
Egerton Park, Bexhill. The Camber record<br />
represents an even more easterly outpost for<br />
what is generally thought <strong>of</strong> as a western/<br />
Atlantic species in Britain.<br />
The substrate <strong>of</strong> this new site is probably<br />
fairly acidic, with an abundance <strong>of</strong> such<br />
species as Teucrium scorodonia (Wood Sage).<br />
Immediately to <strong>the</strong> north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house lies an<br />
area with heath-like affinities, where Cytisus<br />
scoparius (Broom), Ceratocapnos claviculata<br />
(Climbing Corydalis) and Senecio sylvaticus<br />
(Heath Groundsel) occur. Nearby are sites for<br />
Jasione montana (Sheep’s-bit) and Sedum<br />
anglicum (English Stonecrop), species I think<br />
<strong>of</strong> as also having somewhat western tendencies.<br />
The fumitory was growing in what could<br />
loosely be termed a flower bed, but a<br />
neglected one, with Beta vulgaris ssp.<br />
maritima (Sea Beet), Tripleurospermum<br />
maritimum (Sea Mayweed) and two small<br />
bushes <strong>of</strong> Suada vera (Shrubby Seablite) for<br />
company.<br />
It will be interesting to see if its occurrence<br />
at Camber proves to be as ephemeral as its<br />
earlier one at Bexhill.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
We would like to thank Paul Harmes for<br />
drawing our attention to <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong><br />
this record, and for contacting Rose Murphy;<br />
and Rose Murphy for confirming <strong>the</strong> plant’s<br />
identity.<br />
Reference:<br />
MURPHY, R.J. (2009). Fumitories <strong>of</strong> Britain<br />
and Ireland. <strong>BSBI</strong>, London.
40<br />
Phytophthora disease – a threat to our native vegetation?<br />
DOT DAHL, Easter Ballindalloch, Glen Lednock, Comrie, Perthshire, PH6 2LY<br />
MARTIN ROBINSON, Dalreoch Farm, Enochdhu, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, PH10 7PF;<br />
(on behalf <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Scottish Committee)<br />
There have been several recent outbreaks <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> introduced Phytophthora species:<br />
P. kernoviae and P. ramorum, affecting a wide<br />
range <strong>of</strong> trees and shrubs. Of particular<br />
concern is <strong>the</strong>ir effect on certain tree species,<br />
and moorland/heathland species, such as<br />
Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry/Blaeberry). To<br />
date, <strong>the</strong>y have been largely confined to<br />
western parks and gardens, but if <strong>the</strong>y become<br />
established in natural or semi-natural environments,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y will become difficult to control<br />
and potentially devastating for native vegetation.<br />
The diseases are spread by movement <strong>of</strong><br />
infected plant material and soil, in water, in<br />
droplets in <strong>the</strong> air and potentially via walkers’<br />
boots. An important host plant, where <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
members may notice <strong>the</strong> disease, is Rhododendron<br />
ponticum (Rhododendron). R. ponticum<br />
was, until recently, regarded as <strong>the</strong> most likely<br />
source <strong>of</strong> infection in o<strong>the</strong>r species. In 2009,<br />
in south-west England, however, infected<br />
Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) trees were<br />
found, infecting a range <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r under-storey<br />
species, and <strong>the</strong>re was no R. ponticum in <strong>the</strong><br />
near vicinity. Outbreaks on Japanese Larch<br />
have now been found all up <strong>the</strong> western side<br />
<strong>of</strong> Britain, including Western Scotland.<br />
The <strong>Botanical</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> Scotland (BSS<br />
News 97) carried an article by SASA (Science<br />
& Advice for Scottish Agriculture), which is<br />
conducting a survey to establish whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>se<br />
pathogens have spread to Blaeberries in<br />
Scottish heathland. This article includes a<br />
description <strong>of</strong> diseased Vaccinium myrtillus<br />
twigs. These turn black and prematurely shed<br />
Notes – Phytophthora disease – a threat to our native vegetation?<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir leaves. The area <strong>of</strong> affected twigs may<br />
be clearly seen from some distance. Dr<br />
Alexandra Schlenzig <strong>of</strong> SASA (Roddinglaw<br />
Rd., Edinburgh, EH12 9FJ) is keen to have<br />
samples sent to her for diagnosis, as long as<br />
her particular sampling protocol is followed.<br />
In addition, for more information on how to<br />
identify o<strong>the</strong>r infected plants you can<br />
download Defra leaflets on Phytophthora<br />
ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae<br />
(http://<strong>the</strong>fera.co.uk/plants/plantHealth/pests<br />
Diseases/phytophthora/)<br />
Generally, any reports <strong>of</strong> suspected<br />
Phytophthora infections on woodland or<br />
forest trees (but not trees or hedges in gardens)<br />
go to Forest Research. Enquiries in nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
Britain (i.e. north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mersey/Humber line)<br />
can be emailed to: ddas.nrs@forestry.gsi.<br />
gov.uk, and those south <strong>of</strong> that line can go to:<br />
ddas.ah@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.<br />
However, any enquiry concerning suspected<br />
Phytophthora infection <strong>of</strong> a non-tree species<br />
(i.e. in shrubs or o<strong>the</strong>r plants) should go to:<br />
plan<strong>the</strong>alth.info@fera.gsi.gov.uk<br />
How you can help<br />
Apply good boot hygiene, particularly<br />
where infection is suspected.<br />
Observe quarantined areas.<br />
Use foot baths, where provided.<br />
Become familiar with <strong>the</strong> signs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
disease: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/<br />
forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-5vfmzu<br />
http://fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/<br />
documents/factsheets/pramparks.pdf<br />
Report possible infections.
Notes – Can vice-county boundaries change over time? 41<br />
Can vice-county boundaries change over time?<br />
MICHAEL BRAITHWAITE, ‘Clarilaw’, Hawick, Roxburghshire, TD9 8PT<br />
The NBN Trust has launched a data validation<br />
tool, NBN Record Cleaner, which inter alia<br />
checks whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> grid references <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> sites<br />
in a vice-county database are within its<br />
geographic boundaries. When I tried this tool on<br />
my <strong>BSBI</strong> Berwickshire dataset, it threw up a<br />
small number <strong>of</strong> errors. Included in <strong>the</strong>se were<br />
botanical records relating to two small strips <strong>of</strong><br />
land on <strong>the</strong> Berwickshire side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River<br />
Tweed that it considered related to North Northumberland,<br />
England, v.c.68, not to Berwickshire,<br />
Scotland, v.c.81. The history <strong>of</strong> both <strong>the</strong>se<br />
localities proves to be <strong>of</strong> interest.<br />
The first is at Lees Haugh (NT854389), near<br />
Coldstream, on <strong>the</strong> inside <strong>of</strong> a sharp bend in <strong>the</strong><br />
river, where it meanders through an alluvial<br />
plain. This is top-quality agricultural land,<br />
protected from floods by embankments, where<br />
<strong>the</strong> botanical interest lies within a narrow strip at<br />
<strong>the</strong> riverside and in <strong>the</strong> aquatic species on <strong>the</strong><br />
river bed. The vice-county boundary has been<br />
digitised by <strong>the</strong> NBN Trsut from <strong>the</strong> O.S. first<br />
edition 6-inch maps, surveyed in 1858, and <strong>the</strong><br />
vice-county boundary is placed along <strong>the</strong> median<br />
line <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river at that time. There has been<br />
substantial accretion to this section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Berwickshire bank since <strong>the</strong>n, so much so that<br />
<strong>the</strong> bank is now fur<strong>the</strong>r south than <strong>the</strong> old<br />
median line. The NBN boundary thus places a<br />
400 × 50m strip <strong>of</strong> river bank on <strong>the</strong> Scottish<br />
bank, with Rorippa ×anceps, in England, with a<br />
fur<strong>the</strong>r stretch <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river bed. This is nei<strong>the</strong>r a<br />
practical solution for field recording nor is it <strong>the</strong><br />
legal position. The legal position, per <strong>the</strong> Registers<br />
<strong>of</strong> Scotland website (www.ros.gov.uk) is<br />
that <strong>the</strong> boundary changes over time to follow<br />
<strong>the</strong> current course <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river, remaining at <strong>the</strong><br />
median line in <strong>the</strong> river, except where <strong>the</strong>re are<br />
islands, so <strong>the</strong> current O.S. map, surveyed c.<br />
1970, differs from <strong>the</strong> NBN map. Meanwhile,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Google Earth image shows that <strong>the</strong>re has<br />
been fur<strong>the</strong>r accretion and that <strong>the</strong> current O.S.<br />
map is already 100m out <strong>of</strong> line with reality. The<br />
farmer is on a winner; indeed <strong>the</strong> flood embankments<br />
were rebuilt about 20 years ago to take in<br />
some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> land gained.<br />
The second locality is at Green Knowes<br />
(NT926498), opposite Horncliffe, and has a<br />
different history. At <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> O.S. first<br />
edition 6-inch map, surveyed in 1858, <strong>the</strong>re was<br />
a small island in <strong>the</strong> river here, which belonged<br />
to England, but by that date was already closer to<br />
<strong>the</strong> Scottish bank than <strong>the</strong> English bank. The<br />
national boundary was mid-channel on <strong>the</strong><br />
Scottish side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> island. The channel between<br />
<strong>the</strong> island and <strong>the</strong> Scottish bank was deliberately<br />
filled in by 1897, with <strong>the</strong> island being made part<br />
<strong>of</strong> a larger field. As <strong>the</strong> change is man-made, <strong>the</strong><br />
law is that <strong>the</strong> boundary does not change, so <strong>the</strong><br />
O.S. maps from 1926 mark <strong>the</strong> relevant portion<br />
<strong>of</strong> field as being in England, notwithstanding that<br />
it is on <strong>the</strong> north bank. It is about 100 × 30m,<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r with a section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river bed, where<br />
Potamogeton ×olivaceus grows. The current<br />
O.S. boundary and <strong>the</strong> NBN boundary coincide.<br />
But, here again, we have a situation that is not<br />
very practical for field recording, so I and my<br />
neighbouring vice-county recorder may well<br />
agree to ignore <strong>the</strong> niceties for <strong>BSBI</strong> purposes.<br />
Arthur Chater has noted a similar issue in<br />
Cardiganshire, where a vegetated gravel spit at<br />
SN160485, in <strong>the</strong> estuary at <strong>the</strong> mouth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
River Teifi, has elongated over time to such an<br />
extent that <strong>the</strong> tip, an area 20 × 20m, is now in<br />
<strong>the</strong> adjacent vice-county, Pembrokeshire. Here,<br />
<strong>the</strong> legal position may be complicated by <strong>the</strong> fact<br />
that <strong>the</strong> foreshore belongs to <strong>the</strong> Crown Estate<br />
but, in essence, it is <strong>the</strong> same as at Lees Haugh –<br />
all <strong>the</strong> gravel spit is legally in Cardiganshire.<br />
So it seems that we have an issue here that is<br />
worthy <strong>of</strong> debate. Should vice-county boundaries<br />
be immutable, or should <strong>the</strong>y change over<br />
time in response to changes in <strong>the</strong> courses <strong>of</strong><br />
rivers and to <strong>the</strong> coastline? There is no suggestion<br />
that vice-counties should change in response<br />
to political boundary changes or to man-made<br />
works. It is just a question <strong>of</strong> whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y<br />
should change in response to natural forces<br />
where this would follow <strong>the</strong> legal position.
42<br />
Notes – Can vice-county boundaries change over time? – a response / Rosebay Willowherb<br />
Can vice-county boundaries change over time? – a response on<br />
reading a draft <strong>of</strong> Michael Braithwaite’s article<br />
ARTHUR CHATER, Windover, Penyrangor, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, SY23 1BJ<br />
I am adamantly <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opinion that v.c. boundaries<br />
are fixed and immutable. Once people<br />
start altering <strong>the</strong>m for <strong>the</strong>ir own convenience,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is confusion, if not mayhem. Among <strong>the</strong><br />
many reasons are that it is not only we<br />
botanists that use <strong>the</strong>m. If you record species<br />
A in a part <strong>of</strong> v.c.81, that is on <strong>the</strong> south side<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river, and deem it to be in v.c.68, I may<br />
come along and record a rust on it that I will<br />
say is in v.c.81. But as species A is apparently<br />
not recorded from this v.c., <strong>the</strong>re is a problem.<br />
Secondly, just as <strong>the</strong> river has changed its<br />
course in <strong>the</strong> last 150 years, so it will change<br />
again, or perhaps change back, in <strong>the</strong> future.<br />
So, any records you make in <strong>the</strong> contentious<br />
areas will need to be annotated ‘v.c.81 sensu<br />
Braithwaite, 2011’, and you will need to<br />
deposit an explanation somewhere every time<br />
you modify <strong>the</strong> traditional boundary. If<br />
botanists are allowed to do this, and dictate <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
preferences to o<strong>the</strong>rs, what about <strong>the</strong> ornithologists,<br />
who would find it more useful to put <strong>the</strong><br />
[Editor’s note: for <strong>the</strong> record, <strong>the</strong> NBN Trust<br />
carried out a complex programme some time<br />
ago, using very efficient contractors from<br />
India, to digitise <strong>the</strong> original vice-county<br />
boundaries, annotated by <strong>the</strong> late J.E. Dandy<br />
on O.S. 1:10,560 maps as a preparation for<br />
producing his <strong>BSBI</strong> publication Watsonian<br />
vice-counties <strong>of</strong> Great Britain (1969),<br />
<strong>the</strong>se now being held by <strong>the</strong> Natural History<br />
Museum. The maps were scanned and <strong>the</strong><br />
boundaries digitised, subsequently made<br />
available electronically to all as a ‘standard’<br />
for use in databases etc., along with digital<br />
images <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> original scanned maps. In doing<br />
Rosebay Willowherb<br />
whole <strong>of</strong> a lake into one v.c. when <strong>the</strong> boundary<br />
runs down <strong>the</strong> middle? Or <strong>the</strong> bat recorders,<br />
who want to remove a wobble because <strong>of</strong> a<br />
flight line? It is horribly reminiscent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
proposal someone once made that sites should<br />
be allocated to single tetrads, irrespective <strong>of</strong><br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y crossed an actual tetrad boundary.<br />
The only way to be fair, and for everyone to<br />
understand, is to stick to <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial v.c.<br />
boundaries. Where a sandbank, for example,<br />
has become colonised <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast, where no<br />
v.c. boundary is shown, it may <strong>of</strong> course be<br />
necessary to extrapolate <strong>the</strong> boundary to<br />
demarcate it, but this is quite different from<br />
altering an existing boundary.<br />
I do agree, though, that it is important for<br />
Vice-county Recorders and o<strong>the</strong>rs to be aware<br />
<strong>of</strong> anomalies such as Michael describes; and, as<br />
David Pearman would say, <strong>the</strong>se anomalies are<br />
fun. I have had several very enjoyable outings<br />
with Richard Pryce visiting each o<strong>the</strong>rs’<br />
enclaves on <strong>the</strong> wrong sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Teifi.<br />
this, <strong>the</strong>se sorts <strong>of</strong> issues were considered, but<br />
Arthur Chater’s position was adopted – that<br />
<strong>the</strong> Watsonian boundaries, as H.C. Watson<br />
(and Dandy) depicted, were <strong>the</strong> standard, not<br />
modern boundaries, however ‘inconvenient’<br />
<strong>the</strong>y might be on <strong>the</strong> ground; <strong>the</strong> aim being to<br />
‘fix’ <strong>the</strong> recording areas, ra<strong>the</strong>r than reflect<br />
any subsequent changes. Arthur may also like<br />
to know that Watson’s/Dandy’s boundaries<br />
were in fact extrapolated out to sea for <strong>the</strong><br />
purposes <strong>of</strong> this operation, so that it is now<br />
possible to use <strong>the</strong>m for inshore recording as<br />
well.]<br />
MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN, Knockavota, Milltown, Co. Kerry, Ireland<br />
I was interested in <strong>the</strong> article by Jack Oliver<br />
relating to Chamerion angustifolium (Rosebay<br />
Willowherb) in <strong>BSBI</strong> News 118. In particular,<br />
I was interested in <strong>the</strong> height aspect given for<br />
<strong>the</strong> species. My local wood, Kilderry, was<br />
partly clear-felled in 2001, and, during <strong>the</strong>
Notes – Rosebay Willowherb / Local <strong>BSBI</strong> groups: why every v.c. should have one 43<br />
following years, <strong>the</strong>re was extensive colonisation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se plants. In competition with<br />
Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken), <strong>the</strong> average<br />
height was two metres.<br />
Some years ago, I took some plants into my<br />
small, sheltered garden, and I observed <strong>the</strong>m<br />
Local <strong>BSBI</strong> groups: why every vice-county should have one<br />
LOUISE MARSH, University <strong>of</strong> Leicester Herbarium, Leicester, LE1 7RH;<br />
(louise-marsh@talktalk.net)<br />
In 2008, three recent <strong>BSBI</strong> members, enthused<br />
by our first national <strong>BSBI</strong> meetings, decided<br />
to email o<strong>the</strong>r local botanists in our v.c. (55),<br />
only some <strong>of</strong> whom we knew, to suggest<br />
setting up a local <strong>BSBI</strong> group. Our experience<br />
since <strong>the</strong>n has been so positive that we should<br />
like to share it more widely, and encourage<br />
people to consider setting up a local group this<br />
year. Or, if you are in one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> small, but<br />
growing, number <strong>of</strong> vice-counties already<br />
enjoying <strong>the</strong> benefits <strong>of</strong> a local group, we’d<br />
like to hear from you and pool ideas to fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
streng<strong>the</strong>n our groups. We are convinced<br />
local <strong>BSBI</strong> groups can attract and engage new<br />
members, boost botanical recording and help<br />
raise <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s pr<strong>of</strong>ile, and wonder if o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
members agree?<br />
More members for <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
Our local group now comprises 87 botanists:<br />
42 <strong>BSBI</strong> members and 45 people on our guest<br />
list. Seventeen <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 42 members were previously<br />
on <strong>the</strong> guest list, joining after attending<br />
our field meetings and/or <strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong><br />
Leicester Botanic Garden’s Plant ID course<br />
and FISC (see Colour Section, plate 2).<br />
We soon realised that many keen, local<br />
amateur botanists hadn’t appreciated how<br />
much <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> could <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong>m, and so<br />
hadn’t seriously considered <strong>the</strong> advantages <strong>of</strong><br />
membership. However, many pointed out that<br />
<strong>the</strong>y would have been far less inclined to join<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong> had <strong>the</strong>re been no local group in<br />
which <strong>the</strong>y could participate and from which<br />
<strong>the</strong>y could benefit.<br />
Botanising toge<strong>the</strong>r sharpens all our skills<br />
A local group can encourage beginner and<br />
