BSBINEWS

January1999
N o .8 0

Editedby GwynnEllis
4l MarlboroughRoad,Roath
CardiffCF25BU

Hyac inthoidesx variabilis

/l

J.iil

Hyac inthoides non-scripta

Ht'ac inthoide s hi spanic a

@ 1998(seepage4)
The BSBI Emblemin threeguises,del.OlgaStewart+

Administration

ADMINISTRATION
PRESIDENT

Mrs Mary Briggs,MBE

9 Arun Prospect,Pulborough,West SussexRJI20 IAL
Tel 01798-8"73234

IION. GENERAL SECRETARY (GeneralEnquiries)

Mr Gwynn Ellis
41 Marlborough Road, Roath, Cardiff CF2 5BU
Tel & Fax01222-496042e-mail bsbihgs@aol.com
HON. TREASURER (All financialmattersexceptSubscriptions)
Mr Michael Braithwaite
l9 BuccleuchStreet,Ilawick, Roxburghshire,TD9 OHL
Tel 01450-372267
Fax0I450-373591
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
Mr Michael Walpole
(PaymentofSubs andchangesofaddress) 68 OutwoodsRoad, Loughborough,Leics.LEll 3LY
(Pleasequotemembership
numberon all correspondence)
Tel 0I509-215598e-mail.mikewalpole@dial.pipex.com
IION. FIELD SECRETARY (Enquirieson FieldMeetings)
Mrs M. Lindop
36 Woodland Hill. Whitkirk. LeedsLS15 7DG
Tel 0l 13-2646513
BSBI CO-ORDINATORS

SarahWhild & Alex Lockton

66 North Street,Shrewsbury,Shropshire,SYI 2JL
Tel & fax 01743343789;Mobile 0585700368,e-mail.s j.whild@whild.icom-web.com

BSBI ATLAS 2000ORGANISER (Enquirieson Atlas 2000)

Dr Trevor Dines
Rhyd y Fuwch, Near Bethel,Caernarfon,Gwynedd LL55 3PS
Tel. 0l 248 670'789..
e-mail.TrevorDines@comnuserve.com
BSBI WEB SITE ADDR.ESS

COUNCIL NOMINATIONS
Nominations for vacancieson Council, in writing, signed by two members of the Society and accompanied by the written consent ofthe candidateto serve, ifelected, should be sent to the Hon. General
Secretary,at the above addressto arrive before February lst 1999 (see Year Book 1999 for the list of
presentCouncil members May 1998-1999).
Members are reminded that Officers are also elected or re-elected at the AGM, and Committee
members are appointed by Council at the meeting following the AGM. The Hon. Gen. Sec. will be
pleasedto receive nominations for considerationby the Executive Committee.

Gwynn Ellis, Hon. GeneralSecretary

CONTRIBUTIONSINTENDED FOR B.IB1NETTS8I

shouldreachthe Editor beforeMarch | 1999

lnDortant Notices / Dian

IMPORTANTNOTICES
COVENAN'IS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
A leaflet sent out with the September issue of llSRl Naw.s detailed the benetrts to the Societv of
members covenanting their subscriptions.Unfortunately thrs met with a very poor response,and as a
result Council will be asked at its next nreeting to recommend to the AGM a 1.2 increasein subscriptions to cover an anticipated shortfall rn funds.
However, if a sufficient number of menrbers could be persuaded to covenant their subscriptions.
this proposed increase would be unnecessaryat this time So can we urge all nrembersrvho are in a
p o s i t i o nt o c o v e n a n tt o d o s o , a t n o c o s t t o t h e m s e l \ " e sP L E A S E C O M P L E T E T H E C O ! ' E N A N T
FORM AND RETURN TO the Membership Secretary, Mr M Walpole Details of current subscriptions are on page 6 of Year Book 1999 included with this mailing.
Meanwhile we thank most warmly those membersrvho have signed covenant-s
MICHAEL BRAITHWAITE

(Hon Treasurer) and GWYNN ELLIS (Hon General Secretary)

BSBI NEI4/S INDEX - ANYONE

FOR 'TYPING'

GeorgeHutchinsonhascompletedthe preparatory
work for BSRI Acy'.r6l-70, but unfortunately
there
is no oneto do the 'typing'for theeightissues.
Nos 6l-69 To savetimethepreparatory
work hasnot
beenhand-written.lnstead,enlargedpagesof the text (A4 insteadof ,A5as printed)havebeenmarked
up by underliningin variouswaysin red. The volunteerwould be suppliedwith a copy of one rssuein
,A4format and on disk (in rich text format)from which the indexcan be createdby referringto hard
pagesheetsmarkedup in red anddeletingall unwantedtext lt will therefore
copyofthe corresponding
be essential
for the volunteerto haveaccessto a computel
Any volunteers
shouldcontactthe editorin the first instance
EDITOR

DIARY
N.B, These dates are supplementaryto those in the I999 Calendar in ll,\:lll feur R<x* 1999

January 3l
February 2
6
N{arch
l8-21
May
I
1-2
23
July
EDITOR

1999
DeadlinefornotificationofpaperforKentMemorralissueof
W'ut.sorria(seep
59)
WarburgMemorialLecture,Oxford(seep. 52)
(seeleafletwith this mailing)
DruceLecture,Cambridge
(seeB.\r91
JohnRay andhis Successors,
Conference
New.r79. 70)
Deadlinefor submittingpapersfor Kent Memoriairssueof llotsorrla(seep 59)
ldentifyingMeadowDntdeliott.s,2daycourse,Oxford(seep. 52)
Viewing day for Cypripecliumculcaolu.;(seepage5 I)
Identifyingaquaticmacrophy'tes
course,Anglesey(seep 53)

Editorial & Notes

EDITORIAL& NOTES
Congratulationsto Alcx Locklonand SarahWhild *ho havenou beenappointedas ourjoint Co-ordinators
and
our thanls to all thosewho cxprcsscdrn intcrcstin thc post
Congratulationsalso to Mrs Joan Clark on rcachingthc grlnd agc of 90; rt must bc all that pure Scottish
hrghlandarr!
Thanks to thc 273 mcmbcrsrvho camc to the Annual ErhrbrtionMeetrngm London on November28'r',and
particularl,vour thanksto the Erhibitors.We uould also like to recordour thanksto Rov Vickerywhosehard
work in the preparations before the meeting. and his organisation of the lay out- exhibit spaces and
programmeon the da! ensuredthc smoothmnnrngofthe nrccting
The MeetrngsSecretan and her brothcr.Arlsa and Rob Burns kept gr"rard
at the door taking the signaturcs and also contributlngto the arrangcmcnts
of the dar. lnd.judgrngbr thc continuousand cheerfulbuzz
of consenation all thosethere enjovedtlie meotrng
Thanks also to Nick Stewartfbr allourng thc splcndrddrarringsofour cmblemto appcaron thc front covcr of
this issuein memon ofhis mothcrOlga Sturart lVlanl ofOlga-s drarvingshavegracedour front coverand
it is fitting that thesethrec vcrsronsof our ornblemas thc nativcbluebell.it's Spanishcousinand the hybrid
betrveen
them shouldappearhere(ther alsoappearon the contentspageof Pldnt ('rib I 998).
An apologyto FrancisRosefor gettrngtho Englishnamcsof thc Man and Ladv orchrdsthe rvronglvay round
(seealso p. I9). and. on bchalf of Wcrrdr McCarthr. to Dick Robcrtsfor rvrongll creditingthediscoveryof
I:riophorumgracile at Cors Gcirch NNR to PctcrBcnoitrn a Ficld McctingRcportin RSBINewl;78.
Code of Conduct A neu'editionof the ( irie hus becnculpleted but publicationhas beenslightll delavedwhile
our ner co-ordinatorsexploroln iltcrnatrrc nrcnnsof pubhcationrvhichmav significantllreducethe costto
the Societl. Wc hopc that rt \rll bc publishedthis Springand nrailcdto nrcnrbcrswith thc Apnl editronof
RSRI News.
And finally. EilccnTay,lorsendsthis splcndidphoto of thc latc DuggrcKcnt (sccalso p 59) togetherwith Mike
Mullin (lcft). who. as nrcmbcrsprcsurt at thc AGM riill knori. is rccovcringfbllorvingtrcatmentfor liver
cancer. Mikc phoncd Man Briggs to thank licr and all riho signcd his gct rvcll card for their kind thoughts.
'terrrbll'touched'
He rvas
bl the card uhich arrired on MondavNovember3Oth(whenhe r.vasfcclingdown
after chemotherap-"-).
Fortunatcly.his canccr has bccn diagnoscdas'emincntly treatable'.and he is very
positiveabout it. He rvasback to hrs chccrfirlsclflhcn on thc phoneto Man and saidthat he was'feeling
v e r y g o o d ' . H e a l s o s a i d t h a t h c i s 5 l t h i s v c a r . h a s l o satn5di lsbo ' b a c k t o t h e o l d s v l p h - l i k e M i k e a g a i n ' .
Carn on the recoverl Mike. and bcsturshesfiom us all.

M r k eM u l h n ( l )& D u g g i eK c n t ( r ) a t B r c n t R i r c r P a r k . L o n d o
Pnh o t o E T a 1 l o r , C1.9 9 3

EDITOR

Atlas 2000

ATLAS 2OOO
P R O G R E S SR E P O R T
The Atlas project is really gathering pace now. with a constant tlorv of records being submitted to me.
sent to Monks Wood, entered onto the database and then returned to Vice-county Recorders fbr
c h e c k i n g .C a p t i o n sa r e b e i n g w r i t t e n l o r t h e m a p s .t h e l q 9 9 f i e l d m e e t i n g sh a r e b e e n p l a n n e d .a n d w e
w r l l s o o n b e r e a d y t o r n a k e a b i g p u s h t b r t h e t i n a l v e a r \ V e a r e n o r \ . h o r r e v e r .a t a v r t a l s t a _ s oe l ' t h e
p r o 1 e c tl n t e r m s o f d a t a s u b n i i s s i o n a
. n d r r e r c a l l l n e e c li r s r n L r c hd a t a a s p o s s i b l et o b e s e n t i n t h i s
wrnter
Records Received
As expected, now that everyone has come in fiom the cold. wet lleld season (did anyone actually go
out in sunshinethis year?), the submrssionof Atlas 2O0Orecords is beginning to increaseagain. At the
recent Scottish Annual General Nleeting. I collected Mastercards aDd records on disk for 6l hectads.
a n d d a t a o n d i s k f o r I l 6 h e c t a d sa r r i v e d o n t h e s a m e d a y r e c e n t l v( 7 9 o f w h i c h c a m e i n b 1 e - m a i l ! ) .
Every postal delivery now includes more records and it's really exciting to see the map for Britain
gradually filling up.

E -]
t*-

r iJ

Atlas 2000
The map above shows the I 196 hectadslbr which we have currently received Atlas 2000 records. This
represents42o/oofthe total squaresin Britain.
Things are also progressing well in Ireland. rvith more completed Mastercards having been
received. Declan Doogue (Co-ordinator in the Republic) has just surveyed all the squares and is in
regular conlact with the Vice-county Recorders. Nlany areashave been very thoroughly covered (many
hectadshave norv reached the 300+ ta\a nrark). Despite all their sterling efforts. however. the problem
rn the Republic is a lack ofrecorders on the ground. and there are large areas still needing considerable
work Declan and I
be working hard in 1999 to get these areas covered and we anticipate a major
"vill
thrust in the field pleasehelp if you can by supporting the lrish field meetings.
For progress in Northern lreland please see the article by Fiona MacKee in this edition of Naw.s

(p lot
V i c e - c o u n t i e sF
' inished'
A m a z i n g l y .t h e R e c o r d e r sl o r 2 l V i c e - c o u n t i e sa n d i C h a n n e ll s l a n d sh a v e s u b n r i t t e da l l ( o r n e a r l ya l l )
their data ln some cases. updates tbr the Monitorin_eScheme are all that remain. but all current data
h a s b e e n s u b m i t t e di n o t h e r s T h e s ec o u n t i e sa r e
l'ice-countl'
Guernsey
Alderney
Sark
E Cornwall
N Devon
Dorset
Wight
N. Hants
Middlesex
Northants.
Mons
Rads.
Caerns
Denbs.
Cheshire
SW Yorks.
S N o r t h u m b .& C h e v i o t
Kirkcudbrights
Peebless.
Selkirks & Roxburghs
W Lothran
E. Sutherland
Caithness
Outer Hebrides

No. of squores
Submitled b
Bridget Ozanne
5
Brian Bonnard
3
Roger Veall
I
R o s eM u r p h y
32
Bill Tucker
32
37
H u m p h r e yB o w e n
I
Colin Pope
Mike Wildish
16
R o d n e yB u r t o n
17
22
Gill Gent and Rob Wilson
Trevor Evans
14
David Hurnphreys
13
22
Geoff Battershall
20
J e a nG r e e n
Graeme Kay
24
33
Geoffrey Wilmore
51
GeorgeSwan
Olga Stewart
29
David McCosh
II
Rod Corner
25
4
J a c k i eM u s c o t t
Morven Murray & Ken Butler
27
Ken Butler
25
'79
Richard Pankhurst

Melhod ol Submission
Mastercard
Disk (usingAditsite)
Mastercard
Mastercard
Mastercard
Disk (usingMapRecs)
Disk(usingAditsite)
Mastercard
Mastercard
Disk lusingAdrtsite)
Disk(usingBioBase)
Disk (usingBioBase)
Disk (usingAditsite)
Disk (usingAditsiteandBioRecs)
Disk (usingown system)
Disk (usingown system)
Mastercard
N4astercard
Mastercard
Excelversionof the Mastercard
Mastercard
Disk (usingPrimula)
Disk (usingPrimula)
Disk (usingRecorder)

( N B N o . o f s q u a r e s = t h e e n t i r e s q u a r e s a l l o c a t e d l t l t h e R e q o r d e r f o r t h e A t l a s , n o lt ah lel s q u a r e s a n d
p a r t s q u a r e si n t h e c o u n t l ' ) .
M a n y t h a n k s t o a l l o f t h e s el b r g e t t i n g t h e i r r e s u l t si n e a r l y . I h o p e t o g i v e a d d i t i o n st o t h i s l i s t n e x t
time!
Monitoring SchemeSquares
Observant readers will notice that I've now included Monitoring Scheme squaresin this map and this
has been done for several reasons.Firstly, these squaresare generallywell recorded in the 1987+ date

Atlas 2000
class. Secondly, this data is already in the databaseat Monks Wood However. these squaresdo need
some attention fbr the nerv Atlas. From the results we'r'e had so t'ar. we would expect lists of additional
s p e c i e st o c o m e l r o m t h e s es q u a r e s p
, a r t i c u l a r l yo { ' a l i e n s( s e eA l i e n s b e l o w )
P r o g r e s sa t M o n k s W o o d
E n t r y o f A t l a s 2 0 0 0 d a t a o n t o t h e V a s c u l a r P l a n t D a t a b a - s ei s a l s o r a p r d l y _ q a i n i n gp a c e T o d a t e ,
records from 648 new hectads have been entered. The remaining records are in the pipeline between
me, delivery to Monks Wood and entry onto the database.Nearlv 300.000 new Atlas records have been
added and, to our great satisfaction, 87% ofthese are in the 1987+ date class Approxlmatelv 45o./i,ol'
these records have come in on computer disk and 55-9irby Mastercard.
Hectad League Table
Looking at the data as it gets entered onto the databaseat Nlonks Wood. we can begin !o construcr a
league table for the most speciesrich hectadsin the country.
Taking the 1987+ data only first, Norfolk leads this table comfortably-with 900 taxa recorded lor
TF/6 2 (north King's Lynn, v c 28) and 894 for TG/2 0 (Nonvich. v c 27), I\liddlesex tying lbr second
p l a c e w i t h 8 9 4 f o r T Q / l 6 ( H a m p t o n C o u r t a n d C h e s s i n g t o nv, c 2 l ) T h e t a b l e i n S c o t l a n di s l e a d b v
N S / 5 . 6 ( M e a r n s k i r k , j u s t s o u t h o f G l a s g o r v ) ,a s q u a r e i n c l u d r n g p a ( s o f L a n a r k s . . R e n f r e w s . a n d
D u n b a r t o n ( v . c c . 7 1, ' 7 6 & 9 9 ) . r v r t h 8 2 0 t a x a l n W a l e s . f i r s t p l a c e i s c u r r e n t l y t a k e n b v S T / 2 8
( b e t r v e e nC a r d i f f a n d N e w p o r t ) i n M o n s ( r ' c l 5 ) w i t h 8 1 0 t a x a
I{ however, we look at the total number of taxa recorded in all date classes,the table is led by
M i d d l e s e x( v c 2 l ) w i t h I 1 8 8 t a x a r e c o r d e di n t h e T Q / l 6 s q u a r e( s e e a b o v e ) , l l 2 2 i n T Q / f l 6 ( C h e r t sey) and 964 in TQ/O.7 (Staines). Data tbr these scluareshas been submitted by Rodney Bu(on and his
Mastercards must have taken considerablylonger to cornpile than normal! In Scotland, first place goes
t o N S / 5 . 6 a g a i n ( t h i s t i m e w i t h 9 3 i t a x a ) b u t i n W a l e s t h e p r i z e g o e s t o t h e N e w p o r t s q u a r e( S T / 3 8 )
w i t h 9 1 8 t a r a ( a l t h o u g hl ' d l i k e t o s a y ' c o n ) e o n ' t o G e o f f B a t t e r s h a l la n d W e n d y N l c C a r t h yi n C a e r n s
(v c 49), the Conwy square, SFV7.7,is not far behind with 903 taxal)
Aliens
Similarly, it is tempting (although scientificallyrather pointless) to look at the data itsell The followin_s
was prepared by Chris Preston after data lrom 504 Atlas hectads had been entered. These records are
far too clumped to have anv meaning. but thev do indicate some changes in the British flora that the
new Atla.s will document We have looked at ahen speciesas rranv of these are where changesare most
pronounced.
I n t h e l e a g u et a b l e o f m o s t f r e q u e n t l yr e c o r d e da l i e n si n t h e | 9 8 7 + d a t e c l a s s ,t h e r e i s c u r r e n t l ya t i e
for first place between ilcer pseucloplalcrlll.f(Sycamore) and tr,lutriutrtu tli.;coitJt'u(Pineappie Weed)
with 418 squareseach. Third is Aegopodiun podagruriu (Ground Elder) with 38 1 squares.Ofthe top
fifty taxa, eight were not mapped in the 1962 '4l/o.r. nanrelv Symph.ytum ".uplandicum (Russian
Comtiey), Lururio annua (Honest1,), lt4ulw cfuntasttctt (.{pple), Lanrqstrum guleohdrlot
subsp
argentatum, Picea ehies (Norway Spruce), Acet plalanoide.r (Norway Maple), Ltgustum ot,ali/)ltunt
(Garden Privet) and Populus alhu (White Poplar). lt is encouragingthat so many ofthese are trees (the
number ofconif'ers in this category considerablvincreaseswhen vou look at Scottish squares)and that
others were only recently brought to our attention (the Itntiu.tlrunr was only bought to our attention in
Britain in 1986 by Allan Stirling and Alison Rutherfbrd)
Of the taxa that were mapped in 1962. one of the biggest expansions is in l,,l.tikthiunttiliutum
(Arnerican Willowherb). The maps below show the original Atlas map on the left (li. udenocuulon asit
w a s t h e n ) a n d t h e l a t e s t m a p ( s h o w i n g a l l a v a i l a b l er e c o r d s ) o n t h e r i g h l ( o p e n c i r c l e s a r e p r e 1 9 7 0
r e c o r d s , c l o s e d c i r c l e s a r e 1 9 7 0 - 1 9 8 6 r e c o r d s . c l o s e d s q u a r e sa r e 1 9 8 7 + r e c o r d s ) T h r s s p e c i e si s
c u r r e n t l y7 t h o n t h e I i s t o f B r i t i s h a l i e n s .* i t h 1 0 6 | 9 i i 7 I h c c t a dr e c o r d s
W e a r e c o n t i n u i n gt o p u t e m p h a s i so n t h e r e c o r d i n go f a l i e n s .a n e f l b r t j u s t i f i e d b y t h e s ep r e l i m i n a r y
resultsI

Aflas 2000

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Atlas 2000
Get Your Records In!
We are about to enter the final year of the Atlas 2000 recordrng season (why does my stonlach turn
when I write that?). We are urging Vice-county Recorders to get their results into us as soon as possrble becausethe final deadlinefor the submissionofdata is November 1999. This apparentlyearly date
i s t o g i v e M o n k s W o o d t i m e t o e n t e r t h e d a t a p r o d u c e m a p s f b r e d i t i n g a n d c h e c k i n g .O b v i o u s l y .t h i s
d o e s n ' t l e a v en r u c h t i m e t o g e t y o u r | 9 9 9 t r e l d d a l a t o R e c o r d e r s .s o I ' d a l s o l i k e t o u r , q ee v e r y o n e l o
g e t a n y o u t s t a n d i n g f i e l d r e c o r d s t o t h e i r V i c e - c o u n t y R e c o r d e r st h i s w i n t e r . l - h i s w i l l a l l o w t h e m
to submit the maximum amount of data by the spring. see which areas need attcntion next year. and
leave them with only the I 999 data to deal with next vear Theretbre. please also get _vour| 999 tield
d a t a t o V i c e - c o u n t yr e c o r d sb y a t l e a s r l s t S e p t e m b e r 1 9 9 9 .
Under-recorded Squares
N e x t y e a r i s o u r f i n a l f l e l d s e a s o n .N l o s t o f o u r B S B I r n e e t i n g si n 1 9 9 9 a r e A t l a s 2 0 0 0 r e c o r d i n g
meetings (although there are some lirrbus and non-recording meetrngs)and these have been arrangedto
improve the coverage ofunder-recorded areas.
I n m a n y c a s e sb y n o w . h o w e v e r . i t i s i n d i v i d u a ih e c t a d s( 1 0 k m s q u a r e s )t h a t n e e d a t t e n t r o n T h e s e
normally do not justi$ a proper BSBI meeting and so we will publish a list of under-recorded
squares in the next edition of B.lB1 Nop.s. Pleasekeep vour diaries fiee and try to visit and recurd in
t h e s e s q u a r e s .( T h e l i s t o f s q u a r e s w i l l . i n f - a c t .b e r e a d v r n J z r n u a r y I ' l l b e h a p p l t o p r o v i d e a n v o n e
wanting details in advance rvith the list.) What more of a direct contribution to tlte Atlu.s could l'ou
hope to make?
Wild Flower Society Grant
L a s t y e a r , a s i n 1 9 9 6 . t h e W i l d F l o w e r S o c i e t yw e r e k i n d e n o u g ht o g i v e u s a g r a n t t o w a r d s r e c o r d i n g
i n m o u n t a i n o u sa r e a s T h i s r v a s u s e d t o e m p l o y a b o t a n i s t ( G o r d o n R o t h e r o ) t b r l 3 d a y s t o s u r - \ ' e v
s o m e r e m o t e ( a n d I m e a n r e m o t e ) u p l a n d a r e a s i n S c o t l a n d t h a t w o u l d c l t h e r w i s eh a r e g o n e
u n - r e c o r d e d G o r d o n s p e n tt h e t i m e i n t h e A p p l e c r o s sa r e ao f W e s t e r R o s s( r " c l t l 5 . 1a n d i n t h e t r o r d e r s
b e t w e e nE a s t a n d W e s t S u t h e r l a n d( v . c c 1 0 7 & 1 0 8 ) H e h a s w r i t t e n a r e p o r t ( i n t h e f b r m o f a d i a r y )
t h a t w i l l a p p e a r i n t h e W i l d F l o w e r S o c i e t y ' s m a g a z i n e T h i s i n c l u d e sl i s t s o f t h e m o r e i n t e r e s t i n g
'Heavy
'Drizzly
rain and cioud all dav'.
rarnand low cloud all
s p e c i e sn
, oteson the weather(such as,
p
e
r
i
o
d
i
c
a
l
l
v
w
e
t
day'. and'A dry morning followed bv a
a f t e r n o o ne n d i n g i n a c l o u d b u r s t ' ) a n d t h e
'Total
'Total
s u p e r bs t a t i s t i c s .
d i s t a n c ec o v e r e d2 1 5 k m ( o f r v h r c h 2 6 k m u ' a s o n a b r k e ) .
and,
time
g
r
a
t
e
f
u
l
recordingIl0 hours'. We are very
i n d e e dt o b o t h G o r d o n a n d t h e W i l d F l o w e r S o s i e t vf b r a l l
their help
Authors
David Pearman has norv found species-captionauthors tbr over 90% of the fanrilies covered by the
Atlas. There are a few signifrcant gaps. however. so if you f-ancywriting very shon, concise specics
a c c o u n t sf o r t h e A m a r a n t h a c e a e . B r a s s i c a c e a eo r P o l y g o n a c e r e , p l e a s eg e t i n t o u c h w i t h D a v i d
P e a r m a n( T h e O l d R e c t o r y ,F r o m e S t Q u i n t r n ,D o r c h e s t e r .D o r s e t , D T 2 O H F ) .
A ckn owledgemen ts
T h e A t l n . s 2 0 0 0 i s a c o l l a b o r a t i v ep r o j e c t i n v o l v i n g t h e B i o l o g r r : a lR e c o r d sC e n t r e o f t h e l n s t r t u t eo f
T e r r e s t r i a lE c o l o g y a n d t h e B o t a n i c a lS o c i e t yo f t h e B r i t i s h l s l e s .I t i s l u n d e d b y t h e D e p a r t m e n to f t h e
E n v r r o n m e n t( i n G r e a t B r i t a i n ) w i t h a d d i t i o n a ls u p p o n t l o m t h e E n v i r o n m e n t a n d H e r i t a g e S e n ' i o e
( N o r t h e r n l r e l a n d )a n d t h e N a t i o n a lP a r k s a n d W i l d l i t ' eS e n ' i c e( R e p u b l i co f l r e l a n d ; .W e a r e g r a t e f u lt o
a l l t h e s eb o d i e sf o r t h e i r s u p p o r t .
Many thanks are also due to the Portsmouth Natural Hrstory Society who, when winding
t h e m s e l v e su p , g a v e t h e b a l a n c eo f t h e i r t u n d s ( f 4 0 0 ) t o r v a r d st h e A t l a s p r o j e c t
T R E V O R D I N E S . R h y d y F u w c h . N e a r B e t h e l .C a e r n a r f o n G
. w y n e d d L L 5 5 i P S T e l 0 1 2 . 1 86 1 0 1 8 9 ,

erylJ,Trevqtgilsleqnny.':rye
iq!

l0

Atlas 2000

T H E V A S C T I L A RP L A N T D A T A B A S E F O R N O R T H E R N I R E L A N D ( N I )
AND NI ATLAS 2OOO
PROJECT
This project has two purposes, one to create a centrally held databaseof all the vascular plant records
r n N o r t h e r n l r e l a n d ( N l ) . a n d i n d o i n g s o m e e t t h e r e t l u i r e m e n t sa n d d e a d l i n e so f t h e B S B I A t l a s 2 0 0 0
Prolect.
When the BSBI's new Atlas scheme was getting under way, the task as it related to Northern
lreland's six counties seemed mainly to be one ofbringing together all existing records rather than of
recording afresh. This is because a number of counties had been subject to fairly intensive recording
durtng the previous fifteen years or so Thus the three counties covered by Stewart & Corry's Floro of
the North littst oJ Irelund saw a complete revision of that work publishedin I S92 (the project began in
1976) A parallel and more intensive recording eflbrt was going on in Co Fermanagh(a Fiorzr is now
nearing completion) and in Co. Tyrone (l;loru in preparation), while Co. Armagh had been subject to
long and methodical recording by the JateNorah Darvson lrom the 1960s onwards.
A d d 1 o t h e s ee x i s t i n gd a t a b a s e tsh e d a t a g e n e r a t e db y t h e N o r t h e r n l r e l a n d L a k e S u r v e yo f 1 9 8 6 - 8 9
( f u n d e d b y E , n v i r o n r n e natn d H e r i t a g eS e r v i c e( E H S ) D o E N I ) . b y t h e a c t i v i t i e so f E H S ' o r v n s t a f f a n d
by the staffof the National Trust and one begins to appreciatethe large numbers of records'swilling
about' in different databases,some paper-based.and others on various computer programs.
The Secretary of BSBI's Comnrittee fbr lreland. Paul Hacknev, approached EHS in 1996 rvith a
suggestionthat finance might be provided to brin-ethese data into a single consolidatedvascular plant
database,as well as to provide some finance to assist BSBI nrembersin Northern lreland to carry out
additional new field recording where desirable.(Northern lreland was not covered by the agreement
with the Department of Environment at Bristol relating to tield work and dataprocessingin Great
Britain.) Subsequentlya contract was drawn up between EHS and BSBI whereby, from April 1997 I
have been empfoyed by BSBI to collate the existing and new records into a Vasculnr Plant Database
(VPD) fttr Nortlrcrn Irelund.
The products of'the contract are two-fold tirstly to produce the unified database on Recorder
which will provide the customer. i e. EHS. rvith a valuable tool fbr assessingthe conservationneeds of
individual species and sites and lcrr monitoring decline or advance of species and secondly it will
p r o v i d e B S B I a n d B R C M o n k s w o o d r v i t h t h e n e c e s s a r yd a t a t o a l l o r v N o r t h e r n I r e l a n dt o b e i n c l r - r d e d
in the forthcoming Atl6 2000
I am based at CEDaR (Centfe tbr Environmental Data and Recording) which is the environmental
records centre for Northern Ireland, holding all biological (both terrestrial and marine) and geological
records for the whole province It is located within the Department of Botany of the Ulster Museum in
partnershipwith EHS I also spend a proporlion of nrv time at EHS headquartersrvhere I am compute n s l n g d a t a c o l l e c t e db y E H S ' o r v n H a b i t a t S u n e y T e a r n D a t a c o l l e c t e dt i o m A r e a s o f S p e c i a lS c i e n tific lnterest (ASSls) are being entered by CEDaR staff
The project in Northern Ireland dift'ers quite considerably tiom Great Britain where the process
involves field recording and then the compilation ofMaster Cards for each hectad (10 km square) Here
the individual field cards produced tr-onreach'site' r'isit (at preferably a six figure -eridreferencelevel)
are entered into the Recrtriler database creating a VPD tiom which hectad summary data can be
e x t r a c t e dT h i s m e a n s t h a t e l e n i f ' a h e c t a d i s n o t a s w e l l c o v e r e d a s i t s h o u l d b e . t h e i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t
exists fbr it is entered into the databaseregardless.lt is then possibleto extract numbers ofspecies for
e v e r y h e c t a di n e a c hl i c e - c o u n t y a n d d e t e r m i n er v h i c hs q u a r e sn e e da t t e n t i o n .
l n t h i s w a y t h e p r o c e s s o f p r o d u c i n g v e r i f i c a t r o na n d d i s c r e p a n c yl i s t s r v i l l b e c a r r i e d o u t a t
C E D a R S u b n t i s s i o no f t h e A t l a s d a t a l o r N o r t h e r n l r e l a n d t o T r e v o r D i n e s r v i l l t h e r e f b r et a k e p l a c e
d u r i n g D e c e m b e r1 9 9 9 ,w h e n v e r i f r c a t i o na n d v a l i d a t i o no f t h e d a t a b a s eh a v e t a k e n p l a c e .
Post 1987 records take priority and are processed first Progress so far has resulted in Antrim,
Fermanaghand Tyrone being computerisedup to the end ofthe I 997 field season.The various datasets
t h a t m a k e u o t h e d a t a b a s es o f ' a rc a n b e s e e ni n T a b l e L

Atlas 2000

ll

There are six Vice-counties in Northern Ireland. Ofthese six. three Vice-county Recorders use computers to store therr data
FermanaghH33 - Ralph Forbes and Robert Northridge Recorder
- Stan Beeslev - BioRecs
Antrim H39
Down H38
Paul Hacknev Recorder
I am responsiblefor entering onto Recorder the datasetsfor the remaining three Vice-countres.
Londonderry H40 Dave fuley
- lan McNeill
Tyrone H36
Armagh H37
John Faulkner
ln addition, I am also entering field cards compiled by another BSBI member in Northern lreland. John
Harron. John is a very active botanist who travels all over the province and submits a tremendous
amount ofrecords through the appropriate Vice-county Recorders.
Table I

Mar-98 S e o - 9 8
lncrease
5 5 0 , 3 6 267't,806
127.444
362 352 4 71 . 1 0 7
|0 8 , 7 5 5

Total number of
Records held on Recorder at CEDaR
Vascular olant records at CEDaR

'Atlas 2000' recordsat CEDaR

BSBI Monitorins Scheme records
BioRecs - Stan Beeslev records
Fermanaghdataset- Ralph Forbes/RobertNorthridge records
Lancaster Coastal Survev records

55.200 I04.855
nla
33.614
nla
65.035
nla
t'73.280

nla
NI Lake Survevrecords
nla
Fenbase- Fen Survevrecords
nJa
Total number ofVP recordsthat can be accountedfor in the abovecatesories

'L
l oot

11 , 8 4 9
11.727
454.352

49.65
nla
nla
n/a
nla
nla
Na

A rough estimate of the number of records available in Northern lreland to be incorporated into the
\?D stands at --900,000. This figure has been reached b.v combining some of the figures from Table I
olus the firture work that needsto be done (see Table 2)
Table2
Available datasets
V i c e - c o u n t vR e c o r d e r s
EHS
BSBI Monitorins Scheme
Flora of the Northeast
Herbarium
Lancaster Coastal Survev

NI Lake Survev
Fenbase
Total

No ofrecords

-600.000
^-60.000
34,000
| 50,000
- i 0,000
32.000
J4.000
I 2.000
952.000

Figures in bold are the datasetsalready entered into the \rPD. although some of the records for each of
the other datasetshave also been entered, but are not yet complete
Future work will include entering data for counties Londonderry and Armagh collected by the
previous Vice-county Recorders. 7he l'lora ol lhe North 1r.r.r1must also be entered along with the
datasetfor County Down and the records availablefor extraction from the Herbarium held at the Ulster
Museum.

t2

Atlas 2000

ln EHS there is a large quantity ofquadrat data on the computer programme Vespan. This needsto
be converted rnto Recorder. A conversion Drosramme has been written for this and transfer of data
should start soon.