improver botanists to get more involved with<br />
increasing in height every year; <strong>the</strong> average<br />
being 2.8m. One specimen was recorded this<br />
year (2011) at 3.1m (see Colour Section, plate<br />
1). It all goes to show that <strong>the</strong> species, given<br />
shelter and support, can reach exceptional<br />
heights.<br />
training and recording. We have found that<br />
communal botany sharpens all our skills, with<br />
experts challenged and encouraged to demonstrate<br />
field characters, beginners trained and<br />
supported in field ID, recording and taking<br />
voucher specimens, and improvers both<br />
receiving, and passing on, field ID tips. In <strong>the</strong><br />
field, a local group meeting demonstrates <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>BSBI</strong>/FSC Skills Pyramid in action! The<br />
range <strong>of</strong> skill levels also means local groups<br />
are good test-beds for comparing and contrasting<br />
different ID keys and taxonomies.<br />
More publicity for <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
We have also raised <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong>’s pr<strong>of</strong>ile and<br />
explained <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s work to a wider<br />
audience, whe<strong>the</strong>r by participating in public<br />
events like Bioblitzes and talking to local<br />
media, by cultivating and streng<strong>the</strong>ning links<br />
with local conservation groups, ID courses,<br />
records centres and local authority ecologists,<br />
or just by letting local landowners and managers<br />
know why we are requesting permission to<br />
survey on <strong>the</strong>ir land. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> latter are<br />
happy to help once <strong>the</strong>y understand <strong>the</strong> importance<br />
<strong>of</strong> botanical records, and that <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
members are only interested in recording <strong>the</strong><br />
local flora, although we are happy to point<br />
landowners in <strong>the</strong> direction <strong>of</strong> management<br />
advice via our local Wildlife Trust, with<br />
whom we have a close working relationship<br />
(our very supportive Vice-county Recorder is<br />
also <strong>the</strong>ir Head <strong>of</strong> Conservation)<br />
Leicester’s Bioblitz mass recording events<br />
in 2010 and 2011 were coordinated by our city<br />
council’s nature conservation <strong>of</strong>ficer, attended<br />
by thousands <strong>of</strong> people, and gave our group<br />
<strong>the</strong> opportunity to demonstrate and contextualise<br />
<strong>the</strong> taking <strong>of</strong> records. The Bioblitz co
44<br />
Notes – Local <strong>BSBI</strong> groups: why every v.c. should have one / Remarkable Bee Orchid<br />
ordinator has since been invaluable in<br />
arranging access to o<strong>the</strong>rwise inaccessible<br />
brownfield sites, rich in aliens. Access has<br />
been <strong>the</strong> group’s biggest challenge, with early<br />
plans to help re-survey all Habitat Study Sites<br />
from <strong>the</strong> last Flora scuppered by patchy<br />
access, so <strong>the</strong> network <strong>of</strong> contacts built up<br />
through <strong>the</strong> group has proved a great help.<br />
Local contacts have also helped members to<br />
find volunteering and work opportunities in<br />
<strong>the</strong> v.c., assisting o<strong>the</strong>r conservation groups<br />
with site surveys, and working hard to clear<br />
<strong>the</strong> backlog <strong>of</strong> mounting at <strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong><br />
Leicester’s Herbarium. It may only be a<br />
coincidence that, while none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three<br />
founder members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> group was in paid<br />
botanical employment in 2008, <strong>the</strong>y all are<br />
now, having arguably benefited from <strong>the</strong><br />
synergy <strong>of</strong> volunteering, botanical courses and<br />
FISCs, and local <strong>BSBI</strong> meetings.<br />
The future: a growing network <strong>of</strong> local<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> groups?<br />
We wonder if a network <strong>of</strong> local groups,<br />
perhaps with its own web-page, would be<br />
useful, both for local group members and also<br />
for newcomers to <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> website? A local<br />
group can be a helpful first point <strong>of</strong> contact for<br />
<strong>the</strong> interested public, many <strong>of</strong> whom understandably<br />
lack <strong>the</strong> confidence and/or skills to<br />
submit <strong>the</strong>ir records to <strong>the</strong> Vice-county<br />
Recorder.<br />
A remarkable Bee Orchid plant<br />
We think our group has also benefited from<br />
being a local <strong>BSBI</strong> group, ra<strong>the</strong>r than a simple<br />
local plant group. We have received help and<br />
support from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>, with a free hosted<br />
web-page, and we in turn have been able to<br />
promote <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong>’s work. We think o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
local groups would also benefit from <strong>the</strong> affiliation.<br />
We have botanists in neighbouring<br />
vice-counties on our mailing list, some with<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir own local groups (and meetings to which<br />
we are invited) and some who haven’t yet<br />
taken <strong>the</strong> plunge. John and Monika Walton, in<br />
adjacent v.c.38, have revitalised recording in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir v.c. with <strong>the</strong> recent reformation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
local flora group: around 65 members, 35 <strong>of</strong><br />
whom are <strong>BSBI</strong> members; an excellent webpage;<br />
and <strong>the</strong> indefatigable Waltons still find<br />
time to attend our meetings as well!<br />
We <strong>of</strong>fer all this as evidence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> growing<br />
demand for more local <strong>BSBI</strong> field meetings,<br />
hosted by a growing national network <strong>of</strong> local<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> groups, and encourage you to help meet<br />
this demand and enjoy more field botany in<br />
<strong>the</strong> process. Take a look at <strong>the</strong> hand-out –<br />
available on our webpage – on tips for starting<br />
or streng<strong>the</strong>ning a local group, and let us know<br />
your experience and share your tips for a<br />
successful local group. Get in touch via<br />
http://www.bsbi.org.uk/leicestershire.html<br />
BILL SHEPARD, Flat 18, Furze Brake, Whitepit Lane, Newport, Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight, PO30 1NJ<br />
On 20 th June 2011, a grounds maintenance<br />
man at St Paul’s cemetery, Fairlee, Newport,<br />
Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight, brought me a remarkable specimen<br />
which he had found. It was a discarded<br />
Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) cone from which<br />
an Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid) flower was<br />
emerging from between <strong>the</strong> scales (see Colour<br />
Section, plate 3).<br />
On fur<strong>the</strong>r investigation, I found that <strong>the</strong> tiny<br />
Bee Orchid plant was indeed growing from<br />
between <strong>the</strong> scales <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cone. In dissecting<br />
<strong>the</strong> cone, I carefully removed three tough<br />
outer woody scales. I was <strong>the</strong>n able to remove<br />
<strong>the</strong> orchid plant with root attached.<br />
The plant itself, including <strong>the</strong> single flower<br />
that terminated <strong>the</strong> aerial stem, was 40mm. At<br />
<strong>the</strong> base <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> stem was a three-branched root,<br />
<strong>the</strong> longest <strong>of</strong> which was 5mm, two o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
were 4mm. There was no swelling (tuber)<br />
separating <strong>the</strong> root system from <strong>the</strong> aerial<br />
stem. Examination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flower under a<br />
microscope (×40 magnification) showed<br />
nei<strong>the</strong>r stigma or stamens.<br />
Bee Orchid plants are sometimes found<br />
growing in <strong>the</strong> vicinity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cemetery. I<br />
would be most interested to know whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
anyone else has ever come across a similar<br />
specimen, or if any explanation can be given<br />
for this remarkable occurrence.
Notes – New names and taxa in <strong>the</strong> third edition <strong>of</strong> Stace – corrections / Strange Cotswold<br />
Water Park Marsh Horsetails<br />
New names and taxa in <strong>the</strong> third edition <strong>of</strong> Stace – corrections<br />
BOB ELLIS, 11 Havelock Road, Norwich, NR2 3HQ<br />
DAVID PEARMAN, ‘Algiers’, Feock, Truro, Cormwall, TR3 6RA<br />
An error in <strong>the</strong> first part (<strong>BSBI</strong> News 115) was<br />
brought to our attention and, although it was<br />
corrected on <strong>the</strong> spreadsheet on <strong>the</strong> website,<br />
<strong>the</strong> correction has not yet been published in<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News:<br />
‘Lepidium squamatum’ should be Lepidium<br />
coronopus.<br />
Similarly, in <strong>the</strong> second part (<strong>BSBI</strong> News<br />
116) all references to ‘×Schedololium’ should<br />
be to ×Schedolium.<br />
We apologise for any confusion caused.<br />
Strange Cotswold Water Park Marsh Horsetails<br />
JACK OLIVER, High View, Rhyls Lane, Lockeridge, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 4ED<br />
There are at least two species <strong>of</strong> horsetail at<br />
<strong>the</strong> east end <strong>of</strong> Mallard Lake, west <strong>of</strong> Ashton<br />
Keynes: Equisetum fluviatile (Water Horsetail)<br />
in zones 3 and 4 (see diagram, p. 47), and<br />
an extraordinarily protean range <strong>of</strong> Equisetum<br />
palustre (Marsh Horsetail) plants, found in all<br />
zones, 1-4. Page (1982) emphasises “…extensive<br />
environmentally-induced variation…” in<br />
E. palustre. Even so, his descriptions and<br />
pictures from Gloucestershire and Scottish<br />
populations do not encompass all <strong>the</strong> exceptional<br />
degrees <strong>of</strong> variability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cotswold<br />
Water Park plants. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se are as<br />
follows:<br />
1.Heights or lengths <strong>of</strong> main axes 25-75cm in<br />
zone 1; but 50-100cm in zone 2; plants<br />
vertical, or flaccid, and supported by <strong>the</strong><br />
surrounding vegetation, or creeping (fig. 1,<br />
p. 47); some main stems split into two or<br />
three verticals (rare – zone 2 only).<br />
2.Whorls <strong>of</strong> branches on 6-17 main stem<br />
nodes, 0-10 branches per node.<br />
3.Undamaged branches 0.5-45cms long, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
much overtopping <strong>the</strong> main axes; compound<br />
re-branching some years, especially towards<br />
<strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> summer.<br />
4.Floating forms in late summer (in among <strong>the</strong><br />
E. fluviatile stems). These come from<br />
45<br />
A fur<strong>the</strong>r point was drawn to our attention<br />
regarding Sorbus proctoriana, which was<br />
dealt with by Clive Stace in his article on <strong>the</strong><br />
first reprint <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong><br />
in <strong>BSBI</strong> News, 118. The changes listed in that<br />
article will be incorporated into <strong>the</strong> spreadsheet<br />
on <strong>the</strong> website.<br />
under-water E. palustre vertical stems in<br />
zone 4; in turn, from thick, black rhizomes,<br />
connected with deep levels in zones 1, 2 and<br />
3 respectively. The stem and branch architecture<br />
is <strong>the</strong> same as in land forms (fig. 2,<br />
p. 48).<br />
5.Most first branch internodes reduced to a<br />
pleated cupule above <strong>the</strong> black ochreolae<br />
(plate 2), but some longer; black sheath teeth<br />
and <strong>the</strong>ir usual white margins variable;<br />
sheaths usually green below teeth (as in<br />
Page, 1982), but sometimes black (as in<br />
Jermy & Camus, 1988).<br />
6.Fertile stems<br />
Zone 1: from one in 20 to one in three plants<br />
in some patches developed multi-whorl<br />
polystachions in July 2010. Dense swards <strong>of</strong><br />
massed E. palustre were composed <strong>of</strong><br />
densely-branched, creeping stems (fig. 1),<br />
mixed in with tangles <strong>of</strong> limp semi-verticals<br />
(figs. 3 & 4, p. 48 ). Terminal and peripheral<br />
cones were in confused pr<strong>of</strong>usion. Even<br />
though most plants were undamaged and not<br />
cropped, <strong>the</strong>y did not match standard<br />
illustrations or descriptions (Table 1, p. 47).<br />
Zone 2: many E. palustre plants semishaded<br />
by small Ash, Alder, Sallow and<br />
White Willow trees at <strong>the</strong> edge, and<br />
consequently becoming tall and much
46<br />
branched; very few plants with cones, <strong>the</strong>se<br />
few with central-terminal cones and usually<br />
some peripherals as well.<br />
Zone 3a (open, but with Juncus (rushes) and<br />
Eleocharis (spike-rushes)): both <strong>the</strong> rushes<br />
and <strong>the</strong> two Equisetum species had heavy,<br />
indiscriminate cropping by Canada Geese<br />
(and Mute Swans?); no polystachions seen<br />
in <strong>the</strong> surviving stems <strong>of</strong> E. palustre, but<br />
three unbranched, fertile stems with<br />
textbook central, stalked cones found.<br />
Zone 3b (amongst Typha latifolia<br />
(Bulrush\Reedmace) verticals): numerous<br />
vigorous E. palustre with two, three and<br />
four-whorled polystachions in July 2010.<br />
Zone 4 (with Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s<br />
Pondweed) and two Chara (stonewort)<br />
species): <strong>the</strong> main E. fluviatile verticals were<br />
severely cropped by waterfowl, with a few<br />
spindly compensatory branches. As <strong>the</strong><br />
summer progressed, <strong>the</strong> E. palustre<br />
colonised <strong>the</strong> open water with emerging<br />
verticals, which could collapse over <strong>the</strong><br />
water surface. (Similar to <strong>the</strong> land form (fig.<br />
1), but floating). No cones were present; and<br />
no rootlets formed above <strong>the</strong> lake bottom (as<br />
can occur in E. fluviatile).<br />
The ripe peripheral cones produced a greygreen<br />
dust, which, under <strong>the</strong> microscope,<br />
seemed to consist <strong>of</strong> healthy spores and elaters<br />
(fig. 5, p. 48). So far I have not managed to<br />
grow gametophytes from <strong>the</strong> dust from ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
central or peripheral mature E. palustre cones.<br />
Discussion and summary<br />
Two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> polystachion plants from <strong>the</strong> Typha<br />
area in zone 3b had remnants <strong>of</strong> a main axis<br />
cone stalk, as if a coot, moorhen or a duck had<br />
pecked out <strong>the</strong> central cone in early July. Like<br />
a flowering plant, <strong>the</strong> Marsh Horsetail could<br />
(<strong>the</strong>oretically) have compensated by producing<br />
a mass <strong>of</strong> peripheral branch cones. Whilst<br />
damage to <strong>the</strong> main axis may contribute to<br />
polystachion formation, <strong>the</strong> accepted <strong>the</strong>ory, I<br />
have six reasons for thinking that this is not<br />
<strong>the</strong> main, or even an important factor (Oliver,<br />
2011). Grose (1957) likewise implied that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re were genetic propensities largely<br />
accounting for <strong>the</strong> recurrence <strong>of</strong> polystachions<br />
in 12 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Wiltshire E. palustre populations.<br />
Notes – Strange Cotswold Water Park Marsh Horsetails<br />
In this study, it was generally <strong>the</strong> least<br />
damaged plants that produced <strong>the</strong> best 2-5whorled<br />
polystachions, with <strong>the</strong> most peripheral<br />
branch-tip cones, and with 2010 as one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> best years. On line 7 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Table (central<br />
cone lengths), it is <strong>the</strong>oretically possible that<br />
some June or early July central cones were<br />
pecked by waterfowl, or affected by invertebrate<br />
infestation in <strong>the</strong> early stages <strong>of</strong> development;<br />
but 5-15mm peripheral and central<br />
cones are produced in runs from June to<br />
September, starting with <strong>the</strong> 1-2mm purple<br />
cone buds.<br />
E. palustre is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most common and<br />
widespread plants in cool and cold areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
nor<strong>the</strong>rn hemisphere, with decumbent forms<br />
common (Clapham et al., 1987; Rook, 2004).<br />
However, I am not aware <strong>of</strong> big plants as in<br />
fig. 1 (no. 10 in <strong>the</strong> Table) being described<br />
elsewhere, in which <strong>the</strong>re is no central cone<br />
axis, but a line <strong>of</strong> 18 fully-formed branch-tip<br />
cones from five consecutive whorls, with new<br />
ones starting to develop. Nor can I find any<br />
references to multi-whorl polystachions with<br />
intact central cone axes, or to floating forms <strong>of</strong><br />
E. palustre.<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
My thanks to Martin Barber for his help.<br />
References:<br />
CLAPHAM, A.R., TUTIN, T.G. & MOORE, D.M.<br />
(1987). Flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>.<br />
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.<br />
GROSE, D. (1957). The flora <strong>of</strong> Wiltshire.<br />
Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History<br />
<strong>Society</strong>, Devizes.<br />
JERMY, C. & CAMUS, J. (1983). The illustrated<br />
field guide to ferns and allied plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>. Natural History Museum,<br />
London and H.M.S.O., London.<br />
OLIVER, J.E. (2011). ‘Unique populations <strong>of</strong><br />
Marsh Horsetails in N. Wiltshire’. Wilts.<br />
Arch. & Nat. Hist. Mag. 104: 251-253.<br />
PAGE, C.N. (1982). The ferns <strong>of</strong> Britain and<br />
Ireland. Cambridge University Press,<br />
Cambridge.<br />
ROOK, E.J.S. (2004). ‘Equisetum palustre’<br />
Valley Internet Company, U.S.A.<br />
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/ferns<br />
/equisetumpal.html
Notes – Strange Cotswold Water Park Marsh Horsetails 47<br />
Table 1. Equisetum palustre polystachions, from zones 1 and 3. July 2010<br />
Specimen nos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
Heights/lengths<br />
<strong>of</strong> main stems<br />
(cms.)<br />
Main stem nodes<br />
above ground<br />
Whorled nodes<br />
(from ground)<br />
Longest branches<br />
(cms.) (Branch<br />
nodes)<br />
Coned whorls<br />
(from ground)<br />
Central cone<br />
(length)<br />
Number <strong>of</strong><br />
peripheral cones<br />
40 70 36 50 39 40 41 44 25 60<br />
6 12 8 11 9 8 9 12 9 17 (+3)<br />
4<br />
(3-6th)<br />
45 (12)<br />
41 (12)<br />
3<br />
(4-6th)<br />
Young<br />
(15mm)<br />
3<br />
(10-12th)<br />
5<br />
(4-8th)<br />
6<br />
(6-11th)<br />
18 (11) 16 (10) 27 (10)<br />
25 (9)<br />
22 (10)<br />
2<br />
(11-12th)<br />
Young<br />
(14mm)<br />
3<br />
(6-8th)<br />
Spent<br />
(over)<br />
4<br />
(8-11th)<br />
Spent +<br />
new,<br />
small<br />
cone<br />
3<br />
(7-9th)<br />
5<br />
(4-8th)<br />
5<br />
(5-9th)<br />
6<br />
(6-11th)<br />
4<br />
(5-8th)<br />
15 (7) 27 (12) 9.5 (7) 12 (7) 24 (10)<br />
18 (9)<br />
18 (9)<br />
2<br />
(8-9th)<br />
Spent<br />
(over)<br />
3<br />
(5-7th)<br />
Spent<br />
(over)<br />
3<br />
(7-9th)<br />
Cluster<br />
<strong>of</strong> 5<br />
(4-9mm)<br />
2<br />
(10-11th)<br />
Spent +<br />
new<br />
small<br />
cone<br />
3<br />
(6-8th)<br />
Young<br />
(12mm)<br />
12<br />
(6-17th)<br />
30 (13)<br />
28 (11)<br />
27 (9)<br />
5 (6)*<br />
(8-12th)<br />
(13th)<br />
Central<br />
axis<br />
ends in<br />
branch<br />
5 11 13 12 10 9 10 10 10 18+*<br />
All cones 6 12 14 13 11 10 15 11 11 18+*<br />
*: Two or more fur<strong>the</strong>r 1-2mm cones starting to form. Nos 2, 3. 7 & 10 illustrated.<br />
Fig. 1. Part <strong>of</strong> creeping E. palustre polystachion. Central axis<br />
ending in a branch. 18 (mostly ripe) branch-tip cones removed (see<br />
inset). (No. 10 on Table)
48<br />
Notes – Strange Cotswold Water Park Marsh Horsetails<br />
Fig. 3. A tall 2-whorl E. palustre polystachion (no. 2 on Table);<br />
some cones lost.<br />
Fig.2. Usual stem architecture <strong>of</strong> E. palustre: erect, creeping or<br />
aquatic forms.<br />
Fig. 5. Spores (40µ diameter) and elaters (150-200µ long)<br />
from branch-end (peripheral) cones <strong>of</strong> E. palustre<br />
Fig. 4. Two 3-whorl E. palustre polystachions (nos. 3 and 7 on<br />
Table); some cones lost.
Aliens – Campanula garganica recorded as an established alien 49<br />
On 25 th June 2011, <strong>the</strong> Botany Section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight Natural History & Archaeological<br />
<strong>Society</strong> paid a visit to Norris Castle, East<br />
Cowes, Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight (SZ515959). This is a<br />
private, late 18 th century landscaped estate,<br />
adjoining <strong>the</strong> Osborne estate, to which public<br />
access has rarely been granted in <strong>the</strong> past. We<br />
parked alongside <strong>the</strong> Gothic farm building,<br />
comprising a farmyard built like a castle, with<br />
long walls, square corner towers and an<br />
impressive entrance, completed in 1805.<br />
Our attention was soon drawn to a bellflower,<br />
which appeared to be well established on <strong>the</strong><br />
outer wall and corner tower at <strong>the</strong> north-eastern<br />
corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> farm building. About 100 plants<br />
were growing in <strong>the</strong> mortar along an excess <strong>of</strong><br />
20m <strong>of</strong> north-west and south-east facing walls,<br />
from <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wall (at about 5m)<br />
downwards to 1m above <strong>the</strong> ground. The plant<br />
appeared at first sight to be intermediate in<br />
character between Campanula portenschlagiana<br />
(Adria Bell-flower) and C. poscharskyana<br />
(Trailing Bell-flower). The flowers had<br />
deeply divided, patent corolla lobes, similar to<br />
those <strong>of</strong> Trailing Bellflower but somewhat<br />
smaller. The plants had a more compact habit<br />
than Trailing Bellflower, with minutely sparse<br />
pubescence and orbicular to reniform, coarsely<br />
too<strong>the</strong>d leaves. The plant and its habitat are<br />
shown in <strong>the</strong> Colour Section, plate 1.<br />
ALIENS<br />
Adriatic Bellflower (Campanula garganica Ten.) recorded as an<br />
established alien<br />
COLIN POPE, 14 High Park Road, Ryde, Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight, PO33 1BP<br />
Fresh material was sent to Eric Clement,<br />
who identified it as C. garganica (Adriatic<br />
Bellflower). It is an endemic found on shady<br />
rocks in south-east Italy (Monte Gargano) and<br />
western Greece (Kephallinia), which was first<br />
recorded in cultivation in this country in 1830<br />
(G. Nicholson: Dictionary <strong>of</strong> Gardening<br />
(1884-1888)), with many varieties and hortal<br />
forms. According to Eric, <strong>the</strong>re is one<br />
previous casual record outside gardens from<br />
this country.<br />
The castellated farm walls enclosed a walled<br />
garden during Victorian and Edwardian times,<br />
where fruit, vegetables and cut flowers were<br />
grown. Since <strong>the</strong>n, <strong>the</strong> garden has fallen into<br />
neglect and become overgrown until recently.<br />
Mark Coventry, who farms <strong>the</strong> estate, has<br />
known <strong>the</strong> plant growing on <strong>the</strong> walls for at<br />
least 50 years, which suggests that it has<br />
actually been established here for much<br />
longer. The farm buildings are surrounded by<br />
agricultural land and woodlands. There are no<br />
gardens in <strong>the</strong> immediate neighbourhood.<br />
It is quite possible that this plant has been<br />
under-recorded as an established alien, due to<br />
confusion with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r two much more<br />
frequent wall bellflowers. The relevant part <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> key given in Flora Europaea (Vol. 4: 76<br />
(1976)) should serve to distinguish between<br />
<strong>the</strong>m and is reproduced here in a slightly<br />
modified form:<br />
Corolla infundibuliform-campanulate, lobed for ¼ its length 90. portenschlagiana<br />
Corolla rotate to infundibuliform, lobed for ¼ - ¾ its length<br />
Corolla 20-40mm in diameter; calyx-teeth 8-12 mm 91. poscharskyana<br />
Corolla 10-20mm in diameter; calyx-teeth 3-5 mm 92. garganica<br />
References to full descriptions and fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
illustrations can be found in Clement & Foster<br />
Alien plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong> (<strong>BSBI</strong>, 1994).<br />
Acknowledgement:<br />
I would like to thank Eric Clement for identifying<br />
<strong>the</strong> plant, providing information about it<br />
and for helpful comments on this short note.
50<br />
Aliens – Cotula coronopifolia found in Northamptonshire / Hypericum coris in v.c.10<br />
Buttonweed (Cotula coronopifolia) found in Northamptonshire<br />
ROB WILSON, 23 Cecil Street, Rothwell, Northamptonshire, NN14 6EZ;<br />
(robwilsondesigns@hotmail.com)<br />
In July 2011, local naturalist Tony Balbi was<br />
surveying a large area <strong>of</strong> former gravel pits in <strong>the</strong><br />
valley <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> River Nene near Irthlingborough,<br />
hopefully <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> a future Wildlife Trust<br />
nature reserve, when he discovered a large<br />
colony <strong>of</strong> Cotula coronopifolia (Buttonweed) –<br />
<strong>the</strong> only time this has been recorded in Northamptonshire.<br />
Shortly after we were told <strong>of</strong> this<br />
discovery, my co-recorder Gill Gent, two local<br />
botanists, Martin Dove and Roy Dexter, I set out<br />
to see this new species for ourselves.<br />
The field where <strong>the</strong> Buttonweed grows is part<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nene floodplain and can be under water<br />
in winter. As we entered <strong>the</strong> field <strong>the</strong> flora<br />
looked distinctly uninteresting. Although <strong>the</strong>re<br />
was more variety around some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wetter<br />
patches, with areas <strong>of</strong> Persicaria maculosa<br />
(Redshank) and o<strong>the</strong>r species associated with<br />
this type <strong>of</strong> habitat, it was still not terribly<br />
exciting, but more interesting than <strong>the</strong> cropped<br />
grassland in most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> field. Skirting <strong>the</strong>se<br />
areas, while watching our GPS, we kept<br />
heading towards <strong>the</strong> map reference we had been<br />
given. This brought us to a couple <strong>of</strong> large<br />
areas, shallow depressions that were largely<br />
devoid <strong>of</strong> plant life, probably <strong>the</strong> remains <strong>of</strong><br />
now dry vernal ponds. Around <strong>the</strong> larger <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>se was a swa<strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong> Matricaria discoidea<br />
(Pineappleweed), but <strong>the</strong> smaller was<br />
surrounded by thousands <strong>of</strong> flowering plants <strong>of</strong><br />
Buttonweed (see Colour Section, plate 4). This<br />
appeared to be well established in this one spot,<br />
and, judging by <strong>the</strong> number and spread <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
plants, it had been present for a number <strong>of</strong><br />
years. It was probably brought to <strong>the</strong> site by<br />
winter-visiting wildfowl, surviving <strong>the</strong> frost <strong>of</strong><br />
winter beneath <strong>the</strong> floods. The Buttonweed<br />
field adjoins part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> valley that<br />
forms <strong>the</strong> Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SSSI,<br />
stretching from Northampton downstream past<br />
Thrapston, <strong>the</strong> former pits, now flooded, being<br />
designated primarily for wildfowl and waders,<br />
but also for <strong>the</strong> diversity <strong>of</strong> plant life. It is to be<br />
hoped that <strong>the</strong> management plan that is being<br />
written for <strong>the</strong> proposed new reserve will make<br />
due allowance for this species that has only<br />
been recorded in 2-3 dozen hectads since <strong>the</strong><br />
start <strong>of</strong> this century. A sample was collected<br />
and <strong>the</strong> identification has been confirmed by<br />
Eric Clement.<br />
Hypericum coris L. (Heath-leaved St John’s-wort) on <strong>the</strong> Isle <strong>of</strong><br />
Wight (v.c.10)<br />
PAUL STANLEY, Mulberry House, The Orchard, Brighstone, Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight, PO30 4QU<br />
PHILIP J. BARDEN, 13 Lockeridge Road, Bere Alston, Devon, PL20 7AW<br />
DAVID J. BARDEN, 91 Newbridge Road, Llantrisant, Mid-Glamorgan, CF72 8EY<br />
On 5 th September 2011, one <strong>of</strong> us (PS) was<br />
examining <strong>the</strong> large population <strong>of</strong> Erigeron<br />
karvinskianus (Mexican Fleabane) on <strong>the</strong> high,<br />
west-facing boundary wall <strong>of</strong> Newchurch<br />
churchyard, Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight (v.c.10). In doing so,<br />
an unusual Hypericum was spotted that was<br />
unlike anything previously encountered. A<br />
search <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> internet produced a tentative identification<br />
<strong>of</strong> Hypericum coris L. (Heath-leaved St<br />
John’s-wort), which was confirmed following<br />
correspondence with Colin Pope (<strong>the</strong> vicecounty<br />
recorder) and Eric Clement. Remarkably,<br />
<strong>the</strong> very same spot was independently<br />
visited two days later by PJB, who also noted <strong>the</strong><br />
unusual plant, contacted his son (DJB) for his<br />
opinion about what it might be, and reached <strong>the</strong><br />
same conclusion.<br />
Even at first glance, H. coris looks unlike any<br />
native species <strong>of</strong> Hypericum (or indeed any<br />
common alien species <strong>of</strong> that genus). However,<br />
<strong>the</strong> very narrow, whorled leaves suggest<br />
Hypericum section Coridium, and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> species<br />
in this section, H. coris is definitely <strong>the</strong> best fit,<br />
having both four-whorled leaves and strongly<br />
sessile-glandular sepals (see Colour Section,<br />
plate 1). The o<strong>the</strong>r species in section Coridium
Aliens – Hypericum coris in v.c.10 / Iberis × Arabis? 51<br />
ei<strong>the</strong>r have three-whorled leaves (H. empetrifolium),<br />
eglandular sepals (H. amblycalyx), or<br />
very much smaller leaves (H. ericoides).<br />
The site is near <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> a mortared retaining<br />
wall constructed <strong>of</strong> limestone, with an open<br />
westerly aspect, matching its wild habitat <strong>of</strong><br />
“sunny, calcareous rocks” in north and central<br />
Italy, Switzerland and south-east France, as<br />
described in Flora Europaea. Nine plants were<br />
present, and all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se had flowered in 2011,<br />
with just one plant putting out a couple <strong>of</strong> late<br />
blooms at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> discovery.<br />
Eric Clement confirmed that H. coris was first<br />
reported in cultivation in Britain in 1640, and<br />
that, apart from an obvious (and persistent)<br />
introduction on a roadside bank near Stow-on<strong>the</strong>-Wold<br />
(v.c.33), noted in 1995 and reported<br />
in 1997 (see <strong>BSBI</strong> News, 73: 40), <strong>the</strong>re had been<br />
no previous records <strong>of</strong> it being naturalised in<br />
<strong>the</strong> country.<br />
Newchurch church is well-visited by<br />
botanists, principally because <strong>of</strong> its population<br />
In 2009 I had to dig out a shrub and a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> bushes arising from its suckers because it<br />
was threatening an attractive Viburnum in a<br />
corner <strong>of</strong> a lawn in front <strong>of</strong> my house. I <strong>the</strong>n<br />
dug <strong>the</strong> area thoroughly and removed seedlings<br />
and plants from among <strong>the</strong> limestone rocks that<br />
enabled me to level <strong>the</strong> lawn in 1950. Among<br />
<strong>the</strong>se rocks I had grown rock plants e.g. Aubretia,<br />
Iberis umbellata (Garden Candytuft), and<br />
Arabis caucasica (Garden Arabis). In late<br />
summer <strong>of</strong> 2010, I noticed a smallish plant new<br />
to me (see Colour Section, plate 3). It had white<br />
flowers with four rectangular petals, with <strong>the</strong><br />
two lower (outer) petals larger than <strong>the</strong> two<br />
upper ones. The fruits, when <strong>the</strong>y appeared,<br />
were definitely siliquas, though <strong>the</strong>y were<br />
completely sterile and shrivelled, without a<br />
single seed being produced. Stolons from <strong>the</strong><br />
base <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plant spread along <strong>the</strong> surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
soil and eventually formed rosettes <strong>of</strong> glabrous,<br />
rough-edged leaves like those on <strong>the</strong> stems,<br />
which had appressed hairs. The flowers<br />
shouted Iberis (Tim Rich, in his Crucifers <strong>of</strong><br />
Great Britain and Ireland, p. 43, states that<br />
Iberis is distinct in having large (this plant had<br />
Iberis × Arabis?<br />
<strong>of</strong> Digitaria sanguinalis (Hairy Finger-grass),<br />
and <strong>the</strong> fact that H. coris had not been spotted<br />
earlier suggests that it is not long-established.<br />
In line with this, a local resident had mentioned<br />
to Colin Pope that <strong>the</strong> Erigeron karvinskianus<br />
was introduced “some years ago” by someone<br />
who brought it back on holiday from <strong>the</strong> Continent,<br />
fitting in with Colin’s observation that it<br />
was actively colonising in 2000, but apparently<br />
absent five years earlier. It is <strong>the</strong>refore possible<br />
that <strong>the</strong> H. coris might have been (accidentally?)<br />
introduced at <strong>the</strong> same time as <strong>the</strong><br />
Erigeron, although how this might have<br />
happened is a matter for speculation. It is not<br />
currently clear whe<strong>the</strong>r all nine plants established<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves at <strong>the</strong> same time, or if it is<br />
actually self-seeding – time may tell. However,<br />
it may be significant that no plants were present<br />
lower down on <strong>the</strong> wall, despite plenty <strong>of</strong><br />
apparently suitable habitat being present <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
TREVOR EVANS, ‘La Cuesta’, Mountain Road, Chepstow, Gwent, NP16 5BS<br />
large flowers for its size) asymmetrical petals<br />
(it certainly had those). The fruits were not<br />
those <strong>of</strong> Iberis and <strong>the</strong>y were sterile. The plant<br />
must be a hybrid, considering <strong>the</strong> plants that<br />
had been growing among <strong>the</strong> rocks edging my<br />
lawn until recently. I also grew several o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
species <strong>of</strong> Arabis in my garden so that my<br />
drawings for Tim Rich’s Crucifers handbook<br />
would be accurate, however <strong>the</strong>y did not<br />
survive beyond <strong>the</strong> early years <strong>of</strong> 1990s.<br />
I was so taken by <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> News 115 account<br />
<strong>of</strong> 334 plants that had been re-named in Stace’s<br />
3 rd edition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong><br />
that I forgot to finish perusing it until weeks<br />
later, when I saw a photograph <strong>of</strong> a plant named<br />
Arabis procurrens that matched my plant. I<br />
pressed <strong>the</strong> plant, mounted it on a NMW<br />
herbarium sheet and presented to Tim earlier<br />
last year.<br />
Since <strong>the</strong>n I have considered how a plant could<br />
have arrived from <strong>the</strong> Balkans and found its way<br />
into widely separated spots in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>.<br />
It is not a showy plant. Maybe alpine gardeners<br />
have imported it for <strong>the</strong>ir rock gardens. It looks<br />
as if it could form colonies. Tim showed me a
52<br />
specimen in NMW that came from Manchester<br />
Museum. If <strong>the</strong> plant came from Manchester via<br />
Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Sunning-well<br />
Churchyard and now my garden in Chepstow,<br />
Monmouthshire, one has to wonder how <strong>the</strong><br />
plants travelled to such dispersed sites considering<br />
<strong>the</strong>y do not produce seeds.<br />
How do we know that <strong>the</strong> plants in <strong>the</strong><br />
Balkans have been named correctly? I went to<br />
Romania at Easter at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1970s, with<br />
a group <strong>of</strong> pupils from Chepstow Secondary<br />
School, with parties to Hungary in 1985, to<br />
Bulgaria in 1988, to south-west Turkey in 1990<br />
and north-east Turkey in 1997, but nowhere<br />
near <strong>the</strong> Balkans since <strong>the</strong>n. I would like Eric<br />
Clement to comment how he can be so definite<br />
<strong>the</strong> plant is not a hybrid; has DNA been used to<br />
confirm it?<br />
Scrophularia grandiflora in Surrey (v.c.17)<br />
GEORGE HOUNSOME, 14 St John’s Rise, Woking, Surrey, GU21 1PW;<br />
(george.hounsome@btinternet.com)<br />
In May 2011 I was recording <strong>the</strong> flora in<br />
SU9958, one <strong>of</strong> my local monads in suburban<br />
Woking (v.c.17), when I came across a plant<br />
that was obviously a figwort <strong>of</strong> some sort but<br />
a species completely unknown to me. It was<br />
about 45cm tall and growing out <strong>of</strong> a short<br />
retaining wall between a raised pavement and<br />
<strong>the</strong> street (see inside back cover). The whole<br />
plant was densely glandular-hairy. The stem<br />
and basal leaves were pinnate or almost so,<br />
with two or three pairs <strong>of</strong> ovate, acute, coarsely-too<strong>the</strong>d<br />
leaflets and a relatively large terminal<br />
lobe. The flowers were in clusters in <strong>the</strong><br />
axils <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> upper leaves/bracts and were 1cm<br />
or more long, yellowish inside and pale<br />
reddish-purple outside. I was initially unable<br />
to find a name to get a handle on what it might<br />
be, but Eric Clement suggested using <strong>the</strong> RHS<br />
Plant Finder and, sure enough, a trawl through<br />
<strong>the</strong> species listed <strong>the</strong>re under Scrophularia,<br />
compared with <strong>the</strong> images available on <strong>the</strong><br />
internet, produced a good match for Scrophularia<br />
grandiflora.<br />
One needs to be a bit circumspect with <strong>the</strong><br />
internet as a resource, so, as I happened to be<br />
at Kew a couple <strong>of</strong> days later, I visited <strong>the</strong><br />
Natural Order Beds in <strong>the</strong> ra<strong>the</strong>r forlorn hope<br />
that it would be <strong>the</strong>re for comparison. This<br />
time I was lucky! There it was, labelled<br />
S. grandiflora ssp. grandiflora. Flora<br />
Europaea gives two sspp. for S. grandiflora:<br />
ssp. grandiflora (densely glandular-pubescent,<br />
lower lvs. lyrate, corolla 12–18 mm.)<br />
from Central Portugal and ssp. reuteri (more<br />
or less glandular-pubescent, lower leaves<br />
Aliens – Iberis × Arabis? / Scrophularia grandiflora in Surrey (v.c.17)<br />
usually undivided, corolla 9-12 (-14) mm.),<br />
from <strong>the</strong> mountains <strong>of</strong> west-central Spain.<br />
The plant I found seems closest to <strong>the</strong> type<br />
ssp., and looked just like <strong>the</strong> one at Kew. As<br />
a point <strong>of</strong> interest, figworts are so called<br />
because <strong>the</strong> Doctrine <strong>of</strong> Signatures suggested<br />
<strong>the</strong>y could be used to treat piles, once called<br />
‘figs’, because <strong>the</strong> cluster <strong>of</strong> root tubers is said<br />
to resemble <strong>the</strong>m. I have not yet been able to<br />
make a direct comparison to confirm it.<br />
The source <strong>of</strong> this plant was a nearby garden,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> lady <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> household told me <strong>the</strong>y had<br />
bought a plant ten years or so previously, and<br />
that it had sprung up in odd places ever since.<br />
The first one I found was sprayed by <strong>the</strong> council<br />
shortly afterwards and succumbed immediately<br />
(whereas <strong>the</strong> Buddleia growing next to it<br />
survived to flowering!), but <strong>the</strong>re was ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
at <strong>the</strong> foot <strong>of</strong> a wall, out <strong>of</strong> range <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> herbicidal<br />
maniacs, that escaped to reach maturity<br />
and set seed. It shows no sign <strong>of</strong> spreading very<br />
far and must be regarded only as an interesting<br />
casual, but it was a pleasure to find it.<br />
I would like to thank Eric Clement for<br />
putting me on track for <strong>the</strong> identification and<br />
David Bevan for <strong>the</strong> information from Flora<br />
Europaea.<br />
References:<br />
Royal Horticultural <strong>Society</strong>. (2011). RHS<br />
Plantfinder 2011-2012. Royal Horticultural<br />
<strong>Society</strong>, London.<br />
TUTIN, T.G. et al. (eds.) (1972). Flora<br />
Europaea. Vol. 3. Cambridge University<br />
Press, Cambridge.