r lgure I
F i g u r e I i s a m a p r e p r e s e n t i n gt h e n u m b e r o f s p e c i e s r e c o r d e di n e a c h h e c t a dw i t h i n N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d
( t h i s a n a l y s i sd o e s n o t t a k e i n t o a c c o u n t t h e A t l a s d a t e c l z r s s e s T
) .h e r e a r e 1 8 3 h e c t a d si n N o r t h e r n
'79oh
Ireland. Of these. over
have more than 300 plant speciesrecorded as being present The hectad
containing Belfast has the most specieslecorded in it at 8 l5 Quite a f-ew of the hectadswith less than
300 species actually have very little land rvrthin the borders of Northern lreland and are therelore
probably recorded as fully as they can be (especialll those in Vice-county H33 as a l'lorafor thal
c o u n t y i s n e a r i n gc o m p l e t i o n)
Progress is very good in Northern Ireland and work is continuing at arsteady rate. Field cards from
the 1998 field season have already started to come in and plans are being made for the next and final
'gaps'
rvhich have surfacedthrough this initial analysis
field seasonfor the Atlas Project. Hopefully an1,
w i l l b e f i l l e d i n , a n d N o r t h e r n l r e l a n dw i l l b e u p t o d a t e f b r t h e A t l a s p u b l i c a t i o n .
, T9 5AB
F I O N A M c K E E , B S B I , B o t a n l D e p a r t r n e n tL. i l s t e rN l u s e u m .B o t a n i cG a r d e n s ,B e l f ' a s tB

l3

Co-ordrnator'sCorncr

CO-ORDINATORS'
CORNER
It has been a nrost interesting and enjol'able erperience to meet so many membersofthe Societv during
the last six months. while we have been holding the fbrt' The Recorders' conferencein Lancasterwas
somethin-sof a highlight. rvith a nurnber of excellent deLrates.lectures and - most of all - identiiication
w o r k s h o p s . l h e s i g h t o f t h e p o o r r e f e r e e sr v o r k i n g l a t e i n t t r t h e n i g h t o v e r m a n y b e a u t i f u l l v - p r e s s e d
(and some disgracefully scruffy) specimens.is one to remember At times the lension rvas positively
t h r i l l i n g . a s R i c h a r d L a n s d o w n e x p l a i n e d . a p o l o - q e t i c a l l l t. h e r n s c r u t a b i l i t yo f { ' a l l t r r t c h . , ( W a t e r s t a r w o r t s )a n d t h r e a t e n e d( a l m o s t ; t o e r c l u d e a j l r e c o r d st i o m t h e A t l a s . o r a s A l a n S i l v e r s i d ed i s c o v e r e d n e w p o p u l a t i o n so f a r c t i c E y e b r i g h t si n t h e \ \ ' e l s h N l a r c h e . sW e r . v e r ei a t e r i n u n d a t e dw r t h e n t h u s i astic comments about the conference and requests fbr another one ne\t year, thank you everyone for
y o u r k i n d r e m a r k s b u t . h a l ' r n g s t e p p e di n a t t h e l a s t r ) r j n u l e .w e c a n n o t t a k e a n y o f t h e c r e d i t t h e
'lrevor
planning and organisation was mostly done by
ancl C'arneronlnonths ago. And we will all have
to wait for 2000 for the ne\t one
Rare Plant Registers
One thing that has progressed well in the last ferv months is the idea of County Rare Plant Registers.as
t h e y a r e n o ' " vo f i i c i a l l y c a l l e d ! \ ' e h a v e d r a w n u p g u i d e l i n e su i t h s u g g e s t i o r rasb o u t t b r m a t a n d s o u r c e s
'rules'
of information. An important point is that the
are no\v finalised and they fbllow those given by
L y n n e F a r r e l l a n d F r a n k P e r r i n g i n B . \ R , /' \ r : v . r 7 l l O - l I ( 1 9 9 6 ) T h e s e r u l e s a r e n o J o n g e rs u b j e c t1 0
negotiation: they have been approved by the Records and Science & Research Committees and
c o m m e n t e do n b y m a n y p e o p l e . i n c l u d i n gr e p r e s e n t a t r \ eos f t h e C o u n t r y A g e n c i e sa n d o t h e r s r v i t h a n
i n t e r e s ti n c o n s e r v a t i o n .P e r h a p sn o s e t o f c r i t e r i a i s p e r f ' e c t .b u t t h e R e g r s t e r sw i l l b e a m u c h m o r e
useful tool for science and conservation ifther can be produced to the same standard lor everv vicec o u n t y T h e r e i s p l e n t y o f s c o p e l o r i n i t i a t i r " ea n d i n r a g i n a t i o ni n t h e p r o d u c t i o na n d u s e o f t h e r e g i s t e r s
t h i s i s a l a r m o r e i n t e r e s t i n gw a v t o s p e n do n e ' s t i m e t h a n a r g u i n ga b o u t w h e t h e r t h r e e s i t e so r f o u r
m a k e s a s p e c i e sr a r e .
C o p i e s o f t h e g u i d e l i n e sa r e a v a i l a b l ef i o m u s t o a n v o n ew h o h a s a s e r i o u s
interest in producing a Rare Plant Register. but please talk to vour r,.c recorder before embarking on
such a project
Computerisation
A n o t h e r t a s k t o p i c k u p f i o m C a n r e r o nC r o o k r s t h e g u i d a n c ef o r v c . r e c o r d e r so v e r c o m p u t e r i s a t i o n
T h i s h a s b e e n p r o c e e d i n ga i o n g a t a t r e n i e n d o u sp a c e .O n e o r t w ' o m i s s i n gi i n k s ' r e v e a l e dt h e r n s e l v e s
after the last edition of IISIBI rVel'r'. including John Durkin in Co Durham, who has been doing a
s t e r l i n gj o b a t t h e H a n c o c k M u s e u m o n t h e d a t a f b r r v h a t s o n r e o f u s s t i l l c o n s i d e rt h e b e s t o f a l l
County Floras. Meanwhile, Roger fuddington in Shetland and Jon Mallabar in Herefordshire are both
rvorth a particular mention ttrr therr proqress.and ours thanks are due to their respectivev c recorders,
W a l t e r S c o t t a n d S t e p h a n i eT h o n r s o n ,f ' o r p u t t i r r gu p r i i t h t h e Y o u n g T u r k s
W e h a d a w e e k e n d o f i n p u t t i n g d a t a f b r t h e S o u t h l - a n c a s h i r eF l o r a P r o j e c t , w h i c h i s i n c h i n g i t s
w a y t o w a r d s a n e x c i t i n g n e r v n r u l t i - d i s c i p l i n a rF
l l o r a O i e r 8 . 0 0 0 r c c o r d s w e r e c o m p u t e r i s e da, n d l v e
w o u l d l i k e t o t h a n k e v e r y o n ew h o c a m e a l o n g t o h e l p B u t \ \ e \ \ e r e n o t j u s t t y p r n g i n r e c o r d s T h e r e i s
n o d o u b t a b o u t i t g o o d b i o l o g i c a lr e c o r d i n gt a k e sa k r t o i ' t i n r e t o n r a s t e r a
. n d t h e r ea r e n o s h o r t c u t s .
which is why we prefer to ofler two- or three-day trarning courses. rather than an afternoon session
This is a subject that couid easrlytrll the paues of, ,\R/ A't,v.r.but thtrt is better reservedfor botanv, so
we have a separatenewsletter largely on this subject tbr v c recorders So ifthere are still any missing
l i n k s o r c o m p u t e rb u f f s o u t t h e r e ,p l e a s eg e t i n t o u c h a n d a d d t , o u r n a n t et o o u r m a i l i n gl r s t
Threatened PIants Database
fui important initiative after the Atlas l00tl). and lbr at ieast the next three years, ivill be the NBN
Threatened Plants Databaseproject, jointly run by us with the JNCC, English Narure, CCW, SNH, the
B i o l o g i c a l R e c o r d sC e n t r e a n d P l a n t l i f ' eT h e a i n r i s t o u p d a t eo u r k n o r v l e d q eo n B r r t a i n ' sr a r e s tp l a n t s

t4

Co-ordinator'sComer / Recordersand Recording

publicationof ScorcePlanl,sandthe forthcomingthird editionof theRed

in the wake of the recent(ish)
Data Book.We shallhopefullybe reportingmorefully andaskingfor your help in the next issueof
BSBI New.s
SYI 2IL. TeI & fax.01743
SARAH WHILD & ALEX LOCKTON, 66 North Street.Shrewsbury.
rcom-web.com
343789s l.whild@whild

AND RECORDING
RECORDERS
Panel of Referees
The death of Duggie Kent is a great loss to the BSBI. and not least to the Referees' Panel where he
filled many posts. He refereed Solidogo as well as providing advice to members on severaltaxonomic
and general subjects. herbaria, nomenclature, and systematic works and monographs; and he and
Dr David Allen together gave assistancewith biographical details of British botanists. We are glad to
say that Dr Allen has agreed to take over Herbaria. For the rest, please see future issues of BSBI
Dr Allen has also offered to give advice on the medicinal uses of British plants. He is currently
working on a comprehensive list of references on this subject, and would be pleased to answer
members' queries.
We have some other changes to the list. Ron Payne, who has been refereeing world-wide alien
grassesfor the last few years. is handing over to his lriend Bruno Ryves, the first author ofthe BSBI
publication Alien (jrasses of the British LVe.r We welcome Bruno Ryves, also known to members as
the referee for Amaranthu.s, and thank Ron Payne for his help with alien grasses,he is continuing to
refereethe Rromus group for the time being.
We also welcome Trevor Dines. the Atlas 2000 Organiser, who has offered to referee Solanaceae
which he studied for his thesis. I suspecthe may receive alot of Lycium specimens.
Our congratulations to Michael Foley on achieving his Ph D on Orobctnche.which he is continuing
to refereefor us.
Finally, there are some changesto referees' addresses.so pleasemake sure you use the addressesin
t h e 1 9 9 9Y e a r b o o k .
MARY CLARE SHEAHAN. 6l Westmoreland Road. Barnes, London SW13 9M, tel 0181 7484365,

n,.:hs*.h.*n@rhe-b..svss,.yk.---.-.-.......-...-...
.---"*:rer!Changesin v.c. Recorders
to
Memberswill receivethe currentcompletelist with theirYearBnk I999,but it maybe of assistance
list the changessinceBSBI News79.
Appointments
v.c. l4 E. Sussex
v.c. 2l Middlesex
v.c. 22 Berkshire
v.c.27E Norfolk
v.c 39 Staffs.
v.c. 52 Anglesey
v.c. I l0 Outer Hebrides

Mr A.G. Hoare to be joint recorder. All correspondenceto Mr P.A. Harmes

Mr R.M. Burton
Prof. M.J. Crawley
Mr R.W Ellis
Mr J E. Hawksford
Mr l. Bonner to be joint recorder. AJI correspondenceto Mr N.H. Brown
Dr P. Smith to be joint recorder. All correspondenceto Dr R. Pankhurst

Recordersand Recordins

l5

R e s i g n a t i o n sa n d D e a t h s
v.c 21 Middlesex
M r D . H K e n t . W e v e n ' n r u c h r e g r e tt o a n n o u n c : teh e d e a t ho f D u g g i e K e n t
r v h o h a d b e e n o u r r e c o r d e rs i n c e | 9 - 1 9 o u r l o n g e s ts e n ' i n gb v m a n v y e a r s
v.c. 22 Berkshire
D r S . L . J u r y . W e t h a n k S t e p h e nw h o h a s b e e n r e s o r d e rf o r t e n y e a r s .
v.c.27 E Norfolk
M r A . L B u l l . M r B u l l t - e e l st h a t t h e i n r p e n d i n ep u b l i c a t i o no f t h e n e w / - 7 o r a
of NorJblk is an appropriate moment to step down. after ti)urteen years in the
post. We thank him very much fbr all his very successfuleffofis
v c 39 Staffs.
M r B . R W . F o w l e r W e t h a n k B n a n , s ' h o h a s b e e nt h e r e c o r d e rf o r l 2 v e a r s
v c 73 Kirkcudbrrghts
M r s O . M S t e w a r t W e r e g r e t t o a n n o u n c et h e d e a t ho f O l g a S t e w a n . s h e
h a d b e e n o u r r e c o r d e rs r n c eI 9 7 2 . T h r s r e c o r d e r s h i pi s n o w v a c a n t .a s t h e
J o r n tr e c o r d e r .M r s L W M a r y f i e l d d o e s n o t u r s h t o t a k e s o l e r e s p o n s i b i l i t v
DAVID PEARMAN.

kSk*x.I**?SS::lsJ.g.H.D.mPRi.F5-*

\/ICE-COUNT}.RARE
PLANTREGISTERS:
THE STANDARDNIODELOR A
REVISEDALTERNATIVE- A RESPONSE
I n t h e l a s t i s s u eo f B J B I N e v . r ,M r A n d y J o n e sa n d t h e ' n e u ' ( ' o - o r d i n a t o r sp o i n t e d o u t t h a t t h e C r o o k
( 1 9 9 8 ) v e r s i o no f t h e l o c a l l y r a r e a n d l o c a l l y s c a r o ec r i t e r i ah a d p r o b l e m sa n d t h a t t h e P e r r i n g& F a r r e l l
( 1 9 9 7 ) c r i t e r i aw e r e ' m o r e w o r k a b l e ' . N u n t e r o u sa r g u m e n t sl v e r e p u t l c r r w a r da s t o w h v t h i s s h o u i d b e
the case.However, though some valid points were made. much of this was conjectural, inaccurateand
misieading and it is this which has prompted this responseby the author of the original article rather
'new'
t h a nt h e
Ctr-ordinators
It is well known that plant conservation is strewn with problems since accurate assessmentof any
o n e s p e c i e sr e q u i r e sm u l t i p l e c r i t e r i at o b e t a k e n i n t o a c c o u n l ( G i v e n 1 9 9 7 ) A r d e v e n t h e n , t h r s i s n o t
necessarilythe same criteria for all speciesdue to variations in lrfe strategy, population structure and
even habitat for example. So ofcourse. any attempt to rationalisethese problems and apply them to the
local level is not an easy task. Jones and his consulteesstate that the Crook cnteria fbr local rarity are
l e s s w o r k a b l e t h a n t h e o r i g i n a l P e r r i n g & F a r r e l l c r i t e r r a .T h i s m a v b e t r u e . b u t t h e n , a \ r c e - c ( ) u n t y
'best guess'
recorder's
as to which speciesare rare and scarseis more workable still.
I t i s a c c e p t e dt h a t t h e [ ' r o o k c r i t e r i af o r l o c a l r a r i t r a r e n o t i d e a l H o w e v e r , t h e s ew e r e a n a t l e m p t
to use quantifiable data to give an indication of rarity at the looal ler,el Earlier attenlpts, der,'rsedto
address problems rvith population size based on the nerv IUCN critena (World Conservation Llnion
1 9 9 4 )w e r e d e e m e db y t h e v a n o u s B S B I C o m n r i t t e e sa n d c o n s u l t e e sa s b e i n gt o o d i f l l c u h t o i m p l e m e n t
and confusing for recorders. lt was for this reason that the guidelines were sinrplified (perhaps overly
s o ! ) . T h e b r i e f w a s t o p r o d u c e a c l e a r a n d c o n c i s ew o r k i n g d o c u m e n t w h i c h w a s n o t c l u t t e r e db y
b a c k g r o u n dt h i n k i n g a n d p h i l o s o p h y .J o n e sa n d h i s c o n s u l t e e sn r a k e n u n t e r o u sc r r t l c i s m so f t h e C r o o k
local rarity criteria. which are apparently backed up by the new Co-ordinators these criticisnrs are
addressedbelow.
. J o n e s s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e 0 2 a n d 0 . o 9 l o c r i t e r r a p r o p o s e d i n ( r o o k ( l 9 9 t i ) a r e p u r e l y aTr bh ii tsriasr y
true but is the three or less I km sites criterion fbr local rarity as proposed by Perring & Farrell and
u s e db y C h a t e r ( 1 9 9 5 ) a n y l e s sa r b i t r a r y ?
. J o n e s p r e s u m e s ,c o r r e c l l y ,t h a t t h e C r o o k c r i t e r i a* e r e s c a l e dd o w n I i o m t h e n a t i o n a lR D B l 5 o r
l e s s l 0 k m s q u a r e s( P e r r i n g& F a r r e l l 1 9 8 3 ) a n d N a t i o n a l l yS c a r c e l 6 - 1 0 0 l 0 k m s q u a r e s( S t e w a r t
et al. 1994) criteria. But these national criteria were also based on arbitrary figures (Perringper.i.
c o m m . . P e a r m a np e r : . t t t m m . ) b u t u , h i c hr o u g h l v a n d c o i n c i d e n t a l l la c c o u n t l o r 2 0 o / oo f t h e B r i t i s h
n a t i v e f l o r a . F u r t h e r m o r e .t h e g u i d e l i n e sf b r a s s e s s i n gs p e c i e sf b r B i o d i v e r s i t yA c t i o n P l a n s ( U K
L o c a l A d v i s o r y G r o u p I 9 9 7 ) e n d o r s e db y t h e C o u n t n C o n s e n ' a t i o nA g e n c i e s ,u s e o c c u r r e n c eo f a
p a r t i c u l a r s p e c i e sr 4 ' i t h i n0 . 6 9 l oo r l e s s o f t e t r a d s w i t h i n a v i c e c o u n t l ' , a s t h e c u t o t f p o i n t f b r
i n c l u s i o n .C o u l d t h i s r e a l l yb e a c o i n c i d e n c e ?
C u r i o u s l y ,J o n e sw h o w o r k s t b r o n e o f t h e s e a g e n c i e s ,
fails to mention itl

l6

Recordersand Recordins

Jones suggeststhat the proposed O2 and 0.2-0.6%ocriteria are imprecise. Surprisingly, during the
extensive consultation which took place during development of the guidelines, the local criteria
'Wells
were criticised as being too precisel Jones and his consulteessuggestthat the
Site' (a mobile
area of I km diameter. which is also imprecise) should be used to assesslocal rarity. This definition
ofa site can lead to differencesin whether a plant is considered rare or not in borderline cases,in
l u s t t h e s a m ew a y a s J o n e ss u g g e s t si t w o u l d b 1 ,r o u n d i n gu p o r d o w n t h e 0 . 2 a n d 0 . 2 - 0 . 6 % t h r e s h o l d w i t h t h e C r o o k c r i t e r i a T h e d e f i n i t i o no f w h a t c o n s t i t u t e sa ' s i t e ' i s y e t a n o t h e ro n g o i n g d e b a t e
which will be difficult to resolve. But few sites over Britain as a whole actually cover an area of I
k m , t h e v a s t m a j o r i t y o f t h o s e w h i c h c o u l d b e a s s u m e dt o b e a ' s i t e ' b e i n g a n y h i n g f r o m 0 . 2 5 t o
I00 ha
. Jones refers to simple comparisonsbeing possiblebetween vice-countieswhilst using the Perring &
Farrell criteria. But how can a speciesoccurring in three I km squaresof a vice-county comprising
say 2,500 I km squaresbe equally as rare as a speciesoccurring in three I km squares in a vicecounty comprising l25O I km squares(as in the case ofthe adjacent West (60) and South Lancashire (59) vice counties)? Surely this is not a valid comparison, statisticallyor logicallyl
. Jones mentions Richard Pryce's model for Local Red Data Books and that this uses the Perring &
Farrell criteria. However, he f-ailsto point out that this document also uses the Crook criteria
( R . D . P r y c e p e r . t .c o m m . )
. And finally, Jones states that. based on Arthur Chater's trial run using the 0.6% criterion and data
lrom species starting A-C in his own vice countv. would result in a calculated 1.600 sites for
Locally Rare species He suggests that producing lists of so many species would be very time
consuming and result in large documents. But he fails to rnention that this was addressedin Crook
(1998) where it is suggestedthat individual recorders should assessas men, species as possible
within the lime a,oilqhle ln other words. if there is no time and resourcesto include the0.2-06.Yo
band, then only specieslalling within the 0.2ok or less band would need assessingand would result
in a much smaller register which would still be comparableto other registers produced in a similar
way. In fact, Arthur Chater's data would not produce 1,600 sites for Locally Rare speciessince the
0.670 criterion rs that for Locally Scarcel
Fundamentalto all this is the question'why do we need rare plant registers at all?' If it is for the fun
and enjoyment of knowing what is and isn't uncommon within a vice-county, then there is no need for
any such formalisation the vice-county recorder's best guess would be quite sufficient. However, if
they are rntended as a reliable working document for use in planning applicationsand public enquiries,
then quite clearly, criteria which differ from county to county according to size carry little weight and
credibility. Take the case in Lancashire which so far as the administrative county is concerned,
comprises parts of four vice-counties.None of these vice-countiesare wholly within the administrative
county. Furthermore, the two vice-countieswhich are mostly within the County (59 & 60) differ in size
b y a l m o s t 5 0 % T h i s h a s l e d t h e C o u n t y C o u n c i l t o p r o d u c e a n ' a d m i n i s t r a t i v ec o u n t y ' v e r s i o n o f a
focal rare pfants register (LCC 1995 Jepson,per'.r.comm ) which uses different criteria again, but in
this instance some measure of population size and threat to the species concerned are taken into
account in a similar way to the IUCN guidelines (World Conservation Union 1994). The question is,
how can instancessuch as this be rationalisedfor vice-county rare plant registers?Using proportional
representationcan be easily interpolated to smaller lractions of a vice-county. The three or less I km
criterion cannot, as it is an absolute measure,not a proportional one!
A compromise to the situation would be. assumingthe three or less I km squarescriterion is the
preferred option, to select the average sized vice-county (c.23,000 I km squares) and scale all other
vice-countiesto this. Resultant data would then need correcting for the size of population and fragility
'sites'
of the speciesconcerned. if it is to be meaningful. But again, this would lead to fractions of
and
imprecision.
A I I i n a l l , J o n e s( 1 9 9 8 ) w a s . i n m y o p i n i o n .a n u n s a t i s f a c t o r a
y t t e m p tt o d i s c r e d i tt h e C r o o k ( 1 9 9 8 )
criteria, which fell rvell short of providing an alternative proposal for local rarity. It now appearsthat
after three years of deliberation and consultation. BSBI have returned to the three or less I km sites
l o c a l r a r i t y c r i t e r i o n ( L o c k t o n & W h i l d 1 9 9 8 ) a s o r i g r n a l l yp r o p o s e d b y P e r r i n g & F a r r e l l ( 1 9 9 6 )

l7

Recordersand Recordins/ Notes and Artrcles

Surely this is a dangerous and retrograde step ifBSBl are to be seen as a fighting force in plant conservation? IfBSBI are not able to formulate and implement rigorous, assertive,plant conservationguidelines which are directly comparable from vice-county to vice-county irrespective of size, and
incorporate some measure of population size and fragility, then perhaps this task should be left to
conservationorganisationslike Plantlife, the Wildlife Trusts or Local Authority Ecologists.
References
Chater, A.O. (1995). Ceretligion (r.c. J6) Ilctre I)lturt llegi,tter Countryside Council for Wales
Aberystwyth.
C r o o k , C . S . ( 1 9 9 7 ) . V i c e - c o u n t yR a r e a n d T h r e a t e n e dP l a n t R e g i s t e r sR e c o m m e n d e ds p e c i e sS e l e c t i o n
Criteria for the British Isles. B.\81 rVans77
J o n e s , A . ( 1 9 9 8 ) V i c e - c o u n t y R a r e P l a n t R e g i s t e r s .T h e S t a n d a r dM o d e l o r a R e v i s e dA i t e r n a t i v e
BSBI News 79
Given, D.R. (1994). I)rinciplcs antl Prttclice of l'lant (.onsertztion Chapman & Hall London
LCC (1995). Riological Herilage Site.s:(iutdelitre.s.ftr Sita Selecliort. Lancashire County Council.
Preston.
Perring, F.H. & Farrell, L (1996). Guidelinesfor the Preparationof County Rare Plant Registers.19.\81
/velt.t

/J

Perring, F.H. & Farrell, L (1983) Briti.vh Retl l)ato Rrnks; L'usculur l'lurts 2nd Edn Royal Society
for Nature Conservation. Lincoln.
Stewart, A., PearmanD. and Preston. C.D. (1994) Scu'ce I'lurrt.sin Rrtluitr JNCC Peterborough
World Conservation Union (1994). ItX'N lled Li.sr('utegrrc.r As approved by the:lOth meeting of the
I U C N C o u n c i l ,G l a n d S w i t z e r l a n d .W o r l d C o n s e n ' a t i o nL n i o n
L o c k t o n A . & W h r l d S . ( 1 9 9 8 ) i n R S l l l l l a c o r d e r ( N e w s l e t t e rl o r B S B I C o u n t _ vR e c o r d e r s ) N o v e m b e r 19 9 8
CAMERON S CROOK. 8 Woodstock Close. Lostock Hall. Preston. Lancs PR5 5YY

NOTESAND ARTICLES
THE DNA PHYLOGENY OF FLOWERINC PLANTS
The DNA based phylogeny of flowering plants highlighted in the press in early December provides a
new and exciting approach to plant classification.A major paper co-ordinated by K. Bremer, M Chase
a n d P . S t e v e n s i, n c l u d i n gw o r k b y a b o u t 7 5 s c i e n t i s t sw o r l d - w i d e i s a b o u t t o b e p u b l r s h e di n t h e A n n a l s
of the Missouri Botanic Garden. A summary of this paper will be siven in the nert llSRl Nav'.t

.RBAIJHNISS[ES--u-l.t-l-sr-'itv..P.et3.rie..-qlt{e-1,..(,g.ry..1-.e.{us,..P.?l.er.u
LUDII/IGIA

PALUSTRIS IN DORSET

palrr.rlrl,r'(Hampshire-purslane),
(BJB./New.s
77.54),inassessing
the'spread'of Ludwigru
EricClement
Elliott
foundthat the new Surreyrecordwas in lact 1.. x muellerlii.the hybridwith the alienL. nuturr.s
JonathanCox from English Nature Dorset Team. who tbund the Dorset site near Edmondsham
(SU/0 l) in 1996,suggested
that I revisitthe siteandcheckthe identification
1998andfoundthefbllowingin thepondwhichwasre-dugin 1995/6
I did thison lst September

t8

Notesand Articles

Ludwigia - l0 plants on bare mud, or on edge of pond. ..luncuseffusus,.l. conglomeratus. J. arliculalus, llanunculu.s flammula, Alisma lanceolalum (3), Potamogeton
natans. Charophyrc - Nitello sp.
Alisma lanceolatum is very rare in the county, with no records an)"wherenear the site. The charophyte
was senr to Nick Stewart who speedily determined it as Nilella mucronola, new to the county. He
added that he viewed its occurrence in sites elsewherewith some suspicion,as it seemedto be available
lrom garden centres and to grow in company with plants ofalien provenance.
It was with some diffrdence that I sent the Ludwigia to Eric Clement, but he identified it as the
native species.L. pdlustris. and now awaits with even more interest confirmation, or otherwise, ofthe
new records from Sussex,Essex and Lancashire.

P.$.Y.f?-P-.F---,*[Y$,f.r,!s1{.nq.*g}'i*g:-s:g:3:;,?s,fl,:.,1,i.:.{.sD*..p,.!
NEW FLORA OF THE BRITISH ISLES, ed.2 - IMPORTANT ERRATA
I regret that among the errata that have come to my notice are a few important items which would
cause confusion or misidentification,and I am therefore gratelul to the editor for allowing me to report
them here. I offer my apologies fbr these. and request readersto inform me ofany others that come to
their notice, however trivial they may seem.
Page I 78 - Pelrorhagia Stem pubescenceand leaf-sheathlength/width ratio charactersof P. nanteuilii
and I'. proli.feru should be reversed
'petioles'
'glabrous'.
Page221 L:iolapulu.stri.s.Under ssp pulu.slri.s,insert
before
'Stone
('onru.s
flattened-ellipsoid,longer than
Page 453
key. ln couplet 4 alter the stone characters.
'Stone
w i d e , t a p e r e da t b o t h e n d s ' ( ( ' . u l h o ) .
f l a t t e n e d - s u b g l o b o sce.. a s l o n g a s w i d e , r o u n d e d a t
base' (('. stoluti/bro)
'procumbent,'
'orbicular'
Page 608 Sihlhorpia europoeo. There is text missing between
in line I
and
'rooting
ofthis sp. lt should read
at nodes. to 40cm, pubescent.leavesreniform to'.
Page 633 - Utriculctrict key. ln couplet 2 the quadrifid arm ratios are the wrong way round (correct in
text and figure). Swap this phrasebetween the two leads ofcouplet 2.
Page 674 - Arctium. Capitulum sizesfor all 3 spp. are given as width x length, width exceedslength in
all cases
Page727 - Olearia key Leaf-lengthsin the two leads of couplet 4 (.0. x hctctsliiand O. avicenniiJblia)
should be reversed.
Page796 -'l'ricfuryhorunt ces1tiktsum.Charactersof the leaf-sheathsand -blades (but not of the habit,
'upperspikelets and stem-anatomy) for the two subspecieshave been reversed. Swap the phrases
most . . . opening' between sspp ce.V)ilovtm andgermanicum
'hatrs >O.lmm'
Page 873
Agroslis key. First lead in couplet 8 (4. custelluna).
should read
'0
2-0 3mm'
P a g e9 5 I l r i d a c e a ek e y . R e w o r d c o u p l e t I l .
I I S t y l e 3 - b r a n c h e de
, a c hb r a n c hb i t i d u ' i t h t h e 6 u l t i m a t eb r a n c h l e t sl o n g e r t h a n t h e
3 p r i m a r yo n e s
12
I I Style unbranchedwith 3-lobed stigma. or style with i brancheseach unbranchedor
I3
shortly bifid
Page964 - Orchidaceaekey Delete leaf-spotting lrom both leads of couplet 9 (Neolineo andOrchi.s)

Notes and Artrclcs

l!r

A NEW INFRAGENERIC ORCHID HYBRID FOR BRITAIN!

W e w e r e m o s t r n t r i g u e dt o r e a d F r a n c i sR o s e ' s a c c o u n to f t h e e x c i t i n gd i s c o v e r yi n K e n t o f a n o s t e n s i bly bigeneric orchid hybrid between.{ccrtrs Lonht(4)oplk)mz (Man Orchidl and Orthr.; prrrlturerr (Ladv
O r c h i d ) ( R S R 1 N e u ' s7 9 . l 9 - 2 0 ) . a n d a r e w h o l l v c o n v i n c e db 1 ' t h e p a r e n l a g et h a t h e i n f ' e r sf b r t h e t w o
p l a n t si n q u e s t i o n .
H o w e v e r . w e w o u l d l i k e t o e m p h a s i s et h a t t e r r e s t r i a o
l r c h i d s y s t e m a l i c sh a s r e c e n t l vb e n e l l t e dt i o n r
d e t a i l e d r e s e a r c ht n t o e v o l u t i o n a n r e l a t i o n s h i p s( p h v l o g e n i e s )u s i n g n u c l e a r D N A s e c l u e n c e sw. i t h
s o m e s t a r t l i n g( b u t i n c o n t r o v e r t i b l e )r e s u l t s( B a t e n r a nc t u i . 1 9 9 1 . P r i d g e o n e t u l . 1 9 9 1 \ O n e o f t h e
more important outcomes was the taxonomic drvision of what was prer'rousiv viewed as Ort:hr.: nto
'()rthr.s'
t h r e e i n d e p e n d e n t l ye v o l v e d g r o u p s . O n e m o r p h o l o g i c a l l vh e t e r o g e n e o u gs r o u p t h a t r n c l u d e s
nrtrio and'Orchi.s' laxiflora has beerr synonymisedinto Arrucuntpli.r.and a second smaller group that
'Orchis'
incfudes
uslulolu is now pan of Neolinetr
T h u s , t h e r e d u c e d . t r u e ( ) r t h i . : r r o w c o n s i s t so f t h e p r r r n i t i v e r r n t h r o p o n r o r p h i cs' p e c i e ss u c h a s
( ) . s t m i a a n d ( ) . p u r p u r e c p l u s t h e r n o r e ' a d v a n c e d ' O . n u s t u l u a g g r e g a t ea n d i t s \ l e d i t e r r a n e a n
r e l a t i v e ss u c h a s ( J .p a t e r t s a n d O . q u u d r t p t r n t l u t t r 1 ' h er e s u l t sa l s o c l e a r l vs h o w t h a t . d e s p i t ei t s g r e a t l y
'Atcru.:'
r e d u c e ds p u r ( a c o r n m o ne v o l u t i o n a r . p
turlhrt4x4thorrrn
y h e n o m e n o nu i t h i n t h e O r c h i d a c e a e ) .
group
is a bona.fide member of the anthropomorphic Ortlrrr
and thus bcst treated as ()rthr.: unlhrt4toplnril
i n d e e d , t h i s i n t e r p r e l a t i o n h a s r e c e i v e d h r n h e r s u p p o r l f r o n r a s - y e t u n p u b l i s h e dD N A
sequenceo
s b t a i n e db y u s f r o m c h l o r o p l a s tq e n o n l e s
T h i s r e v i s e du n d e r s t a n d i n go f o r c h r d c v o l u t i o n r n a k e sb e t l e r s e n s eo f D r R o s e ' se x c e l l e n td i s c o v e n .
a s t h e p a r e n t a ls p e c i e sa r e n o w s e e nn o t o n l l ' a s c o n u e n e r i cb u t a l s o a s c l o s e l vr e l a t e de v e n w i t h i n t h e
one genus. Thts comment applies equally to our earlier published discor"ery of a hybrid betr.vcen
'Aceras'
anthroy4thonrm and Orthi,:.sinio in Kent (llateman & Farrineton 1987). rvhich now should
a l s o b e v i e w e d a s a n i n f r a g e n e r i ch y b r i d a r i s i n ge x c l u s i r , e l r , r v i t h it nh e r e - d e l i n r j t e dO l c h r
Thus, Rose's
Orchiucera.; netl.;hermeri' Rour- ( l9ll) frecomes ()rclti.s
nnttru Li'rdl (in
"
B a b i n g t o n 1 8 4 3 ) a n d o u r ' t O r c h i u t a n t . t h e r g o n t t ( N a n t e u i l )C l a m u s( 1 8 9 2 ) b e c o m e s( ) r t h i . : h c r g t r
'intergeneric'
l r l N a n t e u i l( 1 8 8 7 ) A n d o f c o u r s e . t h e f i e q u e n t o c c u r r e l r c eo f t h e s e
h y b r i d su i t h i n r n i r e d
populations of Orchis in Continentai Europe becomes a less r.r,orryinglact. at least to those of us rvhcr
b e l i e v et h a t g e n e r as h o u l db e c i r c r , r m s c r i b ei nd s u c h a \ \ a v t h a t t l r e v p o s s e s ss t r o n g g e n e t i cc o h e s i o n
References
Bateman, R.M. & Farrington. O.S. ( 1987) A ntorphornetncstudv r.tf
Orthrut,'t((.\ hctN()tttt
( N a n t e u i l )C a n r u sa n d i t s p a r e n t s( A c e n t : c r t r l h t t 4 x r y t l u t r t u( Ll ) A i t o n f a n d O r t h i . s . s l r r r rLr a r n a r c k )
in Kent. Watsonia 16. 39'7-107.
B a t e m a n ,R . M , P n d g e o n , A M & C h a s e .N ' lW ( 1 9 9 7 ) P h y l o g e n e t i c so f s u b t r i b eO r c h i d i n a e( O r c h i d o i d e a e ,O r c h i d a c e a eb) a s e do n n u c l e a rI T S s e q u e n c e s2. . l n t i a g e n e r i cr e l a t i o n s h i p sa n d t a r o n o m i c
r e v i s i o nt o a c h i e v em o n o p h y l y o l ' t ) n ; h i . r s e n s u: t n ( t o / r n d l e . l u r r ul 2 I i - l - 1 4 1
P r i d g e o n , A . M . , B a t e m a n , R .,N
C'ol x , A V . H a p e n r a n , J . R & C h a s e , i \ { W ( i 9 i ) 7 ) P h y l o g e n e t i c s o f '
, r c h i d a c e a eb
s u b t r i b eO r c h i d i n a e( O r c h i d o i d e a e O
) a s e do n n u c l e a r I T S s e q u e n c e s l . l n t e r s e n e r i c
relationshipsand polyphyly of ()rchis .setrsulcrlo.Lurcllcyanu 12. 89- I 09
R I C H A R D M B A T E M A N & O R P A H S F A R R I N G I O N . R o v a l B o t a n i cG a r d e n . 2 0 A l n v e r l e i t h

Row.Edinbursh
EH3 5LR

WHATEVER HAPPENEDTO THE HEI\II,OCK?