Aliens – Problems over identification <strong>of</strong> Pyracantha bushes 53<br />
Problems over identification <strong>of</strong> Pyracantha bushes<br />
ERIC J. CLEMENT, 54 Anglesey Road, Gosport, Hants., PO12 2EQ<br />
Pyracantha (Firethorns) is a small genus <strong>of</strong><br />
popularly cultivated, usually thorny shrubs<br />
originating from south-eastern Europe to<br />
eastern Asia. The fruits (pomes) are loved by<br />
birds, and hence plants soon appear in wild<br />
places in temperate climates. Seed-chilling is<br />
necessary for germination. In Britain <strong>the</strong>y<br />
have yet to reach pest status, unlike in South<br />
Africa and elsewhere.<br />
Most books claim a minimum <strong>of</strong> seven<br />
species (as listed in <strong>the</strong> key below), but study<br />
soon reveals that most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se ‘species’ are<br />
100% inter-fertile. This is not a surprise, since<br />
<strong>the</strong> taxa are based mostly on trivial characters<br />
<strong>of</strong> leaf shape and indumentum. The flowers<br />
and fruit are more or less uniform. The<br />
isolated native populations, alone, are easily<br />
identified.<br />
I note that <strong>the</strong> wondrous D.J. Mabberley’s<br />
The plant book (2 nd ed.) (1997) called for<br />
exactly nine species, whereas <strong>the</strong> 3 rd edition<br />
(2008) claims about three, commenting that<br />
P. coccinea (Firethorn) was “native in G.B. in<br />
warmer inter-glacials”. The late Dr C.<br />
Kalkman’s account <strong>of</strong> Pyracantha in The<br />
families and genera <strong>of</strong> vascular plants (ed. K.<br />
Kubitzki, 2004) (vol. 6: 380) claims about<br />
three (but, again, does not list <strong>the</strong>m). Clearly,<br />
horticulturalists have enthusiastically named<br />
superior garden plants, like P. rogersiana<br />
(Asian Firethorn), whereas a varietal, or<br />
subspecific rank is far more appropriate.<br />
Several keys to Pyracantha ‘species’ exist,<br />
but none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m do I find effective, e.g. The<br />
European garden flora 4: 438-439 (1998)<br />
covers seven species, but starts badly – <strong>the</strong><br />
lead numbers in <strong>the</strong> first dichotomy should be<br />
reversed; viz.: it should read 3, 2, and not: 2, 3.<br />
With much reluctance, I <strong>of</strong>fer yet ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
(non-dichotomous) key that, doubtless, will be<br />
at most a minimal improvement.<br />
Leaf underside persistently tomentose; leaves oblong to oblong-obovate angustifolia<br />
Leaf underside tomentose, becoming sub-glabrous; leaves elliptic to<br />
obovate-elliptical coccinea<br />
Leaf underside glabrous or almost so (crenulata agg.)<br />
Leaf margin <strong>of</strong> short shoots entire (or almost so); inflorescence hairy.<br />
Leaves 4-8 × 1.5-2cm, margins flat atalantioides<br />
Leaves 2-4 × 1-1.5cm, margins slightly recurved koidzumii<br />
Leaf margin too<strong>the</strong>d, occasionally weakly so.<br />
Inflorescence hairy, sometimes thinly; leaf-margin crenate-serrate<br />
crenatoserrata<br />
Inflorescence glabrous (or almost so)<br />
Leaf margin crenate; leaf apex acute or mucronate crenulata<br />
Leaf margin unequally serrulate; leaf apex obtuse rogersiana<br />
Note that with <strong>the</strong> three main taxa above, we<br />
are exactly back to <strong>the</strong> treatment in L.H.<br />
Bailey’s Cyclopedia, vol. 3: 2863-2864<br />
(1937). Reducing species even fur<strong>the</strong>r is<br />
possible. W.J. Bean’s classic Trees and<br />
shrubs hardy in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>, vol. 3: 442<br />
(3 rd ed.) (1976) says <strong>of</strong> P. crenulata that it<br />
“can scarcely be regarded as more than a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> P. coccinea”.<br />
Most recent literature replaces <strong>the</strong> name<br />
P. crenatoserrata by P. fortuneana (Maxim.)<br />
H.L. Li. Maybe <strong>the</strong> holotype <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> latter in L<br />
is conspecific, but <strong>the</strong> ?isotype at K is referable<br />
(by W.J. Bean and o<strong>the</strong>rs) to a Photinia<br />
species! A mixed ga<strong>the</strong>ring?<br />
Not mentioned in <strong>the</strong> key above is P. inermis<br />
Vidal (1949), a native <strong>of</strong> Indo-China and<br />
China (south-west Yunnan). Is this a thornless<br />
variant <strong>of</strong> P. crenulata?<br />
Clement & Foster’s Alien plants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong> (1994) gives full references to<br />
four escaping taxa. Since <strong>the</strong>n, I can trace
54<br />
Aliens – Problems over identification <strong>of</strong> Pyracantha bushes
Aliens – Problems over identification <strong>of</strong> Pyracantha bushes / Saxifraga umbrosa – one <strong>of</strong> our<br />
rarest flowers?<br />
only one addition: P. crenatoserrata, found by<br />
Dr A.C. Leslie on an old railway track in<br />
Cambridge (TL461616), October 2003, CGE<br />
(Nature in Cambridgeshire 46: 89 (2004)).<br />
I firmly believe that in Britain most recent<br />
escapees are now <strong>of</strong> hybrid blood (maybe with<br />
three or more parents). These are so <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
generously planted in droves by councils.<br />
Hence, formally coining varietal names is <strong>of</strong><br />
limited value, but one does already exist:<br />
P. crenulata var. rogersiana A.B. Jackson<br />
(plus <strong>the</strong> autonym, var. crenulata).<br />
David Nicolle, ever eager to help, has<br />
provided us with an illustration (see p. 54) – a<br />
photocopy <strong>of</strong> a duplicate in Herb. EJC <strong>of</strong> his<br />
BX 1330 herbarium ga<strong>the</strong>ring, cultivated at<br />
Bexley, Kent, May 2009; grown directly from<br />
seeds <strong>of</strong> SHPA 975, which was collected (as<br />
an ‘indet. shrub’) in <strong>the</strong> wild in <strong>the</strong> Himalaya,<br />
Nepal, where only one taxon is on record:<br />
P. crenulata var. crenulata. Oddly, SHPA<br />
does not appear in <strong>the</strong> valuable list <strong>of</strong> Collectors<br />
References in <strong>the</strong> RHS plant finder 2011-<br />
2012 (pp. 20-23). Help! Is <strong>the</strong>re a more<br />
complete list published elsewhere? It refers,<br />
<strong>of</strong> course, to Chris Chadwell’s Sino-Himalayan<br />
Plant Association, and specifically<br />
those plants collected by his collaborators. In<br />
<strong>the</strong> SHPA Journal, identifications <strong>of</strong><br />
Chadwell’s and SHPA collection numbers are<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten discussed, e.g., see vol. 43: 27-28<br />
(August 2011) for <strong>the</strong> latest reviews.<br />
This ramble (it is no more!) draws attention<br />
to a problematic genus, for which, at present,<br />
I can <strong>of</strong>fer no firm, specific determinations.<br />
Postscript<br />
A.C. Leslie draws attention to a useful key at<br />
www.efloras.org (Flora <strong>of</strong> China), but<br />
P. rogersiana does not appear at any rank!<br />
Saxifraga umbrosa – one <strong>of</strong> our rarest flowers?<br />
NORMAN A. THOMPSON, 6 The Grove, Marton, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS7 8AA<br />
Over many years I have been trying to make a<br />
photographic record <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
saxifrages, and now require <strong>the</strong> last two, one<br />
<strong>of</strong> which is Saxifraga umbrosa (Pyrenean<br />
Saxifrage).<br />
When I received my copy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New atlas<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> & Irish flora, I immediately<br />
looked for <strong>the</strong> distribution map for<br />
S. umbrosa, but <strong>the</strong>re wasn’t one. All <strong>the</strong><br />
index said was “See CD”. As I am 85, I am<br />
not into computers and CDs, but recently I had<br />
<strong>the</strong> brilliant idea <strong>of</strong> getting my grand-daughter<br />
to play it for me. I do not think that<br />
S. umbrosa was mentioned. She <strong>the</strong>n looked<br />
on <strong>the</strong> internet to see what came up. A map <strong>of</strong><br />
north Yorkshire seemed to have two red dots.<br />
I contacted <strong>the</strong> North & East Yorkshire<br />
Environmental Data Centre, which was <strong>the</strong><br />
contact given, and <strong>the</strong>y were very helpful.<br />
They gave me <strong>the</strong> grid references <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two<br />
10km squares. I looked up <strong>the</strong>se on <strong>the</strong> map<br />
and realised that <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>the</strong> same locations<br />
that Nan Sykes, in her book Wild plants in <strong>the</strong><br />
North York Moors gives as Saxifraga ×urbium<br />
(London Pride), so it looks as though<br />
55<br />
NEYEDC has been given <strong>the</strong> wrong information.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>. John Richards gave a site near<br />
Hexham, which I visited, but was unable to<br />
find it. I contacted him, and he went to have a<br />
look, but he couldn’t find it ei<strong>the</strong>r. He<br />
concluded that it must have been washed away<br />
in a flood, as it was very near to <strong>the</strong> water’s<br />
edge. That left me with <strong>the</strong> site in Hesledon<br />
Gill, mid-west Yorkshire, which Pr<strong>of</strong>. Stace<br />
states has been known <strong>the</strong>re since 1792. He<br />
also vaguely mentions that it might occur in<br />
Derbyshire and Dunbarton. I went up to <strong>the</strong><br />
Hesledon site last year, on a terrible day. I<br />
would not have gone, but it was <strong>the</strong> only day<br />
<strong>the</strong> driver could manage. The waterfalls were<br />
blowing up vertically, and when I got down to<br />
<strong>the</strong> river, it was in full spate, and totally<br />
impassable. A friend had found for me from<br />
one <strong>of</strong> his friends <strong>the</strong> grid reference, and he<br />
said that it was many years since he had been<br />
<strong>the</strong>re, that <strong>the</strong>re were very few plants, and that<br />
<strong>the</strong> site was on <strong>the</strong> far side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> river.<br />
It would appear, <strong>the</strong>refore, that, from <strong>the</strong><br />
above description, Saxifraga umbrosa would
56<br />
Aliens – Saxifraga umbrosa – one <strong>of</strong> our rarest flowers? / Verbascum speciosum new to NW England<br />
seem to be one <strong>of</strong> our rarest flowers. If any<br />
member has a detailed description <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
location <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plant at its locality at Hesledon,<br />
Verbascum speciosum (Hungarian Mullein) new to north-west<br />
England at Formby, Merseyside (v.c.59)<br />
PHILIP H. SMITH, 9 Hayward Court, Watchyard Lane, Formby, Liverpool, L37 3QP<br />
In <strong>the</strong> heat-wave <strong>of</strong> 30 th September 2011, I<br />
decided to visit <strong>the</strong> Ravenmeols woodland, on<br />
<strong>the</strong> Formby sand-dunes to photograph Red<br />
Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) nectaring on<br />
flowering Hedera hibernica (Atlantic Ivy).<br />
However, my attention was soon distracted by<br />
<strong>the</strong> flower-spikes <strong>of</strong> an enormous Verbascum<br />
(Mullein) on <strong>the</strong> edge <strong>of</strong> a glade. There were<br />
two flowering individuals and four first-year<br />
rosettes within an area <strong>of</strong> about 2 × 12m at grid<br />
ref. SD2803605860. It was clearly different<br />
from any member <strong>of</strong> this genus I had seen<br />
before on <strong>the</strong> Sefton Coast, being about 2m<br />
tall, with a candelabra-like inflorescence<br />
supporting numerous small (2-3cm) pale-yellow<br />
flowers. Examination with a hand-lens<br />
showed that <strong>the</strong> leaves and stems were densely<br />
clo<strong>the</strong>d in short branched hairs. I took photographs<br />
(see inside front cover) and a small<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> material which keyed out in Stace<br />
(2010) to Verbascum speciosum (Hungarian<br />
Mullein), a native <strong>of</strong> south-east Europe. This<br />
provisional identification was confirmed by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Verbascum referee, Victor Johnstone. He<br />
writes that it has become a troublesome plant<br />
in his garden due to its high seed production<br />
and fertility, and fur<strong>the</strong>r states that <strong>the</strong> horticultural<br />
trade could be responsible for<br />
V. speciosum turning up in <strong>the</strong> wild, as plants<br />
he has purchased as V. olympicum have<br />
I should be very pleased to hear from <strong>the</strong>m. It<br />
would be very helpful for me when I go next<br />
year to look for it again.<br />
frequently turned out to be ei<strong>the</strong>r V. speciosum<br />
or V. bombyciferum.<br />
The habitat at Ravenmeols is somewhat decalcified<br />
fixed-dune, dominated by Carex<br />
arenaria (Sand Sedge), within an area fenced<br />
<strong>of</strong>f in 2004 and planted with young Pinus<br />
nigra ssp. laricio (Corsican Pine) by <strong>the</strong> landowner,<br />
Sefton Borough Council. O<strong>the</strong>r<br />
associates are Agrostis capillaris (Common<br />
Bent), Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bitter-cress),<br />
Geranium molle (Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill),<br />
Luzula campestris (Field Wood-rush) and<br />
Rumex acetosella (Sheep’s-sorrel). A wellused<br />
informal footpath runs nearby and <strong>the</strong><br />
site is about 150m from <strong>the</strong> nearest garden,<br />
although V. speciosum is not grown <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
According to <strong>the</strong> most recent (2011) distribution<br />
map on <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> website, V. speciosum<br />
has a mostly south-eastern distribution in<br />
Britain, having been reported from only 53<br />
hectads (24 post-2000). There appear to have<br />
been no previously notified records for any <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> north-west England vice-counties (v.cc.<br />
58, 59, 60, 69, 70).<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
I am grateful to Victor Johnstone for providing<br />
a determination by return <strong>of</strong> post.<br />
Reference:<br />
STACE, C.A. (2010). New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong>. 3 rd edition. Cambridge University<br />
Press, Cambridge.
Aliens – Notes from Wisley (v.c.17): <strong>the</strong> sex forms <strong>of</strong> Cortaderia selloana 57<br />
Notes from Wisley (v.c.17): <strong>the</strong> sex forms <strong>of</strong> Cortaderia selloana<br />
JAMES ARMITAGE, Botany Department, RHS Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB<br />
Cortaderia selloana (Schult. & Schult. f.)<br />
Asch. & Graebn. (Pampas-grass), was introduced<br />
to cultivation in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong> in 1843,<br />
when David Moore <strong>of</strong> Glasnevin, Dublin,<br />
received seeds sent from Argentina (Stapf,<br />
1905). It has been popular in cultivation ever<br />
since and, for <strong>the</strong> great majority <strong>of</strong> that time,<br />
has been a well-behaved garden plant, so much<br />
so that only seven years ago confirmation that<br />
it was self-sowing at all was required (Clement,<br />
2005). It is difficult to believe now that <strong>the</strong>re<br />
could have been any doubt. A quick look at <strong>the</strong><br />
online <strong>BSBI</strong> Maps Scheme (www.bsbimaps.<br />
org.uk/atlas/main.php) shows that it has been<br />
recorded from 425 hectads.<br />
At RHS Garden Wisley, self-sown plants<br />
can regularly be found around <strong>the</strong> site, and a<br />
sward <strong>of</strong> seedlings appeared in a plot where a<br />
trial <strong>of</strong> pampas grasses had been held. Never<strong>the</strong>less<br />
it was with some surprise that Barry<br />
Phillips and I found 14 young plants, three<br />
already flowering, growing in a small area <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> car park beneath some Scot’s Pines. These<br />
were in addition to five mature and semi-mature<br />
plants that had been spotted during a<br />
previous survey.<br />
Cortaderia selloana is highly invasive in<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world, including California,<br />
New Zealand and Hawaii, but what has<br />
brought its long lag phase to an end in Britain<br />
is not clear. As it does not begin to flower<br />
until autumn, it may be that longer growing<br />
seasons are allowing seeds to ripen more<br />
regularly, but <strong>the</strong> complex breeding system<br />
<strong>the</strong> species possesses may also be a factor.<br />
Edgar & Connor (2000) report that, in natural<br />
populations, 51% <strong>of</strong> plants are hermaphrodite<br />
while 49% are female and, though hermaphrodites<br />
produce seed, “<strong>the</strong>se are unlikely to give<br />
rise to many plants; <strong>the</strong> reproductive system,<br />
thus, is chiefly dioecious”.<br />
Wilcox (2007) points out some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> differences<br />
between C. selloana and C. richardii<br />
(Endl.) Zotov, but <strong>the</strong>re are also clear differences<br />
between <strong>the</strong> sex forms within<br />
C. selloana, so that <strong>the</strong>y can be told apart even<br />
from a distance and in winter time. The<br />
female inflorescence is borne all around a<br />
usually upright stem, while hermaphrodites<br />
are one-sided on more arching stems. Female<br />
inflorescences are white, while in hermaphrodites<br />
<strong>the</strong>y are <strong>of</strong>ten pink-tinged or age to a<br />
dirty greyish brown. The lemmas <strong>of</strong> female<br />
florets bear long hairs, which gives <strong>the</strong> inflorescence<br />
as a whole a silky, fleecy appearance<br />
and texture. Female inflorescences remain<br />
full well into winter, while hermaphrodites are<br />
soon skeletal. Hermaphrodite flowers tend to<br />
emerge slightly earlier. (see Colour Section,<br />
plate 1). Although, with <strong>the</strong>ir mane-like inflorescences,<br />
some hermaphrodite plants are<br />
undoubtedly attractive, it is likely that females<br />
have been favoured over <strong>the</strong> years, and a lack<br />
<strong>of</strong> pollen may be one reason <strong>the</strong> species was<br />
kept in check for so long. The appearance <strong>of</strong><br />
hermaphrodites among those seedlings that<br />
did appear may have contributed to <strong>the</strong><br />
extremely rapid increase in naturalised plants<br />
observed in recent times.<br />
I am not aware <strong>of</strong> a list that deals comprehensively<br />
with <strong>the</strong> gender <strong>of</strong> named cultivars<br />
<strong>of</strong> C. selloana, but such a thing may be <strong>of</strong> use<br />
to members wishing to trace <strong>the</strong> source <strong>of</strong><br />
naturalised plants. The table (p. 58) lists <strong>the</strong><br />
gender <strong>of</strong> all selections listed in <strong>the</strong> 2011-12<br />
edition <strong>of</strong> RHS Plant Finder, with some o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
which may occasionally be encountered in<br />
gardens.<br />
References:<br />
CLEMENT, E.J. (2005). ‘Cortaderia does self<br />
sow abundantly in Britain’. <strong>BSBI</strong> News 99:<br />
47-48.<br />
EDGAR, E. & CONNOR, H.E. (2000). Flora <strong>of</strong><br />
New Zealand. Vol. V: Grasses. Manaaki<br />
Whenua Press, New Zealand.<br />
STAPF, O. (1905). ‘The pampas grasses<br />
(Cortaderia Stapf)’. Flora and Sylva 3:<br />
171-176.<br />
WILCOX, M. (2007). ‘Cortaderia information’.<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News 106: 33.
58<br />
Aliens – Notes from Wisley (v.c.17): <strong>the</strong> sex forms <strong>of</strong> Cortaderia selloana / Notices –<br />
Commander John Martin Williamson Topp, OBE<br />
Table: Gender <strong>of</strong> Cortaderia selloana selections listed in <strong>the</strong> RHS Plant Finder<br />
Female Hermaphrodite (functionally male)<br />
‘Albolineata’ ‘Andes Silver’<br />
‘Aureolineata’ ‘Candy Floss’**<br />
‘Cool Ice’ ‘Highfield Pink’<br />
‘Evita’ ‘Pink Fea<strong>the</strong>r’<br />
‘Gold Band’ ‘Pink Phantom’<br />
‘Golden Goblin’ ‘Rendatleri’<br />
‘Icalma’ ‘Roi des Roses’<br />
‘Monstrosa’ ‘Rosea’<br />
‘Patagonia’<br />
‘Petite Plumes’<br />
‘Pumila’<br />
‘Silver Comet’<br />
‘Silver Fea<strong>the</strong>r’ (‘Notcort’)<br />
‘Silver Fountain’<br />
‘Silver Stripe’<br />
‘Splendid Star’<br />
‘Sunningdale Silver’<br />
‘White Fea<strong>the</strong>r’*<br />
*Seed-raised so sex may vary.<br />
**The erroneous attribution <strong>of</strong> this cultivar to C. jubata (Lem.) Stapf will<br />
be discussed in a future edition <strong>of</strong> Hanburyana.<br />
NOTICES<br />
Commander John Martin Williamson Topp, OBE (1937-2011)<br />
CLIVE M. LOVATT, (<strong>BSBI</strong> Administrative Officer), 67 Park Street, Penrhiwceiber, Mountain<br />
Ash, CF45 3YW; accounts@bsbi.org.uk<br />
Commander Topp was born in 1937 and died<br />
on 15 th March 2011. He was a naval <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
who had been <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> Representative on<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> Indian Ocean Territory, situated<br />
midway between Madagascar and Sri Lanka,<br />
resident at <strong>the</strong> US Military base on Diego<br />
Garcia, <strong>the</strong> largest island in <strong>the</strong> Chagos Archipelago.<br />
He joined <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> in 1974 and had<br />
membership addresses in Hampshire and<br />
London. For many years he maintained a<br />
home on Ibiza and led <strong>BSBI</strong> foreign field<br />
meetings to <strong>the</strong> Spanish Eastern Pyrenees in<br />
64<br />
1990 and to Ibiza in 1999. He was a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Meetings Committee.<br />
Letters in <strong>BSBI</strong> News show that he had a dry,<br />
mocking wit. His guide to ‘field meetingship’<br />
no doubt deliberately owes something to<br />
Stephen Potter’s Gamesmanship. He suggests<br />
that participants should “assume that your<br />
leader knows everything” and describes <strong>the</strong><br />
CTW Excursion flora as “having a good<br />
weight to impressiveness ratio”. He also<br />
wrote in <strong>the</strong> same manner on <strong>the</strong> ra<strong>the</strong>r
Notices – Commander John M..W. Topp, OBE / Plant Records in New Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany 59<br />
pedantic format <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial English names<br />
<strong>of</strong> plants.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> Exhibition Meeting in 1986 he<br />
referred to an annotated checklist <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flora<br />
<strong>of</strong> Diego Garcia, presumably <strong>of</strong> his own<br />
authorship, covering 180 species, with notes<br />
on <strong>the</strong>ir distribution and ecology, 65 species<br />
more than were found in a checklist <strong>of</strong> 20<br />
years earlier.<br />
His OBE was granted in 2004, for services<br />
to <strong>the</strong> environment and conservation in <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong> Indian Ocean Territories. He was <strong>the</strong><br />
founder, and webmaster, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chagos<br />
Conservation Trust, and would have been<br />
exceptionally proud, if perhaps with mixed<br />
feelings, when <strong>the</strong> Territory (excluding Diego<br />
Garcia) became an IUCN Category 1 Marine<br />
Protected Area in 2010. He received a warm<br />
‘farewell’ from <strong>the</strong> President in exile, Allen<br />
Vincatassin, notwithstanding <strong>the</strong> report in<br />
Wikileaks that <strong>the</strong> protection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> military<br />
base and <strong>the</strong> continued exclusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> former<br />
residents was all part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> package. Photographs<br />
<strong>of</strong> Commander Topp can be found<br />
online at: http://www.coralcaybookings.com/<br />
blog/index.php/2011/05/26/commander-johnmw-topp-obe-rn-fls-1937-2011/<br />
Commander Topp kindly left two legacies to<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong>, and had <strong>the</strong> generosity to index-link<br />
<strong>the</strong>m so that <strong>the</strong>ir value after he made his will<br />
in 2004 would not be eroded. He left<br />
£12,529.79 with <strong>the</strong> condition that: “such sum<br />
to be used to assist amateur or pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
botanists (with priority for any who serve or<br />
have served in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy or<br />
<strong>the</strong> Army) to undertake studies in <strong>the</strong> field at<br />
home or abroad as <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong> may decide”.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reasons for this can be seen in <strong>the</strong><br />
short account above. The reason for <strong>the</strong><br />
second legacy is that he was, according to<br />
Sarah Stille, a regular attendee at <strong>the</strong> Welsh<br />
AGMs, which he always seemed to enjoy:<br />
£1,252.91 was left to <strong>the</strong> Welsh Branch <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>BSBI</strong>, with <strong>the</strong> request that it should “enable<br />
<strong>the</strong> membership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> said <strong>Society</strong> to enjoy<br />
drinks at my expense at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s [Welsh]<br />
Annual General Meeting”. We will ensure<br />
that his wishes are followed, and no doubt our<br />
Welsh members will raise <strong>the</strong>ir glasses to his<br />
memory for some years to come.<br />
Information about ‘Plant Records’ in <strong>the</strong> New Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany<br />
MIKE PORTER (Plant Records Editor), 5 West Avenue, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 9LG<br />
Please note that <strong>the</strong>re will be no ‘Plant<br />
Records’ in <strong>the</strong> second issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany. My hope is to compile<br />
records for every o<strong>the</strong>r issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> NJB (i.e.<br />
Issues 1, 3, 5 etc.). Since it is intended to<br />
eventually have four issues <strong>of</strong> NJB per year,<br />
this will mean two sets <strong>of</strong> Plant Records per<br />
year – as with Watsonia. I hope this will meet<br />
with general approval.<br />
Also, my ‘wanadoo’ email address is now<br />
defunct, so material for ‘Plant Records’ should<br />
be sent to: carexmike@yahoo.co.uk. I am<br />
concerned that records sent over <strong>the</strong> past few<br />
months using <strong>the</strong> ‘wanadoo’ address may not<br />
have reached me so would like to ask any<br />
Vice-county Recorders who have sent records<br />
via ‘wanadoo’ since May to check with me to<br />
see if I have received <strong>the</strong>m.
60<br />
Annual Exhibition Meeting: vegetative i.d. quiz<br />
JOHN POLAND, 91 E<strong>the</strong>lburt Avenue, Southampton, Hants., SO16 3DF;<br />
(jpp197@alumni.soton.ac.uk)<br />
Thanks to everyone who took part in my quiz<br />
at <strong>the</strong> Annual Exhibition Meeting in London<br />
last November. The prize was simply a<br />
mention <strong>of</strong> highest scoring entries in <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
News. Congratulations are due to Ge<strong>of</strong>frey<br />
Hall, Ge<strong>of</strong>f Joyce, Brian Laney and John<br />
Swindells for highly admirable scores for<br />
what was quite a tricky test <strong>of</strong> i.d. skills.<br />
The answers, along with <strong>the</strong> diagnostic<br />
identification characters, are given below:<br />
(1) Thuja plicata (Western Red-cedar) –<br />
Conifer; leaves imbricate, opposite, pineapple-scented;<br />
branchlets in one plane.<br />
(2) Brachyglottis ×jubar (Shrub Ragwort) –<br />
Evergreen shrub; leaves simple, alternate,<br />
too<strong>the</strong>d, white-felted below.<br />
(3) Viburnum rhytidophyllum (Wrinkled<br />
Viburnum) – Evergreen shrub; leaves<br />
simple, opposite, too<strong>the</strong>d, stellate-hairy;<br />
stipules absent.<br />
(4) Parietaria judaica (Pellitory-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-wall)<br />
– Tufted perennial; leaves simple, alternate,<br />
entire,
Requests – Can you save <strong>the</strong>se aliens? 61<br />
REQUESTS<br />
Can you save <strong>the</strong>se aliens?<br />
CLIVE STACE, ‘Cringlee’, Claybrooke Road, Ullesthorpe, Leics., LE17 5AB<br />
DAVID PEARMAN, ‘Algiers’, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA<br />
The inventory <strong>of</strong> species (<strong>the</strong> ‘standard list’)<br />
included in <strong>the</strong> New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong><br />
(1991, 1997, 2010) and New atlas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong> & Irish flora (2002) is based on extensive<br />
discussions held in <strong>the</strong> 1980s with many<br />
field botanists, notably David McClintock,<br />
Douglas Kent and Eric Clement. That was<br />
over 20 years ago, and we feel that it is now<br />
time to update <strong>the</strong> list by deleting those<br />
species that no longer occur and adding<br />
newcomers. This process has been pursued<br />
continually with regard to naturalised taxa, but<br />
<strong>the</strong> list <strong>of</strong> casuals is beginning to look dated<br />
(largely due to <strong>the</strong> demise <strong>of</strong> wool-aliens).<br />
Achillea ligustica<br />
Aethorrhiza bulbosa<br />
Agrostis hyemalis<br />
Amaranthus capensis<br />
Amaranthus palmeri<br />
Ammophila breviligulata<br />
Amphibromus (Helictotrichon)<br />
neesii<br />
Astragalus cicer<br />
Atriplex suberecta<br />
Bidens bipinnata<br />
Bromus japonicus<br />
Calotis cuneifolia<br />
Carduus acanthoides<br />
Cenchrus echinatus<br />
Centranthus calcitrapae<br />
Ceratochloa brevis<br />
Ceratochloa carinata<br />
Ceratochloa staminea<br />
Chenopodium bushianum<br />
Chenopodium nitrariaceum<br />
Chloris divaricata<br />
Chloris truncata<br />
Chloris virgata<br />
Chrysocoma tenuifolia<br />
Coronilla scorpioides<br />
Cullen (Psoralea) americanum<br />
Cynodon incompletus<br />
Dactyloctenium radicans<br />
Daucus glochidiatus<br />
Dichondra micrantha<br />
Dysphania (Chenopodium)<br />
carinata<br />
D. cristata<br />
D. multifida<br />
D. pumilio<br />
Ehrharta stipoides<br />
Eleusine multiflora<br />
Eleusine tristachya<br />
Eragrostis minor<br />
Eragrostis parviflora<br />
Eragrostis tef<br />
Eragrostis virescens<br />
Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha<br />
Fumaria (any hybrids)<br />
Gastridium phleoides<br />
Geropogon glaber (Tragopogon<br />
hybridus)<br />
Hainardia cylindrica<br />
Hedypnois cretica<br />
Holosteum umbellatum<br />
Hordeum euclaston<br />
Hordeum pubiflorum<br />
Hordeum pusillum<br />
Lamarckia aurea<br />
Lathyrus sativus<br />
Lepidium africanum<br />
Lepidium bonariense<br />
Lepidium divaricatum<br />
Lepidium graminifolium<br />
The following species are included in New<br />
flora and in <strong>the</strong> New atlas project, but each has<br />
no record or only one record in <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
database post 1986. Unless we can find better<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir continued presence we shall<br />
remove <strong>the</strong>m from <strong>the</strong> ‘standard list’, although<br />
<strong>of</strong> course <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> will continue to collect any<br />
records <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m that are made.<br />
If any members have records <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
species from 1987 onwards we would be most<br />
grateful to hear <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. Please send records<br />
to CAS ei<strong>the</strong>r by post or (preferably) to:<br />
cstace@btinternet.com.<br />
Lepidium hyssopifolium<br />
Leptochloa fusca<br />
Malva preissiana (Lavatera<br />
plebeia)<br />
Monsonia brevirostrata<br />
Myriophyllum heterophyllum<br />
Myriophyllum verrucosum<br />
Ononis alopecuroides<br />
Ononis baetica<br />
Ononis natrix<br />
Onopordum nervosum<br />
Phalaris brachystachys<br />
Ridolfia segetum<br />
Rosa ×paulii<br />
Rumex brownii<br />
Rytidosperma racemosum<br />
Schismus barbatus<br />
Scolymus hispanicus<br />
Senecio pterophorus<br />
Sida rhombifolia<br />
Siegesbeckia orientalis<br />
Spiraea ×brachybotrys<br />
Sporobolus africanus<br />
Stipa capensis<br />
Tetragonia tetragonioides<br />
Tragus australianus<br />
Tragus berteronianus<br />
Tragus racemosus<br />
Trigonella corniculata
62<br />
Requests – Blinks (Montia fontana) (subspecies) / Gentianopsis ciliata recovery project<br />
Blinks (Montia fontana) (subspecies)<br />
MICHAEL WILCOX, 32 Shawbridge St., Cli<strong>the</strong>roe, Lancashire, BB7 1LZ;<br />
(michaelpw22@hotmail.com)<br />
Montia fontana (Blinks) can be a frequent<br />
plant in many kinds <strong>of</strong> damp places throughout<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>, (Stace, 2010). In <strong>the</strong> UK<br />
it is split into four subspecies: ssp. fontana,<br />
ssp. chondrosperma, ssp. variabilis and ssp.<br />
amporitana (see <strong>the</strong> excellent plates in Stace<br />
(2010): 506). The <strong>BSBI</strong> maps show very<br />
scattered records <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> subspecies, in very<br />
varied date-classes. It is easy to record Blinks<br />
as <strong>the</strong> nominate species, as it is <strong>of</strong>ten seen<br />
without mature seeds, and <strong>of</strong>ten we do not<br />
have <strong>the</strong> time to go back to check for ripe<br />
seeds, which may have gone anyway, but <strong>the</strong>y<br />
are required to identify <strong>the</strong> subspecies.<br />
I would like to encourage <strong>the</strong> recording <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> subspecies and would be interested in<br />
receiving Blinks with ripe seeds (ei<strong>the</strong>r just<br />
<strong>the</strong> seeds or some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plant with<br />
ripe/ripening seeds). If it is not fruiting at all<br />
<strong>the</strong>n please send a bit <strong>of</strong> a live plant with roots<br />
in a small plastic bag. Plants can <strong>the</strong>n be kept<br />
in a small tub <strong>of</strong> water (e.g. a yoghurt pot) for<br />
some time. I will grow <strong>the</strong>se on to see what<br />
seed type <strong>the</strong>y have (using Stace). If you<br />
already record <strong>the</strong> subspecies I would still be<br />
pleased to receive some named voucher<br />
material with seeds for each subspecies noted.<br />
Location, grid reference, date, vice county and<br />
recorder/s please (any o<strong>the</strong>r info welcome).<br />
This is mainly for non-fruiting plants to grow<br />
on and to get a better idea <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> distributions<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> subspecies. Like many o<strong>the</strong>r plants,<br />
<strong>the</strong>se plants would benefit from molecular<br />
studies and if anyone knows <strong>of</strong> anyone doing<br />
this I would be interested in any information.<br />
The rank <strong>of</strong> subspecies is and will remain<br />
disputed, until such time as genetic studies can<br />
be carried out (Blinks is treated at different<br />
levels elsewhere). I look forward to hearing<br />
from you.<br />
Reference:<br />
STACE, C.A. (2010). New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Isles</strong>. 3 rd ed. Cambridge University Press,<br />
Cambridge.<br />
Gentianopsis ciliata (Fringed Gentian) recovery project: request<br />
for help<br />
SIMON J. LEACH, Natural England, Riverside Chambers, Castle Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1<br />
4AP; (simon.j.leach@naturalengland.org.uk)<br />
JO HODGKINS, National Trust, Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 4LA;<br />
(joanne.hodgkins@nationaltrust.org.uk)<br />
The National Trust and Natural England have<br />
begun a project to restore <strong>the</strong> fortunes <strong>of</strong><br />
Gentianopsis ciliata (Fringed Gentian) at its<br />
sole extant, presumed-native site in Britain.<br />
The work has two elements: (1) scrub control<br />
and re-instatement <strong>of</strong> appropriate grazing<br />
management to produce and maintain suitable<br />
habitat conditions for <strong>the</strong> species; and (2)<br />
creation <strong>of</strong> a ‘captive’ stock <strong>of</strong> plants, to be held<br />
in reserve for augmenting <strong>the</strong> wild population,<br />
should this become necessary. With currently<br />
little or no seed being produced in <strong>the</strong> wild<br />
(only one flower in 2011), we had hoped to use<br />
seeds – collected from <strong>the</strong> native site – being<br />
stored at <strong>the</strong> Millennium Seed Bank,<br />
Wakehurst; but unfortunately we have now<br />
learnt that <strong>the</strong>se were found to be non-viable.<br />
We realise this is a long shot, especially so<br />
as G. ciliata was added to Schedule 8 in 1988,<br />
but does anyone out <strong>the</strong>re have seeds or plants<br />
in cultivation known to have been derived<br />
from <strong>the</strong> wild population in <strong>the</strong> Chilterns?<br />
And if anyone does, might it be possible for a<br />
small quantity to be donated to <strong>the</strong> project to<br />
enable <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> a captive population<br />
at <strong>the</strong> National Trust’s Plant Conservation<br />
Programme facilities in Devon? We would be<br />
grateful if anyone with ei<strong>the</strong>r material or information<br />
could, in <strong>the</strong> first instance, contact SJL<br />
at <strong>the</strong> email address above. Many thanks.