H e m l o c k ( ( ' o n i u m n t u c u l u t u n r )i s a t a l i . g r a c e l u l u r l b e l l i l e r r . v r t hp u r p l e s p o t s o n i t s s t a l k s a n d i n t r i c a t e l yc u t p i n n a t el e a v e s .T h e f l o w e r s a r e r ' " h i t ea n d g e n e r a l l ya p p e a ri n l a t c . l u n eo r e a r l yJ u l v O n c e t h e
p l a n t h a s f i n i s h e dt . l o r v e r i n gt h e l e a v e sd i e a w a y l e a v i n st h e s t a l k sr v i t h t h e i r u r n b e l so f s e e d sa t t h e t o p
p l z r n t sp o p u l a r h k n o w n a s k e x ' i n t h c l \ l i d l a n d s T h e
t o s t a n dt h r o u g h t h e w i n t e r . T h e v a r e r v e l l - k n r r r v n
s a p c o n t a i n sa n a r c o t i c .w h i c h i s v e r y p o i s o n o u st o l t u r n a n sc. a u s i n gl a b o u r e db r e a t h i n g .i r r e g u l a rh c a r l

20

Notes and Articles

action and loss ofsensation terminating with complete paralysis.It was the drug used to execute Socrates in ancient Greece lt can have the same effect on cows and horses and children sometimesfall foul
o f i t w h e n t h e y c u t t h e s t e m st o m a k e w h i s t l e s ,b u t g o a t s a r e s a i d t o b e a b l e t o a t i t w i t h i m p u n i t l , .a s
are Larks and Quails, and Thrushes can eat the seeds
Over the past month or so I have noticed a die-back of the Hemlock on severalsites in Nottinghamshire. Where this has occurred it has aft-ectedvirtually every plant. although quite similar plants such as
Cow Parsley (Anthriscu.s .s.vlvestrt.s)
and Hogweed (Herctcleum sphondylium). growing amongst it,
have remained unscathed [n May the Cow Parsley starts to flower and by early June the Hemlock's
purple blotched stems have grown up through it and. when almost half as tall again as the Cow Parsley,
it also begins to flower This year, just as the flowers were beginnrng to open they began to wilt and
droop over. Very soon t)re flowers were completely dead and had gone a beige colour and the leaves
h a d t u r n e d y e l l o w B y t h e e n d o f J u l y n r o s t o f t h e p l a n t s w e r e c o m p l e t e l yd e a d . I t d i d n o t s e e mt o
matter where the plants grew, whether on well-drained slopes or ill drained areas. So far as I know no
plants at the following sites in the South of Nottinghamshire. Attenborough, Colwick, Holme Pierrepont or Netherfreld have managed to set seed and I have also noticed plants affected the same way in
the north ofthe county. at Lound and along the banks ofthe River Meden near Budby Common, near
t h e c e n t r eo f t h e c o u n t y , a s w e l l a s a l o n g s e v e r a lr o a d s i d e s .
So fbr there has been no confident explanationofwhat has occurred but a virus or fungus is thought
to be the cause and has attacked the plants at their growing tips during their main growing period. This
is probably. for a short period. the most vulnerable part ofthe plant and once the infection has invaded,
t h e s a p s y s t e r nh a s b e e n a t t a c k e da n d t h e n b l o c k e do f T .c a u s i n gt h e r n i t i a lw i l t i n g .
The Hemlock is a biennial and so may take a couple of years to start to come back but in the
meantime, a complete habitat has gone. There is probably more Hemlock at Netherfield than many
other sites and, in the past, it has supported a vast number of insects.I do not know which insectsfeed
on Hemlock but certainly many hovert.lies,damselfliesand butterflies take advantageof its shelter. ln
late July and early' August this habitat is alive with the young passerinesof the season.Loose flocks
containingjuveniles of at least seven warbler species,some finches, Reed Buntings and tits are regularly
seen hunting through the stems and are pretty well protected fiom predators. This year the cover is
meagre and there are not so many insects on the dead Hemlock stems. The young birds have to forage
in different places this vear and are now seen nrore often rn the hedgerows around the edges of
Nethertield
I have been told that similarly atlected plants have been seen in Berkshire and West Sussex and
would be interested to hear if this phenornenon is county-wide or nation-'w,ide.If the same disease
a t t a c k st h e H e m l o c k n e x t s u m m e rt h i s p l a n t s o u l d r i e l l b e a d d e dt o t h e e n d a n g e r e dl i s t .
T h i s a r t i c l e f i r s t a p p e a r e di n ! h e N t l / i t r y h u n . \ l t t r r N a t u r a l i s t .A u g u s t 1 9 9 8 a n d i s p r i n t e d h e r e b y
oermission

PETERSMITH

F..--Q..se-sl.hs-s-Wel\
$.r-o-1.Q...1){g1rls.,h.ru.N-G-J-_q"!L-*
COMN,TON

DAISIES

UNDER

THREAT

'beautiful
perennial', currently faces a
This is a rvorrying time to be a daisy. Bel/l.r peretnis, literally
m a j o r c h a l l e n u eb o t h t o i t s l o o k s a n d t o i t s a b i l i t yt o p e r e n n a t e .
The reason is that a newly arrired rust fungus belonging to the genus Puccutiu is fast ravaging
introduced varieties, and either the same tungus or a closely related one is doing the sanre to native
p o p u l a t i o n si n t h e w i l d
I f i r s t n o t i c e d s t r i c k e n d a i s i e s i n A p r i l 1 9 9 5 l n a n e a s t l . o n d o n p a r k , r e c t a n g u l a rb e d s o f
'Nlonstrosa'forms (large
'Pom-Porrs'
double-florvered
t r a d i t i o n a l l l , g r o w n a s s p r i n g a n n u a l s )w e r e
f o u n d t o b e c o m p l e t e l y ' o v e r w h e l r n ebdy t h e o r a n g e - y e l l o wb l i s t e r sw h i c h c o n t a i nt h i s p a r a s i t e ' ss p o r e bearing structures (aecia). All the plants were moribund, their llowering stens bent and distorted and
t h e i r l e a v e sc u r l e d . p a l e a n d l i m p A t r u c k - l o a d o f g l y p h o s a t ed e l i v e r e db y a h u r r i c a n ec o u l d h a r d l y

Notes and Articles

zl

have done a better job. Within the month I had noticed outbreaks of I)uccinia on cultivated daisiesalso
rn three municipal gardens in north and central London
In October t996, on a Tottenham council estate lawn, I detected a visr.rallysimilar rust affecting
native daisies. Within the next twelve months it had become evident that a Pucctniu specles was
s p r e a d i n gt h r o u g h o u t t h e L o n d o n a r e a o n t h e s ep l a n t s .s c a r c e l l a n u r b a n l a w n o r r o a d s i d ei s n o w s e e n
rvithout it. Over the last two years, obsen'ations similar to n)v own have been docurnentedindependently in other parts ofsouthern England and northern Europe (Weber et ul. 1998) and also in Shrops h r r e( P r e e c e ,p e r s .c o m m . ) .
It is unusual but not unheard offor rusted garden plants offbreign origin to end up making serious
pathofogical impact on the British flora Hollyhock nrst. -/12'clrla mdlt)uccdrum. rdentifred in South
A m e r i c a a b o u t I 5 0 y e a r sa g o ( B u c z a c k i& H a r r i s , 1 9 8 5 ) ,p r o r n p t l yw r e a k e d h a v o c i n V i s t o r t a nn u r s e r ies and rapidly spread to native Common Mallows (Molva s1'lt'cstn.i)upon which it remains abundant
t o t h i s d a y . P r e s u m a b l yb o t h h o s t a n d p a r a s i t eh a v e , b 1 n o w . a d a p t e d t h e n r s e l v e st o a s u s t a r n a b l e
pannership; perhaps,in decadesto come, our ne\\'wild daisy rlst will manageto do the same
ln the meantime, I iudge the epidernic to merit red alerl Indigenous daisies in urban habitats, at
least, are steadily declining in favour of increased perennial grasses.dandelions, plantains and other
species (pers. obs.). Bearing in mind that in a given colony of wild daisies,there will normally occur
i n d i v i d u a l sc o v e r i n g a w i d e a g e r a n g e . i t i s u n d e r s t a n d a b l et h a t t h e i r d o w n f a l l s h o u l d a p p e a r l e s s
dramatic than the simultaneous collapse of even-aged bedding cultivars. But this is not to undere s t i m a t et h e o v e r a l l l o s s e sc a u s e db y f ' u c c i n t a i n t h e w i l d . A s i t i n l e c t s a n i n d r v i d u a lh o s t . t h a t p l a n t ' s
flowering capacity may continue for a tbw weeks or nlonths. but its blistered leavesgradually become
yellowed, twisted and untidily ascendingbefbre dropping into tlaccid decay Their normal tight rosette
p o s t u r et h u s v i o l a t e d .t h e y a l s o b e c o m em o r e r , u l n e r a b l et o h u n r a nt r a n r p l i n g ,s o p h y s i c a ld a m a g ea d d s
to infirmity. Moreover, the sarne plants mav be inf'ectedover and over again by anrbient spores until
t h e y f i n a l l y s u c c u m b . T h i s i s b e c a u s e .i n L o n d o n ' s n r i l d c l i m a t e . b o t h h o s t a n d p a r a s i t ec a n r e m a i n
reproductively active throughout the year, barring r.'eryinfrecluentoccurrencesofertreme heat-u,aveor
extreme frost, we apparently have no set dormant seasontbr either organism
In the nineties,then. orange-coloured rusts are becoming increasinglyconrmon on natrve and ahen
forms of Rellrs perertrtis. But also since the sixties, orange-coloured rusts have become increasingly
common. and remain so, on native ,lenecio vulguri.; (Groundsel) and alien S. .squulitlu.s(Oxford
R a g w o n ) . i s a y ' r u s t s ' w i t h c a u t i o n b e c a u s em y c o l o g i s t ss t i l l o n l y p a r t i a l l yu n d e r s t a n dw h i c h l ' u c c i n r u
speciesare involved and how host-transferableeach one may be.
Puccinia lagenophorae is the modern rust on Jcleclo. that much at least is not in dispute. It has
'old'
rust, which Darlington (1908) illustrates under the name ('oleospoapparently quite replaced an
rium seneciorti.s,how that change-over ever came about is a mystery in itself. l'. lagerutpfutroe is an
a l i e n i n v a d e r .p r e s u m e dA u s t r a l i a na n d f i r s t r e c o r d e d i n G r e a t B r i t a i n i n l 9 6 l ( W i l s o n & H e n d e r s o n
1 9 6 6 ) . l t w a s r e l i a b l y c r o s s - i n f b c t e dt o R e l l t : r n t h e 1 9 6 0 sb v l r e n e W i l s o n l t i s d e s c r i b e da s ' r a r e l y
seen' on Rellis in Ellis & Ellis ( I 997)
T o m P r e e c e ( p e r s c o r n m . ) d i s c l o s e st h a t a r u s t h a s s p o r a d r c a l l ya t t a c k e d c u l t i r . a t e dd a i s i e sf o r
about 25 years in this country, and he initially suggestedthat thls rnay be 1'. lugerrt4thrtnrcaswell.
Weber e/ al (1998) propose the name Prrct:trtiudi.\tinclu. also an Australian invader, {br modern
daisy rust. However Tom Preece warns that. tbr the time being, the name is saf'elyapplied only to the
rust on wild daisies.Verification of the one on cultivated daisiesdepends upon microscopical examinat i o n n o t o f t h e u s u a l a e c i a l s p o r e s t a g e r v h i c h i s o r a n g e . b u t o f a n o t h e r ,m o r e d i a g n o s t i c a l l vr e l i a b l e
s t a g ec a l l e d t e l i a , w h i c h i s b l a c k . T h e s e a r e p r o n e t o p r o d u o e i n c o n s p i c u o u s l ys m a l l b l a c k p u s t u l e so r
lesions low dorvn on the petioles. They do occur on wild daisies. albeit rarely, and have therefore
enabled the identification of P. disttrtt:tu to be made They have not yet been detected on cultivated
d a i s i e sa t a l l .
'old'
W i f d d a i s i e sa l s o h a d a n
r u s t . l ) u c t i r r i u o b s t u r u l o n - gk n o w n a s a r a r e , m o d e s t n a t i v e w h i c h
p r o d u c e s i t s b l a c k t e l i a o n 1 - u ; a / a s p e c i e s( r v o o d - r ' u s h e s )I .t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t t h i s w a s a c c i d e n t a l l y
exported to Australia where it rnutated and returned here in new guise as l). di.stirtctu.P. ohscuru is sllll
around. and very difficult to find. And l). cli.;ttttclcrcannot be cros-s-infcctedto Ltrztlal

))

Notes and Artrcles

All of whrch is complicated enough, so here is another facet to the story. A native smut fungus,
l.ttt.ylontutulentlulue f. hellitlt.: also attacks darsies I have seen rt on wild plants throughout the year,
but not on oultivated ones rn any month. lts symptoms are small, pale creamy-fawn coloured speckles
on the upper-sides of leaves. Held up to the light, though, these speckles appear darker than their
surrounding healthv laminar trssue due to massesof minute spore balls (sori) contained within. Tom
Preece infirrms me that there were only ever two or three British records of daisy smut before 1990.
No*'. in the mid-nineties, we have each fbund it in quantity in more than ten separatelocalities within
rialking distances of our homes in Oswestry and London. How and why has this happened?Even
qranted that naturalists with keen eyes fbr such subtletiesare themselvesa rarity, we consider that this
parasite nrust still have increasedver.r remarkablv over recent years. Fortunately, Iintykmacalendulae
is less harnrtul to tts host than l'utt:intu tli.ttirrc/tt.a{Iected plants do not change their overall growth
r n o r p h o l o g va n d p r o b a b l v w o u l d n o t d i e i l t h i s w e r e t h e i r o n l y b u r d e n i n l i f - e .U n f o r t u n a t e l y .i n t h e
clozenrrr so London sites rvhere I have noticed it. the I'ucctrriu is scourging the sameplants, so they are
losrng ..{roundanvway
Taxonomy and ecolog_vapart. there are poignant aestheticand cultural issues here, too.'Bellis'is
indeed beautiful The daisy - the day's eye - one of our commonest, best-loved, yet most often takenfbr-granted rvildflor.vers.is also a plant steepedin tblk lore, nostalgia,leisure, humour and the evocation
o f c h i l d h o o d i n n o c e n c e( M a b e y 1 9 9 6 ) .A s w e m a y c h e r i s ht h e s ea t t r i b u t e sa n d a s s o c i a t i o n ss,o , I h o p e ,
mav we become arvare of some emotional responseto the survival crisis the speciesis now facing in at
least part of its native range, because of the onslaught of Pucciniu distinclct. I hope, too, that such
to re-examinedaisiesin your own region, and let
emotions may encourage you. as B^\81 1y'dv'.r-readers,
us know rvhat vou find. so we can build up a clearer picture ofwhat is actually happeningto the species
natron-wide. Hou, extensively. for erarnple, are Puccinia and littll,lomo a,ttackingrural populations of
daisiesin grazed meador.vs.pastures. coastal turt. chalk grassland,upland hills, country parks, cottage
gardens.etc , Do these parasitescome up against any climatic, altitudinal or pH barriers beyond which
their host mav grow salely? What other floristic changes are taking place where daisies are already
dving outl I belier.'ethat caretirl monitoring along these lines would be valuable at this time.
I welcome your responses to this paper. either as published comments or articles, or in letters
addressedto me. Pleaseenclose a s a e if you wish me to reply. Well dried, pressedleavesof diseased
wrld and cultivated daisiesare welcome. too (on no account attempt to post fresh specimens).If interesting I will pass them on to the mycologists currently investigating the matter. Specimens should
always be gathered in generous quantity no conservationqualms here! They should also be accompanied with full collecting data Above all. do seek out black telia which may be lurking obscurely low
down on therr host plants, looking like small dusty slits or pimples. Any found on cultivated daisieswill
be most interestingof all, if not new to science.And thank you for your interest.
ln conclusion, I wish to thank Tom Preece for identilying material, for providing a rich historic
background to the present subject and fbr sustaining our enthusiasticcorrespondenceon microfungi
generally
References
Buczacki, S & Harris. K (1985). ('ollitrs (iuida lo tha Pesls, Diseases ancl Di.utrders o/ (jarden
1)1rurl.rCollins. London
'l'he
l'rx:kat lirrcl.clt4tuediuo/ I'lant (ial/s. Blandibrd Press,London.
Darfington. A. (1968)
Ellis, M B & Eilis, J P (l9t)7). Microlfutrgi ott Lund 1)/arrr.rRichmond Publishing Company, Slough,
Berks.
Mabey, R. (1996) Iilu'a Rritornico Sinclair-Stevenson,London.
Weber. R W S , Webster, J , Waklev, G E & Al-Gharabally, D H (1998) Puccinia distincta, causeof
a d e v a s t a t i n gr u s t d i s e a s eo f D a r s i e sM . y c o l o g i . ; l/2 ( 2 ) . 8 1 - 9 0
W i l s o n , M & H e n d e r s o n .D M . ( 1 9 6 6 ) .B r i t i . \ h R u s ty ' i a r 5 ' rC a m b r i d g e .

BRIAN WURZELL. 11 RostrevorAvenue T o t t e n h r mL.o n d o nN l 5 o L A

Notesand Artrcles

L)

FUNGAL INFECTION OF CYPRESSSPT]RGE

With referenceto Peter Horn's note (BSBI News 79 22). I suspect that the symptoms he reports are
causedby infection with a rust fungus. I have severaltimes visited a well known population of Euphrtrhia cyparissias in the Breckland. near Tuddenham in West Sullblk, where I have tbund diseasedplants
bearing aecidia of a rust that was probably (lntmyces prsl (Wilson and Henderson. 1966). Drseased
plants do tend to be elongated and blind. However. li. cyTturis.stus
is a host of other rust fungi, rncluding Uromv,ce.s.;culcllalusthat forms uredia and telia (but not aecidia) on the spurge, int-ected-shootsof
which are relatively taller. and bear shorter, broader. leaves Diseased plants do not flower (Butler,

r9s8)
It might be useful to monitor temporal changesin diseaseincidencern the host population to assess
the possible effects the pathogen may have on host survival. There have been larious studies (see
B u r d o n , 1 9 9 3 ) o n t h e e f f e c t s o f d i s e a s ei n w i l d p l a n t c o m m u n i t i e sa n d y o u r c o l o n y c o u l d m a k e a n
excellent subject ibr researchon host-pathoseninteractionsand conservation!
References
B u r d o n , J . J ( 1 9 9 3 ) . T h e s t r u c t u r e o f p a t h o g e n p o p u l a t i o n si n n a t u r a l p l a n t c o m m u n i t i e s .A n n u o l
Review of PhytopctthokryX,31 305-323
Butler, G M. (1958) {.lromycesin a population ol l:.u1tfutrhiuc.vp.tissirl.:r lransttctions of the Rrili.sh
Mycrfutgical Socie\. 4l . 401-404
Wilson, M & Henderson, D.M. ( 1966). Brttish llu.;t l;ungi. Cambridue University Press,3 84 pp.

kYlP=1=t!H*=tLielgSg.g*Iu"lR95!gi{,..{stRl:.P..e,.r-".1.Kll3-?.}*
C}'PRESS

SPURGE

INFECTION

Peter Horn (RSRI Neu's79. 22) rnentions deformed shoots ofCl,press Spurge (liuphorhiu clparisstas)
The symptoms described seem to match the rust [!rom]'ce.s.ttutellulu.s 'The inf-ected shoots are
r e l a t i v e l yt a l l e r , b e a r s h o r t e r , b r o a d e r a n d y e l l o w e r l e a v e sa n d d o n o t f l o r v e r . ' F i r s t p u b l i s h e dB r i t i s h
r e c o r d i n 1 9 5 8 f r o m T u t t e n h a m i n W e s t S u f f o l k . ( W i l s o n & H e n d e r s o n ,I 9 6 6 ) . R u s t s a r e m o s t l y w e l l adaptedparasitesand rarely kill their host, although they may weaken it
On the subject of rusts, members may have noticed the ntst (l'ucciiliLt dt.rtincto) ot Belli.spcrcnnts
(Daisy). The leaves become paler, more erect and slightly undulate with concentric black and orange
rings of the different types of spore bodies This rust severely weakens the host. First recorded in
'97 (Weber
Britain in April
cl ul 1998) [but see also page 20] by summer '98 il was abundant and
e x t r e m e l y w i d e s p r e a d .I t ' s q u i t e l r i g h t e n i n g t h a t a n a l i e n p l a n t d i s e a s ec o u l d a t t a i n s u c h a b u n d a n c e
rvithin a single year. What if the host had been a crop plant rather than just the Daisy)
References.
W e b e r , R . W . S . , W e b s t e r ,J . , W a k l e y , G . E & A l - G h a r a b a l l y ,D . H ( 1 9 9 8 ) . l ) u c c i r t t ud r s t r n c t a ,c a u s eo f
a devastatingrust diseaseof Daisies.M1'cdofl.;t l2(2).81-90
Wilson, M & Henderson, D M ( 1966) Briti.th Ru.\t /'ilrgl Carnbridge

LIST OF PLANTS ENDEMIC TO THE BRITISH ISLES

'l'uuxacum,
ln the British lsles, there are currently about 2200 native speciesincluding t 230
t. 330
R u h u s a n d o v e r 2 6 0 H i e r u c i u m m i c r o s p e c i e sO
. f t h e s e .a b o u t 4 3 0 a r e e n d e m i c t o t h e B r i t t s h l s l e s
(c. 20ok of the flora). The endemics are composed mostly of critical taxa
Alc'hemillu (1),

z4

Notesand Articles
'l'araxacum

(39) but
Euphrasia (9), Hieraciun (149), Limonium (1). Ruhus (200), Sorbus (15) and
there are about l0 non-critical speciesand 30 endemic subspectes.
The list of 470 species and subspeciesbelow has been compiled from the literature to include
Brrtish and lrish endemics (including Channel Islands) of subspecific rank or above, but excluding
hybrids. The list should be regarded as provisional as further work on Rubus and Taraxacum especially
is showing some species occur in Europe, and the endemics within Ranunculu.sauricomus agg. and
other Ulmus remain to be described.
Nomenclature, taxonomic rank and endemic status follows Stace (1997) with the following exceptions Cochlearla (Dalby l99l), Hieraciuzr (Sell & West 1968, Pugsley 1948 pro parte), Rzbri.r(Edees
& Newton 1988 and updates in Randall 1998 and pers. comm. D. E. Allen), T'araxacum(Dudman &
fuchards 1997, Kirschner & Stepanek 1998), and other miscellaneouspapers from lilatsonia. Sell &
Murrell's (1996) revision of l)actylctrhiza gives different status to some taxa, and there are likely to be
changesto the list of Hieracium endemicswith publication of their Volume 4.
Alchemilla minimo (but see
Walters 1998)
Anthl,ll is vulneraria ssp.
corhierei
Arenarict ciliala ssp. hibernicct
Arenaria rutrvegicu ssp. anglicu
Athyrium flexile (but see Jermy
& McHaffie 1998)
Bntmus interruplu.\
(' alamaEyosti.s scrt i ca
Centaurium lattfoIium
(' erasl ium fonl anum ssp.
scoticum
Cerastium nigrescens
Cochlearia atlanlica
(-0chleeria micaceu
(- oc h le ar i a nffic i nol i s ssp
sc0lica
(' ()incyo munen si.r ssp mt ne rt.ti.t
('oincyct wrighlii
(- o I oneas ler cam br i c us
Dacty I orhi za i ncdr nlta ssp
coccinea l
Dac ly lorhi za i ncannla ssp.
gemmana/
Dac ly lor h i za incarnqto ssp.
pulchella ?
Daclykrhiza majolis ssp.
cambrensis
Dactyktrhiza maj alis ssp.
occidenlolis
Epipaclis youngiano
Euphrasia anglica/
Euphrasia cambricct
liuphrasia camp heI I rue
Iiup hr as i a hesI op- har r i w n i i
Euphrasia marshallii
Iiuphrasia pseudoke rner i ?

[,uphrasia rivu]aris
I:up hru.sia rot undi ftil ia
liuphrasict vigursii
I' umar iu cupreo lul u ssp.
hahingtonii
l;u mar t a occ tclent al i s
F umaria purpurea
(i erI i ctneI I ct ctmareI I ct ssp.
hibenicct
Genl ictneI lct ctmareI lcr ssp.
seplenlrunalis
Gentianella anglica
()erqnium
nfiertianum
ssp.
celticum
H eI i anthe mum oelanclicum ssp.
leviga/um
H ern rari e c i li o ! Ltltt ssp. c i I irilalo
H ern i ar i a c t I i o lola ssp..rabcllrala
Hieracrum ecctmptum
Hieracrum eggregclum
Hieracium amplialum
H ie rac ium anfrac t ifrtr me
Hierecium anguinunt
H teroc i um ailgustisquamum
H ierac ium aster id iophy I lu n
H ie ruc i um cttI enual rfo I ium
Hieracium auraliflorum
Hieracium uustrulius
Hieracium backhousei
Hieracium hakeriotum
H ierac i um hreadalhane nse
Hieracium hreve
Hierucium hrrgutrlum
H ieruc rum br rI ntni c if rtrme
H i erac i unr cal cori co I a
Hieracium calvum

H i erac ium cal I i stophy I lu m

H i eroc ium cam hr i c ogothicu m
Hieracium camhricum
H ierac ium camptopetalum
Hieracium candelahrae
Hieracium cantianum
Hieracium carneddorum
H i er ac ium c entr ipe ta le
Hieracium chrysolorum
Hieracium cillense
Hteracium clovense
Hieracium cctmplelum
Hieracium cravonense
H i er ac iu m cre br identtfor me
H i erctc i um cre mnanl he.s
Hieracium cumbriense
Hieracium cuneifrons
Hieracium cuspidens
Hierucium cyathis
Hieracium cymbifolium
Hieracium dasythrix
Hieracium dewarii
Hieracium dr.fficile
Hieracium dilectum
Hieracium dipteroides
Hieracium drummondii
Hierocium eboracense
Hierocium eucallum
Hieracium euslale.s
Hierocium euslomon
Hieracium flocculosum
H ierac i um fulvocae sium
H ieroc ium glanduliceps
H i er uc i um gl andu I ide ns
Hieracium granilicola
Hieracium gratum
Hieracium grcvesii
Hieracium hctnhuryi

Notes and Articles

Hierqcrum hartii
Hieracium hctsti/orme
Hierucium hebridense
Hierqcium helhlandiae
Hierucium hihernicum
Hieracnm holophyllum
H ie rqc t um hypctrc'ti c o i des
H i erqc ium hypoc hoe ror des
Hteructunt itt.nlure
HieracLum iscthellae
Hierqcium kennethii
Hierocium laetificum
H i erec i nn I anplt'e I Iense
Hierucium leptotkn
Hieracium leyanum
Hierocium leyr
HierLlcium linEyan.s
H ierac ium mdct'ocarpum
Hieracium macul<tides
Hierocium magniceps
Hterdcium margindlum
Hieracium mdrrtrmum
Hieracium mar.shallii
H ierocium melanochl or tcaphalum
Hietacium menutrahile
Hieracium milesii
H iertrc ium mucrone I lu m
Hientcium mundum
H i erac i um neoc'ot'ut i nu m
Hierqcium nidense
Hieracium norlhroense
Hieracium optimum
Hteracium orilhule.s
Hieracium ourutil<trum
Hieracium oxyodu.s
H ieracium pachyphyl I o ide s
H i erctc i um pau c u I i tle ns
Hieracium pensum
Hieracium perscitum
Hierlcium petrocharis
Hierocium piligerum
H i erac iu m p lat ert tp hy I I o ide s
H i er ac ium po I I i nar i o i de.s
Hieracium pollinarium
H ieroc'ium praethu lense
Hieracium pnthum
H i erac ium p.seudangI i co ide s
Hierac ium pse udonglicum
H i erac ium pseudctpeti o Iatu m
H i erac t um ps eutlosarc op h.t,l t unt
H t r'rut t ttm pseu.lustcn.\lr( k' n r r

tf

Htentctum pugsla.tt
Hieructun puIthriu.;
H ie rttt i unt ntd.I,ra tt:e
H tcruc i ttn rac/ttI ttnt
H i L'ttt( I ttm r icJrlr'l.:rlL
||r t
Hterutttrnt rtvule
H i cntt i un .runKut nc unt
)r'I ur1
H t cru t t tt ttt .\Lrx(
H /t' k tt t ttttt .\Ldf p t Lrtnl
Hieruttttnt.ttuI11t
H iaruci tttn .\c|t(.\La
il.\
H ierot rtrnt shu i hrad t i
H i t rtrt i trnt si lt,trti c rt rdv.s
H tet <ttt ttnt .sintttttt.t
H t aruc i unt .sttrlt dt tttt an.sc
Hieructunt.solunr
H tcruc i trm sptu.srf)tt r.:
H ient t ttn .V)ark cLtItt(nl
H i aroc rtrnt .rI ano lalt ifbr me
H i erut i trnt .slenr4th1a.;
H i e t u t r t r n t. \ l r r u r l i t
H t e't ttt r trnr .:uhurttltlt futl t ttnr
H tcruct unt .\tIbLr(). atlt|ilt
H t erut t ttn .str ltglrth osun
H t arat t um .ru hgruc rI ett t ipe.s
H ientt t um :u hJtit sttt trnt
H i entc i trm su hnti rtt t t i den.s
H i anu i trnt .su hp rust n i.fit I i unt
H i erut t trm su h.;Ir igt t,wnt
H ierut i um .\tt/,|( ntt(
H i et ttt t um subl r uI tcalunl
H i eroc i um suh um hcI I ut i.forne
Hteractttm lav'ensc
H i anrc t tr ttt trigi tr t k.tat r.st,
Htatut tum uislen:(
H reruct um tri.tli tt tlu
Hieruciunt vtKUttst:
H i eruc r un vuri ifr tI t tlrt
H ietttt i unt yanttttt tttI i unt
Hiet uc t rrnt t'itticctuIa
Hiantitrm u,cslii
H ie ruc i ttnt zaI lutrdi c um
L i n t t t t rt u n hi n er r t n u n s s p
ttttgt tcunt
Li ntontunt h i ne rr.osum ssp.
LLtnlidttunl
L t tnt n rum hi t tt'rv t.urm ssp.
niltlLtlunl
Lt m rttt i unt bt nc rt,rt.sunt ssp.
.\(txoiltLltm
Li nr tn trn hri lunnt t tutt
( - 1s u b s p e c i e s )

L i mon t unr d<darl ifbnne

Limttruum Iogttrtrcum
Limoniunt puradrxum
Lttnttttiuntparvum
L t ntot tt ttnt prr te r unt
(3 subspecres)
J.tnttntum recurvum
(4 subspecres)
/.t tttr tttt unt I rur t.\1r'alI ilot ttn?
Lttttrntpcrettne ssp.tutglicunt
Luzufu ntultiflora ssp hiherntcLl
I )i I oseI la./l uge I lor i.; ssp.
hicoprlultr
l'rtmulusc<tltcct
| )| er itli un p i neI rtr unr
]' I er rdt unt ut1ttr! mum ssp
llu hu.: ttt cl t t'tlctlunt
R t t h t t .tst t c r e s c e t u
Iluhu.t ucutifnn.s
llubus uddnt.\u
I lt t h u.: ttdet tu t t/ h o t tlt'.s
l l uh u . st t t t' 1t r u li d e n s ' )
Il u h tr.sttg hutl ar ge rr.si.s
|luhu: ohanr/bliu.;
lluhu.r'tr/hirttti.:
]lu hu.: tt! t rurc uttl tt.s
lluhu.: urtglofitscus
llu hu,: tnry| oserpe tr.s
llt rh u: ungt n ! i c tt.tpi.t
Iluhus uquarunt
lluhu.s tu'tconiensrs
Ru h us or i.;t i.sepaI u.s
l?tt h tt.surnt iytrtl ett.t
lluhus Lteryunu.s
llu h u.; huh i ngktn ian us
Iluhtr.s buhingtonii
lluhu.; hagnulltanu.s
lluhus hukerianus
lluhu.s burlorrii
lluh u.r hercheriensi.s
lluhu.y bthrtt.srs
lluhus hkxumianus
Iluhu.s boudiccue
Rtrhtt.vbreconensis
Ru h u.sbr t' vi.st um i n tt su.s
llu hrr.: hr i gg: t crttu.t
llubu.s hrtggsii
lluhus hucknullii
lluhu.s cttcsurius
lluhtt.stulvtt!tr.s
lluhtt.: tumhrensis

z6
Rubus carnkiefensts
Rubus castrensts
Rubus celticu.s
Ruhus chrys<txykn
Ruhu.s cinerosiformis
Rubu.r cinerusus
Ruhus conJertiflorus
Ruhus conjungen.s
Rubu.sc<tnspernts
Rubus cordattfoliu.s
Rubus cornuhiensr.s
Ru hus c o tte.swo Idenst s
R u b u sc o u c h u
Rubus crespigttvctnus
Rubus criniger
Rubus cromeren.;i-s
Rubus c'rudeli.t
Ruhus cumhren.yi.s
Ruhus curvitlens
Rubus curvispinrxu.s
Rubus doltii
Rubus dasycoccus
Rubus daveyi
Ruhus davisii
Ruhus decus.yc.tus
Ruhus dewniensis
Ru hus d i stac / iforn i.s,
Ruhus diversiarmalu.r
Rubus diversus
Rubus dobuniensis
Iiuhus dunen.sis
Ruhus durescen,s
Rubus durotrigprm
Ruhus eborqcensis
Rubus ebudensi:;
Ruhus echinatoides
Ruhus effrenotus
Rubus errobundu,s
Ruhus ervthrop.s
Ruhus euqnlhinus
Rubus fissus
Ruhus.furnarius
Ruhus .fuscicrtrlex
Ruhus galkfu.scus
Ruhus gariannensis
Ruhus glanduliger
Ruhus glareosus
Ruhus gt'tlfithiarus
Rubus hal.yleadensi.s
Ruhu.shanlonen.si.';
Rubus hastt/ormt.s
Ruhus hebridensi.s

Notes and Articles

Ru hus her ef ordt' n.si.s
Ruhu.she.spenus
Rubu.t he/enthelus
Rubus hihernicLt.t
Ruhus hindii
Ru h u.t h i r.yuI i.t.st nru.:
lluhu.s hl ltx huri.t
R tth u.s h17x tst,r i t eu.s
lluhu.y icenrerri.y')
Ru hu.si nt un'ut rform i.s
Ruhus ittfestrrr
l?uh trsi tt/esIi.sepalu.t
Ruhus inlitrmrJb/ru.;
lluhus irtten.sior
lluhus irxlrrephe.:
Iltthu.s irtcu.t
lluhu.t i:;conu.t
Rtrhus lot u.;tri.y
Ru hrt.t lont hurne tt:si.s
Ruhus lanotitcutlis
Ruhus lur,gi/icu.s
lluhus losir.tdermis
Rubus luri.fbltus
Ruhus luxotifron.s
Ruhus lerrtigtnosus
Ru hus le ucundn lbnn r.s
lluhu:; lintonit
Rubu"ylrndinansi.s
Rubu.t longifnns
Ruhus longu.t
lluhu,s ludenst.s
Ruhus ntqlverntcus
Rubus murshollii
Iluhu.s me\anlc\adull
lluhus mercicus
Jluhus merlint
lluhu.; nte/u//trun
Ruhus nri/i.s.rtmu.s
Jltthtu ttttptt.si.s.
ll trbtt.sn orgu t tv'.qen.si.:
lluhus moyler
Ru hu,snrut rtnal rlbrm i.t
Ruhu"ynuc rtnulrtides
lluhu.y nttldrefii
[luhus ney bouldianus
]luhus nev houldri
Ruhus net hritlgensi.:
ll uh us t rot'v i cen.si.s
Ruhu.t tfie:ifliit.t
Ruhtu tfisturt.fltru.t
lluhu.s orhu,s

Ruhus ordovicum
Rubus painteri
Ilubus pallidi.setus
Ruhus pampinosus
llubus pa:tcuorum
lluhus peninsulae
lluhu.s Ttercri,spu.t
)lubu.t perdigitatu:s
Ilubut pennundus
Ruhus pen'alidus
lluhus Stictorum
Iluhus pliocenicu.s
Rubus polktdes
flubus polyoplus
Rubus ltorphyrocaulis
llubus pon'ellii
Ru bus p seudopI i n tfutslylus
Iltrhus pullifolius
Ruhu.; lwcha.sianu.s
Ruhu,slnineiensis
lluhus pydorensis

Rubusramosu.s
Ruhusregillus
Rubusriddelsdellii
lluhusrohiae
Ruhusrcssensi.s
Ruhu.sroturu*folius
Rubusruhryfktrus
Rubu.sruhris/1tlus
Rubussagittariu.s
lluhus salteri
Rubu.s.scrtlicus
Ruhus sectiramus
lluhus segontii
llubus semiglaber
Rubus silurum
Rubus sneydii
Rubus:;padix
Ruhu.s.;lanneus
ll ub us .v bi ntepy i bas i.s
llubu.; .surre.janus
Ruhus krrclus
Ruhus lqven.si.s
Rubus lenuiqrmafus
Il u hus turn eri (dt biou s Idxon)
Rubus trelleckensis
Ruhus tresi&leri
Ruhus tt'iangularis
Ruhus tutiensis
Ruhu.; tutilu.t
llubu:s vagensi.s
Rubus vorvicen.sis

27

Notes and Articles

Rubus vigursii
Ru bus vi I I icau I iform i s
Rubus villostnr
Rubus woddellii
Rubus warrenii
Ruhus watsonii
Rubus wedgwoodiae
Rubus wirralensis
Rubu.swolley-dodii
Rumex acelosa ssp. hihenrica
Sagina hoyditl
ScI erant hu s pe rerlrl.r ssp.
prostralus
Setrecio cambrensis
Saxifraga rt)saceq ssp. hurttt
Sorbus anglicu
Sorbus qrranensis
Sor bu.s br i sto I i ens i.s
Sorbus devoniensis
Sorhus eminens
Sorbus hibernica
Sorbus lqncaslriensi.s
Sorhus teptophylla
S<trbus leyana
Sorbus minima

Sor bus porri gen tift r m t s

Sor bu,sp.seudofenn i ca
Sorbus subcuneata
Sorhus vexan,s
Sorbus wilmcttliana
Sisyr inchi um hermud iana /
Turaxacum aculunt
Tqraxautm untarellum
Taraxacum herlhae
Tqroxacum hrectnense
Tqraxocum cal edoni cu nt
7uroxat unt cqmbricum
'l'araxacum
cellicum
I'uraxac' um ch eny eI I ertse
7'ardxlutm cltnen.se
Toraxucum u4thocanlru nt
Taraxctcum cornu h iense
7cu'axacum degelii
7aruxacum Ju I t,i cqrpum
Toraxaut m ge i rhi I L.lae
Tar oxacu m hcrwor t hi anu m
7'uraxacum hesperium
Taraxacum hexhctmense
Toraxuc um h t r su t i.s.s
i m unt
Taraxautm inune

Tarlxacum inopinalum
Turaxacum lqncaslr iense
Tqraxdcum luteum
7draxacum margell.tii
I'arqxucum ni gride ntun m
'l'draxac
um oeI Igaard i r
Taraxacum olgae
Tarqxacum orcatlense
7ar axac um pa lu slr i squdmeum
Turaxacum porlert
I uraxuc um Jtse4d(,il()rd.rtL'Jlt t
'[ar
ax uc um r i chqrd.si an unt
Taraxocum sahl i n iqnu nt
'loraxocum
st:oliutnt
7araxucum .scrpetilrcolu
Turaxucum .\I(nlLrunl
Turaxucum suhbracteut trm
Turoxuc um .su hnae vtsu nt
'l
araxac um t.u ty I ep t.\
I uruxacum u'chhii
I'ephroser i s i nlegr i.ftI i a ssp.
monttm0
Illmu.s pltltt

References
Dalby,D H. (1991) Cochleoriain. in Rich, T C G (l99ll ('rntilers o/ (ireat lJrilain und /relonJ
BSBI Handbookno 6 BSBI,London
Dudman,A. & fuchards.A.J. (1997).Durrtleliotts
o/ (ireut Rrikrirturti Irelurd BSBI, London
Edees,E.S&Newton,A (19u8)BramblesofrheRritishl.i/e,r
RaySociety.London
J e r m y , A C . & M c H a f f i e , H . ( 1 9 9A8r h
) S ' r i uinn,R i c h , T C G & J e r m y , A . C , e d s( 1 9 9 8 )I ' l u t ( ' r ' r h
1998 BSBI,London.
Kirschner,J. & Stepdnek,
J. (1998).A monographol laruvrcun sect.Palustne lnstituteofBotany,
Academyof Sciences
of CzechRepublic,Pruhonice
Pugsley,H.W. (1948).A prodromusof the BritishHitraciu..knrnul of theLrnneun&tciery'ofLon&n
(Borany)54: 1-356
. u h u s , i nf u c h ,T C G . & J e r m y , A C , e d s .( 1 9 9 8 )P l u t t r( ' r i h l 9 9 t t B S B I .
R a n d a lR
l , D ( 1 9 9 8 )R
London.
Sell,P. D. & Murrell, G. (1996 et seq.).Flora of (irear Rriluin and lrelarul CambridgeUniversrty
Press,Cambridge.
S e l l , P . D . & W e s t , C . ( 1 9 6H8 i)e r o c i u m
L , i n P e r r i n g . FH e d . ( ' r i t t c qSl u p p l e m e n r r o r h a A t l u s o l
theBritish.flora BSBI. London
Stace,C.A(1997)Newflora<tftheBritishIsle.\.2nded
CambridgeUniversityPress,Cambridge
Walters,S M (1998)Alchemilla,in Rich.T C G & Jermy.AC. eds (1998)I)luntcrth 199,\ BBSI
London.
T.C.G RICH,G. HUTCHINSON,R. kANDAL.L& R G. ELLIS,Department
of Biodiversity
and

...*-$v*snplrs*P:-ql-ogy.Iegsle.l.Il

Notes and Articles

TOLYPELLA PROLIFERA DISCOVERED IN N. SOMERSET (V.C. 6)

'lolypella
proh/era (Ziz. ex A. Braun) [.eonh. (Great Tassel Stonewort) is one of our largest and most
distinctive stoneworts. It is also one of our rarest. ln the British and lrish Red Data Book (Stewart &
Church 1992) its status in Britain is given as'Vulnerable'. with records from just four localities from
1970 onwards, in West Sussex, Gloucestershire and Cambridgeshire. One recent record from
N Somerset (v c 6) has since come to light (Nick Stewart, pers. comm.) - 'in a small ditch amongst
Frogbrt' on Butt Moor, near Glastonbury (ST/52.36) found by John Keylock in 1986, but apparently
not seen since. Not surprisingly, I'. proli/ero is listed as a priority speciesin the UK Biodiversity Action
Plan In view of rts great rarity. members might be interestedto read the following report of its discovery at a second locality in N. Somerset.
On 7th June 1998, on the second day of Liz McDonnell's and K.P.'s BSBI field meeting to the
SomersetLevels and Moors, much time was spent examining the ditch flora of parts of Southlake Moor
SSSI, near Burrowbridge (ST/36.30) By mid-afternoon we had nearly completed our circuit of the
site. Just one more ditch to go, and one that - apart from bank-side clumps of Althaea rfficinalis
(Marsh-mallow) looked not much different from the rest. a patchy canopy of emergentsllkeAlisma
plonldgo-aqucillca (Water-plantain). ('arc,r ripuriu (Greater Pond-sedge) and Sporgonium (rcctum
(Branched Bur-reed), a floating carpet of Hydntchari.s morw.s-ranue (Frogbif). ('Ltllitriche plarycqrpa
(Various-leaved Water-starwort) and Lemna spp. (duckweeds), and a few duckweed-free areas allowing us a view of the submerged aquatics Polamogelon crispus (.Curled Pondweed), P. trichoides
(Hairlike Pondweed), Elodea nullctllil (Nuttall's Waterweed) and the odd stonewort.
One stonewort in particular looked odder than the rest. Many in the party would have been happy
to leave it well alone - recording it as just another ('hara (sic). S.J.L., despite having a deep loathing
'difficult'
plants, inexplicably hoicked it out for closer inspection. It certainly looked unusual,
for such
but it was near the end of the day, we were all getting a bit weary and, to be honest, S.J.L. would
happily have flung it back into the ditch from whence it came. But another member ofthe party, Peter
Rooney, peered over S.J.L.'s shoulder, and said he thought the plant might be interesting.'lt looks a bit
like a ktlypella of some kind,' he told us.
It seemedimprobable that this tangle of shoots could possibly be interesting,but K.P. volunteered
to have a go at getting it identified. Early the fbllowing week she decided that the plant bore an
'1.
prolrferu. She had already despatcheda specimen to Nick Stewart, who
uncanny resemblanceto
promptly told us that, yes indeed. the plant was'l'. pntlrfcra Great whoops of delightl He suggestedwe
should quickly arrange a visit lrom R.V.L. working with Nick on a charophyte project for Plantlife to check the population in the field. and to gather some detailedecological data.
We could hardly contain our excitement On 26th June, in pourrng rain, K.P.. S.J.L. and Lyn White
( E n g l i s h N a t u r e ) j o i n e d R . V . Lo n a s i t e v i s i t . T h e f i r s t h o u r w a s s p e n t s e a r c h i n g t h e d i t c h w h e r e S . J . L .
said he had gathered the mystery stonewort. There was no sign ofit there. The rain and poor light made
it difficult to see the ditch bottom, but R.V.L. waded carefully along its length, sweeping his arms
slowly through the water, and telling the rest of us with great confidence that if Z prolifera was there
he would be able to feel it. Having drawn a blank there, K.P. suggestedlooking in another section of
the same ditch. in an area that S.J.L. insrstedwas not where he had seen it. Great embarrassmentfor
S.J.L. when, no sooner had R.V.L. descendedinto the ditch than he was feeling his first I prohferat
J u s t o n e p l a n t t o b e g i n w i t h . . t h e n a n o t h e r . . .t h e n a n o t h e r . . .t h e n - w e w e r e a l l s t a r t i n g t o s p o t i t
now
dozens of them, each one like a sunken bird's nest. great tangles of shoots, some as big as
footballs
'1
In all, we found 59 plants of . proliferu in this drtch Later in the day, K.P. and R.V.L. located a
further l4 in a second ditch Both ditches had been lightly cleanedout during the previous winter, being
quite deep (about 50 cm), but still with a considerabledepth (usually >50 cm) of srlt Amongst the
'1
commoner associates of . proltfero at the site were Alismu pltilrlugo-oqualicl, L'allitriche platycqrpo.
('ctrex riparict, ('hara vulguris var. vulguris, Equiselum.flur.'iutile (Water Horsetall), Hydrochari.s
morsus-ranae.Jurtcus effusus (Soft-rush), Lentna mitnr (Common Duckweed), L. trisulca (lly-leaved
Duckweed) and Pulumt yr'tr)il Lrt.V'u.\

Notes and Articles

fo

The most striking thing about the ditches in which rve found 7. proliferu was how ordinary they
looked. There are hundreds of ditches like this across the Somerset Levels, and we see no reasonwhy
7-.prolifera shouldn't now be turned up elsewherein the area. However, you're very unlikely to find a
which means, for many of us field botanists, abandoning that
rare stonewort unless you look for it
'.
f a z y h a b i t o f l u m p i n , e a l l s t o n e l v o r t su n d e r t h e h e a d i n g ' ( . h u r u s y : a n d b e g i n n i n gt o g i v e t h e m t h e
attention they deserve.
About a dozen stoneworts are listed in the UK tsiodiversity Plan. so the conservation case for
t a k i n g a n i n t e r e s ti n t h e m i s a c o m p e l l i n go n e - a s s a i d i n t h e F o r e w o r d t o t h e R e d D a t a B o o k ( S t e w a n
'.
& Church 1992). . . from a position of obscurity. )or'"er plants are now firmlv on the conservation
agenda'. We hope this story of our discovery of ir. pnili/eru at Southlake Moor might encourage
others to become involved in stoneworts. Thev're well worth the trouble!
Relerence
Stervart, N.F. & Church, J.M. (1992). Iled Datu Rrxtk.: o/ lJrttuin und lreland: Stonawrtrls. Joint
Nature Conservation Committee. Peterboroush.
SIMON J. LEACH & KAREN POLLOCK. English Nature, Roughmoor, Bishop's Hull. Taunton,
S o m e r s e t .T A I 5 A A
RICHARD V. LANSDOWN, Floral Cottage, Upper Springfields Road, Stroud. Gloucestershire,
GL5 ITF

SPERGLILARIA T.IARI]\A ON INLAND ROADSIDES (2)

Simon Leach (8,\BI New.s79. 5l-52) comments that there has been very little mention of .\pergtlaria
marino (Lesser Sea-spurrey)on inland roadsides. unlike ('ochleuriu danicu (Danish Scuny_elrass)
and
Put:cinellia c/l.rlzll.r(Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass).and that rve need to start looking for it in earnestif it is
to be adequatelymapped in Atlas 2000. I had had very similar thoughts but did not get my list together
'till
in time for News 791.lt may be that I have been missing S. marino on verges
recently, but I do not
think so. indeed I believe it has spread substantiallyin the last lew years. Cenainly it rs not as easy to
'carpets'
spot at speedas (-ochleurio dunicu is rvhen in flower. but, once clne has one's eye in, the
of it
'jizz'
(so aptly named by Simon) have a distinctive
One reason why I think I have not missed5. murirm in the past is becauseI have been rnterestedin
its occurrence inland since the early 1960s. rvhen. as a Nature ConservancyAssistant Regional O{icer,
l r v a s r e v i e w i n g t h e S S S l s o f C h e s h i r e ( r , ' c5 8 ) W e d e c i d e d t o n o t i 0 , t h e S a n d b a c h F l a s h e s . a s e r i e s o f
subsidencepools caused by brine-pumping which supported ser"eralmaritime plant speciesas well as
attracting ducks and waders (among which I recall a Wilson's Phalarope). (The dot in Atlas of lhe
B r i t t . s hF l o r a f o r S . m a r i r u i n l 3 / 7 . 5 i s o n e o f o n l y f r v e t r u l y i n l a n do n e s ) S o o n e b e a u t i f u ls u m m e rd a y
I v i s i t e da l l t h e t e n a n t f a r m e r so f t h e B r r t i s h S o d a f ' o n r p a n l t o e x p l a r nr v h a t t h e i n : p h c a t i o n sr v o u l d b e
( D o n o t b e l i e v ew h a t i s o f t e n s a i d a b o u t t h e N C ' s h a v i n g c r e a t e dS S S I s w i t h o u t r e f e r e n c et o a n y o n e
before the passing of the Wildlife and Countryside Act ) One old-fashroned cobbled farmyard was
ablaze with the flowers of Lesser Sea-spurreyl When I sommented on this extraordinary sight, the
'The
f a r m e rr e p l i e d .
B r i t i s h S o d a C o m p a n yk e e p g i v i n g n r e s a l t t o p u l d o w n , b u t i t d o n ' t d o n o g o o d a t
'
all
D r D E C o o m b e ( 1 9 9 a , p p 5 3 - 5 4 ) r e c o r d e d S . m a r i n u i n s i n g l e l o c a l i t i e si n o n l y t w o l 0 k m
squaresin Cambridgeshire(v c 29),5214 6 and 53/4 0. the latter between the A47 and the tidal Rrver
N e n e , i n c o n t r a s t t o ( ' . d a n i c a i n l l a n d l ' . d i s t u t r s i n l 0 o u t o f t h e 4 0 p o s s i b l es q u a r e s H e a l s o
m e n t i o n s f i n d i n g i t o n 2. l0 1 9 2 o n t h e A l 0 i n W e s t N o r f o l k ( v c 2 8 ) o n t h e S o u t h e r y b y p a s s ( 5 2 1 6 9 )
ln the last two years it has apparently spread on major roads around Cambrrdge in 5214.5 and 4.6, in
o n e c a s ea t l e a s t( 5 2 l 4 1 6 6 1 0 ) q u i t e p o s s i b l yt i o m C o o m b e ' s l o c a l i t vb e s i d et h e A 4 5 ( n o w t h e A l 4 ) l n
another site, by Nervmarket Road. it is cerlainll a ne* arrival becausethe area has been scrutinised
e a c hy e a r b e c a u s eo f i t s p o p u l a t i o no f ( ' . t ' t r x l o nd u t t . r ' l r r r( B e r m u d a - g r a s s()C o o m b e . 1 9 9 ' 1 p
. p 46-,17)

Notes and Articles

30

l w o n d e r w h e t h e r i t h a s b e e n f a v o u r e d b y t h e e x c e p t i o n a l l y w elt9J9u7naensdo1f 9 9 8 .
Like Simon,I have noticedS. marina further from hometoo, particularlyon slip-roadsand central
(the latter best observedin tramc jams, as he says).It seemsto grow best on poorly
reservations
with little othervegetation(in this like
drainedground(unlikeC. danica,whichfavoursfree drainage)
('. danica).Aroundthe marginof a roundaboutnearCambridge(521421.567)
whichMichaelWay and
'1998,
of the two species
weremoreor lessmutuallyexcluI suweyedon 23 February
the distributions
sive.with S. marina chieflyin the S.E. quarterand ('. danicctalmostconfinedto the N.W. quarter,
though it was not clear how much this was the result of differingdrainage,P. clistanswas more evenly
lesscommonin the 'heartlands'
ofthe othertwo species.
distributed.
but. interestingly.
marinain l99l and1998follows.
My list of inlandlocalitiesfor Spery;ulctria
21 05.98,28 08.98
of M25 at JunctionI8. A404.Chorlel'wood),
V c 20. Herts:5l/0.9 (slip-roads
V c. 20, Herts. 5210.0(centralreservationand SE vergeof M25 NE of Junction20; also on A41
roundabout),21
05 98.
of M25 for I 6 km W of Ml), 24.08.98.
V c 20, Herts:52110 (centralreservation
of Al(M) betweenJunctions9 and 10, between
V.c. 20. Herts. 5212.3(E sideof centralreservation
Letchworth
andBaldock).24.0898.
5l/1.8 (abundant
V c 21.Middlesex:
alongW sideof4,406,HangerLane,Ealing),02 10.98.
M25 justN of M40),28.0898
Y.c.24.Bucks:5l/0 8 (centralreservationof
03 10.97.
V c 29, Cambs.52/420.569(NE vergeof slip-roadfrom Ml I to .4.603),
(roundabout
on A603E ofMI 1),03 1097, 23.0298
Y c 29,Cambs.521421.567
Road,Cambridge),
04 09.98.
59,l(S sideof A1303,Newmarket
Y c 29, Cambs.521488
Y.c. 29, Cambs 5214I 6 6 I 0 (E vergeof slip-roadfrom Al4 to M I I ), 03 10.9'7.
V c 2 9 , C a m b s5 2 1 4 2 0 6 1 3 ( S e d g e o f A l 4 j u s t E o f A 1 3 0 7 f l y o v e rp,rset si lel n t w h e r e r e c o r d e d b y
D E Coombeon 1607 92 and1505 94).03 1097
08.04.98.
ForestEastService
Centre),
V.c. 55,Leics.43150 (centralreservation
ofMl nearLeicester
(NE sideof B6480on steephill between,465and turningto
Vc.64, Mid-westYorks: 341791.660
Feizor),2608.97
V c 83, Midlothian 36l?36 (unction on 4720, probablywith A68 nearDalkeith),16.0897
-08 24 (W sideof ,A9N of Junction1l of M90),23.0897
V.c 88.Mid Perths.3'7108.23
In the localitiesin v.cc. 64 and 88 5'. marina was growing with P. distans and close to sitesfor
665 (mainlyE side of A65) and 371081.228Hrtrdeumjubatum (Foxtail Barley)at 341182668-'/84
found on saltedroad
081.230and 084.246(W sideof A9). The latteris anotherspeciesincreasingly
verges.
Reference
'Maritime' plantsof roadsin Cambridgeshire
(v.c. 29). Naturein CambridgeCoombe,D E (1994)
s*lre,No.36:37-60

-l--tIJ-U-P---qi.WA!.p-Ji.--1fl1--'--r,--s-1l-e-eL-Qe-n-b.$c-s-9--q?l.l-L**-*--***IS THIS A RECORD

HEIGHT

FOR A VERBASCUM?

was taken,at its maximumheight,on 26 July 1998in

This photographof an unidentifiedVerbascum
the gardenof Susanand Geoffrey Strachan,Charlbury,west Oxfordshire.It had persistedas a rosette
for four yearsandwas now floweringamonga collectionof medicinalplantsraisedby Susan,who is a
practisingmemberof the Nationallnstituteof MedicalHerbalists.
The gardenbeingon a slope,Susan's
tapeto
husbanddecidedthat the safestway to determinethe heightofthe plantwas to fix a measuring
the top ofa long,narrowboardand raiseit first to the tip ofthe leadingstemandtake a measurement
was addedto that of the lower part of the plant the total heightwas
at halfuay. When this measurement
found to be 13 ft (c. 4 m)l By early Octoberthe leadingstemand the longerlateralbrancheshad

Notesand Articles

]I

collapsed and curled round on themselves.Shorter stems that had developed after this photograph was
taken were still erect and in fresh flower. It is assumedthat having produced a superb 4-year rosette,
t h e p l a n t o n l y n e e d e dt h e w e t s u m m e ro f 1 9 9 8 t o s e n di t r o c k e t i n gs k y w a r d s .
Amorrg the many interesting medicinal plants in this garden are Althaeu of/icinalis (Marsh-mallow),
Achillea nillefolium (Yarrow), ApTimonicr auputoria (Agrimony). Artemisia qbsin/hium (Wormwood),
Tanacetum balsamita (Costmary or Alecost), Iichinuceu uttgu.:ti.fblia (Purple Coneflower), Galega
officinalis (Goat's-rue), Hypericum petJiuotum (Pertorate St John's-wort), lttula helenium (Elecampane), Marrubium
vulgare (White Horehound). Maltssu tl/icrnalis
(Balm). lvlonarda didyrna
(Oswego-tea or Bergamot), Nepeto calerio (Cat-mint or Catnip). Phytolacco americana (Amerrcan
Pokeweed), a North American plant being grown experimentallv, /tu1.1 graveolen.s (Rue), S'alr'la
elegans (Tangerine Sage), Jhcl;s offittnulr: (Betonr'). lAnuLatum vulgare (Tansy). 7'rillium lureum
(Yellow Trillium) and Valeridna offrcirurlrs (Comrron Valerian). Also I'erhascun thapsus (.Great
Mullein), the flowers of which, I am told. are macerated in organic olive oil. the mixture placed in a
c l e a r g l a s s j a r a n d 1 e f tf o r s i x w e e k s o u t - o f l d o o r s . i n s u n l i g h t .O n e o f t h e s e v e r a lu s e so f v e r b a s c u m o i l
is as ear-droos for earache.

I:erhascunsp., garden.Charlbury,'.
photoJ DunnO July 1998

\4grll.-9.!:.s19.yry*-o:ls-r{-o-Ii.jL|
{9".PQSJ,.Ilet.z-S.e.r-4.r-o-r4

)z

Notes ald Articies

CARDAMITVE
PRATENSLS
rN LAWNS (l)
ln responseto Maura Scannell's note on ('artlaminL,protensis /Cuckooflower) in lawns in BSBI New.s
79. I think it is something to do with the wav the la',vnis nrown, perhapseven what type of lawnmower.
There was a garden in Finstown (Orkneyl where some years ago, the lawn and the borders near the
lawn carried massesofthe double fornr This doesn't set seed so the plants were growing from the cul
scraps and I now propagate it regularly this way. a pair of leaves and half inch of stem will produce a
flowering plant in a year The young woman who owned the garden died tragically of cancer in the
sptne and I never asked how she cut the lawn she thought it grew from seed. I had a brieflook at the
garden this spring and could see no sign of the plant. The present owners employ a contractor to
cut
the grass and when I spoke to them in October rhey did not know the plant but felt sure it was no
longer in the larvn although possibly still in the border
I have tried casually scattering cut bits in various placeswithout successand always have to propagate it in a seed tray. The original larvn was surrounded by trees but not overshadowed by them so I
suspect it was always damp. clearly she had not used a grass box to collect the cuttings Some of our
verges are almost solid rvith the single fbrnr of the plant irr spring, the1, probably get cut with
the
Clouncil gang mower onse or twice a year and the outtings left. tn Orkney they would not shrivel up
quickly But whv more plants occur along sonre roads and not others. apparentlysimilar, seems
odd

('artlaminc prolcr.sr.rin an Orkney verge. photo E.R. Bullard

O May 1997

F-!-{fAQ-P-*l&*t-A*o-*-tgt}:"*qLKlr\v-d]..Q,..1r.l.::-.,(}:.L,l.l-s,B-......-

Notes and Anrcles

33

CARDAMI]VE PRATE]VSNIN LAWNS (2)

I was interested to read in BSBI New.s'79 the occurrence of ('ardamine prolensis (Cuckooflower)
occurring on lawns in Dublin. I'm surprised that it is thought to be such a rare plant ofthis habitar rn
lreland, as it is a frequent species of Somerset lawns and churchvards. generally preferrrng N facrng.
shady or damp lawns of long standing. While recording for the Somersetl'tora this was often the only
place one could find it in a tetrad. The only Flora in my collection that ref-ersto lawns is lhe Allu.sl.'lora
of Sornerset1997 P.R. Green et al.
I have also seen it on lawns in Devon, Dorset. Morayshire. lnverness-shireand at St lve's in
Cornwall where it is the dominant plant after the grasses.This lawn is cut regularly, having no eflbct on
the (-ardamtne.
J.W. White has an interesting note on ('. prutensrs rooting from the leavesto form new plants.
Reference
White, J.W (1912) l'he Bri.stol Florcr John Wrighr and Sons Ltd. Bnstol

Q!"er4,
lq!lg:e!:l$]q !.9I
l-4QlQBslN,27qre!,$il"e-.!.
CARDAMINE PRATENSISIN AN I.IRBAN LAWN IN LONDON (3)
Yes, Cardamine prctlensi.s(Cuckooflower) does occur in lawns elsew,herein Britain (8.\R1 ,\cu.r'79.
i e t t e r f r o m M a u r a S c a n n e l lo f D u b l i n ) .
I have recorded it in the lawn of a suburbanback garden in Wembley, London lrom 1985 to 1989.
and it has probably been present in each subsequentyear. Whilst present at that site, it is not a comnlon
constituent of lawns. It would appear that positive factors in favour of its presenceinclude the aee of
the lawn, low soil fertilrty, soil dampnessand a relatively low cutting regrme ofabout l-3 cuts per year.
These factors also appear to influence the numbers ofplants seeneach year.
LESLIE WILLIAMS,

l4 Christchurch Avenue, Kenton, Harrow'. Middiesex HAr' 8NJ

CARDAMINE PRATENSISIN URBAN LAWNS (4)

I have observed Cardamine prdteil,tis in Harrogate in similar conditions to those described by Maura
Scannellin Dublin (8.\'Bl New's,72, Sept 1998)
I C I F i b r e s u s e d t o h a v e i t s h e a d q u a r t e r si n H a r r o q a t e l t w a s a l a r g e s i t e e m p l o y i n ga b o u t 2 . 0 0 0
people surrounded on three sides by urban residential propenv The site contained a football pitch
which was kept in excellent mown condition and not heavily used. When ICI left the site the pitch was
left unmown except in the autumn when the neighbouring farmer took a hay crop offit. When ICI left,
my employers took over part ofthe site and within a couple ofyears the stand ofcuckooflower in the
centre of the old pitch was spectacular (sufficient fbr me to trespass to investigate). It continued to
thrive but apparently in decreasingnumbers for about ten years until the builders moved on to the site
thisyear.

ROGERM
friiffi_

CARDAMINE PRATENSISIN LAWNS (5)

ln BSBI Nev's 19, Maura Scannell reports observations of ('ttnlumine protensis (Cuckooflower) in
D u b l i n l a w n s l n m y a r e a t h e p l a n t i s c o m n r o n l yf o u n d i n l a w n s , e v e n o n a r e c e n l ( 1 9 6 0 s ) h o u s i n g
estate,although it does not get a chance to flower with the usual suburban lawn-morving regimes. and

)+

Notes and Artrcles

therefore tends to go unnoticed. My tendency to let the grass grow for more extended periods allows it
to show in my own lawn, and it also flowers beyond my property in grassy roadside verges, whenever
the impecuniousnessof the local council enforces less frequent mowing. There is a large and thriving
colony in the parish churchyard, where sections ofthe grass are allowed to grow longer. None ofthese
placesare especiallydamp, although the clay substrateprobably holds sufficient moisture for the plant's
survival. It appears to seed and spread freely. plants often appearing in different places from the year
before

TONY F MARSHALL 49 Lodce Lane. Prestwood. Great Missenden Bucks.LP_-Lq__qga

- 19
BOTANY(NATUR{L HTSTORY)
rN LTTERATURE
George Eliot's l87l-2 novel Middlenurch (Penguin Classics. 1994) is the study of life in a provincial
town in England. ln Chapter 17 the Rev. Camden Farebrother, who lives in an old stone parsonage
replete with red damask-covered furnrture, is keen to share his passion for natural history with his
visitor, the doctor, Lydgate. The rector's rnother, her sister. and his own sister, all ofwhom he shares
the house with, remonstrate that the visitor must not be hurried to the rector's den where there'was
nothing but pickled vermin and drawers full of blue-bottles and moths, with no carpet on the floor . . .'
'A
without at least a second cup of tea.
game at cribbage would be lar better' in their view. Neverthel e s s ,F a r e b r o t h e rs u c c e e d sr n h i s e n d e a l o u r ( p p . 1 7 2 - l )
". . . See," continued the Vicar, opening several small drawers, "l fancy I have made an
exhaustive study ofthe entomology ofthis district.r I am going on both with the launa
and flora, but I have at least done my insectsrvell. We are singularly rich in orthoptera.r
I don't know whether Ahl you have got hold ofthat glassjar - you are looking into
that instead ofmy drawers. You don't really care about thesethings?"
"Not by the side of this lovely anencephalous'monster I have never had time to give
myself much to natural history I rvas early bitten with an interest in structure, and it is
what lies most directly in my profession. I have no hobby besides.I have the sea to swinr
in there."
"Ah! you are a happy fellow," said Mr Farebrother,turning on his heel and beginning to
fill his pipe. "You don't know what it is to want spiritual tobacco - bad emendationsof
old texts, or small items about a variety of Aphis brassicae,awith the well known signature of Philomicron,t for the'lwoddler's Magazine,6 or a learnedtreatise in the entomology ofthe Pentateuch.Tincluding all the insectsnot mentioned,but probably met with by
the lsraelites in their passage through the desert, with a monograph on the Ant, as
treated by Solomon," showing the harmony of the Book of Proverbs with the results of
modern research.You don't mind my fumigating you?"
Lydgate was more surprised al the opennessof this talk than at its implied meaning
that the Vicar felt himself not altogether in the right vocation. The neat fitting-up of
drawers and shelves,and the bookcase filled with expensiveillustrated books on Natural
History, made him think again of the winnings at cards and their destination..
"
You see, I have paid twelve or thirteen years more than you lor my knowledge of
diffrculties. But" - Mr Farebrother broke off for a moment, and then added, "you are
eyeing that glass vase again. Do you want to make an exchange?You shall not have it
without a lair barter."
"[ have some sea-mice'- fine specimens- in spirits And I will throw in Robert Brown's
new thing Microsc<tpic Ohservations on the l)ollen of Plantsr'- if you don't happen
to have it already."

Notes and Articles

35

Notes
I lhis district: Middlemarch. lts precise location is never describedin the novel. although the lives of
the country gentry are woven into the plot. George Eliot (Marv Ann Evans) was born in Wan.r,ickshire, so it ts highly probable that it is set there, although l'he Mill on lhe l:los.s rs sel in
Lincolnshire.
2. ortfutptera. the insect order including grasshoppers,crrckets. and locusts. somettmes called the
Saltatoria.
3 anencephaloa.r:iacking a brain.
4 Aphis brassicae. now called Brevicoryne brassicqe. The cabbageaphid or cabbageplant louse It is
2 mm long, grey-green in colour, and covered with a powdered wax lt attacks, particularlv in late
s u m m e r ,t h e c r u c i f e r so f t h e g e n u sB r a . s . s i c tet .s p e c i a ) l yc a b b a - r r eB
s .r u s s e l ss p r o u t s .b r o c c o l i . c a u l i f l o w e r s . a n d s w e d e s .S y m p t o m so f a t t a c k a r e d i s c o l o u r e da n d d i s t o n e d l e a v e s .a p o s s r b l ec h e c k i n
growth, and the kilting of young and weak plants. llravicor'y,.'rtc
hrus.sicut is an imporlant \,ect()rof'
c a u l i f l o w e ra n d t u r n i p m o s a i cv i r u s e s .
5. Philomicron: lover of small things.
6. Iwaddler's Magazine. Probably a fictitious title. as not traced. but possibly inspired by'lieltlell'.;
Middlesbrough miscellany of literalure und adverltsemenls l-12 (1871-91. British Museum; Leeds
Public Library l-ll)
or Tweddell',s York,shirenti.stellunl' trrul [:trglishnoil'.\ mogdzitt( I (1S46
British Museum, Leeds Pubiic Library)
7 . Pentateuch. the first five books of the Old Testament
8 AnL as lreated by Solomon. Proverbs vi 6-8; xxx. 24 The order Hymenoptera, superf'amilyFormic o i d a e , l a m i l y F o r m i c o i d a e .T h e j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f t h e a p h i d w i t h t h e a n t i s n o d o u b l b a s e do n r h e
lact that some ants milk aphids.
9. sea-mice. elliptical worms of the genusAphrodita of the class Polychaeta,whrch are covered with
numerous silky iridescentbristles.
10. Microscoptc Ohsen'ulion: on the I)ollcn of Pluttt.;. an essayb1'Roben Brourr (R Br (1773-)8-s811
published in I 828
References
Ashton, R. (ed ) (199a) ELot. G Midtllenurch. London Penguin
Buczacki, S.T. & Harris, KM. (1983). Collinsshortr:r guida lo the pe.:t.s.clr.;euscsLnd Llt.\otdet: of
garden plants. London: Collins.
Gillot, C (1980). Entomolog1, New York and London Plenum Press
Linsenmaier,W (1972) Insects of the world. London. McGraw.Hill Book Company.
Stanck, V.J (1969) The pictorial encyclopedia of in.sect.sLondon Hamlyn

Y.$*9ffiL9HQII]F3.?-.9*P-"ry-9..9r-AI"".i:.g.gn.!-,"?.1,9,9,1..-W.7-.|-8S....-..".,
BOTANYIN LITERATTIRE_ 20
I-{aving very much enjoyed the'Botany in Literature'notes in IJ,\RI New.s I was prompted to browse
'l'ha
through Jocelyn Brooke's Ihe Orchid lrllt,,.q.r,'.
which I hadn't read tbr years Book |
Milrrurv
(trxt.st'
('uthr:Orchid could almost be quoted in full, so I have lound a shoft ertract from Book 3 /hc
d r a l ( a l l t h r e e b o o k s p u b l i s h e di n o n e v o l u m e b y K i n g P e n g u i ni n l 9 8 l )
'l
walked
o v e r t h e H i l l s - t h o s e c h a l k y k n o l l s b e h i n d F o l k e s t o n e ,o n c e s o r r c h i n
orchids. where I had wandered on so many summer afternoons with Ninnie There were
s t i l l o r c h i d s b u t n o t s o m a n y a s f b r m e r l y , f b r e d u c a t i o n a l' r e t o r m ' h a d p r o g r e s s e d
considerably since those days, and now every summer brought its hordes ofbotanizing
s c h o o l c h i l d r e nt o d e s p o i lt h e s eh i l l s o f t h e B e e O r c h i d , t h e D w a r f a n d t h e L a t e S p i d e r

36

Notes and Articles

But I wasn't, particularly, in search ofrarities. unaccustomed,oflate years, to botanlzing, I could feel a thrill of delight in encountenng even the commonest. the most
ordinary of plants, and today, in memory, that summer at Folkestone is enshrinedfor me
in a flower which in former days I would have passedover as an uninterestingweed: the
in the rough patches at the edges of the fields,
common purple vetch, ficio s.tttvo .
the vetch was just coming into flower, its winged petals gleaming suddenly among the
ox-eye daisieslike small, crimson flames.'

URSIjLA PRESTON. 25 HomechesterHouse

Sr.c."\Y"e,-:1,-$.r:!,t}",?-,9I"!,!-::I?I,R$

BOTANYIN LITERATURE_ 2I
fuchard Jefferies(1848-1887) shows hrmself to be thoroughly familiar with the wildlife, both plant and
animal, of his native Wiltshire in the neighbourhood of Swindon. He gives a fascinating and evocative
picture of the countryside as it was in the mid-nineteenthcentury. The following quotations are all from
Bevi.s.
"'Pooh," said Bevis, "Here's something for you to drink." He had found a great teazle
plant, whose leaves formed cups round the stem. In four of these cups there was a little
darkish water which had been there since the last shower. Mark eagerly sipped from the
one which had the most, though it was ful| of drowned gnats. it moistened his lips, but
he spluttered most of it out again. lt was not only unpleasantto the taste, but warm.
The field sloped gently to the right, and their usual run was on the slope beside a
nut-tree hedge towards a group of elms. All the way and back the sward was short and
soft, almost like that of the Downs, which they could see, and dotted with bird's-foot
lotus, over whose yellow flowers they raced.'
(Bevis and Mark, playing at being savages.wanted to tip their arrows with poison)
"'Let's get the poison," said Mark, as they were going home. So they searchedfor the
poison plants. The woody nightshadethey knew very well, having been warned long ago
against the berries. lt was now only in flower, and it would be some time before there
were any berries. . . There were stems of arum in the ditches,tipped with green berries.
These they thought would do, but shrank from touching. The green looked unpleasant
and slimy. . . . Mark . . . gathered a quantity of the dark green milfoil from the grass
beside the hedge and paths, and crammed his pockets with it. Some ofthe lads had told
him that it was a deadly poison. lt is the reverse thus reputation varies - for it was
used to cure medieval sword-cuts. They passedthe water-parsnip, unaware of its pernic i o u s q u a l i t i e s ,l o o k i n g f o r n o i s o m eh e m l o c k . '
'Next
he came to a place where scarcely anything grew, everything having been strangled by those Thugs of the wood, the wild hops, except a few scattered ash poles, up
which they wound, indenting the bark in spirals. The ground was covered with them,
for, having slain their supports, they were forced to creep, so that he walked on hops,
and from under a bower of them, where they were smothering a bramble bush, a nightingale "kurred" at him angrily.
Not far from him there was a bunch of beautiful meadow geraniums,some of their blue
cups had already dropped. leaving the elongated seed-vesselor crane's bill, something
like the pointed caps worn by medieval ladies.The leavesare much drvided, perhapsthe
wind-anemone leaves(but these had withered long since) are more finely divided, and if
you will hold one so that its shadow may be cast by the sun on a piece ofwhite paper,
y o u c a n n o tc h o o s eb u t a d m i r ei t . '

roNY IRIMAI'E_Il.,netsli$-p---c_pll_Sg-q,.1-o.-S.t-S_W-e:._Re:S-lt$-.*9.t'.!t'p_Wl93}g_!i_9

37

Notesand Articles

VASCULA
Following the continued debate over vascula and the sad fact that they are very hard to get hold of
these days, I have some practical suggestionsfor cheap and cheerful alternatives.
. Sainsbury's lnstore Bakery Home Freezer Pack plastic bags. These are quite large bags and
cost nothing except of course the price of four dozen small buns. which you can eat in the field
They have self-sealingtops, a carry handle and built for the freezer, are quite robust, will last many,
many field trips and amuse your botanical companionsinto the bargain.
.
Map Tubes. The sort used to carry large plans, as used by architects and designers.These come in
various sizes with different coloured tops (which could be used for colour coding). The larger ones
have carry straps so you can pop them over your shoulder, are air and water tight and ideal for tall
plants, particularly grasses and sedges. etc. Carryin_uone of these in the field adds a real air of
importance for those who like that sort of thing (especially if you can get hold of a colour
co-ordinated hard-hat! ).
. Tupperware boxes. Come in all sorts ofshapes and sizeslrom small square boxes small enough to
fit in the pocket, to large, oblong monstrositiesto tit whole trees in. Again these are air and water
tight and the rigidity affords ample protection to all your delicate vouchers or herbarium samples.
Available in all colours to brishten uD the dullest ol-davs in the fleld.

(or Tesco'sor Asda .

So my adviceis get yourselfstraightdorvnto Sainsbury's
season
looms.You know it makessense.