Requests – Seeking variations in Alnus glutinosa / Appeal for digital photos for <strong>BSBI</strong> Annual<br />
Review 2011<br />
Seeking variations in Alnus glutinosa<br />
MICHAEL BELL, 10 Cambridge Avenue, Forest Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 8AR;<br />
(michael@beaverbell.co.uk)<br />
I have joined <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> to fur<strong>the</strong>r my project <strong>of</strong><br />
developing Alnus glutinosa (Alder) as a grain<br />
crop.<br />
My reasons are:<br />
To find something that can be pr<strong>of</strong>itably grown<br />
on <strong>the</strong> uplands – 40% <strong>of</strong> Britain’s land area.<br />
There was little money in hill farming in my<br />
childhood in <strong>the</strong> Cheviots and <strong>the</strong>re is less now.<br />
This country cannot feed itself. I have tested<br />
that alder seeds are edible and <strong>the</strong>y could be<br />
used for any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> many purposes that<br />
any grain (wheat, rice, etc.) is used for.<br />
Alder fixes nitrogen and A. glutinosa grows as<br />
far south as Tunisia, which is on <strong>the</strong> latitude <strong>of</strong><br />
nor<strong>the</strong>rn India and <strong>the</strong> main body <strong>of</strong> China.<br />
There are 30 species <strong>of</strong> alder in <strong>the</strong> world, so<br />
<strong>the</strong>re are worldwide opportunities. I have made<br />
enough progress to warrant asking o<strong>the</strong>rs to<br />
spend just a little time on it.<br />
In particular I have:<br />
Found seeds which, at about 6mm on <strong>the</strong><br />
longest axis, are about <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> some rice<br />
grains. They germinate to produce cotyledons<br />
8mm across, which is much bigger than usual.<br />
I did this by going round wild trees, breaking<br />
open <strong>the</strong> cones, and sieving <strong>the</strong> seeds. (I may<br />
have sieved many millions <strong>of</strong> seeds, but it is<br />
much harder to see many millions <strong>of</strong> trees.<br />
That’s what I am asking <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s help for.)<br />
Found a very fast growing tree, which has<br />
reached 3m in three years, and will probably<br />
fruit in its 4 th year.<br />
Developed methods <strong>of</strong> growing seeds this year<br />
and grafting <strong>the</strong>m onto adult trees to get fertilisation<br />
next year, so shortening <strong>the</strong> breeding<br />
cycle from 6-7 years to two years.<br />
But still I want more! It would be asking too<br />
much to ask o<strong>the</strong>rs to search for bigger seeds.<br />
That needs a sieve and lots <strong>of</strong> patient work,<br />
though I would be willing to supply <strong>the</strong> necessary<br />
kit to anybody who wants to do it. What I<br />
would like to do is to ask members to be alert for<br />
Alders which show unusual traits, such as:<br />
Less robust cones. It can be difficult to get <strong>the</strong><br />
seeds out, and <strong>the</strong> cones seem to use a lot <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
tree’s effort.<br />
Different growth habits. The different growth<br />
habits <strong>of</strong> ornamental trees and <strong>the</strong> ballerina<br />
apple were found by accident. There should be<br />
similar variations in Alder. I found a dwarf<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> Alder, but I am not sure how to use<br />
it. Variations <strong>of</strong> growth habit might make a<br />
huge difference to mechanical harvesting.<br />
Any o<strong>the</strong>r interesting variation. It is hard to<br />
know what use it might be put to, but it might<br />
have interaction with ano<strong>the</strong>r variation.<br />
Although Alders classically grow near water,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y also grow on well-drained sites. Some<br />
Alders are ‘philanderers’ – <strong>the</strong>y have masses<br />
<strong>of</strong> catkins but very few cones. I do not want<br />
<strong>the</strong>m!<br />
If members find something <strong>of</strong> interest, I would<br />
be very grateful to get a specimen.<br />
Please send a letter or e-mail or phone message<br />
to me. We could arrange to meet at a convenient<br />
time and place and you could take me to it, or<br />
you could mark <strong>the</strong> tree in some way and send<br />
me a grid reference (GPS is nominally accurate<br />
to one metre), or over <strong>the</strong> winter season, you<br />
could send me twigs with catkins, with a note <strong>of</strong><br />
what is interesting about it. I can let it flower in<br />
<strong>the</strong> spring to fertilise my o<strong>the</strong>r stocks.<br />
Appeal for digital photos for <strong>BSBI</strong> Annual Review 2011<br />
CLIVE M. LOVATT, (<strong>BSBI</strong> Administrative Officer), 67 Park Street, Penrhiwceiber, Mountain<br />
Ash, CF45 3YW; accounts@bsbi.org.uk<br />
Anyone with interesting and good quality<br />
digital photos which would help to give an<br />
account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong>’s activities in 2011 can<br />
send <strong>the</strong>m to Clive Lovatt at: accounts@bsbi.<br />
org.uk, as soon as possible on appearance <strong>of</strong><br />
63<br />
this note. Particularly welcome will be pictures<br />
<strong>of</strong> named botanists in <strong>the</strong> field or at indoor<br />
meetings, and <strong>of</strong> Bluebells, which are our<br />
emblem, albeit in stylised form.
64<br />
101 rare plants <strong>of</strong> Wales: request for digital images<br />
LAUREN CRANMER & TIM RICH, National Museum <strong>of</strong> Wales, Cardiff , CF10 3NP<br />
We are preparing a popular guide to rare<br />
Welsh plants, to raise <strong>the</strong>ir pr<strong>of</strong>ile in <strong>the</strong> public<br />
eye. Each species will have a short account<br />
understandable to a non-specialist audience, a<br />
distribution map and a photograph. Care will<br />
be taken not to give any sensitive locations to<br />
protect vulnerable populations.<br />
Requests – 101 rare plants <strong>of</strong> Wales: request for digital images<br />
If anybody has any good quality digital<br />
photographs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> species listed below, <strong>the</strong>se<br />
would be greatly appreciated (we have slides<br />
<strong>of</strong> many but <strong>the</strong> quality is never <strong>the</strong> same from<br />
scans). We <strong>of</strong>fer a copy <strong>of</strong> 101 rare plants <strong>of</strong><br />
Wales in return for any we use, and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
sources will be acknowledged.<br />
Artemisia campestris ssp. maritima Liparis loeselii<br />
Asplenium trichomanes ssp. pachyrachis Luronium natans<br />
Aster linosyris Lycopodiella inundata<br />
Bupleurum tenuissimum Lycopodium clavatum<br />
Campanula patula Marrubium vulgare<br />
Carex divisa Matthiola sinuata<br />
Carex muricata ssp. muricata Melittis melissophyllum<br />
Centaurea cyanus Mentha pulegium<br />
Cephalan<strong>the</strong>ra longifolia Monotropa hypopitys<br />
Cerastium arcticum (non-Shetland) Neotinea ustulata<br />
Chamaemelum nobile Oenan<strong>the</strong> fistulosa<br />
Clinopodium acinos Pilularia globulifera<br />
Dactylorhiza purpurella ssp. cambrensis Poa glauca<br />
Dianthus armeria Polystichum lonchitis<br />
Draba aizoides Potamogeton compressus<br />
Eleocharis parvula Potentilla rupestris<br />
Eriophorum gracile Pseudorchis albida<br />
Euphorbia serrulata Pulicaria vulgaris<br />
Euphrasia cambrica Ranunculus arvensis<br />
Euphrasia <strong>of</strong>ficinalis ssp. anglica Ranunculus tripartitus<br />
Euphrasia ostenfeldii Rumex rupestris<br />
Euphrasia pseudokerneri Salsola kali ssp. kali<br />
Euphrasia rivularis Saxifraga cespitosa<br />
Euphrasia rostkoviana ssp. montana Scandix pecten-veneris<br />
Gagea bohemica Scleranthus annuus<br />
Galeopsis angustifolia Scorzonera humilis<br />
Galeopsis segetum Senecio cambrensis<br />
Galeopsis speciosa Silene gallica<br />
Genista pilosa Stellaria nemorum ssp. montana<br />
Gentianella anglica Stellaria palustris<br />
Gymnadenia borealis Tephroseris integrifolia ssp. maritima<br />
Gymnadenia conopsea Trichomanes speciosum (sporophyte)<br />
Gymnadenia densiflora Trifolium strictum<br />
Hammarbya paludosa Trollius europaeus<br />
Hordeum marinum Vicia orobus<br />
Hypericum linariifolium Viola lactea<br />
Impatiens noli-tangere Woodsia ilvensis<br />
Juncus capitatus<br />
Please send <strong>the</strong>m to ei<strong>the</strong>r: Lauren.Cranmer@museumwales.ac.uk or<br />
Tim.Rich@museumwales.ac.uk
Offers – <strong>Botanical</strong> meetings in Devon / Plant slides from foreign countries / G<strong>of</strong>ynne seed list 2012 65<br />
<strong>Botanical</strong> meetings in Devon<br />
DAVID J. ALLEN, Higher Quantock, Stockland, Honiton, Devon, EX14 9DX (Chairman)<br />
If you live in, or are planning to visit Devon,<br />
you might be interested in <strong>the</strong> field meetings<br />
organised by <strong>the</strong> Devonshire Association’s<br />
Botany Section. These meetings are held<br />
across <strong>the</strong> county and cover all <strong>of</strong> Devon’s<br />
varied habitats. Non-members are welcome to<br />
attend, and will be able to draw on <strong>the</strong> exper-<br />
Slides/transparencies <strong>of</strong> flora and habitats<br />
taken by Stephanie and Peter Thomson –<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> members for over 50 years – during<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir many foreign excursions; all boxed and<br />
carefully labelled, some with accompanying<br />
notes.<br />
Poland August 1989 14 boxes<br />
Corfu September 1987 8 boxes<br />
Rhodes April 1986 200 slides<br />
Andalucia April 1990 8 boxes<br />
Algarve April 1995 9 boxes<br />
Norway 1969 1 box<br />
Australia 1990s 18 boxes<br />
with detailed notes<br />
Slovenia 1999 with notes<br />
OFFERS<br />
tise <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> county’s most experienced<br />
botanists.<br />
If you would like a copy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 2012<br />
programme you can email <strong>the</strong> Section secretary<br />
(Tim Purches) at tnpurches@hotmail.co.<br />
uk, or send a stamped address envelope to: 22<br />
Hopton Close, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5JJ.<br />
Plant slides from foreign countries, from <strong>the</strong> collection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late<br />
Stephanie Thomson (VC Recorder for Herefordshire)<br />
G<strong>of</strong>ynne seed list 2012<br />
Cyprus 2001<br />
Pontresinas<br />
(Switzerland) 2000<br />
Canada July 1990 20+ boxes<br />
Mixed Wengen (Switzerland) & Crete<br />
Mixed Central European mountains +<br />
Europe-Alpine<br />
Free for collection or to someone who is<br />
willing to pay <strong>the</strong> postage. Alternatively,<br />
could be collected at <strong>the</strong> April Recorders’<br />
Meeting in Shrewsbury.<br />
The slides are currently held at Herefordshire<br />
Biological Records Centre.<br />
Please contact Peter Garner (email:<br />
petergarner@live.co.uk; Tel.: 01684 564957)<br />
ANDREW SHAW, G<strong>of</strong>ynne, Llanynis, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3HN;<br />
(andrewgshaw@hotmail.com)<br />
A small quantity <strong>of</strong> seed from any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
following species is sent free upon receipt <strong>of</strong> a<br />
s.a.e.<br />
Anogramma leptophylla (spores)<br />
Bupleurum baldense<br />
Chenopodium vulvaria<br />
Corrigiola littoralis<br />
Crepis foetida<br />
Cyperus fuscus<br />
Herniaria glabra<br />
Hypericum humifusum × H. linariifolium<br />
Juncus pygmaeus<br />
Lactuca saligna<br />
Lonicera xylosteum<br />
Lotus subbiflorus<br />
Myosurus minimus<br />
Ononis reclinata<br />
Petrorhagia nanteuilii<br />
Pulicaria vulgaris<br />
Ranunculus parviflorus<br />
Trifolium strictum
66<br />
Seeds from Ware – 2011 collections<br />
GORDON HANSON, 1 Coltsfoot Road, Ware, Herts., SH12 7NW<br />
Please enclose suitable labelled small packets and<br />
S.A.E. for anything required.<br />
Aconogonon alpinum – cult.<br />
Albuca shawii – cult.<br />
Alcea froloviana – cult.<br />
Allium polyanthum – cult.<br />
Alyssoides sinuata – cult.<br />
Amaranthus blitoides – ex wool waste<br />
Amaranthus hybridus – Mexico<br />
Anemone virginiana – USA<br />
Anoma<strong>the</strong>ca laxa – USA<br />
Aquilegia canadensis – Canada<br />
Aquilegia fragrans – cult.<br />
Bassia scoparia – Canada<br />
Beckmannia syzigachne – Russia<br />
Bupleurum heldreichii – cult.<br />
Carduus pycnocephalus – Turkey<br />
Ceratochloa cathartica – New Zealand<br />
Chenopodium chenopodioides – Sussex<br />
Chloris virgata – cult.<br />
Colutea arborescens – cult.<br />
Commelina hasskarlii – ex lentils<br />
Coreopsis leavenworthii – USA<br />
Coronilla valentina – Croatia<br />
Digitalis ciliata – cult.<br />
Digitalis purpurea ssp. maderense – Madeira<br />
Echium pininana – Cornwall<br />
Eryngium biebersteinianum – Kashmir<br />
Eucomis zambesiaca – cult.<br />
Geranium rubescens – cult.<br />
Helenium amarum – Canada<br />
Hieracium argillaceum – Herts.<br />
Hieracium grandidens – Derbys.<br />
Hieracium pulmonarioides – cult.<br />
Hieracium sabaudum – N. Wales<br />
Hieracium subaequialtum – Derbys.<br />
Hieracium sublepistoides – Derbys.<br />
Iberis gibraltarica – cult.<br />
Iris pseudacorus – Turkey<br />
Isoplexis canariensis – Tenerife<br />
Kniph<strong>of</strong>ia sp. – natlsd Herts.<br />
Liatris pilosa – USA<br />
Ligusticum lucidum – cult.<br />
Ligustrum lucidum – Cyprus<br />
Luzula nivea – Canada<br />
Lotus cytisoides – Croatia<br />
Mandragora <strong>of</strong>ficinarum – Cyprus<br />
Melasphaerula graminea – cult.<br />
Mestoklema tuberosum – cult.<br />
Morina persica – Greece<br />
Nectaroscordum siculum – Avon<br />
Offers – Seeds from Ware – 2011 collections<br />
Nepeta italica – Turkey<br />
Noth<strong>of</strong>agus alpina – Chile<br />
Oeno<strong>the</strong>ra sp. – Chile<br />
Onobrychis altissima – Turkey<br />
Opopanax acaule – Turkey<br />
Opopanax bracteatum – Turkey<br />
Opopanax carduchorum – Turkey<br />
Opopanax hispidus – Turkey<br />
Opopanax messeniacum – Greece<br />
Oxalis valdiviensis – cult.<br />
Papaver ? persicum – Turkey<br />
Paracaryum angustifolium – cult.<br />
Penstemon hirsutus – USA<br />
Petrorhagia nanteuilii – Spain<br />
Petrorhagia prolifera – Croatia<br />
Phacelia tanacetifolia – Herts.<br />
Physalis heterophylla – Canada<br />
Phytolacca acinosa – cult.<br />
Pilosella <strong>of</strong>ficinarum – cult.<br />
Rumex caucasicus – Turkey<br />
Rumex crispus – Canada<br />
Rumex obtusifolius – Canada<br />
Rumex rupestris – Anglesey<br />
Salvia deserta – Kazakhstan<br />
Salvia patens – cult.<br />
Salvia sclarea – Tajikistan<br />
Salvia verbenaca – Croatia<br />
Salvia verticillata – Turkey<br />
Salvia virgata – Turkey<br />
Scilla autumnalis – cult.<br />
Scrophularia vernalis – Norfolk<br />
Scutellaria altissima – cult.<br />
Sigesbeckia serrata – ex wool waste<br />
Silene colorata – Italy<br />
Silene fruticosa – Cyprus<br />
Silene nocturna – Turkey<br />
Sisymbrium strictissimum – cult.<br />
Sonchus palustris – Kent<br />
Stachys cretica – Turkey<br />
Stipa cernua – USA<br />
Strobilan<strong>the</strong>s atropurpurea – cult.<br />
Tragopogon turkestanicus – cult.<br />
Verbascum phlomoides – Turkey<br />
Verbascum levanticum – Cyprus<br />
Verbascum roripifolium – Turkey<br />
Verbascum speciosum – Surrey<br />
Verbascum thapsus – Turkey<br />
Vicia tenuifolia – Tajikistan<br />
Vicia villosa – Spain<br />
Xanthium canadense – Canada
News <strong>of</strong> Members – Gwynn Ellis – Marsh Award for Botany 67<br />
NEWS OF MEMBERS<br />
Gwynn Ellis – Marsh Award for Botany<br />
SIMON LEACH, Natural England, Riverside Chambers, Castle Street, Taunton, Somerset,<br />
TA1 4AP<br />
IAN TAYLOR, Natural England, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal,<br />
Cumbria, LA9 7RL<br />
NICOLA HUTCHINSON, Plantlife, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 1DX<br />
MICHAEL F. FAY, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS<br />
TIM RICH, Welsh National Herbarium, Dept Biodiversity & Systematic Biology, National<br />
Museum <strong>of</strong> Wales, Cardiff, CF10 3NP<br />
Gwynn has held numerous roles within <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Botanical</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>, at<br />
various times being Vice-President, Membership<br />
Secretary, Honorary General Secretary,<br />
member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Records Committee (for at<br />
least <strong>the</strong> last 20 years) and <strong>the</strong> Publications<br />
Committee, producer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Yearbook,<br />
secretary to <strong>the</strong> Wales Committee, compiler <strong>of</strong><br />
Welsh records for <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Welsh Bulletin,<br />
etc. He currently sits on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s Publications<br />
Committee and until very recently on <strong>the</strong><br />
Records Committee. Behind <strong>the</strong> scenes,<br />
Gwynn also organises from his home <strong>the</strong><br />
distribution <strong>of</strong> various <strong>BSBI</strong> publications (e.g.<br />
Change in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> flora 1987-2004,<br />
published in 2006), including ‘pre-pub’ <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
to <strong>BSBI</strong> members – he is an expert packer and<br />
poster <strong>of</strong> unwieldy volumes!<br />
His most obvious achievement, however, is<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News. Gwynn took on <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> editing<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News in 1986 (No. 43), and did this job<br />
single-handedly from <strong>the</strong>n until September<br />
2002 (No. 91), <strong>the</strong>reafter doing it jointly (apart<br />
from No. 106) – first with Leander Wolstenholme<br />
(Nos. 92-105), and <strong>the</strong>n with Trevor<br />
James (107 onwards). This means he has now<br />
edited and produced camera-ready copy <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News for a quarter <strong>of</strong> a century!<br />
His editing skills are legendary, and have<br />
been employed widely by <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>. He has<br />
co-edited several publications, e.g. The Vicecounty<br />
census catalogue (2003) and Current<br />
taxonomic research on <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> and<br />
European flora (2006).<br />
His role as <strong>BSBI</strong> chief ‘indexer’ is <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
overlooked. Yet he has ‘done <strong>the</strong> index’ for<br />
many important publications, e.g. <strong>the</strong> New<br />
atlas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> and Irish flora (2002), both<br />
<strong>the</strong> 2 nd (1997) and 3 rd (2010) editions <strong>of</strong><br />
Stace’s New flora <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong>, Newton<br />
& Randall’s Atlas <strong>of</strong> <strong>British</strong> and Irish<br />
brambles (2004) and vol. 3 <strong>of</strong> Sell &<br />
Murrells’s Flora <strong>of</strong> Great Britain and Ireland.<br />
He is also frequently involved in pro<strong>of</strong>reading<br />
such publications, e.g. Stace’s New<br />
flora, for which he is acknowledged in <strong>the</strong> 3 rd<br />
edition for not only “compiling <strong>the</strong> very full<br />
index” but also for “exhaustively pro<strong>of</strong>reading<br />
most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> text...” (at more than 1200<br />
pages, that was some job!). He is also a skilled<br />
typesetter, being responsible, for example, for<br />
typesetting The vegetative key to <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong><br />
flora (Poland & Clement, 2009).<br />
Gwynn’s contribution to botany has so <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
tended to be ‘behind <strong>the</strong> scenes’, assisting his<br />
fellow botanists to place <strong>the</strong> fruits <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
labours on permanent record. In Watsonia, for<br />
example, his main contributions have been<br />
book reviews and obituaries – celebrations, if<br />
you like, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> achievements <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs – ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
than scientific papers <strong>of</strong> his own. Yet <strong>the</strong>re<br />
have been innumerable articles and notes in<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News and <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Welsh Bulletin, <strong>of</strong><br />
course, and – let’s not forget – he is also <strong>the</strong><br />
author <strong>of</strong> books like Flowering plants <strong>of</strong><br />
Wales (1983) and Aliens in <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> flora<br />
(1993), and a co-author <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Flora <strong>of</strong><br />
Glamorgan (Wade, Kay & Ellis, 1994).<br />
In 1995, Gwynn retired from <strong>the</strong> National<br />
Museum <strong>of</strong> Wales, where he managed <strong>the</strong><br />
Welsh National Herbarium. He had been<br />
inspired by herbarium specimens as a student
68<br />
at Aberystwyth. He is thoroughly Welsh, and<br />
proudly so. He enjoys a pint, and rugby <strong>of</strong><br />
course. He has a great sense <strong>of</strong> fun, and may<br />
pull <strong>the</strong> occasional practical joke on his<br />
May I just say that while it was a great privilege<br />
and honour to be given this award and I<br />
am very grateful to all involved, I must<br />
acknowledge <strong>the</strong> help <strong>of</strong> my wife, Maria, who<br />
for <strong>the</strong> past 25 years has put up with one <strong>of</strong> our<br />
three bedrooms being turned into an <strong>of</strong>fice,<br />
and a second into a storeroom, and with <strong>the</strong><br />
front room, hall and landing being lined with<br />
boxes and books that no longer fit in <strong>the</strong><br />
News <strong>of</strong> Members – Gwynn Ellis – Marsh Award for Botany<br />
Gwynn Ellis. Photo © Whild Associates<br />
friends. He’s a thoroughly good bloke, and<br />
certainly if you’re looking for an ‘unsung<br />
hero’ in <strong>the</strong> botanical world, Gwynn’s your<br />
man!<br />
storeroom! During that period she has also<br />
stuck up to 200,000 mailing labels onto<br />
envelopes and <strong>the</strong>n helped stuff <strong>the</strong> envelopes<br />
with between five and ten or more separate<br />
inserts so in that 25 years she could well have<br />
handled over one million items. It is no<br />
exaggeration to say that I could not have done<br />
what I have done without her help and encouragement.<br />
RGE
<strong>Botanical</strong> Crossword 17 69<br />
BOTANICAL CROSSWORD 17<br />
by CRUCIADA<br />
Across<br />
1. Feature <strong>of</strong> Orchids, Violas etc., acts as<br />
incentive (4)<br />
4. One moving in to establish itself in gut is<br />
at end <strong>of</strong> tract (8)<br />
8. It is heard to remain masculine, naturally<br />
(6)<br />
9. Morning passed by gooseberry, perhaps,<br />
preparing surprise attack (6)<br />
10. Spores found here or in international<br />
system (4)<br />
11. Mr Milligan allowed us to see grass<br />
feature (8)<br />
13. Could this grass be waving after hearing<br />
bark? (5,4,4)<br />
16. Any hitch planned is bound to have bells<br />
on (8)<br />
19. Flag leaders in reeds, in swamps (4)<br />
20. Use soap at preparation <strong>of</strong> marmalade<br />
plum (6)<br />
22. Bird I’m backing to expose main vein (6)<br />
23. Sell cannabis composite? (8)<br />
24. Barks <strong>of</strong> Laurus trees (4)<br />
Down<br />
2. Hog play to be thrown out when suffering<br />
bad health (9)<br />
3. Has this fumitory secured a representative<br />
in band? (7)<br />
4. They bear <strong>the</strong> seeds <strong>of</strong> colour vision (5)<br />
5. Meadow is one that ain’t what it used to be<br />
at budburst (7)<br />
6. No blemish found in this fir (5)<br />
7. Start giving rocket to relative (3)<br />
12. In treatment <strong>of</strong> debility, I use quality <strong>of</strong><br />
food plants (9)<br />
14. Make an arrangement to include visit to<br />
clinic with teeth (7)<br />
15. Shamrock trimmed by extreme tractor if<br />
bud comes up (4,3)<br />
17. Original cotton and some hairs make up<br />
pappus (5)<br />
18. Muggy murmur <strong>of</strong> identification (5)<br />
21. Cleavers this goosegrass this sticky willy,<br />
for example (3)
70<br />
BOOK NOTES<br />
JOHN EDMONDSON, Book Reviews Editor, 243 Pensby Road, Heswall, Wirral, CH61 5UA;<br />
(bsbireviews@mac.com)<br />
The following titles are to be reviewed in<br />
forthcoming issues <strong>of</strong> New Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany.<br />
Also included are brief notices <strong>of</strong> books that<br />
are not being given a full review (marked *).<br />
*Remembered remedies: Scottish traditional<br />
plant lore. Anne Barker. Birlinn, 2011.<br />
ISBN 978 1 78027 004 3. £9.99 p/b. By no<br />
means restricted to Scottish native plants<br />
(e.g. “Oil <strong>of</strong> Cloves”) <strong>the</strong> subjects <strong>of</strong> this<br />
pocket-sized book are grouped under broad<br />
habitat headings. The information was<br />
collected by an oral history project <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
same name. Not all <strong>the</strong> entries are for<br />
‘remedies’ - included are notes on methods<br />
<strong>of</strong> ga<strong>the</strong>ring lichens for use as dyes.<br />
The story <strong>of</strong> south Yorkshire botany: including<br />
<strong>the</strong> first transcription <strong>of</strong> Jonathan Salt’s<br />
Flora Sheffieldiensis. Graeme L.D. Coles.<br />
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, 2011. ISBN<br />
978 0 9565378 1 2. £12.00 p/b.<br />
The book <strong>of</strong> leaves. Allan J. Coombes. New<br />
Holland, 2011. ISBN 978 1 78009 059 7.<br />
£24.99 h/b.<br />
European garden flora (5 vols., 2nd edition).<br />
James Cullen, Sabina Knees & Janet Cubey<br />
(eds.). Cambridge University Press, 2011.<br />
ISBN (set) 978 0 521 76167 3. £600 h/b.<br />
Atlas <strong>of</strong> <strong>British</strong> and Irish hawkweeds. David<br />
McCosh & Tim Rich. <strong>BSBI</strong>, 2011. ISBN<br />
978 0 901158 44 4. £16.00 p/b.<br />
The changing nature <strong>of</strong> Scotland. Susan J.<br />
Marrs, Simon Foster, Catriona Hendrie,<br />
Edward C. Mackey and Des Thompson<br />
Book Notes / Obituary Notes<br />
(eds.). TSO Scotland, 2011. ISBN 978 0 11<br />
497359 9. £27.50 h/b.<br />
Webb’s An Irish Flora (8 th edition). John<br />
Parnell & Tom Curtis (eds.). Cork University<br />
Press, 2011. ISBN 978 1 85918 478 3.<br />
€35.00 h/b.<br />
*A sedentary job? (or forty years as a botanist<br />
at Kew Gardens). Alan Radcliffe-Smith.<br />
Foreword by Sir Ghillean Prance. Privately<br />
distributed by David Radcliffe-Smith, 2010.<br />
219 pp. No ISBN; not for sale. Autobiography<br />
<strong>of</strong> a Kew taxonomist and monographer,<br />
distributed in exchange for donations to<br />
Hope Now and Mission Aviation Fellowship.<br />
A highly readable account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> life<br />
and work <strong>of</strong> a slightly eccentric but wellloved<br />
member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kew herbarium staff,<br />
with detailed travelogues <strong>of</strong> his major<br />
expeditions (e.g. to Socotra and Dh<strong>of</strong>ar) and<br />
brief detours into his spiritual life, awoken<br />
by Billy Graham.<br />
Flora <strong>of</strong> King’s Lynn. Frances Schumann &<br />
Robin Stevenson. Norfolk & Norwich<br />
Naturalists’ <strong>Society</strong>, 2011. Occasional Paper<br />
13. ISBN 0 9501130 8 5. £8 p/b.<br />
Some aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> botany <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Shetland<br />
Islands. Walter Scott. The author, 2011.<br />
ISBN 978-0956783608. £26.00 h/b.<br />
The south Yorkshire plant atlas. Ge<strong>of</strong>frey<br />
Wilmore, Jeff Lunn & John Rodwell (eds.).<br />
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union and Yorkshire<br />
& The Humber Ecological Data Trust, 2011.<br />
ISBN 978 0 9565378 0 5 £47.00 h/b.<br />
OBITUARY NOTES<br />
MARY BRIGGS, 9 Arun Prospect, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1AL<br />
* An obituary has been or will be published in<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Yearbook<br />
Since <strong>BSBI</strong> News 118, we regret to report that<br />
<strong>the</strong> news <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deaths <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following<br />
members has reached us The list includes two<br />
<strong>of</strong> our longest standing members, two vicecounty<br />
Recorders and one <strong>BSBI</strong> Referee.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong> J K Morton <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Waterloo,<br />
Canada, joined <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong> in 1948 before<br />
moving overseas but kept up his membership<br />
until <strong>the</strong> end.
Obituary Notes – Obituaries in <strong>BSBI</strong> Yearbook 71<br />
*Miss M J P Scannell <strong>of</strong> Ballsbridge, Ireland,<br />
a member since 1964 and Recorder for Cork,<br />
v.cc. H3, 4 & 5, since 1962 and an Honorary<br />
member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong> since 1995.<br />
Maura was a very influential person in Irish<br />
botanical life for many decades, and co-author<br />
<strong>of</strong> important works such as <strong>the</strong> two Census<br />
catalogues: The Flora <strong>of</strong> Ireland, and with<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>. David Webb, The Flora <strong>of</strong> Connemara<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Burren.<br />
Maura was also instrumental in <strong>the</strong> founding<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Irish section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> in <strong>the</strong> 1960s,<br />
and she was also influential in building<br />
Glasnevin’s reputation as a centre <strong>of</strong><br />
taxonomic knowledge. An example <strong>of</strong> this<br />
cited by her colleagues was her “dogged determination”<br />
to identify <strong>the</strong> Renvyle Hydrilla,<br />
flowering <strong>the</strong> plant at Glasnevin to prove that<br />
it was Hydrilla verticillata. Maura worked at<br />
Glasnevin for many years and received <strong>the</strong><br />
National Botanic Gardens Medal. At <strong>the</strong><br />
presentation Maura emphasised that botanists<br />
should record <strong>the</strong>ir findings with scientific<br />
rigour.<br />
An obituary will be published in <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
Yearbook 2013; meanwhile one is available,<br />
with photograph, on <strong>the</strong> National Botanic<br />
Gardens website, linked through <strong>the</strong><br />
Homepage. Among o<strong>the</strong>rs, one was published<br />
in 2011 in The Irish Times under <strong>the</strong> headline<br />
“Leading Botanist known for dedication and<br />
attention to detail”.<br />
*Mrs M Wainwright <strong>of</strong> Oswestry, Shropshire,<br />
a member since 1985, Recorder for v.c.<br />
47 (Montgomeryshire) from 1985 to 2008 and<br />
Marjorie was joint author <strong>of</strong> Flora <strong>of</strong><br />
Montgomeryshire (1995).<br />
Obituaries in <strong>BSBI</strong> Yearbook<br />
*Mr P Taylor <strong>of</strong> RGB, Kew, Richmond<br />
Surrey, a member since 1946 and Referee for<br />
Utricularia. Peter was also a skilled cabinet<br />
maker and as noted in <strong>the</strong> Obituary in <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
Yearbook 2012, he specialised in making<br />
harpsichords and clavichords. Peter told me<br />
that <strong>the</strong> wood <strong>of</strong> Populus nigra was particularly<br />
good for harpsichords and during <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> Black Poplar Survey we were asked to<br />
direct his way any fallen true Black Poplar<br />
trees or branches.<br />
Soon after Peter retired to West Sussex he<br />
bought some local woodland to safeguard it<br />
for future conservation. It was similar to <strong>the</strong><br />
Carpinus betulus woodland around White<br />
Cottage when <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> “Office” was <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
Cardamine impatiens was found in both<br />
woods where <strong>the</strong> Hornbeam had been<br />
coppiced, growing with Ophioglossum<br />
vulgatum and Platan<strong>the</strong>ra chlorantha,<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r with a wealth <strong>of</strong> spring flora and<br />
spring warbler birds.<br />
We also report with regret <strong>the</strong> deaths <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
following members:<br />
Mr T R Harwood <strong>of</strong> Morecambe, Lancs, a<br />
member since 1991.<br />
Mrs J M Humphris <strong>of</strong> Watton, Norfolk, a<br />
member since 1992.<br />
Mrs P J Kington <strong>of</strong> Biddulph, Staffs, a<br />
member since 2010.<br />
Dr P Lumley <strong>of</strong> Graveley, Herts., a member<br />
since 2003.<br />
We send regrets and sympathies to all <strong>the</strong><br />
families.<br />
MARY BRIGGS, 9 Arun Prospect, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1AL<br />
Many members have contacted me expressing<br />
dissatisfaction or unhappiness that Obituaries<br />
are now published in <strong>the</strong> Yearbook and only<br />
once annually.<br />
If you feel strongly about this too I would be<br />
grateful if you would please let us know,<br />
preferably by contacting <strong>the</strong> Editors.