. belorethe next

CAMERON CROOK,8 WoodstockClose,LostockHall, Preston,LancsPR5 5YY

CONSERVATIO\\E\ryS& \ IE\I'S
HABITAT TRANSLOCATIONS
Those of you with long memories will recall that in 1987 the Nature Conservancy Council began
botanical monitoring ofeight grasslandtranslocations (Leach e/ al. 1990). One ofthese caseswas at
Brocks Farm, near Newton Abbot, Devon (v c 3), where an area ofspecies-rich mesotrophic grassland
w a s t r a n s p l a n t e di n I 9 8 8 t o m a k e w a y f o r a b a l l c ) a y \ \ a s t e t i p . l n t h i s c a s et h e a d j o i n r n gf i e l d , n o t i f i e d
'control'
a s a n S S S I , p r o v i d e da v a l u a b l e
a r e a ,a l l o r . v i n g
u s t o d i s t i n g u i s hb e t r v e e nb o t a n i c a lc h a n g e sa t
transplantation
the transplant site due to
and those due to other factors common to both transplanted
and non-transplantedswards (e.g. climate. management)
We now have a 10-year run of post-transplantdata f}om Brocks Farm which. according to a recent
review of habitat translocations in Britain (Bullock I998). makes it
the case history with the
longest period of monitoring data available'. Throughout this time the owners. English China Clays
lnternational (ECCI), have played a key role in the care and management(cuttrng and grazing) ofboth
the transplanted grasslandsand the SSSL In 1995. horvever, the orvners felt compelled to apply for
planning permission to extend the ball clay waste tip acros-sthe SSSI, indicating that they would
attempt to mitigate the loss of the SSSI by transplantingit to a new location. English Nature objected
to the proposal, and the local planning authority refused to give it planning permission. Following
ECCI's appeal against this decision, a public inquiry was held in Julv/December I 997 This has proved
to be a landmark case, and BSBI members nray be interestedto learn of its outcome the following is
from an article in Engli.shNature Mctgu:ine No. 39 (September 1998;
'English
Nature warmly welcomed the refusal of Environrnent Secretary John Prescott
t o a l l o w a D e v o n S i t e o f S p e c i a l S c i e n t i f i cl n t e r e s t( S S S I ) t o b e d u g u p a n d m o v e d . .
A p u b l i c i n q u i r y u p h e l d E n g h s h N a t u r e ' s o p p o s i t i o nt o a n a p p l i c a t i o nb 1 -a c h i n a c l a y

Iti

Notes and Articles i Consen'ationNews and Views

extractor to dig up and relocate a Devon grassland SSSI to make way for a ball clay
waste tip. English China Clays International (ECCI), owners of Brocks Farm SSSL . .
claimed at the inquiry that they could prevent the loss of the site by moving it to a new
location. English Nature argued that previous attempts to transplant grasslands both at
Brocks Farm and elsewherein England had all failed.
The lnspector's repon accepted English Nature's case and acknowledged that Brocks
Farnt was part of a nationally important nenvork of wildlife sites. Rob Wolton, English
Nature Manager in Devon, said "We are delighted by this decision, and the backing it
g i v e s t o E n g l i s h N a t u r e ' s p o s i t i o n o n h a b i t a tt r a n s p l a n t a t i o nt.h a t i f y o u m o v e a n S S S I
v o u l n e v r t a b l yl o s e m u c h o f i t s s p e c r ailn t e r e s t . "
English Nature Grassland Specialist, Richard Jefferson, added. "Developers have
tncreastnglyproposed habitat transplantation as a viable alternative to conservation ln
sllz. Examination of the evidence suggests otherrvise. You can't move a grassland
without changrng its environment - and ifyou change that, the community ofplants and
antmalsit supports will be bound 1o change, too. The first prerequisitefor protecting an
S S S I i s t o l e a v ei t w , h e r ei t i s . " '

References
Bullock, J M (1998). Community translocation in Britain: setting objectives and measuring consequences Riologitttl ('onsertuilion. 84 199-214
L e a c h , S J . B v r n e . S A & B l a k e . C P ( 1 9 9 0 ) G r a s s l a n d s o n t h e m o vBeS B I N e v ' s 5 5 . 3 3 - 3 5
S I N I O N J L E . A . C H .E n g l i s hN a t u r e , R o u g h r n o o r .B i s h o p ' sH u l l . T a u n t o n , S o m e r s e t T
. AI 5AA
C H A R L E S P U L T E N E Y . E n e l i s hN a t u r e .T h e O l d N { i l l H o u s e ,3 7 N o r t h S t r e e t .O k e h a m p t o n ,D e v o n ,

E X 2 OI A R

FUMARIA REUTERI
Back in the mid l98Os rvhile I was engaged upon rare plant surveys tbr the Nature Conservancy
Council. I visited the LJK's premier sitefor l"umartLt reuleri (F. martinii; Martin's Ramping-fumitory)
on the lsle of Wight. This was an allotment where the plant was as vigorous a weed as I have ever
seen! Most of the allotrnent holders did weed it out of their plots (usually by the wheelbarrowJoad),
while a few appreciatedit as a useful but relatively benign 'mulch' for their'veggies'.
At the time. the site was under threat from development and a number ofbotanists on the island had
tried unsuccessfullyto grow it in their gardens. I took three small seedlingswhich were transplanted
into my orvn veggie plot at home (Thatcham, near Newbury, Berkshire) Being a wild plant fanatic, you
can probably rmagine what my attempts at veggie growing were like (all weeds and a few slug-eaten
veggies)l Anvhow, this was a lovely bit ofcomposted garden (only about four foot square). The plants
did survive and set seed. I\4oreover,the speciesbecome rampant in parts ofmy garden. The veggie plot
was done away with, but some of the soil was moved around in the garden, and rvhereverthe soil was
moved, so the fumitory appeared (the seeds are rather heavy and I have concluded that the plant can
only move about if the soil is transported or the seedsotherwise physicallymoved with my help).
This year there was a fantastic show of flowers (it really is a most attractive plant). During the last
year, becauseofthe weird weather conditions. it germinated in the autumn and overwintered, producing its first florvers on l4 February.
I'fumariu reulert is now a protected specieslisted on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside
Act.

SUE E\,ERETT,The NatureConservation

BureauLtd.. 36 KinefisherCourt.HambridseRoad.

.Ngy*u-ug*-R9_l-1_l$-L'Icl"*9-Lq-ij--l-1.9-L-9.Q-l-e.r."-Q-Q-11-L-6-1-:..:t_o_?Lq

ConservationNews and Views

39

VASCULARPLANT LISTSON WEB SITE

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) web site now includes a list of all species rvhich
receive special protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 198 I (Schedule 5 for animals and
Schedule 8 for plants and fungi). As most BSBI memberswill already know, lour more vascular plants
were added to Schedule 8 in 1998: Dianlhus qrnteria (Deptford Pink). Hyacinlhoides non-,scripta
(Bluebell) (sale only), Leersia oryzoide.\ (Cut-grass) and lephro.seris integrtfolia subsp. meritimo
(Field Fleawort).
Also on the site are lists of speciesstatus for a number of groups, including vascular plants. All Red
List species (Exlinct, Crilically Iluiangered. lintlungeret{. L'ulnerahle). according to the Red Data
Book (in press), and speciesin the categoriesLower llis:k(naor lhrealened) and Nulionally Scarce are
listed. Similar information is also listed fbr charoph\tes. lt is intended to update the status lists at
regular intervals, using the revised IUCN criteria (lLlCN I994). so all suggestionsfor improvementsro
the lists will be welcome and should be submitted to me at JNCC, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough, PEI lJY, or e-mail Hodget N@ncc.gov.uk..
The addressof the JNCC web site is http://www.jncc.gov.uVadvisors/species/pstatus/index.htm

t)lLQ5-.119-o_9ErTl
Jlt99*Mglhlto-Ls"tto"qle*Q-U.
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RF"
l".lJY
"fstgrQeroyel,.
PUTTINGTHE SAVAGEBACK INTO WILD FLOWERS
Sue Everett makes mention of the landscapingprofession in Flora Locale Bites Back (BSBI News 7E.
53). Now how on earth did I neglect to mention my all trme favourite profession. Landscrapers,or if
you prefer, daisy spacers,are the most peculiarly named bunch. What on earth do they know about the
landscape?They're great for fiddly drawings, visuals, drarving up specificationsand the like but what
do they actually know about plants and communities? These people should not be let anl.rvherenear
sites of value to wildlife, even if it is future wildlife. They are extremely dangerous and should be
a p p r o a c h e dw i t h e x t r e m ec a u t i o n
I have had few run-ins with landscrapersthis year. Happens all the time really. If I could photosynthesise and had the time to make myself really popular rt would happen all the time. One is a minor
gem. On Pepys Estate in Deptford there is an old redgrasslootball pitch abandonedfor several years,
that has spontaneouslyerupted with lif'e. This is nothing unusual.take a look around you, it happensall
the time. Now I did a brief survey of this a couple of years ago and handed it on to the locai estate
managers. This year I get sent a beautifully drawn set of plans for the area. Guess what? The whole
area is to be bulldozed and a wildiife park (with the usual weird and wonderlul list of species)created
on it!?! Much as I hate to discombobulatelandscrapers,they are after all people too, they don't halfask
for it. So I sat down and wrote a letter which resulted in us meeting on site to discussit. I await, still (l
must follow this up) with unbated breath, the result
Christopher J. Perraton comments on a letter in BSIJI iVe'l'.r79. 60, makes a Valid and I would say
related point. It relates not only to rare speciesbut also to the less rare and even to the comrnon Clinal
variation, geographical range, natural distribution are all in the process ofberng rendered meaningless.
Then there are SpeciesRecovery Plans, these potentially play directly into the hands of politicians For
the price of a band-aid they can prevent an extinctron for a while and boast they have achieved it But
how will these politicians respond when the next item of the British flora becomes extinct. They are
going to turn round and say 'it's not extinct, it's resting, in a lridge, at Wakehurst Place'.
'Sowing
I am grateful for the points Christopher Lowe raised in
The Right Seeds' (.BSB1New:'78.
52-53) He is right, not all brownfield sites are of a high calrbrethe same is even more true fbr greenfield sites. The latter have been devastatedby, in particular, industrral agriculture but also by the truly
appalling impact of the suburbanmentality on the countryside lt is not a black and white issue.In terms
ofquality the words brownfield and greenfield are utterly meaningless.Each site, each locality, needsto
be assessedon its merits. This is not happeningas was highlighted at the general election when all the

40

Conservation
Neus and Vieus

political parties were scrambling over each other to say they would develop more brownfield sites than
greenfield sites than every other party This is the usual perception over reality syndrome. People prefer
perception.
As for getting the young to plant trees, I have to differ. It is important to involve children in the
wild environment, I would suggest by doing something meaningful with them. Am I alone in being
shocked at the number of children that grow to man and womanhood without ever experiencingthe
visceral delight of felling a tree? Heaven knows there are more than enough that need felling. Then
there rs bramble and scrub bashing, rnucking out ponds, turf stripping and on and on. These activities
involve children in a real and meaningful way, they get to do something useful and gain a real hands on
experiencewith real wildlife.
Those of you out there who have a concern for the wild flora in the countryside will have to fight
your own battle I am now returning to urban areas and to reiterate.Whosoever wrote the section in the
Flora Locale guidelines, does not know, understand, respect or value urban wildlife habitats. The
guidelines are extremely dangerous and lethal in the wrong hands and I would suggestthat any hands
likely to be using these guidelines are the wrong hands. They are ofnot the slightestuse to me and it is
difficult to imagine anyone else experiencedin the wrldlife of their area having any need for them.
I have witnessed the continual and continuing assaulton nature in London for nearly fifteen years.
With the coming of the millennium it has accelerated again, particularly in and around Greenwich.
Wildlife habitats are being devastated along the length of the Greenwich waterfront (for details see
London Wildlife TrusI Millennium Domesday 1998 The Woolwich Arsenal, a site of Metropolitan
lnrportance for nature conservation,the highest designationthere is in a London context, is being built
on. In place of the habitats that were there they are going to create a 'green corridor' and do an
absolutelyhorrendous amount oftree planting. Oh, and they are creating a park with an eco theme to it.
According to the London Borough of Greenwich this will actually increasethe biodiversity of the area.
They have two biodiversity indicators; the amount of open space and the number of trees and tree
stands in the borough. The Woolwich Arsenal may have been open but it was not designatedas open
space, therefore it is not The existing trees on the site are being cleared but they will be replaced by
thousandsofnew plantings. So the development will create a park (open space) and plant thousandsof
trees thus massivelyinflating the borough's diversity. Surreal you may think, you should live in London.
'the
On the millennium site itself
project was conceived as a flagship national demonstration of
sustainabledesign heralding the way forward for such development in the 21st century'. So they went
in, devastatedthe wildlife habitats in the area, and then as a sop to show how green they are, they are
about to create a smaller, fluffrer, cuddlier wildlifey bit. What is actually being done is the usual control
lreak approach to nature. These creators or gods (can we just call them Frankensteins)have come up
with a weird and wonderlul list of plants they want to establishin the small bit of habitat on the site. All
the usual pretty things that are found in ancient woodlands, grasslands and wetlands. Bluebell
(Hyacinthoides non-scripla), ramsons (Alliun ur.sinun), wood melick (Melica uniflora), cowslip
(Primula verls), meadow crane's-bill (Geranium pratense), greater knapweed (Cenlaurea scabiosa),
yellow rattle (Rhinanlhu.s mirutr), ragged-robin (Lychnis.flos-cuculi), sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica),
flowering-rush (Buktmus umbellatus), marsh-marigold (C.altho palustrl.r) and I could go on, and on,
they do
It revels in the usual paternalistic approach to wildlife. The usual inability to understand or grasp
that wildlife is just that, wild, and that it will colonise new-found land It is in the mainstream of
pseudo-concenrabout wildlile without nraking any attenrpt to understandit or its dynamics.It revels in
the instant blancmange approach to landscapesand nature. The take a packet of plants, add soil and
water, mix ingredientsand hey presto there it is another meaninglesslandscape.
Strangely they are not taking the same approach with birds. They have produced a list of species
thought Iikely to utilise the site. This list could be made much longer and could indulge in appropriating
more attractive species. This would of course require the clipping of wings and some cages but the
effect would be most comely on the eye and not out of kilter with the philosophy that prevails on the
rest ofthe site. They wouldn't then have to rely on the remote chance ofa pair ofbullfinches breeding
here, they could guaranteea whole bully ofthem and why not a charm ofgoldfinches too. It would be

4l

ConsewationNens and Viervs

most visually stimulating. And if we allow the air of bucolism that infests the approach to plants they
could have marsh harriers and short-eared orvls haunting this generous allocation of land They could
even have the whole British list ofducks and geeseflopping about in the ponds.
For some reason invertebratesare scarcely considered.a tragic oversight Think ofwhat they could
have, think ofthe effect often thousand emperor dragonflies on the wing They'd have to be tied by a
silk thread to make sure they stayed put and they'd have to be fed and protected from predators but the
cost would be more than compensatedfor by the cheer it would bring to little children's hearts.
Will things be better if the Flrra Loc'ale scheme is adopted? I don't believe so. The activists at
work on this site would have destroyed the existing wildlife habitats anlnvay. They would strll only
allocate a small portion of land for their habitat Frankensteining.All that would change is that they
would use stuff of local provenance (how local is local?) and they would use NVC habitat codes to
decide what to plant. This would still result in habitats that don't even occur in what rs (was) the
Thames floodplain. lt would still be completely unrelated to the existing ecology of the area. It would
still revel in the fundamental anti-nature attitude of the society we live within.
People experienced in an area's rvildlife don't need these guidelines. Who will use them?
Landscrapers,the inexperiencedand the gull. This is bad enough, worse is that sooner or later on some
development site these are going to be used to justify destruction of habitat lt won't be too long befbre
I'm up against one ofthose recidivist ecologists attempting to defend a site from some sort ofdevelopment. I can just imagine the sort of guffthey are going to come up rvith
'What
we are doing is not destroying habitat but creating habitat. What is present on the
site can only inadequatelybe shoe-hornedinto an NVC code, it is not a proper wildlife
site. It is just a weird and wonderful mrxture of species that have come together to
exploit this land. What we will deliver may be somewhat smaller but it will be quality
wildlife habitat A clutch of pucka NVC habitat codes will fill this space ln short we will
do away with what can only be described as a sad historical accident, a mish-mash of
speciesthat have never sorted themselvesout into adequate communities and provide a
state of the art, meaningful, wildlife installation.'
To me this highlights the lack of a coherent philosophy ofwhat nature conservation is. It demonstrates the failure of the conservation movement to draw a sharp and distinct line between itself, that
damned profession (landscraping) and gardeners.This failure has resulted in it being infiltrated by the
preceding,or those who should be working in one of those 'namby-bambi' animal welfare organisations
and those who would actually find fulfilment in the cosmetics industry. This dilution has had a damaging impact on the front line ofconservation and diverts resourcesfiom it.
Why is it that people can, by and large. consider birds, mammals, invertebrates. fungi, lichens,
mossesand the like as wild but not flo\\,ering plants'Why is it that our savage and barbarous flowers
are continually being enslaved?Beats the hell out of me, grassesherbs. shrubs and trees are as wild as
'Flora
tigers. This naturally leads to the
lor Fauna' project but tbr now that will have to wait.
NICK BERTRAND, Conservation Works. 441 New Cross Road, Deptflord,London SEl4 6T,4
E-mail. conswork@dircon.uk.co

AN ENDANGERED
.IOTJRNALIST?
The followingsplendidlist of 'Most endangered
speciesin Britain' appeared
in'[he Daily Telegraphat
the beginningofthe summer,aspart ofan articledealingwith endangered
plantspecies
in Europe.
Englishsandwort
Dwarf Welsheyebright
Sea Iavender
Intermediate
Eyebright
broom
S h o r ed o c k *
Snowdoneyebright
Scottishsmallreed
L ' O i s e i l l ed e s r o c h e r s
Scuny grass
Cornisheyebright
Killarney fern*
Lundycabbage*
Western
ranrping
lumitoly
Killarney bristle fern
Western pink dune carnation
Jerseypink carnation

Little robin napronic

Bristle f-ern

42

ConservationNews and Views

It may well have been seen and commented on by many members. Nevertheless, I feel that it should not
be discardedwithout a review ofsome sort.
Firstly (and it is difficult to know where to start), what and where is the Western pink dune carnation? This is in any case a curiously cobbled together name, Western pink sounds like one speciesand
dune carnation another, and how is it related to the Jerseypink carnation.
'napronic'
and what on earth does that word mean?
Secondly, why does Little robin have to be
Gorng down the list why is L'Oiseille des rochers included and what plant does it referto?
Lastly, if the compiler of this list was so expert a botanist as to be able to name the (obviously)
mrcrospecies of Trichomanes speciosum. why could he not tackle Scuny grass, Sea lavender and
Eyebright? Obviously some effort was made with this last genus, but the researcher was then
o v e r w h e l m e db y t h e r e m a i n i n gs e v e n t e e ns p e c i e s
One is left wondering who was responsiblefor such a document. Was it an official of some conservation body with little or no knowledge ofbotany, or perhaps some youthful sciencereporter sent out
to cover the subject and in mounting panic and desperationjust made up some names?
The rarest and most endangeredplants in Great Britain must be on Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and
Countryside Act, 1981, revised 1998 and in the above list only those names followed by * are listed
there; three out ofnineteen is not a good score but indicatesthat the compiler was copying something,
but what? Such gross and sloppy inaccuracy does the cause of conservation and botany no good
whatsoever.

AN AIRSTRIPAT DERRYGIMLAGHIN THE ROUNDSTONE

BOG?
Roundstone
bog is someforty squarekmsoflowland blanketbog, a mosaicofheatheryknolls,quaking
bog and aboutone hundredlittle lakesbetweenRoundstone,
Ballyconneely,
ClifdenandBallynahinch.
The bogs ecologicalimportanceand World HeritageStatushasbeenrecognised
for decades,
and its
outstanding
naturalbeautyhasspellbound
thousands
ofvisitois.
Eightyearsago a planto put an airportin the north-westcornerof the bog at Ardaghwas refused
planningpermission
on environmental
andamenitygrounds.
Now the ClifclenAirport companywantsto swapthe Ardagh site,with a boglandone at Derrygimlagh at the westernedge of RoundstoneBog which is owned by the NationalParksand Wildlife
ServiceThesedevelopers
havepersuaded
MrnisterEamonO Cuiv andMinisterSilede Valerato reopenthe debateon locatingsuchan intrusivedevelopment
into this fragilearea.Clearlyit will be disastrous if this wildernessareais damagedand it's wildlife disturbedfor the sakeof a minorityinterest
group.
The Irish PeatlandConservation
Councilleelthe new siteshouldbe opposedfbr the followingreasons.
. The Derrygimlaghsite is an integralpan of the whole bog complex,only separated
from the
Roundstone
Bog by a narrowlake,Loch Fada.Becauseit is on a levelwith andcloseto the heart
of Roundstone
Bog, any development
therewould intrudeon the silentbeautyof this uniquetract
of wilderness.
andcompromise
its statusasa wildlifehabitat.
. Even a smallstrip could be the thin edgeof the wedge A terminalbuildingand refuellingfacility
would no doubtsoonprovenecessary,
andoncethe banon buildinghadbeenbreached,
thereis no
knowingwhat mightbe allowedin the future a flyingclub?a holidayvillage?andindustrialfacility?
. If a smallstrip is thoughtto be necessary
andviable,it shouldbe sitedin a lesssensitive
area.Job
creationis important,but developments
that damageConamara'smost attractivefeaturesto the
visitor,it's spaciousness
andtranquillity,arenot theway to go aboutit.
You can helppreventthe Ministersfrom decidingin favourof this development
by writing to themat
the address
below,or visitingoneoftheir advisoryclinicsandexpressing
your concernoverthis issue.

ConservationNews and Views / Aliens

43

Pleasewrite as soonas possible,copyingvour letterto an Taoiseach,

Mr BertieAhernGovernment
Buildings,Dublin2.
PETERFOSS,ChairmanIPCC,CapelStreet,DublinI, IrelandFax +353-l-8122397
Tel: +353-l8722384E-mail.ipcc@indigoie Web site http //indigoiel-ipcc
lNl{NN.

AT,IENS
ALIEN RECORDS
Arrangement is alphabetical.no authority is given ifthe taxon is mentioned in Stace's New Floru of the
British Lsles,Clement & Foster's Alierr Plants rf'the British /s/c.r or Ryves. Clement &Foster'sAlirn
Grassesof the British Lrle^r,but is given if the taxon is new to either of the latter two works.
I would be delighted to receive any alien records tbr inclusron in future issues. ln general all taxa
not included in Kent's Lisl of fa.scular Plont:; of the Rriti.:h I.sles(1992) are eligible for inclusion but
other more widespread aliens listed in that work may be included at the discretion of the v.c recorder
and the editor. Pleaseensurethat all records include the details as set out below, especiallya map reference, even ifonly to a hectad (10 km square). NCR lbllorving the record indicates a New Record for
that vice-county.
My thanks to Ray Eades, John Pahner and Geoffrey Wilmore for supplying the records.
Members are reminded that first records of ali taxa included in Kent's ll.s/ are eligible for publicatlon in
Plant Records in Walsonia.
Amaranthus ttlbus (White Amaranth) Three plants amongst hundreds of A. retroflexrrs, perhaps
b e c o m i n ge s t a b l i s h e d . A l b e rDt o c k H u l l . T A / 0 9 0 2 7 5 . S E Y o r k s ( r . c 6 l ) . R A E a d e s ,1 9 9 8
Amaranthus relroflexu,s (Common Arnaranth) lncreasing dramatically in Hull docks and spreading,
T N 0 2 - 1 2 , S E . Y o r k s ( v c 6 l ) , R A E a d e s . 19 9 8
A q u i l e g i a c q n a d e n s i s L . S t o n e w a l l s a n d p a v e m e n t s ,H e x t a b l e , T Q / 5 1 . 5 0 , w . K e n t ( v . c . l 6 ) . J R .
Patmer, l5/6/98. (An English narne is diftrcult to devise. e g a number of Aquilegicrs occur in
Canada). Not in Clement & Foster.
Clematis tangutica (Orange-peel Clematis). Tall ruderal grassland.Cantley Park. Doncaster. SE/61.02,
S . W . Y o r k s . ( v c 6 3 ) , G T D W i l n r o r e .0 7 1 0 9 / 1 S 9 8P r o b a b l el s r r ' . c . r e c o r d
C o t o n e a s t e rn l l e n . r ( G l o s s y c o t o n e a s t e r ) .D a r e n t h w o o d , T Q / 5 6 . 7 1 & 5 7 . i 1 , w . K e n t ( v . c . l 6 ) , J . R
Palmer, 198-5-98.Bird-sown specimenscan lrequently be found there becauseofthe presenceola
large bush in a garden about 180 m from one ofthe entrancesto the wood. The devised English
'Few-flowered
name of
Cotoneaster', (in some publications). seems inept and may refer to a
particular locality.
E c h i n o c h k n c o l o n a ( . S h a m a M i l l e t )A l b e r t D o c k . H u l l . T N o 9 2 7 . S E
Yorks (r'c 6l),BK
Byrne,
I 2 l l 0 / 1 9 9 7 . d e t . G T D W P r o b a b l el s r v c r e c o r d
Euphctrbia ohlongata (Balkan Spurge) Edge of woods. nr Guisborough, NZ/595 148, t C Lawrence,
1 9 9 8 ,d e t . K e w P r o b a b l e l s t v . c . r e c o r d .
Iibigia clypeala (L ) Medicus Probable bird-seed alien. suburban garden, w Ardsley, Morley,
S E l 2 ' 7 . 2 4S
, . W . Y o r k s . ( v c 6 3 ) , J M a r t i n , 2 4 1 0 7 l t 9 9 8 ,d e t T C . G f u c h & E J C l e m e n r p r o b a b l e
1st British record.
Impatiens purvtflora (Small Balsam). Four plants in flower and fruit, builders tip and recycling lacility
M e l t o n . S E / 9 6 5 2 4 6 , s E . Y o r k s ( v c 6 l ) , R A E a d e s ,A u g u s r 1 9 9 8 R u b b l e f r o m d e m o l i s h e d
buildings and redevelopment sites is crushed here. and graded for further distribution. Great potential lor seed dispersal.
Iva xanthitfolia (Marsh-elder) St Andrew's D o c k , H u l l . T N 0 6 . 2 6 . S E Y o r k s ( v . c 6 l ) ,
G.T D. Wilmore, B.A Tregale & J. Martin, l l / 1 0 / 1 9 9 8c, o n f .E J C l e r n e n P
t r o b a b l Ies r v c
record.

Aliens
Lappula squarroso (Bur Forget-me-not). One plant in flower with Bqssia scoparia and Amaranthus
retroflexus, King George Dock, I{ull, TNl4l 29l, S E Yorks (v.c 6l), R A. Eades, 1011997,
d e t . P . J .C o o k
Lychnisflos-jovl.r (Flower-of-jove) Slag area, South Gare, Redcar, N21557.2'll, N E Yorks. (v c 62),
L C . l - a w r e n c e ,1 9 9 8 . P r o b a b l el s t v . c . r e c o r d .
Oxctlis ruhra A St-Hil., and O. aruculqla subsp. ruhru (St-Hil.) Lourt. On the wooded banks of the
river N of Crayford, TQ/51 74, W Kent (v.c. l6 ), J R. Palmer, 6/6/98. These two taxa, though not
distinguished in all publications, appear distinct in the field. (Both taxa also there with white
flowers). In Clement & Foster but only as synonyms.
Salvia reflexa (Mintweed). St Ardrerv's Dock, Uull, TN06.26, S.E. Yorks (vc 6l), GT.D
W i l - m o r e . J . M a r t i n . B . A . T r e g a l e , l l l 1 0 / 1 S 9 8 , c o n f E . J . C l e m e n t .2 n d v . c . r e c o r d s i n c e 1 9 7 0 .
Scorzonera hispanictt (Scorzonera). Weed in allotment garden. E. Morton, Keighley, SE/10.42,
M i d - W . Y o r k s . ( v . c 6 4 ) , B . A . T r e g a l e ,0 6 1 0 9 1 1 9 9 8d,e t . R . M . B u r t o n . l s t v . c . r e c o r d .
Solanum cherutpodioide.s(Tall Nightshade). Waste ground and roadsidesabout 800 m from the centre
o f D a r t f o r d , T Q / 5 3 7 3 . W K e n t ( v c l 6 ) , J R . P a l m e r . 1 9 9 6 - l g g s M o s t p l a n t si n K e n t s e e mi n f a c t
wider than tall, flowering and lruiting freely lor most of the year and surviving at least several
degreesoffrost undamaged.Although perennial, observationssuggestthat individual plants do not
survive more than about five years
Solanum rostratum (Buffalo-bur). One very spiny plant in flower growing amongst Amaranthus retroJlexu.s & Bassio scrlptrria, William Wright Dock, Hull, TA./083 273, S E. Yorks. (v.c 6l), R.A
Eades, l 8/8/1 998, det P J. Cook Last recorded in 1902
Verbascumphlomoides (Orange Mullein). Tipped soil, Potteric Carr NR, Doncaster, SE/59.00, S.W.
Y o r k s . ( v . c 6 3 ) , D . M B r a m l e y , 1 1 1 0 9 1 1 9 9 8c ,o n f . G T D W . P r o b a b l el s t v c . r e c o r d .
GWYNN ELLIS

MISCONCEPTIONSABOUT AMSINCKIALYCOPSOIDES
Lehm.
Frequency ofOccurrence in Britain
IVlany sources tell us that the yellow-tlowered boraginaceousAnsirrckte lytttp.soides(Scarce Fiddleneck), a native ofwestern North America (not eastern,as stated in Flora Europaea 3. I l0 ) is naturalised on the Farne lslands (Cheviot (v c. 68)) which, doubtless, is true. But Stace's New I''lora, ed.2.
549 adds that it is also 'becoming increasingly frequent over much of England, especially East, on
s a n d ys o i l s . '
I admit that this was my belief perhaps fired by good information given to me by Prof, Per Lassen
(pers. comm. 3 Jan. 1994) that'almost coinciding in time with the appearanceof my article [On the
'fidskr.
genusAmsinckia in the Nordic countries. Sven.r*Rot.
82: l4l-150 (1988)] 1. lycop,soideshas
made a comeback in Sweden, evidently becauseof new sources of commercial grass seed. Nowadays
A. micronlhu and A. lycopsoirlesare about equally common. somelimesoccurring together with Crepis
.relo.ra(Bristly Hawk's-beard). The three rarely seenrto persist more than one year in any place with
us.' This same seed presumably came into Britain, and probably gave rise to the two records for 1988
possessedby BRC (Monks Wood) fiom Withern (v c 54) and Welbeck Estate (v.c. 56). Since this
time, no further records have arrived at BRC, and none (yet) for the BSBI Atlas 2000 project, accordi n g t o D r T r e v o r D i n e s ( p e r s .c o m m . I J D e c 1 9 9 7 )
E a r l i e r r e c o r d s p o s s e s s e db y B R C t e l l o f i t i n I 9 8 4 o n t h e O l d R i v e r L y m n S S S I ( v . c . 5 4 ) a n d i n
1 9 6 l a t B o r d o n s t a t i o n ( v . c . l 2 ) . E a r l i e r t h a n t h i s . v o u c h e r se x i s t a t E f o r 1 9 1 6 r e c o r d s a t C u p a r
( v c . 8 5 ) , a n d f o r 1 9 0 9a n d 1 9 0 6a t L e i t h ( v . c 8 3 )
Since 1988 I can trace no confirmed records for Britain S of Cheviot. In disbelief Mrs E.M. Hyde
volunteered to check my suspicion that no other post-1980 records for A. lyt'opsoides in Eastern
England existed She received very helpful replies and positive confirmation ttom v.cc. l8 & l9 (Dr
K J A d a m s ) , v . c . 2 5 ( M N . S a n f o r d ) . v . c . 2 6 ( l a I e F W . S i m p s o n r e c o r d s ) , v c(. A
21
.L.Bull),vc 28

Aliens

45

( M r s K A . B e c k e t t ) . v c c 5 3 & 5 4 ( M r s . I W e s t o n ) a n d v c 6 l ( M i s s F E C r a c k l e s ) S e v e r a lo f t h e s e
vice-countres,stretching from S Essex up to NE Yorks.. have earlier records for A. lyct4t.soidesbut in
some casesconfusion with other Amsinckia spp. may liave occurred. ln contrast, A. micranlha occurs
widely, and often abundantly. in severalofthese vice-countres.
Various BSBI rnembers, including John Dicker and Alan Underhill. told me of two nruch-visited
'A.
sites for
lycopsoides', but no convincing evidence of correct identification has yet reached me
(although the original record(s) may well have been correct). For completenessI list them here:
Near Dunwich, Suffolk, atMIV174.700. 1992-1995
Stiffkey, Norfolk, at MR/975.436. 1992-1
At Dunwich there is plentiful A. nticrantha. but I am assured that some plants were markedly
'different'.
ln conclusion, I suggest lhat A. lycopsolrlc.r has greatly decreased as a casual and currently occurs
very rarely (if at all). Sadly, I cannot now tell the late D H. Kent (see BSBI News,19 66).
The Correct Author Citation
Some recent publications. e.g, R. Govaerts, World ('lteckli,sl of Seed I'lants, l(1) 217 (1995) amend
the spelling of the epithet ro A. lyu4tsloirle.!, but there is no justification for this practice. Govaerts,
however, does use the correct author citation (simply', Lehm.) whereas D H. Kent, Li.tt of'tr'as:culur
Plants. 188 (1992) and many others follow the erring l'loru Luntpaea version of (Lehm ) Lehm. To
avoid possible further errors Dr R.K. Brumnritt very kindly carefully checked the citation for me,
making use of a microfiche of the original publication very recently purchased (very timelyl) by the
librarian at the RBG, Kew. Briefly the reasoningis as detailed below.
The genus Am.sinckia was first validly published by J C.C. Lehmann, rvhile acting as the director of
the Hamburg Botanical Garden, on pages 3 & 7 of the printed seed-list.Del. Sem. Hort. Hunth (1831)
wherein he simply states that Amsinckia lycop.soide.s
is most distinctive from other borages in having
four distinct cotyledons [two that are very deeply lobed is presumably more accurate] There is no
further description ofthe genus or the speciesalthough he does cite a generic name knorvn to him only
in manuscript,Benthamia Lindley, indicating that it would be illegitimate becauseof the earlier orchidaceous genus. Benlhamia A. Richard (J828). llowever, accordinc to the latest IJolanical ('orla [CBN,
1994] this mini description is quite sufficient to circumscribe the genus, and since the genus was
monotypic (at that date) no species description is required There is no reference. even indirect, to
Lilhospermum lycop.soide.tLehm. in I'trgill. 2 28 (18i0). which. indeed. later proved to be equal to
anotherAmsmckla species.as pointed out bl Bentham & Hooker in (it'tvru I'ltuttarunt 2 8.52(187j),
i t w a s n o t u n t i l 1 9 3 5 t h a t L M . J o h n s t o nc o i n e d a n e w n a m e f o r t h i s p l a n t ( t h e s p e c i f i cn a m e b e i n g
preoccupied under Amsinckirr), as,4. .scouleriI M. Johnst . nom. ilor. Per Lassen is, thus, tncorrect (in
the paper quoted above) where he amends the author citation to Lehnr. ex Fisch. & Mey.
Selecting a type specimenis problematical. Lehmann's herbarium is preserved in MEL (Australia),
but rumour has it that some of the,4nr.sinckiumaterial there appearsto have had its labelsinterchanged!
Selecting a sheet in K (England), as implicitiy suggestedby I i\{ Johnstonin./. Arn. Athoretum 16(2)
192-202 (1935) also seems a valid argument. All important, to conserve current usage, the neotype
should possessa corolla tube that has a bearded throat. as Fischer & Mever made so clear in Ind. ,\em.
t{ort. Pelrop. 2. l&2 (1836). I am unaware that a positive selectionhas yet been made.

A N U N T ] S T I A LH Y B R I D ?
In August 1998 I noticed (jeranium endre.ssiivar thur.stoniunrrrrTurrill as a pavement weed at Hextable, W. Kent. (lt is really a form of (i. eru)re.ssii' (). versicrior). lt is not a garden plant (the flowers
are completely miserable) but it niay arise naturally in gardens (as well as in the wild) where both
p a r e n t sa r e p r e s e n to f c o u r s e .

46

Aliens

The petals were very narrow, pale in colour, only 3 mm wide and parallel-sidedand rather short.
The antherslooked like tiny petals (petalloid) but there did appear to be some seed.I did not notice the
parents or more normal forms of the hybrid being there, but there were a number of walled gardens
nearby, Hb JRP
Reference
Stace. C.A. (1915). Hv"hridizatiorr Luki lhe l''ktra rt lhe Brilish Lsle.t

{9Hl-r\l-4!}4E--8..1?Yiter\4ltl.Wix"l-?er.-ltli,.Pq{&r4'[gr'-tPA1?P9,-..
"-"
ANOTHERHANDSOME,THOUCH NOT SO VIGOROUS,HYBRID
I have recently come to the conclusion that there must be some rngredient,either in the air or the soil of
my garden, which encourages promiscuity among the plants which grow there! Adnriltedly, I am no
'gardener'
in the accepted sense of that word, so it is a semi-wild garden in any case where nettles,
'weeds'
corncockles, fox & cubs, red campion and many other native
are welcome and horticultural
speciessomewhat scarce.
I have lived here for the last 48 years, and during that lime several clumps of pot marjoram
(Origanun oniles) have lived and thrived in a flowerbed in the back garden. It is a shrubby plant and
obviously hardy as it sends up fresh tlower stalks every summer. These are up to about 600 mm high,
slender, erect and very wiry, rvith rather compact heads of snrall, pinkish-mauve flowers. However,
shortly after I had sent in a previous note to R.\81 Nr:u,slast summer ('77 34, December 1991) - A
Handsome and vrgorous Hyhrrd llagvorl), I noticed a strange plant which had appeared unannounced
during the summer months and rvhich defred all my efibrts at identification.It was clearly a Labiate with
square stems and two-lipped pinkish-mauve UoR,ersscattereddistantil,lrorn each other about the main
stem and small branches,but it was completely herbaceous,not at all woody, and the stems were about
l-l.5 m long and very weak indeed, so that the plant lay straggling on the ground over the bare earth. I
had no idea what it could be so I consulted Dr Michael Keith-Lucas and Mr. Ronald Rutherford in the
Botany Department of the University of Reading. Al1er some discussionthey decided that it must be a
hybrid between my pot marjoram and the only native species of marjoram, O. vulgare. Where this
native speciesis to be found in the neighbourhood I do not knor.v,but presumablywithin flying distance
ofwhatever pollinating insect did the;ob. I rvonder rvhat other surprisesmight appear in the sumrnerof
1998? I shall keep a watchful eve for anv rnvsteriousnewcomersl

Berks.R G I s s Q
CAROLJ. HORA. 5l Eastern
Avenue.Readine.

THE SCILLA AT WARLEI' PLACE

Flowering in April in Ellen Willmott's long derelict garden at Warley Place near Brentwood, Essex, is a
little blue squill of doubtful identity. The purpose of this note is to report its determinationby Dr Franz
Speta,the leading authority on the genus.
T h e l e a v e sa r e l 5 - 3 0 c m l o n g a n d u p t o 1 . 5 c m b r o a d , s h a l l o w V - s h a p e di n c r o s s - s e c t r o na,c u t e ,
glossy, bright green. The scape is up to 30 cm tall and 0.5 cm in diameter, round or half-round, carrying
4-10 flowers in a loose conical raceme. The slender pedicels, up to 2 cnr long arise from beneath a
s h i e l d - s h a p e dw, h i t i s h g r e e n b r a c t 0 . 2 , 0 . 2 c m . T h e p e r i a n t hs e g m e n t sa r e 0 . 6 c m l o n g a n d 0 . 3 c m
broad, dark blue. The stamens are 0.4 cm long, rvith dark blue anthers. The fruits have one owle in
e a c hl o c u l e .
T h i s , l c l 1 l a i s t o b e s e e ni n s e v e r a lB r e n t w o o d g a r d e n sa n d i t o r s o m e c l o s e l ys i m i l a rb u l b u s e dt o
g r o w a l l o v e r t h e r . v o o d l a n dt r e d sa t t h e R o y a l B o t a n i c G a r d e n s .K e w , t h o u g h i n 1 9 9 8 i t s n u m b e r sh a d

47

Aliens

been greatly reduced. The garden at Warley Place is now a nature reserve under the care of the Essex
Wildlife Trust and in their guide to the reserve it is named as St'illa itolica (now renamed H_vqcinlhoides italica (L.) Rothm.). A friend who grows it claims that it rs S. me.sseniaca.
ln 199'7 I sent several bulbs to }{ofrat Dozent Dr Franz Speta. at the Department of Botany.
Biology Centre, Linz, Austria. author of a rnonograph on Scilla (F Speta, 1979) Did I loot the bulbs
from Warley Place?Certainly not! My stock originally came from the roadside about 200 m \ry'estof my
house where they flourish amid brambles along with Narcisstts hybrids and other garden throw-outs
Careful comparison confirms their identity with the Warley Place plants
Dr Speta determined them as Scillo hithynrca Boiss . the crucial feature being the size of the bracts.
2-3 mm, as against less than I mm in S. me.s.;eniucuBoiss The bracts are spurred in Scillu bithl,rrico
b u t n o t i n S . m e s s e n i a c a ( f i g .l . b e l o u ' ) . D r S p e t a d i v i d e s J .h i t h y r t i c ci nt t o f o u r s u b s p e c i e s . aol lf w h r c h
come from the Black Sea coasts of Turkey and Bulgaria He thinks the Warley bulbs belong to subsp
hithyrtica, but because he was away ivhen they were in flower there is some doubt about that point
S. messeniacais confined. as a native. to a small area near Kalamata in the Peloponnese.
Where did Eflen Willmott get the bulbs? There is no nrention of Scillo or ('hionodoxo in the
s t a n d a r db i o g r a p h y( A . l e L i e v r e . 1 9 8 0 ) M i s s W i l l m o t t ' s n o t e b o o k sm i g h t s t i l l b e a c c e s s i b l e .
Perhaps the naturalist who named them as Scillu rtalictr was not very wide of the mark. Stace
(1997) remarks that '[the genus] H.ttttcinlhoidesis doubtfully distinct from Sctlla, H. itulito fits +
equally well into either genus.'
References
Speta, F. (1979) Die fruhjahrsbltihendenJi'l//c-Anen des 6stlichen Mittelmeerraumes [The springflowering,\clila speciesof the Eastern Mediterranean region). Nanrkundliches.lohrbuch der Stadt
Lirtz,25 19-98
Het l.t.le ond lur (}urdett,s,London
le Lievre, A. (1980). lvliss Iilillnttt ol {I/arlel f'laca
S t a c e ,C . A . ( 1 9 9 7 ) N e u , F ' l o r ur f t h e l J r i t i s h L s l e . t , 2 n de d . ( p a g e9 1 2 l e g e n d ) C a m b r i d g e

I
L""

tb
a Sci/la nressentacoFlower shorving bract less than I mm long,
1.m Stilla bithynica bracts 2-3 mm long.
F r o m S p e t a( 1 9 7 9 ) . F i g s 4 & 6

DAVID WINSTANLEY

48

Aliens

D E C R E A S I N GA L I E N S
The late Duggie Kent (li,\l)l News 79. 66) asks about decreasingalien species. The classic example
1842 in Britain, spread
must be Ekilea canadersr.r (Canadian Watenveed)'First introduced in.
rapidly and attained great abundanceso as to block rnany waterways. then diminished, now widespread
but seldom abundant' (Clapham. et ul 1985). Now being displaced by Elodea nuttellit (Nuttall's
Waterweed).
Perhaps Crassula helmsii (New Zealand Pigmyr,veed)will follow the example of Canadian Waterweed (please!)
Why are so many of our most aggressiveinvaders tied to water and wetlands?
Reference.
C l a p h a m ,T u t i n & M o o r e ( 1 9 8 5 ) l l o r u o f t h e B r i t i \ h l . t l ( . \ . 3 r d E d i t i o n C a m b r i d g eU n i v e r s i t yP r e s s

Y.*"c.91%X.-sJ9..-H,I-=1.i,,B*lpJl
GEUMMACROPHYLLUM,A NATIVE OF AMERICA, MAKES ITSELF AT
HOME IN MY CARDEN
Early this summer I was surprised to find two specimensof an unknown plant occupying a previously
bare patch of flowerbed towards the bottom of my garden. It is herbaceous,with large dark green
leaves,smooth above. roughly hairy beneath,and ofa tufted habit, but when I first noticed it there were
flower buds on branched stalks but no open flowers. I took some leaves and flower stalks to the Botany
Department of the University' of Reading in Whiteknights Park where Mr Ronald Rutherford kindly
identified it for me as an American species t'tf (laum- name<l (jeum macroTth.y'llunr(Large-leaved
Avens), a very appropriate name as the leaves are huge and, although similar in shape to those of
(i. urhanum (Wood Avens), very much larger This week (.the last week of October) it has begun to
flower at last and the flowers are small and yellow, very much like those of (1. urbanunt and only about
I cm in diameter when fully open.
Ronnie tells me that this plant is sometimesgrown in gardens as an ornamental,but where my two
plants came from or how they got here so neatly planted about 30 cm apart I have no idea, but I have
become quite fond of theml
I asked Marcus Nock (SuperintendentofGrounds at the University) whether he ever used it on the
campus becausemy house is only about 200 m down the hill from the nearestentranceto Whiteknights
Park, but he sard no. it had never been used there - or al any rale not to his knowledge - so I can only
supposethat one of my neighbours may be growing rt. So far its origin remains a mystery but a rather
intriguing one I shall continue to pursue my enquiriesl

RHAGADIOLUS EDULIS IN MALLORCA . . . AND BRITAIN?

Rhagadiolus .slellatus (Star Hawkbit) has been knor.vn fronr Mallorca since at least the plant list by
K n o c h e ( 1 9 2 1 - 1 9 2 - i )a n d i t s o c c u r r e n c eo n t h e i s l a n di s r v e l l d o c u m e n t e d( B e c k e t t , 1 9 9 3 ) .T h e r e l a t e d
R. edulis does not appear to have been previously'recordedfrom Mallorca, although its presenceon the
island is verifiable by several herbarium specinrens This came to light as a result of finding a plant of
R. eduli.s in NE Mallorca in a roadside field between Pollenca and Puerto Pollenca. where it was
growing with other annual plants, nolably Loliun lemulentum (Darnel) and Nigelh tlamascena

Ahens

([,ove-in-a'mist) It has evidently been present on the island lor many vears but always recorded as
R. .stellatu-r Specimens of both R. .\'tellqtu.r and,R. edult.s ttom N,lallorca are at K and BM.
A similar thing has apparently happened to British records. for Clement & Foster (1994) list only
R. stellatus. with a note that this includes R. eduli.s. lt would appear that the excellent article which
appearedin Taxttn (N{eikle. 1979). which sets forlh a strong argument for the recognition ol R. etlult:;
at specific Ievel and explains the historical nristakes in identification that lead to its subsumption in
R. stellatu.s.has been overlooked by many workers. lt does seent surprising that with the current interest in emphasising critical taxa, one so di-stinct in many characters and ecological requirements
(Feinbrun-Dothan, 1978) should have been overlooked for so long. Descriptions and illustrations along
w i t h k e y s s e p a r a t i n qt h e s e t w o t a x a c a n b e f o u n d i n M e i k l e , 1 9 7 9 . 1 9 8 5 . F e i n b r u n - D o t h a n .1 9 7 6 .
1 9 7 8 ;V i n e y , 1 9 9 4 .
There is no evidence of hybrids between the two species Both are widespread in the Mediterranean
r e g i o n a n d l i k e l y t o a p p e a ri n B r i t a i n a s c a s u a l s A s p e c i m e na t K ( 1 9 1 4 , G . C . B r o w n ) f i o m B r i t a i n i s
R. slellalus sens. str Materiai from Brita.in at BM. cGE. NM\l'. oxF. RNG. & sLBl needs to be
r e - e x a m i n e dc r i t i c a l l y .M e i k l e ( 1 9 7 9 ) p r o v i d e st h e f b l l o w r n g k e y .
I a . I n n e r p h y , l l a r i egsl a b r o u sd o r s a l l y .n o r n r a l l \ 5
. - 6 . l r u i r s s t r a i g h ro r s l i g h t ) yr e c u n e d ,
l - l 5 c m l o n g , b a s a ll e a v e sl y r a t e - p i n n a t i s e crtv, i t h a l a r g et e r n t i n a l o b e a n d s m a l l ,
remote, lateral lobes. petiole well-developed,often elongate
R. eduli.sGaertner
s i s p i d u l o u so r s c a b r i d u l o u sd o r s a l l y ,a t l e a s tt o w a r d s a p e x . n o r m a l l y
l b . I n n e r p h y J l a r i eh
8, fruits distinctly incurved, 1.5-2 cm long; basalleavesoblanceolateor narrowly
obovate, subentire.dentate or pinnatifid. with close Iateral lobes diminishing
d o r v n w a r d st o a s h o r t . i n d i s t i n c tp e t i o l e
ll. .stallutu.s(L) Gaertner
References.
Beckett. E (1993) Illu.;troted l.'lrru tf' ll(nlltttu
flare 7|
Clement, E J. & Foster. M C. (1994) Alien plunts o/ rhe Rriti.slt lsles. p.30l
Feinbrun-Dothan, N. (1978) Floro Pulaestirtu 4. 412 & plate 697 (1976)
Meikle, R.D. (1979) Rhagutliolus A nrisunderstoodgenus lirxr.,l 28. ll-l-l4l
Nfeikle, R D (1985) Flora tl ('yprus2 995-9.)6
Viney, D.E (1994). An illu.srratedI.'hro of Nrtrth ('yprtr.;. p.400-,+0l

ALIEN AND CULTIVATEDSOLANUM_ A NOMENCLATURALUPDATE

During the preparation of the Solanaceaeaccount fbr the fbrthcoming l,.un4tean (jarden !:loro vol 6
(expected 1999), some ofthe names in common usage were tbund to be incorrect, usually because
earlier synonyms have come to light To make the situation easier to deal with. the following ;st
provides updated nomenclaturefbr the .\r,,/arrllr namesused in two recent useful pubiications.Clement,
E J & Foster, M C., (1994) Alien pl*ils tl the Rrilrsh 1.r/c.s
and Griffrths, M, (1994) Index of Gartlen
P/arls, RHS & Macmillan rvhich was derived from the New llHS Dictttnary rl'()ardentng (4 vols.
1 9 9 2 ) T h e n a m e su s e d i n t h e s et w o w o r k s t h a t r e q u i r ec o m n l e n ta r e i i s t e d b e i o u ' i n a l p h a b e t i c aol r d e r
along with page number and appropriate notes Names in rtalics are synonyrns. names currently
acceptedare in bold at their first occurrence
S . h u r b a n k t rB i t t e r I t n d e x p l 0 9 l ]
Originally claimed to be a hybrid (5. :cohrunt x S vrlltt.;unt). which is very unlikely. This plant was
probably introduced from South Africa and appearsto representa selection ftom,\. retroflcrlz Dunal.
rvhich name is currently acceptedby Edmonds and Chrveya ( 1997) ln the l,.urr4tt'tut(.]arcle
n l;ktru this
taxon appearsunder S. sinaicum Borsser. rvhich it seemsvery |rkely is conspecific with S. retntflexum

5t)

Ahens

Dunal. Another synonym may be .t. gro:isidentatum Richard from East Africa; research is in progress to
determine their relationships Illustration Feinbrun-Dothan. l:lora Poloeslino 3. pl. 274 (1971) and
probably the plant figured as S. nigrum in Miller & Morris. Plants of Dhofctr',273 ( 1988). For a discussron see Heiser, Night.shade.: the paradoxical planls (1969) and Edmonds & Chweya, Black nightshades (1997)
S. .fontanestantm Dunal [AJiensp. 233]
There is an earlier name S. fructo-tecto Cavanilles Other synonyms are. S. sinuqtum Willdenow;
S. tectum Persoon. Nycterium.frnlanesianum (Dunal) Sweet. Although there have been no records in
Britain since 1930, this species is currently available as seed. It nray be separatedfrom the similar
S. nt.strcttunt as follows.
la. largest anther <6 mm; corolla <2 cm across, stem prickles broad-based,flattened, recurved
S. Jruclo-leckt
lb. largest anther >9 mm, corolla:2 cm across, stem prickles usually acicular
S. rostrahtm
These species and their allies have recently been reviewed by Whalen, M.D. (1979) Taxonomy of
Solanum section Androceras. (]enle,sHerharum ll16l. 359-426.
S. ja,sminoides Paxton [lndex p. 1092]
The well known Potato vrne has its familiar name upstaged by S. laxum Sprengel, of which S
boerhaviae/oliun Sendtner is aiso a synonym.
S. juvenale Thellung [Aliens p 2]3. under S. linnaeanum Hepper & P M Jaegerl
This is the priority name lor a South American Solununt also describedas S. meloncillo Parodi. It has
been recorded from the Montpellier region in France as an alien between 1870 and 1904, but is no
longer present at the locality. Its affnities appear to lie with J. elaeagnifttlium and it is not a name that
c a n b e a p p l i e d I o S . I i n n a e a n u m . F o r a d i s c u s s i o ns e e S y m o n , D . E . ( 1 9 7 1 ) A n o t e o n ' S o l a n u m
juvenale' Thell and 'Solanum meloncillo' Parodi. Duna,iniana 16. 4l l-413 .
S. nelantxarurntm Nlioni [lndex p 1092]
A synonym of S. scabrum Miller, the garden Huccleberry. See Edmonds, J.M. & Chweya, J.A., Black
nighr,shadesIPGRI ( I 997) Curiously S. scahrum Lamarck [lndex p 1093] is also listed in the Index as
a synonym of S. muricatun Aiton, which may weli be correct. whereas no mention is made of
S. scahrum Miller. Least this should cause confirsion with S. scabrum Miller, it seemsworth noting
'scabrum'
that the epithet
has been used for at least seven different Solanum taxa, but now rightly
appliesto the Huccleberry.
S. muticum N E Brown lndex p 10921
Based on a coliection from Paragr.ray,this nane is a synonym of Lycianthes rantonnei (Carriere)
'corrected'
Bitter. Most publications use the
lrom of the name S. rqnknnetii, however the original
orthography was ,\. ranlonnsl Carriere, llewre Horticole 32 135, t 32 (March 1859). The genus
Lycianthes is now recognised as distinct from Solanum and its affinities are thought to be with
('ap.sicum. For details and further synonyms see Barboza, G.E. & Hunziker, A.T., Estudios sobre
Solanaceae33. El genero l.-t'uittnlhe.v
en la Argentina, l)arwiniona 3l(l-4): l'7-34 (1992).
S. pseuaolyctoirlesRusby [ndex p. t092, as'pseudolycoides']
This species is now transferred to l..vcianlhs,r,where it becomes a synonym of Lycianthes lycioides
(L.) Hassler. For details and extensivesynonymy see Barboza & Hunziker cited above.
S. pyraconthon Jacquin [Aliens p. 234; Index p 1092, both as'pyracanthum']
S. pyracanthos Lamarck (1794) is the earliest valid form ofthe name for this Madagascanspecies,
which name has numerous orthographic permutations, including pyracunthum Dunal, pyracantha
Smith. For a recent account see D'Arcy, W.G. & Rakotoza$r, A. (1994) Flore de h4odagascaret des
( ' o m o r e s .F a m i l l e 1 7 6 S o l a n a c e a e
o lll-121.
S. uporo Dunal findex p I 093]
This name applies to the large lruited selected cultivars ol S. r,iride Sprengel (1807), not of Brown
(1810) There are many other synonyms including S. unthropophagunr Seemann, S. puherulum
Seemann,S. ornan.sWitasek. S. pol.t.nesicumSt John which apply to these apparently anlhropogenic

Aliens/ Notices(BSBI) / Notices(Non BSBI)

plants. The situation across Polynesia is quite complex and basrcally,\. virrde can be divided into large
fruited (thought to be of human introduction and selection) and small fruited plants (probably the wild
ancestral type) under one species. See Syrnon, D Hawaiian species of Jblraum. Stilanac'eue nev.tleller

3 ( 3 ) 1 8 - 2(sl e e 3 )
JULIAN M H SHAW, 4 Albert Street, Staplefbrd, Nottingham, NG9 8DB

NEW CONIFER IN THE BRITISH ISLES?

I wish to report a new conifer which has recently arrived in Britain
Pseudpinus telephoneyensis(Rrng.) Ring. is a tree to 35 m tall rvith a plastic crown The cylindric
trunk has a very thin bark but emits a metallic note rvhen struck. The needlesare notable lor having a
wrong number on each short shoot and fbr often lailing to connect. No cones have yet been produced,
but they are likely to be orange.
The tree grows to maturity in an astonishinglyshort time on prominent hilltops. lt is thought to be a
relict ofthe Iron Age, and produces a noise varying from an insidious drone to a perpetual chatter A
f i n e s p e c i m e nc a n b e s e e nn e a r C r a n b o r n eC h a s ei n D o r s e t a t I l / 8 8 5 . 1 6 3 .
HLTMPHRY M. BOWEN,
DTl I 9AT

West Dorvn, West Street, Winterborne Kingston. Blandtbrd. Dorset

N OT IC E S(B S B T )
L A D Y ' S - S L I P P E RO R C H I D
Therewill be a viewingday for (-ypripediumt:alceolusat the orchidsiteon the lngletonGlensWaterfall Walk on Sunday.23 May 1999 The entranceto the walk is via the car park (fee aboutf4-00 per
car).Grid ref : SD/693.733
MARGARET LINDOP, E N Cypripediunr
Committee

:r*-ri.:::--r-:i;::::ri)--:--*.*["0,aT.1..9.
FIRST PATRON OF THE BRITISH PTERIDOLOCICAL SOCIETY
The British Pteridological Society is delighted to announce that FIis Royal Highness The Prince of
Wales has agreed to become the Society's first Patron.
The Society, founded in the Lake Drstrict in I 89 I , rs the oldest fern society in the world, currently
with about 750 members in approximatelv 50 countries. It organises symposia, informal discussions,
field meetings, garden visits, plant exchanges.a spore exchange scheme and fern book sales. and it
provides financial support for research projects lt is concerned with conservatron of wild speciesin
association with the BSBI, Wild Life Trusts, and consen'ation of t-ern cultivars in tandem rvith the
National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. The Society membership includes
gardeners and botanists, both amateur and professional. The Society's three journals are issued
annually. They are the Fern Gazette which publishes natters chiefly of specialist interest on

Notrces(Non BSBI)

)z

international pteridology, the Pteridologist, topics of more general appeal, and the Bulletin, which
contains Societl, businessand meeting reports.
His Royal Highness has demonstrated a great love for ferns in his wonderful garden at Highgrove
where t-erns are cultivated with great success in some remarkable settings. Most notable are the
stumpery. or Temple Grove, and Wall of Gifts. Both are fine examples of innovative garden desrgn,
using ferns as the main plantings. Both cultivated and wild ferns feature strongly in other areas ofthe
Highgrove garden.
The Societv is thrilled to have such a high profile Patron who is sure to increasepublic awarenessof
the Society. thus helping to promote fern study, cultivation and conservation. We hope that, for his
part. The Prince of Wales will benefit from the servicesand advice provided by the Society.
For further infbrmation pleasecontact.
MARTIN RICKARD. President BPS, Pear Tree Cottage, Kvre, Tenbury Wells. Worcs WRl5 8RN
T e l 0 l 8 8 5 4 1 0 2 8 2 .F a x 0 1 8 8 54 I 0 i 9 8
JENNIFER lDE. Hon Secretary,42 Crown Woods Way, Eltham, London SE9 2NN. Tel 0181
8 5 0 3 2I 8

SCOTLAND'SNATIONAL BOTANICGARDEN
WINS SCOTTISHMARKETINGAWARD
Congratulations to The Roval Botanic Garden Edinburgh on their tremendous achievementin winning
the coveted Scottish Nlarketing Award lbr the Public Sector Category at a recent prestigious awards
ceremony.
Entrants had to demonstrate their skills and expertise in understanding their markets, identilying
their customer needs and using creativity in implementing competitive marketing strategies.
The Garden's achievementsincluded irnproved targeted and designed adverts, leaflets and posters,
increasedmedia coverage ofa more focused events programme. a better knowledge oftheir customers
and increased turnover from cornmercral activities such as the fiotttntcs Shop, catering and hire of
facilities for events and functions. All were accomplishedon a very small budget.
For further information, a programme of events and supportive images contact. Angela Kilday Tel.
0l3I2482900orClaraGovierTel0
: II12482942Fax.0lI|2482901 E-mail.press@rbgeorguk
EDITOR

OXFORDSHIRE EVENTS
'Flora Britannica' is the title of the Warburg Memorial Lecture to be given by Richard Mabey on
February 2nd at 8.00 p nr in the University Museum of Natural History, South Parks Rd, Oxford.
E n t r a n c ef 2 . D e t a i l st i o m C . R . L a m b r i c k a t t h e a d d r e s so r p h o n eb e l o w .
ldentifying Meadow Dandelions - a two day course instructed by John Richards, organised by the
Rare Plants Group of the Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire, l-2 May at Oxford,
non-residentialcharge fl0, placeslimited.
Contact C.R. Lambrick at the addressor phone below for applicationform.
CAMILLA LAMBRICK, Picketts Heath, The Ridgeway, Boars Hill, Oxford OXI 5EZ. Phone and
F a x 0 1 8 6 57 3 5 1 6 1

Notrces(Non BSBI.)/ Requcsts

53

FLORA LOCALE TRAINING DAYS

Flora locale will be repeating its successfulseriesof training days in I 999 These rvill cover. Enhancing
the botanical diversity of grasslands;Establishmentof wildflowers and trees in new woodland plantations; Growing and harvesting wildflower crops and Best practice production and supply for native
trees and shrubs. Full details will be provided to BSBI members early next year A discount to BSBI
and Plantlife menrberswill applv.
SLIE E\|ERE'I'T, The Nature Conservation Bureau Ltd , 36 Krngfisher Court, Hambridge Road.

. e l 0 l b - ] 55 5 0 r 8 0F a x 0 0 4 4 l b l 5 5 5 0 2 1 0
R G l 4 5 S JT

IDENTIFICATION OF AQTIATIC MACROPH}'TES

fuchard Lansdorvn will be leading a course in the identification of dillcult and critical aquatic rnacrop h y e s , b a s e do n A n g l e s e yi n J u l y 1 9 9 9 T h e c o u r s ew i l l c o v e r B r i t i s h C a l l i t r i c h e ,P o t a m o g e t o n B
. atrac h i a n R a n u n c u l u sa n d C h a r o p h ) ' t e s .I t r v i l l a l s o i n c l u d e a v i s i t t o L l y n t d w a l i n S n o w d o n i at o l o o k a t
upland lake species.
For details, pleasecontact.
TIM PANXHI-|RST, 44 The Avenue, Leighton Bromswold, Huntingdon, Cambs. PE l8 0SH
Tel/fax. 01480 890102. e-mail tpankhurst@cwcom net

REQtTESTS
.::a::-H--:r:::a:

-r=jt::::1:11:1r"

:;;J_ttr:r:rrr":.:;;::J:::::}I1l:';;;:;:i#;:T;;;1::H;:':]]ll]1.illHil

rr'r'r'

BUCKS.RECORDSWANTEDFOR ATLAS 2OOO

Roy Maycock, Botanical Recorder for v c. 24 would rvelcomeany records for the county. He is willing
to supply lists for each hectad showing the speciesknown to be present pre-1987. and which have not
been recorded since. Ifyou are able to help pleasecontact him at I7 Osborne Street. Bletchley. N'lilton
K e y n e sM K 2 2 L U o r p h o n e 0 1 9 0 8 1 7 8 9 0 0

MARGARET LINDOP. FieldMeetinssSecretarv

FLORATIREA
Manycommonnativeplantshaveformsin whichthe traditionalgreencolouringof leavesstems.etc , is
eitherpartiallyreplacedor disguisedbeneathyellowsor purplesand reds.The casesof yellowsis, I
because
it encornpasses
a rviderrangeof possibilitiesOneexplanatron
believe,moreinteresting
that has
beenofferedis that stableyellow forms cannotproducechlorophyllb However.this conditioncould
wheresuchaureates
eitherproducepalegreenor yellowfbrmsand I haveyet to comeacrossexamples
havebeentestedfor their chlorophyllb content.
It seemsa validquestion
to wonder*,hatis the rangeof pigments
that areinvolvedin suchtbrms
and whetherthey can ever give the plant some advantageover the traditionalgreen-leaved
forms.
Obviouslythereis a problemwith scorchingin sunlightfbr someformsbut in othersthe abi|ty to turn

54

Requests

virtually green in the shade suggeststhat the yellow coloration may be an adaptationto brighter light. a
metabolic controlt?
I am in the process of collecting. and growing, as many yellowJeaved forms of common native
plants as I can legitimately acquire I would like to nrake contact with others who have an interesl in
this subject and also make rnaterial available to people who might be able to test for the range and
quantity of pigments.
MARTIN CRAGG-BARBER. I Station Cottages, Hullavington, Chippenham,Wiltshire SNl4 6ET
E-mail martin@worldmutation.demon.co.uk
-:r:.r:::r::r::.:1rr:::11"
r:Yr_Y:rl:|.:r:r.r::::::a!1r'::r:rYIr:r:

I{ATSONIA REQUESTED
I am currently trying to complete a set of lilalsonio and Proceedings ql BSBI I wonder if anyone can
help me fiIl the following gaps
Wat.sonia Vol. 2 part 5; Vol. 5 part l; Vol. 6 paft 4;Vol 7 parts 2,3 and 4.
W a l s o n i ui n d e x e sf o r v o l u m e s T . 8 , 9 , 1 0 , 1 1 , 1 2 . 1 3 . 1 5 , 1 6 , 1 7 , 1 8 ,2 l
Proceeding.srf the I).\Rl Volume 6 (index/contentspages only), Vol 7 part2.
I will pay a reasonableprice fbr any ofthese and can otlbr swaps ofseveral back issues.

ALAN LEWIS, The Flat,BurleyWood,BurleyLane,Ashe,Basingstoke,

RG254JGe-mail
alan.lewi s@swkeurope.com
ffi.=

GLABROUS FORMS OF SILENE DIOICA (RED CAMPION)

I am anxious to obtain seedsof glabrous forms of Silene dioica Io recreate genetic crossescarried out
by William Bateson here in the Botanic Garden of the University of Cambridge. William Bateson
received a glabrous form lrom H. de Vries in the Netherlandsabout 1898 and demonstratedMendelian
segregationfbr the glabrous character.
Seeds lrom glabrous pistillate plants would be nruch appreciated We rvill use these plants for a
Bateson display to be mounted in the Botanic Garden in 2001 to cornmemoratethe hundredth annivers a r y o f t h e E n g l i s ht r a n s l a t i o no f M e n d e l ' sp a p e r
Pleasesend seedsto:

|Rp.|.AH.N*l-4R5"8-&*u*rusu!'y--,B--o-Lr-qr-e--qs.*{e-}*-Qsry---l--p-{e-c.B.s
SEEKING BOTANICAL

ARTISTS

The International
hasrecentlystarted
Centrefor Underutilised
Cropsat the Universityof Southampton
a projecton the documentation
of certaintropicallruit species.ln orderto illustratethesedocuments
we wish to commissiona botanicalartist.Would anyoneinterestedpleasecontactme at the address
below.
MARK D ATKINSON, lnstituteof lrrigationand Development
Studies,Southampton
SOlT IBJ
E - m a i l . m d a @ s o t o n . a cu.k

Offers

55

OFFERS
T]sSreT:::K=Kir]::iffi:ff:K.1]:1*.:]K:::is]:i:K.::K::K.isffi

WEST DOWN SEEDLIST, I998

This wet year it has been hard to collect seed Horvever small amounts of the foliowing
are available
fiee, on receipt of srnall LABELLED packets and an s a.e To all those who kindlv sent
me therr seeds
last year. many thanks. I also have some old seedfiom earlrerlisrs
Adonis aestit,qlis
Agroslemma githago
Ajuga chamaepitys
Allium cernuunr
Allium nigrum
Alstromeria aurea
Amaranlhus caudalus
Amorpha conescen.t
Anchusa an,en,ti.s
A naga I I i.s arv ens i.s (blue)
Avena slrigo.str
Briza maxima
Briza minr.tr
B up I euru m r ot undtfo I iu m
Camassiq leichtlinii
C.ampanu la pers icifu lia
Corex depauperuta
Cenleurea c-yanus
C henopodium gi ganteunt
Chenopodium murale
Chenopctdium vulveria
(' hrysan the m um .tege I um
Clinpodium qscendens
Dianthus armerict
Dianthus harbatus
Dianthu.t deltcitle.y
Dierama pulcherrimu
Digitalis grandiflora
Digitalis lutea
Digitalis purpurea
Dctrycnium hirsulum
Echium vulgare
Eryngium giganteunr
Euphor b ia cctral I ioide s
Euphorbio e^-iguo

E,uphttr hi o p I utyphy I ht.s

Fqrsetia cl.ypcoIoIcr
F rancoa romosa
Caltonia coulicttns
( i ou tl i t t i o
.lio g i I i.t
Geranium pralen.se
(ieranium ver.stcolor
()ilia capttatu
(i Ictdt o I u.sconm nn i.t
H c I i chry.sum hrocl eot um
H ltpe r i c un ol,vmp ic unt
lntpaliens hulfourtr
/npulictts crt.\tot.t
lnulo helertiunt
,./asionelqevi.t
Kickxia elatine
Kickxia spuru
K)tlutid drimeio
Ktnulicr macedonictt
Lagurus ovalus
/,alhyrus scttit'us
Lalhyru.t vernu.t
Lttv1lera trimcs|ri.\
Leururus cartliucct
Liherlia.f ormtxcr
L t nariu ante / hyslt:tt
Litruri0 dalmuticu
Linarra purpureo
Linum bienne
1,1'chr ri s chtt I tl t* n i cu
L.l,ch n i,: c ()rottutr i ar
Ilchni:; \)t.\curkt
Malvu ulceu
hlarruhium wlgure
Mi.topule.s 0r0n/ium

Net lqrr tscordu m si t:uI um

Nepela cularia
Nepetu suhse.s.srli.s
Nicundra phys:aktdes
Ntgclla Liuntustenu
Nigellct :;utivu
Oetnnthe p i mpi neI kide s
0e nol heru m i.ssourie nsts
Oenolheru .\/rrLla
Orutprrdon acqnthium
Pae ctn ro I uI ea (heatry t.)
Papover hyhrttfum
Pttlen/tlla retltt
Primtrlq vari.s
RctnwtcuIu.ysardou.s
Salvia gluttrrosct
Sulviu prutensi.s
Soh'iustlureu
Scrlt,ioviridis
Scu I eI I qr i a hi ca le n.st s
Silene urneria
Silene ctplt-ru:;a
Silene nocti.firrtt
Sitene pendulu
Silyhum murianunt
,l m.\'n tt um o I usu lr unt
Spuraxi.s lricril0r
Slachys germanica
'l
eesdal ro nudi cau I r.s
7elekia specio.;:tt
'/'ragopr
tgo n 7x tr r i ft t I ru.s
L'erhttscum nigntnt
L'erbenu rl/icirtalis
L'iola tricoktr
Yerunl ham um cfl j rtdri c um

HLMPHRY M. BOWEN, Wesr Down, West Street. Winterborne Kingston, Blandford, Dorset
DTI I 9AT

f srflyi)r:a$rl.ff)::.r::!:.s)l::::::r-a::rt;1.::-r:r::rl.l:Ylm-.:::t:i:

Offers / Book Notes

56

MORE SEEDS FROM WARE

Here is another selection of seeds. mostly of British alens. harvested fronr nry garden this year. Once
a g a i n .a n s a . e . a n d s o m e s m a l l l a b e l l e dp a c k e t sw o u l d b e a p p r e c i a t e d .
Ambrosttr artemrsiifolia
Arahis glahra
Anemisia annua
Biden.s biptnnatu
f]idens lntrcftxo I awtmulu
Btdens ptlosa
Rntnus trinit (hertertotusl
('arlhtrrntts tinclortus
('henopotlittm amhrcsioides
('herutpotlium striclum
('henopodium urhicum
('onyza btlhooana
Doturo carokrcqulo

[)atura /errx
l)atura quercifblia
l)dturo tetula
l)ipsauts.ffullorrunt
lichullium elaterium
Lhrhurlo erettu
l:,rrilium holr.ts
l:rrrlium c),gn()rilm
l,,rugroslis curvulu
l"erula tingilana
lvu xanthiiJblict
Lepidium afrtcuntnr
Leltidium pinnutifidum

Malvastntm coromandelionum
Ntnea lulea
Pawtnia uren.s
l)hy:;o,spermumcornubien.se
Psoruleu hiluminosa
,leturiu wrlicillala
Sigeshecha serratu
Stitrnum chenopodioides
Solunum nigrum ssp. schultesii
Solanum scabrum
Solanum villosum
'fhap.;itt
villosa
Xanthiunr slntmanum

GORDONHANSON. I ColtstbotRoad.Ware.Herts SGl2 7NW

S U P P L YO F H E R B A R I U M M O U N T I N G P A P E R
At the last BSBI Scottish Annual Meeting. one of the vice-county recorders asked whether a source
was known lrom which mounting paper could be obtarned During the ensuing discussion it was
suggestedthat there might well be other members rvishing a supply of paper and if that were the case,
could the BSBI make a bulk purchase.
We have ascertainedfrom Douglas McKean that the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh could make
s o m e p a p e r a v a i l a b l ea t 1 5 p e r 5 0 s h e e t s .H o w e v e r t l r e s h e e t sa r e a l l s t a m p e d ' H E R B . H O R T E D I N B . '
in the top right hand corner. lt rvould of course, be possible to stick a label over the area or use the
reverseside.
Any member wishing to take advantage of this offer should contact the undernoted within one
month of the publication of this edition of B,\81 Nali's
PETER MACPFIERSON, l5 Lubnaig Road. Glasgorv G43 2RY

BOOK NOTES
BOOK NOTES
It is a little time since Ihe last lJrxtk Nrler appeared. I have not listed those for which reviews have
already appeared in llatxntu, but I have seen a nunrber of more ephemeral publications, including
some that have received loans or grants lrom the BSBt. that have not been sent lor review. We urge all
a u t h o r sa n d p u b l i s h e r st o l e t u s k n o w o f t h e i r w o r k s
Those which will not be reviewed in trlatsorttcrare marked with an asterisk. The comments in
squarebrackets are mine.