72<br />
Recorders & Recording – Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees and Specialists / Panel <strong>of</strong> Vice-county Recorders<br />
/ Recording Strategy<br />
RECORDERS AND RECORDING<br />
Panel <strong>of</strong> Referees and Specialists<br />
MARY CLARE SHEAHAN, 61 Westmoreland Road, Barnes, London, SW13 9RZ;<br />
(m.sheahan@kew.org)<br />
We are glad to welcome Mark Watson as<br />
general referee for Apiaceae, and Fred<br />
Rumsey is joining Alison Paul as general<br />
referee for ferns.<br />
Alison Lean is retiring as Referee for Rhinanthus,<br />
and we would like to thank her very<br />
much for <strong>the</strong> help she has given members over<br />
<strong>the</strong> past 15 years.<br />
Panel <strong>of</strong> Vice-county Recorders<br />
Please note that <strong>the</strong> list <strong>of</strong> taxa in <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong><br />
Yearbook 2012 has been re-ordered in accordance<br />
with <strong>the</strong> third edition <strong>of</strong> Stace, so you<br />
may find some families in unexpected<br />
positions (as well as some unfamiliar names).<br />
There have also been a few changes in <strong>the</strong><br />
address list.<br />
DAVID PEARMAN, ‘Algiers’, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA; (dpearman4@aol.com)<br />
New recorders and changes:<br />
All <strong>the</strong>se appointments are reflected in <strong>the</strong><br />
2012 Yearbook, but are reproduced here for<br />
convenience. Please refer to <strong>the</strong> Yearbook for<br />
addresses and emails (where applicable):<br />
V.c.5 S. Somerset. Paul Green, recorder since<br />
1993, retires.<br />
V.c.13 W. Sussex. Mary Briggs, recorder<br />
since 1975, retires.<br />
V.c.48 Merioneth. Sarah Stille to be joint<br />
Recorder. Dr R. Gritten remains <strong>the</strong> contact.<br />
V.c.78 Peebless. Luke Gaskell and Kathy<br />
Velander. Mr D.J. McCosh, recorder since<br />
1961, retires.<br />
V.c.86 Stirlings. Philip Sansum to be joint<br />
Recorder. Mrs E. Stewart remains <strong>the</strong> contact.<br />
V.c.96 Easterness. Adam Fraser to be joint<br />
Recorder. Miss S. Smyth remains <strong>the</strong> contact.<br />
Recording Strategy<br />
V.c.99 Dumbarton. Pamela Murdoch to be<br />
joint Recorder. Dr J. Holland remains <strong>the</strong><br />
contact.<br />
V.c.H2 N. Kerry. Drs P.S & M.B. Wyse-Jackson,<br />
recorders since 1982, retire.<br />
V.c.H3, H4, H5 Cork. Miss Maura Scannell,<br />
recorder since 1967, has died.<br />
V.c.H12 Co Wexford: Ro FitzGerald, recorder<br />
since 1989, retires.<br />
As ever, I would like to thank those retiring for<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir sterling efforts over so many years. This<br />
simple thanks seems so inadequate after <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
30 or more years <strong>of</strong> help, and we could not do<br />
what we do without that entirely voluntary<br />
help.<br />
Changes <strong>of</strong> address:<br />
V.c.40 Salop. Dr S.J. Whild, to 9 Albert<br />
Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 2HT.<br />
NICK MILLER, Tiger Hill Cottage, Bures, Suffolk, CO8 5BW<br />
The <strong>BSBI</strong> now has a most welcome recording<br />
strategy, and I would like to make a heartfelt<br />
plea for its effective promotion!<br />
I am sure, like me, <strong>the</strong> initial reaction <strong>of</strong><br />
many grassroots recorders may be bewilderment<br />
– <strong>the</strong> ten-year date class has a nice<br />
decimal ring to it, but surely <strong>the</strong> accurate<br />
recording <strong>of</strong> a county’s flora takes twenty-odd<br />
years – so <strong>the</strong> records ga<strong>the</strong>red in ten years<br />
will be counter-productive for any comparability<br />
or any picture <strong>of</strong> distribution?<br />
Not so, if, as per <strong>the</strong> Strategy, each county<br />
uses manifest ‘targets’ i.e., a list <strong>of</strong> axiophytes,<br />
and a policy for <strong>the</strong> commonest species <strong>of</strong>
Recorders & Recording – Recording Strategy / Notes from <strong>the</strong> Officers – From <strong>the</strong> Hon.<br />
General Secretary / From <strong>the</strong> Acting Scottish Officer<br />
collecting only hectad records. Targets are<br />
lacking for many counties, but would be<br />
relatively easy to a) produce, b) circulate to<br />
grassroots recorders for comment, c) promulgate.<br />
Good alternatives to an axiophyte list<br />
are: plants which on county dot maps show a<br />
clearly localised distribution (about 150<br />
species in my county, plus obvious rarities);<br />
with coverage <strong>of</strong> one or more target sites in<br />
each hectad (and/or in each ‘landscape unit’).<br />
All additional records will be a bonus, so<br />
NOTES FROM THE OFFICERS<br />
From <strong>the</strong> Hon General Secretary – LYNNE FARRELL<br />
41 High Street, Hemingford Grey, Cambs., PE28 9BJ<br />
(01480 462728) (lynneonmull@btinternet.com)<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> long-standing<br />
We would like to <strong>of</strong>fer our congratulations to<br />
<strong>the</strong> following people who have now been<br />
members for 60 years: Mrs P.A. Evans, Dr<br />
P.A. Gay, Pr<strong>of</strong> C.H. Gimingham, Dr D.J.<br />
Hambler, Mr P.H. Oswald, Mr P.D. Sell, Mr<br />
B.A. Whitton, Mr R.D. Wise.<br />
Annual Exhibition Meeting at <strong>the</strong> Natural<br />
History Museum, London, 29 Nov. 2011<br />
This was a new venue in London and I<br />
received many complimentary remarks, both<br />
about <strong>the</strong> venue and <strong>the</strong> event itself, which<br />
included a programme <strong>of</strong> short talks. 157<br />
members and 27 guests attended.<br />
New e-mail address<br />
Please note that I have a new e-mail address,<br />
owing to my PC having been hacked into<br />
recently. I am not in a Spanish jail!<br />
Many congratulations to 2 <strong>BSBI</strong> members<br />
who have been awarded an MBE in <strong>the</strong> New<br />
Year Honour’s List:<br />
Mr Trevor George Evans (recorder for<br />
v.c.35) – for services to conservation and to<br />
wildlife in Monmouthshire<br />
Mrs Dorothy Hardy – national park voluntary<br />
ranger, for services to conservation.<br />
And Mrs Susan Pippa Bonner (wife <strong>of</strong> our<br />
President) – for voluntary service to <strong>the</strong><br />
North Wales Wildlife Trust<br />
From <strong>the</strong> acting Scottish Officer – ANGUS HANNAH<br />
Jim McIntosh<br />
Jim is finding life tough out in <strong>the</strong> South<br />
Atlantic. “SAS training must be easier!..” to<br />
quote his latest blog. You can follow his<br />
adventures on http://fur<strong>the</strong>rthan<strong>the</strong>fur<strong>the</strong>st.<br />
blogspot.com<br />
Scottish Officer Funding<br />
We are pleased to report that SNH have<br />
approved funding for <strong>the</strong> post for <strong>the</strong> forthcoming<br />
year, and in principle for two fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Glenmore, Ro<strong>the</strong>say, Isle <strong>of</strong> Bute, PA20 0QU;<br />
(Tel.: 01700 503879; butesedge@yahoo.co.uk)<br />
73<br />
following <strong>the</strong> strategy will not exclude volunteers<br />
recording favourite haunts/species.<br />
It is necessary to explain that this will<br />
achieve <strong>the</strong> benefits that county floras do –<br />
after all, most counties now have, or by 2020<br />
will have, a completeness <strong>of</strong> coverage at tetrad<br />
level that may not need repeating for half a<br />
century. In urging <strong>the</strong> adoption <strong>of</strong> a policy in<br />
all counties, I am aware that local arrangements<br />
will have to reflect <strong>the</strong> county’s terrain<br />
and <strong>the</strong> likely size <strong>of</strong> its volunteer pool.<br />
years, though <strong>the</strong> full amount cannot be<br />
guaranteed beyond <strong>the</strong> first year.<br />
Kindrogan Weekend for Scottish VCRs (or<br />
prospective VCRs)<br />
I am organising a weekend workshop at<br />
Kindrogan on 2 nd – 4 th March 2012 to support<br />
Scottish VCRs through <strong>the</strong> various challenges<br />
<strong>the</strong>y face. There will be sessions on rare plant<br />
registers (led by Chris Me<strong>the</strong>rell); <strong>the</strong> Distribution<br />
Database and relations with local
74<br />
Notes from <strong>the</strong> Officers – From <strong>the</strong> Acting Scottish Officer / 2011 Scottish Annual Meeting<br />
records centres (Tom Humphrey); data cleaning<br />
and <strong>the</strong> NBN data validation tool (Graham<br />
French); public access to data (Kevin Walker);<br />
and recording critical groups (Richard<br />
Pankhurst). We will also have general discussions<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> recording strategy, and <strong>the</strong><br />
recording <strong>of</strong> status and habitat. A very few<br />
places remain, so if you have not yet expressed<br />
your interest, please contact me quickly.<br />
MapMate support<br />
Two contractors have been employed to make<br />
MapMate easier for everyone to use. Martin<br />
Harvey has already made a set <strong>of</strong> excellent<br />
videos, which demonstrate <strong>the</strong> procedures for<br />
using <strong>the</strong> programme in a range <strong>of</strong> simple tasks,<br />
and has agreed to make a few more to fill <strong>the</strong><br />
gaps and tackle more complex subjects. You<br />
can see <strong>the</strong> original set on <strong>the</strong> <strong>BSBI</strong> Website<br />
through <strong>the</strong> MapMate support link. Martin<br />
Rand has undertaken to revise <strong>the</strong> MapMate<br />
handbook thoroughly, and <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> his<br />
work should be available next spring, initially<br />
in PDF form for download. Although focusing<br />
on vascular plants, both <strong>the</strong>se projects will<br />
potentially benefit all MapMate users.<br />
Field Meetings<br />
A full and varied programme <strong>of</strong> field meetings<br />
has been organised for 2012, and details are in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Yearbook. Four <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> meetings are<br />
specifically intended to be educational, with<br />
an emphasis on how to identify an unknown<br />
plant. An Alchemilla workshop in Ullapool<br />
(which had to be postponed last year) is<br />
designed to help recorders identify alpine<br />
species, especially A. wichurae, for <strong>the</strong><br />
Threatened Plant Project.<br />
2011 Scottish Annual Meeting<br />
This year’s Scottish Recording Week will be<br />
based in a luxury lodge in Kirkcudbrightshire.<br />
Please apply early, as places are strictly<br />
limited (English, Irish and Welsh members are<br />
also welcome!).<br />
Vice-county Recorders<br />
Several new joint recorders have recently been<br />
appointed, including Luke Gaskell and Kathy<br />
Velander in v.c.78 (Peebles), Pamela Murdoch<br />
in v.c.99 (Dunbarton), Philip Sansum in v.c.86<br />
(Stirling) and Adam Fraser in v.c.96 (Easterness).<br />
Barbara Hogarth has intimated her wish<br />
to retire from <strong>the</strong> recordership <strong>of</strong> v.c.90<br />
(Angus), but has kindly agreed to remain in<br />
post until a successor can be found. Please see<br />
<strong>the</strong> notice below.<br />
Recorder vacancy - v.c.90:Angus<br />
A vice-county recorder vacancy has arisen in<br />
<strong>the</strong> above vice-county. We are looking particularly<br />
for a keen field recorder, since we<br />
already have an <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>of</strong> help with <strong>the</strong> data<br />
entry/computer side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work. Angus is a<br />
medium sized county <strong>of</strong> relatively compact<br />
shape but very varied terrain, extending from<br />
<strong>the</strong> city <strong>of</strong> Dundee along <strong>the</strong> coast, with dunes,<br />
flats and coastal cliffs to beyond Montrose,<br />
and including <strong>the</strong> Sidlaw hills, much <strong>of</strong> Strathmore,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> glens <strong>of</strong> Esk, Clova, Prosen and<br />
Isla, with <strong>the</strong> famous alpine flora <strong>of</strong> Caenlochan.<br />
A reasonable level <strong>of</strong> physical fitness is<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore required. Residence in <strong>the</strong> county,<br />
though preferable, is not essential, but it would<br />
be necessary to commit to spending several<br />
weeks <strong>the</strong>re each season.<br />
Expressions <strong>of</strong> interest should be sent to me at<br />
<strong>the</strong> address above, or e-mail butesedge@<br />
yahoo.co.uk before 29th February.<br />
RUTH MCGUIRE, Volunteer Publicity Officer, <strong>BSBI</strong> Scotland, (bsbiscotland@gmail.com)<br />
The 2011 Scottish Annual Meeting, held on<br />
Saturday 5 th November at <strong>the</strong> Botanic Garden<br />
in Edinburgh, was a great success, with an<br />
excellent attendance. A new element was<br />
added this year in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> a photographic<br />
competition. There was excellent quality in<br />
<strong>the</strong> entries demonstrating that wild flowers<br />
make a great subject for <strong>the</strong> photographer.<br />
The photographs were displayed throughout<br />
<strong>the</strong> day and delegates had <strong>the</strong> opportunity to<br />
view <strong>the</strong>m and also vote for <strong>the</strong>ir favourites.<br />
There were three categories: Arable weeds,<br />
The sex life <strong>of</strong> plants and Flowers <strong>of</strong> Scotland,<br />
<strong>the</strong> winners being announced towards <strong>the</strong> end<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> meeting. It was a fun element, and <strong>the</strong><br />
competition received favourable feedback on
Notes from <strong>the</strong> Officers – 2011 Scottish Annual Meeting / Diary / Solution to Crossword 17 /<br />
Deadline for <strong>BSBI</strong> News 120<br />
<strong>the</strong> day. The winning entries (see front and<br />
back covers) were:<br />
Arable weeds: Martin Robinson, with Galeopsis<br />
speciosa (Large-flowered Hemp-nettle).<br />
Sex life <strong>of</strong> plants: Claudia Ferguson-Smyth,<br />
with Cinnamon-fruited Dandelion.<br />
Flowers <strong>of</strong> Scotland: Martin Robinson, tied<br />
with Claudia Ferguson-Smyth, with Linnaea<br />
2. PATHOLOGY; 3. RAMPING; 4. CONES; 5.<br />
LEAFING; 6. NOBLE; 7. SIS; 12. EDIBILITY; 14.<br />
DENTATE 15. TRIF. DUB; 17. CLOCK; 18.<br />
HUMID; 21. AKA<br />
Down<br />
Down<br />
2. anagram HOG PLAY TO; 3. RING; 4. double<br />
definition; 5. LEA/FING; 6. NOBLEmish;<br />
7. SISymbrium; 12. anagram DEBILITY +1; 14.<br />
DATE; 15.T(racto)R/IF 15.T(racto)R/IF reverse reverse BUD; 17.<br />
C(otton).LOCK; 18. HUM/ID; 21. cleavers aka goosegrass<br />
DIARY<br />
Solution to Crossword 17<br />
Crib<br />
borealis (Twinflower) and Sparganium<br />
erectum (Branched Bur-reed) respectively.<br />
It is intended that <strong>the</strong> competition will run<br />
again in 2012, and we expect more entries.<br />
Next year’s categories will be announced early<br />
in 2012, and details will be available on <strong>the</strong><br />
Scottish pages <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> website.<br />
N.B. These dates may be supplementary to those in <strong>the</strong> 2012 Calendar in <strong>BSBI</strong> Yearbook 2012<br />
25 Jan Records Committee, London<br />
1 Feb Meetings Committee, NHM, London<br />
8 Feb Training & Education Committee,<br />
Shrewsbury<br />
10 Feb Welsh Committee, Aberystwyth<br />
15 Feb Publications Committee, London<br />
22 Feb Database Sub-committee, Leicester<br />
29 Feb Executive, Linnean <strong>Society</strong>, London<br />
10 Mar Scottish Committee<br />
21 Mar Council, Linnean <strong>Society</strong>, London<br />
13-15 Apr Recorders’ Conference, Shrewsbury<br />
5 May Scottish Committee<br />
12-13 May AGM, Reading<br />
20-22 June Welsh AGM, Llangollen<br />
1. SPUR; 4. COLONIST; 8. STAMEN;<br />
9. AMBUSH; 10. SORI; 11. SPIKELET; 13.<br />
ROUGH DOG’S TAIL; 16. HYACINTH; 19. IRIS; 20.<br />
SAPOTA; 22. MIDRIB 23. HAWKWEED 24.<br />
BAYS<br />
Across<br />
Across<br />
1. double definition; 4. COLON/IS/T(ract); 8. stay men; men;<br />
9. AM/BUSH; 10. SI; 11. SPIKE/LET; 13. ruff ruff<br />
(‘hearing bark’) causing dog’s tail to wave; 16. anagram anagram<br />
ANY HITCH; 19. In Reeds In Swamps; 20. anagram<br />
SOAP AT; 22. reverse BIRDIM;<br />
23. Charade; 24. double definition<br />
CONTRIBUTIONS INTENDED FOR <strong>BSBI</strong> NEWS 120<br />
should reach <strong>the</strong> Receiving Editor before March 1st<br />
The General Editor Gwynn Ellis can be contacted by answerphone or fax on 02920 496042<br />
email: rgellis@ntlworld.com<br />
The Receiving Editor Trevor James can be contacted by phone on 01462 742684 or email trevorjjames@btinternet.com<br />
All text and illustrations appearing in <strong>BSBI</strong> News and its Supplements are copyright and no reproduction in any form may be<br />
made without written permission from <strong>the</strong> General Editor<br />
Offers and special terms apply only to members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong> and copies are not available on an exchange basis.<br />
<strong>BSBI</strong> News (ISSN 0309-930X) is published by <strong>the</strong> <strong>Botanical</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> <strong>Isles</strong><br />
Enquiries concerning <strong>the</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s activities and membership should be addressed to: The Hon. General Secretary, c/o Dept. <strong>of</strong><br />
Botany, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Tel: 0207 942 5002.<br />
Camera ready copy produced by Gwynn Ellis and printed by J. & P. Davison, 3 James Place, Treforest, Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan<br />
CF37 1SQ (Tel. 01443-400585; email: davison.litho@talktalkbusiness.net)<br />
75
ADMINISTRATION and IMPORTANT ADDRESSES<br />
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