Book Notes

57

7he Ferns of Britarn and lrelotrl 2nd ed CN Page Pp 5'10 Cambridge Universitv Press. 1997
P r i c e( h b k ) f . e 0 0 0 ( I S B N 0 - s 2 1 - s 8 3 8 0 - 2 )( ,p b k ) I a O 0 0 ( I S B N 0 - s 2 l - 5 8 6 s 8 - 5 )
Thc Nolural Hislory oJ'Pollinatior. M. Proctor, P. Yeo and A. Lack Pp zl79 HarperCollins. 1996
P r i c e( h b k ) t 3 5 0 0 ( l s B N 0 0 0 - 2 1 9 e 0 5X ) , t p u t ) f r o 9 9 ( l s B N 0 0 0 - 2 r e q 0 6 - 8 )
[)orseL's di.sappectringHealhlcuul l. loru. A J. Byfield and D A. Pearman. Pp i7 (text) . 47 (anneres).
P l a n t l i f e .L o n d o n a n d R o y a l S o c i e t yf o r t h e P r o t e c t i o no f B i r d s . S a n d y 1 9 9 6 . P r i c e f l 0 0 0 ( I S B N
9-780901-138987)
Plant Crib 1998 T C.G Rrch and AC Jermy Pp vii + iq2 BSBI 1998 Price f 150O (lSB\
0 - 9 0 11s 8 - 2 8 - 3 )
Flora of Oxfttrdshire J Killick, R. Perry and S Woodell Pp xii + 386 Pisces Publications 1998
P r i c e 1 4 , s0 0 ( I S B N I - 8 7 4 3 5 7 - 0 7 - 2 )
{ l r b a n I . t o r a o f B e l l i t s t . S . B e a s l e ya n d J . W i l d e . P p v i i r + 1 9 6 [ n s t i t u t eo f t r i s h S t u d i e s .T h e Q u e e n s
U n i v e r s i t yo f B e l f a s t 1 9 9 7 P r i c e 1 8 5 0 ( I S B N 0 - 8 5 . i 8 9 - 6 9 5 - X )
'fhe
Atla.s l:lora of .\tnter.\'el P.R Green. I P Green and G.A. []rouch. Pp rriv + 292 The authors
1 9 9 7 P r i c e t 2 5 0 0 ( I S B N 0 - q - 5 iI - 1 2 - 1 - 0 - - + )
Scollish W'iltl Plctnls - their hrslory, ccoktg.\ und cortservulir.triP Lusby and J Wright 1996 Pp riir *
l l 6 . S t a t i o n e r yO f ' l ] c e E
. d i n b u r g h P r i c e( h b k ) I 1 9 c ) 5( I S B N l - 8 7 2 2 9 1 - 1 7 -)l . ( p b k ) I l 2 9 5 ( I S B N
0-l l-49s802-s)
lViltlJlower .\uJari The Lit-e of 1\1ar1 fuchards W Condrv Pp 237 Gorner Press, Llandvsul.
C e r e d i g i o n1 9 9 8 P r i c ef . 1 7 9 9 ( I S B N l - 8 5 9 0 2 - 5 5 8 - 7 )
*Marjorie Blamey's Ll/ild lrlower,s b1' ('olrnrr. Pp.208. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. 1997. Price !19 99
(rsBN 0-7sr3-04e3-x)
[Thumb-nail colour paintings of most of the flowers of northern and western Europe, as far south
as the Pyrennees,Alps, Carpathiansand Russia.The flowers are arranged by colour. using English
names (with English-Latin, Latrn-English indexes). I am a great fbn of hers and this book is miles
b e t t e r l o r a b e g i n n e rt h a n n r o s t o f t h e o t h e r s o n t h e n r a r k e tu i t h t h e i r r a n d o n ra n d r n i s l e a d r n g lfle *
selections of species Of course, r,",ithonly space fbr part of each plant, it is bound to be oversimplified, but the good points far outwejgh this and it is beautifully produced l
*A Botontcol Trnrr arrnlrl lhe Mt:tlilerrctneul C North Pp xir' + 502 New N,lillennium.292 Kenningt o n R o a d .L o n d o n S E I I 4 L D 1 9 9 7 P r i c eI l 7 5 0 ( I S B N I - 8 i 8 4 5 - 0 7 5 - 6 )
[Very ntuch a personal view. and as such not comprehensir"ein coverage. but enormous fun So t'ar
a s I k n o w w i t h o u t a n y r i v a l , o t h e r t h a n t h e r e l e v a n tc h a p t e r si n O l e g P o l u n i n ' s b o o k s a n d s o m e
'N'lountain
parts of Bacon's
F l o r v e r H o i i d a v s i n E u r o p e ' 2 2 c h a p t e r sc o v e r S p a i n t o I s r a e l ,r v i t h
n o t e st o o o n S . P o r t u g a l a n d T u n i s i a .L i k e P o l u n i nt h e r e a r e l i s t l e t sf o r e a c h l o c a l i t y .w i t h e x c e l l e n t
line drawings, and some description of many of the flowers listed. He covers the literature for each
a r e a .I a m v e r y i m p r e s s e di n d e e d ,i t i s a n e x c e l l e n tv n i n t e rp l a n n e ra n d c o m p a n i o nf o r t h e s u m m e r . ]
+A Nctlural Hr.ylory ol .lutlon l\trk l'urt /. llte I'u.;tulur l'ld)tt.\ 2nd ed H Foukes and P Coxhead
P p 3 4 . S u t t o n C o l d f i e l dN H S 1 9 9 7
[Re-organisedin Kent list format. but seeminglyf-eu'new records since 199I ]
+('atalogue of l"ctsculor I'lant 71,1tt'Specimart.:, Nu/irtrul Mu.saun untl (iulltr.t, ('urtli.ff. J.L. Carey et
a l . P p . 2 6 N a t i c r n aM
l u s e u m sa n d G a l l e r i e so f W a l e s .
[ A n A - Z | s t o f 3 8 1 t y p e s p e c i m e n s r, e p r e s e n t i n g1 4 8 t a x a . l 0 l o f t h e s e a r e ] l u b u s , m a i n l y f i o m
E . S . E d e e sh e r b a r i u m . ]
*l,toluliotr tvrl Spectatrorrof lslurl I'lutrtr T F Stuessvand N4 Ono Pp .i58. Carnbridce University
P r e s s 1 9 9 8 P n c ef 5 0 0 0 ( I S B N 0 - 5 2 1 - - 1 9 6 5 i - 5 )
[ C o n c e r n e de n t i r e l yr v i t h J a p a na n d W P a c i f i ci s l a n d s . l
+A Dictionory of l:colopg.2nd ed N'l Allabv (ed (Oxtbrd paperback reference) Oxfirrd University
)
Press I 998 Price17 99 (ISBN 0- I 9-28007807)
[A much revised edition, after only tbur years, including ne$ notes on molecular ecology, ecologic a l r e l a t i o n s h i p sa n d c o n s e n a t i o n a n d t h e m a n a g e m e nol f h a b i t a t s l
+A Dictionar.l'of ['lant Sciences2nd ed. N{ Allaby (ed.) (Oxford paperbackref-erence).Oxfbrd Univers i t y P r e s s 1 9 9 8 P r i c eI 7 9 c ) ( I S B N 0 - 1 9 - 2 8 0 0 7 7 - 9 )

-s8

Book Notes

IA revised edition of what was then known as'The Concise Dictionary of Botany'. (Presumably
t i m e f b r u s t o c h a n g eo u r n a m e t o t h e P S . S . B . l . ) ]
a('atalogue rf rare und cndangereLl vasculur plurrt.t itr lhe LiverSnol Museum's Brilish and lrish
H a r h u r i u m . K . C o r r i e ( c o m p i l e r ) .J E d m o n d s o n( e d . ) P p . 9 t N a t i o n a l M u s e u n r sa n d G a l l e n e so n
M e r s e y s r d eP r i c e 1 6 0 0 + I l 5 0 p . & p . l r o n r N a t r o n a lM u s e u m sa n d G a l l e r i e so n M e r s e y s i d e .
IEach species is listed with details ofvice-counties. collector. date, accessionnumber and l0 km
relerence The latest IUCN Threat Categories are used. Other fields, not published, but in the
database are listed, and these of course, include locality. This is an excellent production giving
access to much rnfbrmation not in general circuJation. I learnt of new records for Dorset; the
H e r b a r i u ma n d t h e p u b l i c a t i o nc o r e r s t h e w h o l e o f G r e a t B r i t a i n . I I o o k f o r w a r d t o s i m i l a rp u b l i c a tions fiom other major herbaria, Liverpool deservemuch credit for being first.l

R*Y.JRII**Y*N:.1ls*99.*:f"lg
(3)
RE!'rEWSOF RECENTrlsBrPUBLTCATTONS
The following reviervs of BSBI publications are additional to those listed on pp 66-67 of BSBI News
7 7 a n d p 1 0 o f ] - 1 . \ B l , V l , . s 7 8l s. h a l l h e g l a d t o r e c e i v e d e t a i l s o l a n y o t h e r s k n o w n t o m e m b e r s .
| . Pondweels of Great Britain anil lrelarul by C. D. Preston ( I 995)
Archves of Ntilural Historl',25 (3) 456 (1998) by Alec Coles
2. Donrlelions of Great Britain and lrelanlby A.A. Dudman & A.J. Richards (1997)
Ilerit.hla tler BaTeri.sthettfJtiani.scharr()esellschuli.68 20l (1997) by W. Lippert (in German).
R o t a n i c c .r kl n r n a l o f S u i l l a n d . 5 0 ( l ) 1 2 0 ( 1 9 9 8 ) a n d B J , l N e r s , N o T 0 ( 1 9 9 8 ) b y D R M c K e a n
Bnttsh l|/ildli/e, 9(.1) 268 ( 1998) by Peter Marren
L,dinhurgh.lournal of Botan)',55 (2).321-322 (1998) by R. Atkinson
()la.sgr.ll,Naturoli.sr.23 (3) l3 ( 1998) by Allan Stirling
K e w R u l l t ' l i r r , 5 3 ( 2 ) 5 0 2 - 5 0 1 ( 1 9 9 8 ) a n d . s l i g h t l ym o d i f i e d , ' l u r u x u c ' u mN e w s l e l t e r .N o . 2 0 : 4 7 ( M a y
1 9 9 8 )b y J a n K i r s c h n e r
'l
h e N a r u r d l i s r . 1 2 3 ( 1 0 2 4 ) l 8 ( 1 9 9 8 ) b y ' P P A ' ( N ' l r sP P A b b o t t )
'l
ctxon.47 (l) 262-263 ( I 998) (brief notice)
3 . P l n n t C r i h 1 9 9 8b y T . C . G . R i c h & A . C . J e r m y ( 1 9 9 8 )
Rrirrsh I|'ildli/e, 9 (6) 406 ( 1998 ) by Peter Marren
('AB Ah.strucl.t(CAB lnternational) 88770 ( I 998) (note giving statisticsand describingcontents, Internet. http.//www cabi.org/)
h t n L k t r tN u t u r u l l . r r .N o 7 7 1 5 4 ( 1 9 9 8 ) b y D a v i d B e v a n .

.9.|.'.l!.l.|...o..|.w..{!.?...."q{l!..ol..o.|..q!.B.i..t.!.*N.Q..9..o..b.:..j.].|el.tg:..S.tt....:i...
THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
I t i s i n c r e a s i n g l yu's u a ln o w a d a l ' sf l r r t h g t r 5 1 1 . . t i o n o f a c o u n t y F I o r a t o b e c e l e b r a t e dw i t h a p a r t y B u t
t h e o n e w h i c h t o o k p l a o eo n t h e l a s t d a y o f N o v e r n b e r h a s s u r e l ys e t a n u n b e a t a b l er e c o r db y a t t r a c t i n g
-fhe
a s p e e c hl r o m a p r i m e m i n i s t e r !
n e a r e s tt o t h a t a n y c o m p a r a b l eb o o k h a s c o m e m u s t b e t h e
forervord contributed bv Ramsay MacDonald to an account of the birds of his home county of Moray.
F o r t u n a t e l yf o r t h e D u b l i n N a t u r a l i s t s 'F i e l d C l u b , N i r . B e r t i e A h e r n h a s G l a s n e v i ni n h i s c o n s t i t u e n c y
and his i-arourite rvalk is thror.rqhthe National Botanic Gardens It was there in fact thatthe new I'lora

59

Book Notes / Obituan Notes

of County Duhlin was originally planned to be launched. but a strike compelled a change of venue to
lrish botany's former horne. the National Museurr . in the heart of the city. The gathering there. drawn
from lrish natural history as a whole. including a stron,gcontingent tiom the North, together wlth repres e n t a t i v e sf r o m t h e F l o r a ' s r a r i o u s s p o n s o r i n g b o d i e s . f i l l e d t h e M u s e u m ' s s p l e n d i d r o t u n d a t o
near-capacrty
N o t c o n t e n l w i t h l a n d i n g . A nT a o i s e a c h t. h e C l u b s e c u r e da s p e e c ht i o m D u b l i n ' s D e p u t y M a y o r a s
y o r d s b v t h e P r e s r d e not f t h e
w e l l ( a p p r o p r i a t e l v .a l i b r a r i a nb y p r o t e s s i o n ) A t i e r s o n r ei n t r o d r - r c t o rw
C I u b , C o n B r e e n . f o l l o w e d b y a r o u s i n g s p e e c hb y D e c l a n D o o g u e ' r e s p e c t i v e l ! ' t h eB S B I R e c o r d e r s
f o r W e s t m e a t ha n d C o K i l d a r e t h e p o l i t i c r a n sc o n g r n t u l a t e dt h e F l o r a t e a m o n h a v i n g b r o u g h t t h e i r
w o r k t o a n i m p r e s s r v ec o n c l u s i o na n d w e r e e a c h t h e n p r e s e n t e dw i t h s p e c i a l l y - b o u n dc o p i e s o f t h e
book.
S o e n d e da s m a l l p i e c eo f b o t a n i c a l h i s t o r y .

P-S"

.1..9-.:1..9-.I.i..9-.-q..?.?..........1.F..
,:..".,rr*i,,..PLAI'IT CRIB 1998:CORRIGENDA

T h a n k s t o a l l w h o h a v e s u b m i t t e dc o r r i s e n d af o r l ' l u r t t ( ' r i h 1 9 9 1 1l n a d d i t i o n t o S A E s t o m e , c o p i e s
a r e a l s o a v a i l a b l eb y e - m a i lf i o m m e a t T i n r o t h y . R i c h f 4 n n r g wa c u k
F o r t h e R e p u b l i c o f l r e l a n d , I \ ' l i c h a e lR o b e r t s h a s k i n d l y o t ] e r e d t o h a n d l et h e c o r r i g e n d a p l e a s e
s e n da n S A E t o N 4 .R o b e r t s .D r u m c o n o r a .B a r e f i e l d ,E n n i s .C o C l a r e , l r e l a n d
T I M R I C H . D e p t o f B i o d i v e r s i t y a n d S v s t e m a t i cB i o l o g y . N a t i o n a l M u s e u n r a n d G a l l e r y o 1 ' W a l e s ,
C a t h a y sP a r k . C a r d i f l - C F l 3 N P

sr.*=-.,..*,*.=*.9..P..-I,11i1.$..*o.]-.
A s a d r e p o r t f o r t h e s en o t e s i s t h e d e a t h o f D . H . K e n t H o n o r a r y m e m b e r o l B S B [ . D u g g i e w h o w a s a
friend to many members, was also known and respectedb1'very many more through his familiar name
t .usb l i s h e da n n u a l l y ,a n d
o n B S B I p u b l i c a t i o n s .R e c e n t l y ,p a n i c u l a r l y a s t h e e d i t o r o f r 9 . \ R /. - 1 h . s l r u c p
'Kent
List')
author of /-r.rl of'['ascular l)lunt.\'()f tl?.'l]riti.rh J.tlt.t Iq9: (the
D u g g i e j o i n e d t h e B S B I i n 19 . 1 4a n d t o o k o n t h e t i r s t o f a l o n g s u c c e s s i o no f e d r t o r i a lt a s k s f o r t h e
Society through nearly tifty years, when he becanre responsiblefbr the list of menrbersand the ferlr
: f l l t t l ] t r c r t t r t u l\ n t r : t . t o f l h e R r i t i s h L s l a s .
B o o k i n 1 9 5 3 .T h i s s o o n d e l e l o p e d i n t o t h e 1 ) r l c c d t r r , q .o
. o u n c i l m e m b e r a n d o n t h e D e v e l o p m e n t& R u l e s a n d P u b l i c a t r o n s
S e r v r n ga l s o a s V i c e - P r e s i d e n t C
C o m m i t t e e s- t h i s l a s t c u r r e n t l ya n d t o r r n a n y1 ' e a r sh. e w a s a l s o i c R e c o r d e rt b i N l i d d l e s e r ,a u t h o r
o f T h e H i s t o r i c t t ll ' l o r u o f M i d d l e s e r l 9 T 5 , a n d o t h e r t i t l e s R e t - e r e e t b r v a r i o u s p l a n t g e n e r a a n d o t h e r
groups, and an invaluable adviser on nomenclature.Duggie was always ready to advise and prooi:read
for writers ofFloras, handbooks and botanical papers.
T h e r e r v i l lb e a f u l l O b i t u a r y i n W u t . v r t r r t t , a n d a D H K e n t m e m o r i a il s s u e o f I 4 ' o t s o r r r a i n F e b r u a r y
2 0 0 0 i s i n p r e p a r a t i o n .T h i s w i l l i n c l u d e t h e O b i t L r a r y ,a B i b l i o g r a p h y a n c i p a p e r s r e l e v a n t t o h i s
i n t e r e s t s .I f a n y m e m b e r w i s h e s t o s u b m i t a p a p e r p l e a s es e n d t h e p r o v i s i o n a lt i t l e t o C h r i s P r e s t o n
( D r C . D . P r e s t o n ,l T E , M o n k s W o o d , A b b o t s R i p t o n . H u n t i n g d o nP E l T 2 L S ) a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l ea n d
certainly before the end of January, and the completed paper to the receiving editor of Watsonicr
N { a r t i n S a n f o r d ( c / o T h e N l u s e u m .H r g h S t r e e t , l p s w i c h . S u f } b l k l P l 3 Q H ) b y l l l a y 1 " 1 9 9 9 ( T h e
p a p e r sr v i l l b e r e f e r e e di n t h e u s u a lu a t ' f b r I t r r r r s o r r kpra p e r s .s o \ \ e c a n n o tg u a r a n t e ea c c e p t a n c e l )

or Trips
Obituan Notcs/ ReportsofOvcrseasConferences

60

The BSBI, the Dept of Eotany NHN4. and the Herbarium RBG Kew were all representedat the
funeral. Duggie's farnily requestedthat any memorial donations should be sent to.
B r i t i s h H e a r t F o u n d a t i o n , 1 4 F i t z h a r d i n gS t r e e t ,L o n d o n W I H 4 D H
or
C a n c e r R e s e a r c h C a m p a i g n , C a m b r i d g eH o u s e , l 0 C a m b r i d s eT e r r a c e ,L o n d o n N W I 4 J L
His granddaughter is Mrs Shelly Bridge. 53 Harnes Wa1,, Holnres Green. High Wycombe, Bucks
HPl5 6LlE, and we send our sincere sympathy to her and the family.
D u g g i e ' s w e l c o m e s m i l e w i l l b e s a d l ym i s s e d .
Also I reporl r,"ith sadnessthe death of Eva Zacke. itn overseasmember lrom Stockholm During the
n i n e y e a r s o f h e r m e m b e r s h i pE v a w a s . w i t h g r e a t c o u r a g e .t i r h t i n g a t e r m i n a l i l l n e s s ,b u t d e s p i t et h i s
she came from Sweden regularly to attend BSBI nreetings Almost every year she was at the AGM, and
she was also a lamiliar figure at Exhibition Meetings where she used her calligraphrc skills to prepare
notices. signs and decorated posters. and often wrote the labels for the exhibits too. While in London
Eva helped out with BSBI correspondenceat the Dept. of Botany, NHM, and later designedthe cover
and t.vpographl'lor the l'eur lJot.tk
Eva was a talented artist with a great enthusiasnrfor encouragingthe young to take up botany, and
she prepared the BSBI's first booklet designedto show the interest andjoy ofnoticing wild flowers, for
children, beginners and voung i'amilies Her own daughter and twin sons had learnt identification skills,
so that her son Ragnar was. during a temporary spell of unemploynent, able to sunive on hamburgers
by taking up McDonaid's ofi'er of tree hamburgers in return lor the flowers ol Tu.ssihgoftufara,
Hasthor. for their early spring saladsin Stockholm (as reported h IISBI News 71. 5).
We sadly miss her risits tiorn Sweden and we extend sinceresyrnpathyto Eva's family.
M A R Y B R I G G S , H o n O b i t u a r yE d i t o r

REPORTSOF OVERSEASCONFERENCES
OR TRIPS
V I S I T T O C O N S E R V A T O I R EN A T I O N A L E B O T A N I Q U E A T B A I L L E U L ,
1 6 - 1 9J U L Y 1 9 9 8
Twenty fir,e BSBI members arrived at the Conservatorreby car or Eurostar on a balmy, sunny evening.
T w ' o o f o u r ' m e n r b e r s ' w e r e f i o m G e r m a n y ,H e i n r i c hW e b e r a n d G u n t e r M a t t z k e - H a y e k ,w h i l s t F r a n t z
Hopkins came up from southern France and Ruud l'an der Meijden joined us from Holland. ln addition
'friends
to over 40 French participants we rvere delighted to greet old
of the BSBI' such as Prof.
Lambinon from Belgiunr
W e w e r e w e l c o m e d r n t h e S a l l eC h a r l e s - F l a h a u b
l t v P r o f J e a n - M a r r eJ e h u w h o i n 1 9 7 0 . w i t h h i s
wif'e Jeanne. created a phytosociological centre here in fbrmer larm buildings only I km from the
B e l g i a n t i o n t i e r H e o u t l i n e d t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e d e v e l o p m e n to f t h e s i t e t o t h e p r e s e n t i m p r e s s i v e
co-ordinated facilities lbr plant studies.which have raised it to the rank ofone ofonly eight Conservat o i r e s N a t i o n a l e sB o t a n r q u e sw h i c h c o v e r t h e w h o l e o f F r a n c e a n d o n e w h i c h i s a m o d e l f o r o t h e r s
s t i l l a t a n r u c h e a r l i e r s l a g e T h e s e l a c i l i t r e si n c l u d e a n e w l y o p e n e d b u i l d i n g w h i c h n o w h o u s e st h e
l i b r a r y o f S I G M A ( S t a t i o n l n t e r n a t i o n a l ed e G e o b o t a n i q u eN { e d i t e r r e e n neet A l p i n e ) c o l l e c t e db y t h e
lather of phytosociology, Josias Braun-Blanquet fiom l9l5 and fbrmerly situated in Montpellier. This
l i b r a r y a l s o h o u s e st h e c o l l e c t i o no f b o o k s o f e q u a l s i z e ,c o l l e c t e db y P r o f . J 6 h u l t i s s h o r t l y t o r e c e i v e
fiom Paris the library of the Botanical Society of France so that, when all three are housed in one buildi n g , i t w i l l b e t h e m o s t i n r p o r t a n tb o t a n r c a l i b r a r y i n F r a n c ea n d o n e o f t h e r i c h e s ts o u r c e so f i n f o r m a tion on vegetation and floristics in N Europe The building also houses a European Herbarium with
7 5 , 0 0 0 c o l l e c t i o n s B o t h l i b r a r y a n d h e r b a r i u ma r e o p e n t o v i s i t o r s w h o c a n s t a y i n a c c o m m o d a t i o n

Repons ofOverseas Contbrencesor Tnps

6t

r e c e n t l yb u i l t i n a n a d j a c e n tb u i l d i n g .T h e m a i n s c i e n t i f l c* , o r k o f t h e C e n t r e r e l a t e s1 o t h e p r o t e c t r o no f
the flora of N E. France This includes the production of vegetation maps of the Departments of Nord
and Pas de Calais. and a new vascular plant Atlas on a l'1 km squarebasis for the same area by 2004.
At the same time ecological researchis beins carried out on speclesand habitats already known to be
t h r e a t e n e d .T h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n r v a s f b l l o w e d b y a v i r , ' i dd e n r o n s t r a t i o no l D I G I T A L E . t h e f l o r i s t i c a n d
phytosociological information system developed at the Centre
Prof Jehu then led us on a tour of the two kinds of garden establishednear the buildines The flrst
c o v e r i n gn e a r l y 1 . 6 h a l s d e v o t e dt o t h r e a t e n e dp l a n t s- o v e r | 7 0 s p e c i e sa r e i n c u l t i v a t i o na v a r l a b l et b r
r e s e a r c h- a n d f b r h e l p i n g r e s t o r e l o s t p o p u l a t r o n si n t h e w i l d T h e i n c l u s i o no f l t ) w a t e r t i g h t t a n k s
means that this work can include amphibious and aquatrc plants. The grorvrng garden is backed by a
seedbank and by laboratories for dealing with diflicult subjectssuch as llrrrpodiellu nrundatunr rvhich
is being raised ar vilro so that it can be returned to a site in Picardl The se'corrdgarden is devoted to
m e d i c i n a lp l a n t s . I t h a s b e e n o p e n f o r s i x y e a r s b u t l o o k s i n c r e d i b l ym a t u r e w i t h o v e r 7 0 0 l a b e l l e d
s p e c i e sp a c k e d i n t o l e s st h a n 0 . 4 h a o f h i g h q u a l i t yb r i c k - w a l l e db e d s a n d p a t h s T h i s q a r d e nr s o f g r e a t
e d u c a t i o n a li n r p o r t a n c ea n d i s u s e d b v s t u d c n t sd o i n g a t r , " o - y e a rc o u r s e i n p h l , t o t h e r a p vd i r e c t e db v
P r o f . J e a n n eJ d h u a n d D r A n d r d C a u d o n . A n e w l e c t u r er o o m t o s e a to \ e r I 0 0 i s b c i n g b u i l t a l o n c s i d e
to meet increasingdemand for places on these courses
As the sun set on this magical sarden we were taken even closer to the Belgian border to a venue
lor an evening nreal rvhich ivould have appealedto man) BSBI menrbers a Flemish larn wrth another
k i n d o f g a r d e nw i t h o n l y o n e s p e c i e s a h o p g a r d e n ! H o p s g r o r . v nt o m a k e t h e b e e r $ ' h i c h w e d r a n k i n
large quantities to wash down a wonderful plate of home baked meats and vegetables
N e x t d a y w a s d e d i c a t e dt o p a p e r s g i v e n a l t e r n a t e l vb y B r i t i s h a n d F r a n c o - B e l - e r asnp e a k e r so n
'Our
topicsof mutual interest.
s i d e ' p u t i n J a n e C l r o f t o n t h e A t l a s 2 0 0 0 P r o l e c t .S a r a hW h r l d o n t h e
B S B I C o m p u t e r N e t w o r k , F r a n k l y nP e r r i n g o n t h e B S B I D a t a b a s eT
, im Rich on the BSBt Monitonng
Scheme, John Parker on lix si/u consen/ation, Stephen Jury on a proposed new project, Euro+Med
P l a n t B a s e ,R o b C o o k e o f E n g l i s h N a t u r e o n t h e S p e c i e sR e c o v e r _P
v r o g r a n r n r ea n d R e g L a n d o f t h e
'home'team
N o r f o l k W i l d l i f e T r u s t o n C o n s e r v a t i o no f L i p u r i . : l o a s a t i t T h e
i n c l u d e dB e n o i t T o u s s a t n t
on the Atlas of NW France, Vincent Boullet on the Threatened Vascular Plants of N France. Sylvie
Magnanon on In silu conservation of the llora of Brittany, Frederic Hendoux on consenation of
[ , i p a r r s k n s e l i i , R o m a r i c P i e r r e l o n / * . s l l r c o n s e r r a t i o n .F a b i e n n eB e n e s t o n t h e R o l e o f N a t i o n a i
B o t a n i c a l C o n s e r v a t o i r e si n F r a n c e a n d P r o f . J d h u o n H a b i t a t s a n d T a x o n o m y T h e C e n t r e r s n o w
responsiblefor co-ordinating conservationof /.ipttri.t throughout its range in France
M o s t o f t h e s p e a k e r sp r o v i d e d s u m m a r i e sr n E n g l i s ha n d F r e n c h .w h i c h w a s e n o r m o u s l yh e l p f i l l i n
m a i n t a i n i n gt h e e n t e n t ec o r d i a l e . T h r s ' c o r d i a l i t y ' w ' a s m o s t e v i d e n t d u r i n g t h e s p l e n d i db u { l ' e tl u n c h
served,in company with all the stafi, in a large plastic polytunnel - gratuit.
A large stock of BSBI Publications were taken for sale and, during the day, I I copies of rhe new
Plant (-rth 1998 were soid to foreign buvers lt rvas encouraging to o\,erhear one Frenchman telling
'Flora'
another that it was the most valuable
publishedfor many years.
On Saturday morning the enthusiasticFrench sumnroned us to assembleat 8.00 a m in the attract i v e T o w n S q u a r ei n l r o n t o f a w o n d e r f u l l yo r n a t e H o t e l d e V i l l e . s o t y p i c a l o f t h i s p a r t o f F r a n c e .f o r
an all-day excursion to the coast.
First stop was the white clifit of Cap Blanc-Nez, the nearest point to England, where the chalk
g r a s s l a n di s m a i n t a i n e db e c a u s es h e l l h o l e s c r e a t e db y t h e B r i t i s h b o m b a r d m e n td u r i n q W o r l d W a r l l
m a k e p l o u g h i n gi m p o s s i b l e lH e r e . c l o s e t o t h e r a d i o - n r a s t w
, ' e w ' e r ei n r n r e d i a t e l a
y wareof non-[Jritish
taxa only 2l miles from our shores One of the most prominent grassesin the shor-tturf was Krrclerra
pyramidottt rvith larger spikelets than K. mqcrurrthu (6-8 rnrn) and very reuular ciliate hairs along the
leaf margin like those on Bromr4t.sr.s
ct cLtu Less pronrinent rvas a fbrm ol' lic.stuctrolllla we usually
associatewith acid soils, subsp. hirlulu Asttongstthe grassesautumn tlorvering gentians were evident
which sparked offarguments about the identity of (icrltunallu uliginosa very much assrstedby taking a
c o p v o f P l a n t ( ' r i h 1 9 9 8 I o t h e p l a n t s . t h e B S B I c o n t i n g e n tl e d b y T i m R i c h w e r e o n l y s a t i s f i e dt o
record G. unrurella and (i. gernuuttca but leti us ',r'onderingrvhy the latter was not tbund on the
Kent/Sussex Downs. and the French became arvare ol O. urtglitu ln longer grasslandabout here our

62

Reponsol Or crscls Corrtlrcnces

or Trips

hosts drew attention to two further non-British laxa ('erildurcu tleciprttrrs.not unlike ('. rrcmorosabut
with little or no pappus on the achenes.and I)u.\ttnu(Lt.rzrlrlrrsubsp ur(tt.r. a central fiuropean taxon
taller than our native subsp. .r'1./rt'.rrrr.r
but uith i'eu'er rays (5-7 rather than 9-20) and only recorded in
B r r t a r nf r o m S u i l o l k w i t h o u t l o c a l i t y( C l e m e n t& F o s t e f 1 9 9 4 ) ,w h i c h h a s b e e n s p r e a d i n gr a p i d l y n o r t h w a r d s i n F r a n c ea n d w o u l d s u r e l yb e e q u a l l ya t h o m e o n t h e K e n t c h a l k
W e t h e n m o v e d I I k m s o u t h - w e s tt o C a p G r i z - N e z e r c h a n g i n gc h a l k f o r J u r a s s i cl i m e s t o n ea n d
'maritime'
finding a much more
sward and scrub with ('rrchleuria olf itrtrulis. and a very succulentform
t'tf Lrgrt.slrun ntlgurt tttth J.tmontum bitterwt:unr on the cliffedge A stream crossed arr roule yielded
Aprum graveoletls.,/urrcu.tunthtgtrtr.:inld Sumolrr.tr,ultrundi whilst ( drex drslans was reported by the
French to grow at the base of a rvaterlall below the clitl-edge a waterfall which, in the on-shore gale,
had water rising, not falling, and being blorvn back to spray over imprudent botanists approachingtoo
c l o s et o t h e e d g e
W e r e a c h e dA n r b l e t e u s em i d - w a v b e t w e e nC a p G r i z - N e z a n d B o u l o g n e i n t i m e f o r l u n c h w h e r e w e
found shelter lrom the rvind but rvarmth from the slrn arron{.tstthe grey rvalls of the imposing Fort
Mahon and Sugitru marrltma and lirfitlitrm :tulttunr on the rocks at their foot. Then, for an hour, we
explored the saltrnarshand dunes at the mouth of the R Slack to the south. The most interestingfind
was made by Arthur Copping the true L'ulpiu manthrunucau(L ) Dumort. with glabrous ovaries and
small anthers. absent fiom Britain bLrtnaturalrsedin Belgium and natir..ein France. Corsica, Spain and
Portugal. Another grass, surprisingiv abundant. was ,/-rrgirrirs(rutll.!, only recorded as an introduction
i n K e n t O n t h e w a v b a c k , t h e v a l u e o f t h e l ' l u t r t ( ' r t h / t / 9 , t r v a sa q a r nd e n r o n s t r a t e d
a s .w i t h t h e a i d o f
i t s e x c e l l e n ti l l u s t r a t i o n st,h e r e c o u l d b c n o d o u b t t h a t w e u , e r el o o k i n g a t a d e n s e ,n a t u r a l i s e ds t a n do f
Fallopia x hohemicu (l;..japoniccr x 1.. sochulirrcnsrs)
The last half of the afternoon was spent inland in a 6i ha reserve.the Pr6 communal d'Amleteuse,
on old, decalcified dunes dorninatedby gorse since the rabbits were killed by myxamatosis,where over
400 plant species have been recorded ('oryrrcphrtru.scLutc.\cen.r
was abundant on dry. open, acid
ground and. in the closed slard (iatti.tltt uttl4littt rvas tiequent. ln damper, bare patches the sharpsighted fbund llutliolu linoides Md AnugLtlli.\ tl,ttrnu. whilst there were large patches of ,4. tenella in
one of the few ntarshy hollor.vs Tuo taxonomic problems remain unresolved.Firstly the French pointed
ouI ('arex lrinerttis. a sedge strangely absent fiom Bntain (unless it really did occur in Norfolk).
Material brought back has been cont.irmed as ('. rrinervis by Chve Jermy, but according to Arthur
C o p p i n g , o n l y s o r n eo f t h e f - e m a l eq l u r l e s a r e t h r e e - n e r r e d a c h a r a c t e rn o t m e n t i o n e di n d e s c r i p t i o n s .
S e c o n d l y .t h e r e \ \ ' a sa c o n s i d e r a b l ep o p u l a t i o no l a n e y e b r i g h tr i h i c h h a d t h e s r n a l if l o w , e r sa n d f l e x u o u s
branching of l'.u1thru.srttcortfit.suhut. though this occurs in sandy heathland in Kent, it has not been
recognisedin France and has only been reporled fiorn the Faeroesoutside the British Isles.
'Ferme
The day finrshed with another convivial gatherinq at the
de Haghedoorn' where the delights
tart
and
guinea-fowl
ofFlemish
on candied apple were enjoyed.
On Sunday \\e went due north tiom Bailleul to the coast east of Dunkirk and only 2 kms from
B e l g i u m . H e r e r v e s p e n tt h e i i r s t p a r t o f t h e n r o r n i n ga t t h e D u n e s d u P e r r o q u e t .A l e a t u r eo f t h e f o r e
dunes. dominatedby Amnx4thtld Lrr(turiu. was the large amount of /)rplolaxis lenuifttlia whilst in the
secondarydunes another alien.Arrchusu of/icirruli.;. was well established Curiously the former behaves
sirnilarly in Kent but the latter is unknorvn there. A Kentish and national rarity found here was Orobanthe caryophyllucrrr growing, as in England, on (iulrum ydrzm. However the most interesting plant to
'lnrgt4togorr
British visitors was surely
r/rrr5ur.r.
another taxon like Pa.stirmc:a.!'.r/iyd
subsp. urens, also
here, which has been moving nt-rr1hthrough France and has reached the coast next stop England? its
markedly inflated peduncleswere ren distinct These dunes and the slacks in particular had the feel of
South Wales Kenfig or Whitelbrd
with enornrous colonies of h4tipacti.spulu!;/ri.\, but the other
smafl orchid we tbund was not Lilturi.s lrrselri buI Harntittiun morutrchi.stAlways on dry calcareous
s o i l s i n B r i t a i n , S u n r m e r h a y e (sl t ) 5 l ) r e p o r t e dt h a t i n E u r o p e i t o f t e n _ c r o w si n m u c h d a m p e r p l a c e s
this onlv 65 km tionr the Kent chalk''
but did he know that it was doin_q
T h e l a s t s t o p o f o u r f h s c i n a t i r r ge n c o u n t e r* ' i t h t h e F r e n c h t l o r a w a s a t t h e a c i d f o s s i l d u n e s o f
Ghyvelde, a shon drive inland. Our tirst surprisehere was the large standof Muscurt atmosum, another
e x a m p l eo f a s o u t h e r nE u r o p e a ns p e c i e sw e l l e s t a b l i s h e d j u sat c r o s st h e C h a n n e l .H o w e v e r , t h e b i g g e s t

Reportsof OverseasConfcrencesor Trips

63

surprise was not to see but to be rold that. if we had been here in March we could have seen the
recently discovered Gttgea hohenrica another stepping-stonetowards our own isolated population in
R a d n o r s h i r e .H o w m a n v m o r e s t i e s a r e t h e r e i n E u r o p e ( a n d B r i t a i n ? ) s t i l l u n d i s c o v e r e db e c a u s ei t
flowers before botanists have come out ofhibernatronl
On the journey back to Bailleul, the British and French alike reflected on the value of the meeting.
l r o b l e m sa n d m a n v
T h r o u g h o u t t h e r e h a s b e e n a n i m a t e dd i s c u s s i o no f t a x o n o m i c a n d n o m e n c l a l u r a p
agreementswere reached on hor.vthese might be resolVed bv erchange ot rlaterials or hrrther vrsits
t tr o b l e m . r v h i l s t
J o h n P a r k e r w i l ll o o k a t F r e n c h K o e l e r i ua n d T i m R i c h r v r l l f c r l l o nu p t h e ( i t ' r t l r t t r t c l l p
(-arex trinen)i.s and liuphrasta cuyt'usa need further examinatron.Colleaguestiom Bailleul have asked
for a visit to the Environmental lnformation Centre (BRC) at Monks Wood and to Norfblk to study the
conservation of the len orchid. whilst another has beconrearvare of the value of RSRI Ah.\tt'o.1.\tn his
researchonJunipenu communis ln the longer term $,e agreed that the beneflts of such a meeting tvere
so great that others should be arranged. The French expresseda desire to visit SW Britain to look at
the relationshipof the flora of Devon and Cornwall with Brittany, r.vhereanother Consen'atoire Nationa l e B o t a n i q u e i s s i t u a t e da t B r e s t a n d w e h o p e t h a t s u c h a m e e t i n gc a n b e a r r a n g e di n t h e n e x t t u ' o o r
three years.
'Globalement.
le nreetrnga ete une trds riche et tres
As the Annual Report ofthe Centre records,
a m i c a l eo c c a s i o nd ' d c h a n g e se n t r e b o t a n i s t e se t c o n s e n a t e u r sa n q l a i s ,f r a n c a i s .b e l g e s ,n d e r l a n d a i se t
'oui.
oui'.
a l l e m a n d s ' t o w h i c h t h e o n l v r e s p o n s ei s
References
C l e m e n t .E . C . & F o r s t e r .M C ( 1 9 9 4 ) A l i c t r l ' l t r n t t r t / t l t , ' R r i t r . s h/ r / c ' . r B S B I . l - o n d o n
S u m m e r l r a v e sV. . S . ( 1 9 5 2 ) . I , l ' t l t lO r t : h i t l . :o l B r i t u i t t \ e w N a t u r a l i s t

AN EVENINGWALK IN SWEDEN
'leindskap'
(county)of Srt'eden
I n 1 9 9 7 I j o i n e d t h e t e a m sr e c o r d i n gi n t h e r n o s tn o f i h - e a s t e r l . v
This project, in Norbotten where many square kilometres have never had a r.'isitfrorn a botanist. is
mastermindedby Lennart Stenberg.author of the beautiful llora of Sweden.l)c'tr Nordisku I'lorurr
B S B I m e n r b e rJ a m e sP a r t r i d g er v a sa l s o o n e o f t h e t e a m a t t h e I 9 9 7 c a m p r n P a j a l aa n d h e w r o t e a n
article in the April 1998 edition of RSRI lior'.r about the lure of plant hunting nofih of the Arctic Circle
i n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e n i g h t . S o . f o r t h e s e c o n dv e a r . I w a s d r a w n t o t h i s l a n d o f t h e n r i d n i g h ts u n a n d r v a s
m a d e w e l c o m e b y b o t h n e w a n d l r i e n d so f o l d i n O v e r l o r n e a
t h a t w a s m o s t l v m r r e , [ - e n n a r ti n v i t e d
O n e e v e n i n g ,a f t e r a l o n g h a r d d a 1 ' r e c o r d i n gi n a 5 k n r s q L r a r e
me for an evening rvalk. I was pretty tired and settin-gout a-qainto more nrires, at that nroment didn't
seemtoo appealing.I'lowever I fblt that this rvas an opportunity not to be missed
Ourwalk started through an old pine lorest where f-eetsank deep into the:lossy floor and stumbled
over dead trees and in danrp holes. lrut sr]on \l'e t'otnd l'yrola ntethu (Internediate \I/intergreen )in
Swedish'Klockpyrola' and then l)yntlu rotttttdi.fi.,/zr(Round-leaved Wintergreen) and soon my fal'ourite Mone,sesuniflrtra (One-flowered Wintergreen), with it's beautiful white wax-like flower Approaching the mire we found Corcx nugellunicu (Bog Sedge). which looks very like ('. /inrara Lennart
identifred !,mpetrum rrrgrzz subsp. herntttphroditutr (Mountain flrowberrt,) ln the rnire we spotted
Drosera rotundifolie (Round-leaved Sundew), l)ingrriculu t,ulguri.s (Conrrnon BufierworI). Lctfum
palttstre (Labrador{ea), L'accinium oxy.oL(().r (Cranberry). Purtrtssitt pulu.slri.s(Grass-of-Parnassus)
and Triglochin palu.stra (Marsh Arrowgrass)
tlr.ttUtlcri.s lOak fern) antl l'hagr4teri.\ coiln(Ltili.\
Two ferns greu in quantity, ()ymnrurpium
(Beech fern) but I never cease to admire their fiagrle beauty lf vou get your eye in. Lr,:leru cttrtJolu
(Lesser Twavblade) pops up all over the place and that evenin.-c.
rvas no erception. Another delicate

Ruporlsof Or crscas( or)ftrrnccsor Trtps / Rcportsof FicldMectings I qq8

'Windflower'
as it
little flower Liwnea horealt.s(Twinflower) was everywhere, in Swedish it is called
gently sways in the breeze
Already we had seen exciting plants, but what was to come was even more exciting. Oooclyera
repens (Creeptng Lady's-tresses) and ['lalanlheru hi.fttlict subsp. laltfkru (a butterfly-orchid) were next
to be found and Ohl the scent of those orchids l'hen in a hollow we stumbled upon ('lpripedium
bulbo.tct(a Lady's-slipper). their tlowers were mostlv over, but to our joy several were bearing seed.
And in the next hollow there rvere more and. as rve walked. more and more and more. I could hardly
beheve my eves. A botanrcal t'east.
Then I could hear Lennart calling rne to see what he had found At first I could see nothing then the
( ' u l 1 ' p s ob u l h o s u ( C a l y p s o ) i n S w e d i s h c a l l e d ' N o r n a ' . I w a s l u c k y
f e a v e sa n d d e a d h e a d s o f
enough to see this unique little orchid earlier and once you have seen it you can never tbrget, even the
e l t h o u g ha l m o s t r m p o s s i b l et o s p o t .
l e a v e sa r e r e c o g n r s a b l a
That rvas an evening u'aik that { wiil alu'ays reniember. There will be a camp next year tbr the
N o r b o t t e n F l o r a P r o j e c t .a n d a n y B S B I m e m b e ru , o u l d b e m o s t w e l c o n i e .l t i s w o r t h t h e t r i p a n d a l o t
of fun. After two years at the camp I am waiting even more impatiently tbr the next summer campl
If you would like more information pleasedo not hesitateto contact me.
G I L L R E A D . 4 K n o l l H i l l V i e w . T r u d o x h i l lF r o m eI l A l l

5DT Tel 0ll7i 836488

REPORTSOF FIELD MEETINGS-

1998

R e p o r t so f F i e l d M e e t i n g sa r e e d r t e db y . a n d s h o u l db e s e n tt o . D r A l a n S h o w l e r . l 2 W e d g r v o o dD r i v e ,
. u c k s .H P l 4 , 1 P . A T
. ' e I . . 0 1 4 9 45 6 2 0 8 2 .
H u g h e n d e nV a l l e v .H i g h W y c o t n b e B
D R U C E L E C T U R E & F I E L D I \ { E E T I N G S .N O R T H A \ { P T O N S H I R E ( r c . l 2 ) 2 l d & 2 4 ' ' M A Y
George Claridge Druce was born in Northamptonshire on May 23rd 1850, and so it is appropriatethat
o n M a y 2 3 r d a n d 2 4 t h 1 9 9 8 t h e B S B I s h o u l d h o l d i t s a n n u a lD r u c e r n e e t i n gi n t h e c o u n t y t o w n . A b o u t
thirty people met at Nene Colle-qePark Campus where. afler an introduction by Dr Franklyn Perring,
members of the Northamptonshire Flora Group treated them to a series of short talks about local
b o t a n i s t sa n d n a t u r a l i s t s .
Anna Wilson started r.vith the life of John Clare, Northamptonshire's naturalist poet and the first
local person to record the county's natural history Rob Wilson fbllowed with a talk about the Reverend Miles Joseph Berkeley, a local parson and for nrany years the country's leading expert on fungi. He
was responsiblefor determining that a fungus causedthe potato blight, which led to a disastrousseries
of famines in lreland in the I840s. Brian Adams spoke of his hero, the Northampton an'lateurH.N.
e o r k o n B r i t i s h N 4 o s s e sG. i l l G e n t l b c u s e do n a
D i x o n , w h o s e b o o k w a s l o r m a n y v e a r st h e d e f i n i t i r . ' w
l o t a n i s t sa n d n a t u r a l i s t si.n c l u d i n gt i r e H o n C h a r l e sR o t h s c h i l da n d S i r G e o r g eC h e s t e r .
n u m b e ro f l c r c a b
L i k e D i x o n . B e r k e l e ya n d C l a r c t h e y m a d e m a n v d i r e c t a n d i n d i r e c t c o n t r i b u t i o n st o D r u c e ' s o r i g i n a l
I' l ttru of Nt tr I hctmpI ttn.sh i re
After an excellent lunch the talks were compleled by loan Thomas who spoke of Lord Lilford the
Northamptonshire ornithologist rvhose enthusiasmtbr natural history rnade him a worthy subject to
i n c l u d ei n t h r s s e r i e so f t a l k s
E v e r v o n et h e n t r a n s p o r t e dt h e n r s e l v etso t h e C e n t r a lN l u s e u ma n d A r t G a l l e r yw h e r e B r i a n W e b s t e r
i n t r o d u c e dt h e e x h i b i t i o nB u g s . B e a s t sa n d B u t t e r c u p s S o c l o s e l y\ \ ' a st h i s r e l a t e dt o t h e t a l k s i t w a s
h a r d t o b e l i e v et h a t i t w a s a l : r t ei n c l u s i o ni n t h e p r o g r a m m e ,d u e t o t h e i l l n e s so f o n e o f t h e s p e a k e r sA.
short walk from the museum took everyone to the building that once housed Philadelphus Jeyes
chemists shop where Druce worked as a young nran and All Saints Church where Druce saw John
C l a r e ,t h e n a n o l d m a n , s i t t i n gi n t h e p o r t i c o .
Back at Nene College it w,asa short walk to Bradlaueh Fields Scrub Field nature reser'"'e.an area of
l i m e s t o n e g r a s s i a n d a n d a n c i e n t h e d g e r o ns n i t h i r i N o i ' t h a r n p t o n w h e r e C h r i s G e r r a r d o f t h e

Reportsof Field Meetrngs I 99ll

65

Northamptonshire Wildlif'e Trust guided us round. We were shown /'alcrrrla vulgari,s(Longleaf) at one
o f o n l y t w o s i t e s i n t h e c o u n t y . a s w e l l a s n r a n y p l a n t s r n o r e u s u a l l y a s s o c i a t e dw i t h l i m e s t o n e
grassland.The following nrorning we met again at the Yardlev Chase Ministry of Defence area, rvhere
w e s p e n tt h e m o r n i n g a n d p a r t o f t h e a f t e r n o o nb e i n g g u i d e d a r o u n d t h e a n c i e n tw o o d l a n d a n d a d j o i n ing pasturesby Tony fuchardson. conservator fbr Yardley Clhase The day spent in this rarely accessible
area proved very rervarding
In one of the meadows we saw |tediculctris.syh'trtitu (Lousewort) which was recorded in Yardley
Chase in Druce's 1930 l;lora and was thought to be extinct in the county until it was rediscoveredhere
in 1997
I/iola canina (Heath Dog-violet) was found growing close by. Until this discovery there had been
only one other recent county record. Later in the day it was discovered in another meadow in the
Chase. The presence of heathland plants in a county where heathland is extremely limited should have
alerted everybody to the possibility of other discoveries. and sure enough another one rvas made
a l t h o u g hi t w a s t h e c a u s eo f n r u c h d i s c u s s i o na n d d e b a t ea t t h e t r m e . A s m a l l c o l o n y o f o r c h i d s w e r e
just beginning to flower. most of which were obviously I)uct1'lrrhiztr.fitth.sii (Common
S p o t t e d - o r c h i d )A f e w p l a n t sl o o k e d d e c i d e d l vd i f l e r e n th o w e v e r b u t a l t h o u g hs t r m em e m b e r st h o u g h t
that they were L)ucry'lorhizumacululu subsp. cllcr,/oliriz (Heath Spotted-orchid) others were equally
convinced that all the plants were Conrnion Spotted-orchids A site visit just over nvo weeks later by
Gill Gent. Tony fuchardson and Rob Wilson convinced all three that the Heath Spotted-orchid was
here, again at only the second current site in Northamptonshire Dr A.L. Denholm has since confirmed
thrs identification.
From Yardley Chase. we all made our way to Holly Lodge, Boughton, near Northampton the home
o f M r a n d M r s A n t h o n v J e y e s . [ t w a s N 4 r J e y e sg r a n d t h t h e rP h i l a d e l p h u sJ e y e s w h o e n r p l o y e dt h e
young George Claridge Druce to work in his chemist's shop lt was to Holly Lodge, his nervly built
home. that Druce would rvalk in the rnornings to have his breakf-astbefbre riding back to Northampton
in the Jeyes carriage and starting his day's rvork Tea at Holl), Lodge was a wonderful end to the
weekend, appreciatedby everyone who attended the meetrng
Our thanks are due to Brian Webster of the Central Museum and Art Gallery, Northampton,
Captain R. Searchfield for permissionto visit the Yardley Chase MOD area, Laurence Shelton, warden
of the Yardley Chase N'IOD area for making us so welcurne and his wif'e lbr a delicious cake enjoyed by
all of us. Chris Gerrard of the t'r'orthamptonshireWildlife Trust and frnally N4r and Mrs Anthony Jeyes
for a wonderful end to our weekend.
ROB WILSON

ISLE OF WIGHT (r' c I0) 27s & 28" MAY

A very successfi.rlweekend meeting was attended bv eighteen BSBI members together with some
m e m b e r so f t h e B o t a n y S e c t i o n o f t h e l s l e o f W i g h t N a t u r a l H i s t o r y & A r c h a e o l o g i c a lS o c i e t y .W i t h
such a good attendance and fair weather, it proved possrbleto split into small groups so that good
coverage ofpoorly worked areaswas possible,together with updating records lor the Atlas.
ln addition to contributing records to Atlas 2000. some interesting finds were made The chalk
d o w n l a n d r i d g e w e s t o f F r e s h w a t e r( S Z l i . 8 ) i s w e l l k n o w n t b r i t s b o t a n i o a lr i c h n e s s ,a l t h o u g h s o m e
records required updatinu Specimens of Onthuilche drt(mi.\id(-cLunpdrlr/.r (Oxtongue Broomrape)
were confirmed and, sood populations of l:ulthtrbiu luillurniicu (Porrland Spurge) and I'ilosella
p e l e l e r i e n a s u b s p .p e l c / e , r r r u z (r S h a g g y M o u s e - e a r - h a r v k w e e dw) e r e s e e n o n t h e W e s t H i g h D o w n
c l i f t s T h e l a t t e r p o p u l a t i o n p r o v e d t o b e l a r g e a n d e r t e n s i v e .p r o b t i b l l -t h e l a r g e s t B r i t r s h p o p u l a t i o n
growing on chalk
A s e c o n dg r o u p o n t h e w e s t e r nh e a d l a n de x p l o r e dt h e h e a t h l a n da n d s l u m p e dc l a v c l i f f s o f H e a d o n
Warren to the north but within the same hectad l)a:chantpsiu.flexwt.tcr (Wavy Hair-grass) and
Fumario cupreoluru (White Ramping-fumitory) were both new hectad records A species rich

Renortsof Field Meetinss- 1998

calcareousflush was located on the cliffs wilh .Juncus.whnoclulosus(BIunt-flowered Rush), Epipacti.s
palustris (N'larsh Helleborine) and (i.vmnodenia Loilopsea subsp. dens(lora (Fragrant Orchid). An
exciting find here was a plant of .\'a1lxrepens (Creeping Willow). until recently believed to have become
lost lrom the Island. Floristicallv-rich areas on the slumps were once widespread here but have become
very scarceand subsequentexploration revealedonl_vone other example.
Heathland is another scarce lsland habrtat. bLrt a group explorin_uclay heath remnants around
'new'
Cranmore (SZl4 7) fbund
sites for Achillet.r lttormica (Sneezewort), (-arex pulicoris (Flea
Sedge), Zlicrrzr rapens (Pale Toadtlax), Potenlillu unglica (Trarling Tormentil) and Rhqmnus catharl r c a ( P u r g i n g B u c k t h o r n ) . a l l u n c o m m o n I s l a n dp l a n r s .
At the southernmost trp of the lsland. A.strogulus glycyphyllos (Wild Liquorice) was refound at
St Catherrne's(SZl4'7) Despite regular searches,this has not been seenin recent years and was feared
to have become extinct on the Island, so the single large plant was a good find. Other interestingfinds
at St Catherine's Point included lvlorruhium vulgorc (White Horehound). 7'orili.snodosa (Knotted
Hedge-parslev) and l'ri/itlium stuhrunt (Rough Clover) Several coastal sites in SZl4.1 yielded TrrfoIrum ornilhr4xdtorclcs (Bird's-tbot Clover), a specieswhich is clearly spreading.
A n a r a b l et l e l d o n c h a l k n e a r t h e m r d d l eo f t h e l s l a n d . a t B o w c o m b e ( S Z l 4 . 8 ) p r o v e d p r o d u c t i v e .
I'opat,er hyhridum (Rough Poppv) and L'aleriunellu tlentuta (Narrow-fruited Cornsalad).both in'new'
sites. were grorving with Stcr'lr1r urt,ansis (Field Woundwort), Legmsia hybrido (Venus's-lookinggfass) and both Arci.rzl spp (Fluellens) A previously unrecorded stletor Myosuru,smintnrus (Mouset a i l ) i n a c l a r ' f i e i d a t S h a i i l e e t( S Z l 4 8 ) w a s a l s o o f i n t e r e s t
The greensandexposures across the middle ofthe lsland produced further interestingfinds. A wide
sandy road !erge at Arreton (SZl5.8) was searched (successfully) for Orobanche purpured (Yarrow
Broomrape) but grorving with it was l'ri./blium glomeratum (Clustered Clover) at a new Island site.
However, the most exciting find ofthe weekend was made on the Sunday afternoon in a sandy field at
Alverstone (SZl5 8) r.vhich had been turf'-stripped several years previously and left fallow. This
produced a good selection of arable \4eedsof \\,hich the highlights werc Silene gallico yar. quinquevtlacrn (Small-flowered Catchflv) and Apera spictt-r'antii (Loose Silkybent). This proved to be the first
modern record of the latter species. Sadly, the field was subsequently searched by several local
botanistsbut the elusive weeds did not show themselvesagain!
Altogether, a very worthwhile rveekendwith excellent coverage of sites.

S*RLP**ffi{r.Sffi:.*
C E N T R A L S O I . T T H E R NS L J S S E X( v c c 1 3 & l 4 ) 3 ' i - 5 hI U L Y
Brighton, 3rd. July
T h i s j o i n t w e e k e n d .h e l d w i t h m e m b e r so f t h e S u s s e xB o t a n i c a lR e c o r d i n gS o c i e t y ,g o t o f f t o a f i n e a n d
s u n n y s t a n w h e n w e r n e l i n a c a r p a r k o n t h e c l i l F t o p a t R o e d e a n .h o n r e o f t h e f a m o u s s c h o o l ,n e a r
tlrighton. We began on fbot rvalking east on the north side ofthe ,4259 looking at the verge and the
boundary w'all ol the school. ('ero.s/lum tliffusum (Sea Mouse-ear) was plentiful on the verge along
wilh Sis.ymhriumrtriarttule (Eastern Rocket). The school walls had a fine show of Matthiola incqna
(Hoary Stock) although i1 was past its best. Above the walls there was Anisanlha diandra (Great
Brome), ('urtlrtrr.s lenui.flrru.s (Seaside Thistle) and several plants of Scandix pecten-veneris
(Shepherd's-needle) At this point ue crossed over to the clifftop where.ll4cdicago:;ativtrsubsp.varia
(Hybrid Lucerne) appeared in patches with a number of spikes of ()rcthunchemint subsp.moritinto
(Carrot Brocrrnrape) found as a parasite on l)cructts cunlo and large quantities ol ktrilis nodctsa
(Knotted Hedge-parsley) Adjacent set-asidefields showed good numbers of Campanulcrrapunculoir/c.r(Creeping Bellflorver). a plant that occurs regularly around the Brighton area.
At this sta.qerve decanted inlo frve cars and began a circular tour of some other locations around
Bri_qhton
The nert port ()f call w'as in Woodingdean Here on the edge of a horses field we saw ('(ntautea
culcrlruptr (Red Star-thistle) and llumcx pulchar (Fiddle Dock). On an adjacent road verge I'runella '

irttermedio (P. vulgort' ,- l'. lut.tntutcr\ (Hybrid

Selfheal) was tound growrng with both parents. along
wfih Petroselinum segetum (Corn parslev).
Holfingbury has been the best location in East Sussex
for Onthurrcha eltrtrrtr (Knapw*eedBroom_
r a p e ) f o r a g o o d n u m b e r o f y e a r s .a n d t h i s
v e a r \ v a s n o e x c e p t r o n . A l t h o u g ht n e s r t e h a s s c a t t e r e d
p o p u l a t i o n sw i t h i n i t s b o u n d a r i e s
a r e t i s u a l r yr n a n l , s p r k e si n e a c h \ \ i e s a w a c o r o n v
of. some
here
twenty plants in various stages of_ tgrowth.
some a good 30 cnr tall This sit" alro"1 L-ta".o ;;,;r:;:,,:
l u h e r o s u s ( T u b e r o u s P e a ) . a I o n g e s t a b r i s h e dp a t c h
o f ( i e r c u t r u t n ' , , u g , , i J , r , , n ,( ( . r . t b c , c t t n r , ( j
plarypelalunl (Purple Crane's-bill). ( 'umptutt:,lu
rtqtutrttrlrrtle.s. and the uncommon Irugrprg.n
prot(nsis subsp.pralelslr (Goat,s_beard)
O u r c i r c u l a r t r i p e n d e d o n a n o t h e r s e c t i o no f B r i q h t o n
s e a f i o n t . w , h e r et h e r e a r e s o m e r v a l l st h a t
f o r m t h e s u b s t a n t i asl u p p o r t b e t w e e nt h e t \ \ o r o a d s .
l v l a d e i r aD r i v e a n d M a r i n e p a r a c l e..A J t h o u g h
these
wails are exposed to the full fbrce ol the on-shore \veather
several species sun.i'e here The unusual
cyrktmiurn.falcatunr (House Hollv-fern) surr"ir'es
here and is spreading. together with A.tpletriunt
lrichontrtne'ssubsp quoJrt.vulcrrs(Maidenhair Spleenwclrt)
we also found the remnants of Anthn'cus
caucolis (Bur Chervil.l There are two or three
trees of l:icu.: t:unca (Fig). one of which has been
known here fbr fifteen or so years. The others are much
vounser und
nnif be regaroed as seedlings
ofthe original.
"ou
At this stage we returned to our ori,qinal meeting pJace
to depart fbr loo6 and accommodatron,
e a g e r l ya n t i c i p a t i n gt h e n e x t d a y ' s e r c u r s i o n
PALiI- HAR]VfES
S o u t h e a s e ,4 , r , J u l y
A chorus of Marsh Frogs greeted us a-\ \.'e arrir.ed
at our meeting point After rntroductions the 2-5
p a r t i c i p a n t sr n a d e u p o f n i e r n b e r s l i o n r b o t h s o c i e t i e s
wcre Ieadaway along a narrow stringoffields
b e t w e e nt h e b a n k s o f t h e R i v e r o u s e a n d o n e o f t h e
d r a r n a g ed i t c h e s T h e f i r s t f i e l d h a d b e e n h e a v i l y
cattle grazed' neverthelessmany grassesr.verefbund.
identified and dernonstraredby our leader paul
Harmes Three Puccine!1rus,I' thsltors (Reflexed
Saltmarsh-grass
), p. ftr.st:icu/ut4(Borrer,s Saltmarshgrass),and P. rupeslris (Stiflsaltmarsh-grass)
were soon sorted out One diligent mentber rJiscovered
a
c l u m p o f b u l b s o f A l r 4 t e r n n r ' h u l h o ' t t . s( B u J b o L r F
s oxfail) on a clod of earth
t h r o w n u p b y ,a c o ' v . . s
hoof; the foliage had been grazed venr.\hoft
Very soon our attention was drawn to the brook.
here again the marginate vegetatronwas rather
chewed and good plants were hard to find Horvever.
fine stands ol lyphu ungu.;ti.f.[iu (Lesser
Bulrush) were seen and much admired A variety
ol grapnels appeared lrom the rucksacks and
a
number of us joined in the aquatic lucky dip, the
first plint'to be rii.a u"ing lr):ut,,y,hvll,,n'uhmer't'tzz (So{1 Flornwort) with its leaves forked three
times The ditches rvere nit at therr best wrth large
patchesof afgae coating the surf-ace.Pondrveedsrvere
noticeablv absent rvith ontl;y
J,t)rontogctonpet:linalus (Fennel Pondweed) beins ertracted tiom the
tln-qredmas.sof ),.rtt<:ntntrtr.thi
After lunch further aquatrc sites uere 'isited but
not berbre haring a close iook al l?rsa t
ondegaven'tisthe h-'-bridbetween R. crrrrtrttrancl
.R..rrr/rr, The rose *o,
ir.ui,,uju known tiom this
road verge site and its identrty confirnred by Rel r\
L prirnavesi Tri,o water-cror vfoots,llanuncrrlrt.t,
haudotii (Brackish Water-crowfoot)-as one rvould
expect fiom the brackish waters and R circinatus
(Fan-leaved water-crorvfoot) were found
rhe frorveis or H)drot.htu.is r,,r,,.r-rrrr,,r,, (Frog_bir)
were
just beginning to make a shorv along
wirh the Nwphoitle.s peltota (Fringed Warer_lily)
A number of
samolus volerandi (Brookweed) were seen in rvijell,
scattered patches but our searches for ('trrer
dit'i'ut (Divided Sedge) rvere.all tn.vatn Re[urnrn-,]
t, ihe cars so.re of the party decrdedto stay
on and
go to see {Jtricultrriu auslrolis (Bladderw'ort)
wliich last year put on a riotous sh.r.v [n rerrospect
this
was a wise decision tbr not only did they see the
Bladderwort, albeit not in flower. but also lJtrrrmu.y
umhellatus (Flowering-rush) and the elusive ('rrrax r/lylrcr
A super day that was greatly_enjoyedby all and
.'ust.what rve have come to expect wrth the experl
g u r d a n c ea n d e n t h u s i a s mo f p a u l H a r m e s ,o u r l e a d e r
on the dav
ARTHUR G, HOARE

:i]]*j];)]i;]I-i].':.]jj;.i]]]]]i]i**:.'::*..)*::;::::::.:]::''':.t::;l:::;;:::::::],:-:]:]'::]::;;;..;}

68

Rcports of Ficld P1""1inq5- I 998

CISSBTIRY RING. 5" JL,'LY

The purpose of the third day of the field meeting,,r'asto record the flora of Cissbury fung, an ancient
Hill Fort on the chalk of the South Downs near Worthing at the request of the National Trust who own
the site. We were met by Charles Cain of the Trust who was our guide for the day and greatly increased
our enjoyment by sharing his knowledge of the area We started our recording on the steep chalky
banks at the NW corner of the ring where a number of chalk specres such as l.ilipendula vulgari.s
(Dropwon). .4nthylli.s wtlncrurtu (Kidney Vetch) and A.s7t1:yu1,,
c.\'rrtntchit:tt(Squrnancy"wort)were in
evidence together with a good range of grasses including Irisetum.flove:cen.r (Yellow Oat-grass) and
lJrizo media (Quaking-grass). A number of eyebrights were collected by Paul Harmes and were taken
to the BSBI recorders meeting in l-ancasterwhere they were identified by Alan Silversrde.It was good
to have confirmation of I',uphrusiu ilemoros(r and the hybrid Ii. nemorosa x E. pseudokerneri was a
pleasing, but not unexpected find civen that both parents are present. However the identification of a
number of specintensot'Euphru.tiu torrfitsu was a c;uite unerpecled bonus as there has only been one
previously confirmed record ttcrrn v c l3 and this ivas many years ago and many miles away in the NW
ofthe county.
Proceeding toward the southern end of the Ring a rough scrubby area y\elded Atropa belladonna
(Deadl-vNightshade) with both florvers and lruit present.Nearby we were shown a patch of chalk heath
containing Porettillo crcctu (Torntentil), a tinv colony of Calluna vulgaris (Heather) and, on a bare
patch. some ,4phutre.suu.strult.s(Slender Parsley-piert).The last two were new Atlas 2000 records for
TQ/1.0, a square which is dominated by chalk. urban and maritime habitats.As we returned north past
large depressiorrsmarking the sites of ancient flint rnines.two small specimensof (-oektgktssumviride
(Frog Orchid) were found - a pleasing sight as it has declined here in recent years due to intenserabbit
grazing Toward the end ofthe meeting, as we descendedthrough a dampish wooded area at the northern tip of the ring. a number of large plants of l'ulariuno of/icinuli.s (Common Valerian) were seen,
b r i n g i n gt h e t o t a l n u n r b e ro f s p e c i e sr e c o r d e dl r o m t h e N a t i o n a lT r u s t p r o p e r t l , t o 1 7 3 .
ALAN KNAPP
F I N T R Y , S T I R L I N G S H I R E ( v c 8 6 ) 7 ! ' - 9 sJ U L Y
The main purpose of this nreet was to re-sun'ey some of the crags in two local SSSIs and also look at
one of the fragrnents of Flanders Moss which lies south of the fuver Forth. Since ten membersturned
up for at least the first day, we were able to split into three groups and cover a good deal ofground.
Day 1 The team who went to the main Corrie of Baiglass on the north face of the Campsie Fells
found an excellent upland mountain flora. with obvious basic influencesfrom the basalt The north-west
facing cliffs were wet. with some inleresting flushes. The more inaccessiblecliffs (arvay from the
sheep!) had eood willow scrub development. ivith Salix myrsiniJitlia (Dark-leaved Willow) and 5l
uurita (Eared Willow) and probable hybrids between them. Notable plants in this habitat included
()ulium horeule (Northern Bedstraw), Sedum vrllosum (Hairy Stonecrop), llubus .raxall/ls (Stone
Bramble), Aspletrrum viride (Green Spleenworl) and lipilohium alsrni.fttliun (Chickweed Willowherb).
Above the crags lirbus chumuenoru.t (Cloudberrv) and Lislero conlata (Lesser Twayblade) were
f b u n d i n w e t s p h a u n u mc u s h i o n su n d e r h e a t h e r L o c h W a l t o n w a s a l s o v i s i t e d , w h e r e a m o n g o t h e r
wetland plantsApium tndiflorum (Fool's-water-cress)and,4prllt ututululum (Lesser Marshwort) were
found.
'little'
A second group climbed up to the
Corrie of Balglass. which proved less rich than the big
one. The screebelow the cliffs at the east end had abundant ferns ('ryptogramma crispa (ParsleyFern),
l)ryoplerts ct//ini.s (Scaly Male-fern). Phegoplertr conneclrlis (Beech Fern), and lllechnum spicant
(Hard Fern) Horvever the cliffs themselves. althoueh showing spectacular columns of basalt, were
speciespoor, vvith lirrca cinc'reu (Bell Heather), Hieructum species(hawkweeds) and Sedum roseum
Roseroot). A wet flush was found to have a good population of Sedum yillosum. At the foot of an
outcrop of sedinlentaryrocks. underlving the basalt, were bright patchesof.\'.rxliaga uizoides (Yellow

Rcportsof Field Mcctings | 998

69

Saxifiage). A damp flush below the conittrous plantation produced a number of sedges. including
Carex laevigala (Smooth-stalked Sedge) and (-cu'exho.ttianu (Tawny Sedge)
T h e t h i r d g r o u p . w h o r e r . n a i n eodn l o w e r c r o u n d , m a n a g e dt o r e c o r d o v e r 2 0 0 s p e c i e si n o n e t e t r a d
contalnlng unimproved grassland.r'ergesand small woods. and clver | 00 rn the adjacenttetrad
Day 2 - We all became low level botanists due to a bad weather forecasr.
O n e g r o u p w e n t w e s t t o e x a m i n ea p a r t o f F l a n d e r sM o s s l y i n g i n S t i r l i n g s h i r eo n t h e S o u t h s i d e o f
t h e R i v e r F o r t h a t M i d d l e K e r s e . T h i s S S S I ( k n o w n a s S h e r g a r t o nM o s s ) p r o v e d t o b e i n g o o d c o n d i tion, though speciespoor. Andrometla prii/ttlru (Bog Rosemary) was not found although prolific in the
main part of Flanders Moss, but Rh.vtchosyru rr16a (White Beak-sedge) and (possibly) I'occinium
micrurdrpun (Sniall Cranberry) u'ere. A snrali wood around the edge of the moss was dense with
Dryopteris dilattttcr (Broad Buckler-f'ern) and I). carthu.tium (Narrow Buckler-f'ern). and the hybrid
between them (D. x tlev'everi)
T h e y t h e n m o ' , e d t o a n a t u r e r e s e n ' e ' n e a r t h e v i l l a g e o l K i p p e n . P a r t o f t h e r e s e r v eu , a s a n o l d
rubbish tip, and this yielded lots of alien species such as l)olcmotriunr cuerulaum (Jacob s-ladder).
('ampanulo lalilolia (Giant Bellflorver) and llcuruntulu.s lingrn (Greater Spearwort) in a pond. Wet
meadows nearbv rvere r.'erv productir"e. and l)ltrturrtltaru hr/itltu (Lesser Butterflv-orchid) and
P. chloranlha (Greater Butterfiy-orchid) were found gror.ving next to each other. along ttith Li.stent
ovala (C.ommon Twayblade), I)actylorhizct ./ilt:h,sjj (Common Spotted-orchid) I). maculalrr (Heath
S p o t t e d - o r c h i d )a
, n d . D . p u r p u r e l l a ( N o r t h e r n M a r s h - o r c h i d )a s r v e l l a s t h e h y b r i d b e t w e e nt h e l a t t e r
two (D. x formo:cr)
All this was not enough for the indefatigablefbursome as rain set in they next clambered dow,n
'l'olnrea
into the steep-sidedgorge of the Boquhan Burn (N5/66.94). Here
menziasii (Pick-a-backp l a n t ) r v a s v e r y w e l i e s t a b i i s h e da l o n g t h e e d g e o f t h e r i v e r T h e g o r g e s i d e s ,h o r . v e v e rp, r o r e d r i c h i n
species, and they found I:e.slucctullissinto (Wood Fescue), 1". grganteu (Giant Fescue), Rntnropsr.:
ramosa (Hairy-brome), Mrlium effusum (Wood N'lillet) and lillmus cailntus (Bearded Couch) along
w'ith ('amponula lttlifttlia (Giant Belltlo*,er) and a u,ide range of tbrns. including l'h.'Kt)ptL'n.\.1)ntLLtllrs (Beech Fern) and ()ymnocctrpium dr.yt4trtri.; (Oak Fern).
T h e s e c o n dg r o u p e x p l o r e d s o m e s i d e r o a d s n o r t h o l t h e A 8 I I a n d t h e e s t a t et l 1 ' G a r d e n A p o n d
a n d m a r s h t n t h e e s t a t e h a d ( ' a r c x ' i n t t t l t r t c r .t h e h y b r i d b e t w e e n ( ' . r o s t r c t l t r( B o t t l e S e d g e ) a n d
('. vesicaria (Bladder-sedge). though neither parent \\as present A lrrrge colon\ of l)act.t'lorhiztt
filchsit grew along the road to Backside of Garden. and one specimenol Ipilxrcti.t hellehrrinc (Broadl e a v e dH e l l e b o r i n e ) .M a n y a g r i c u l t u r a lw e e d sr i e r e f b u n t i o n t h e \ e r g e s a n d a l o n g r h e o l d r a i h . r a yl i n e .
including I'allopicr ctlrn'ot,ulu.s(Black-bindrveed). ('hcnr4xt<lttrm ttlhtrnt (Fat-hen) and lllutricdt.iLr
recuti ta (Scented May."veed).
The third group stayed around CLrlcreuch After *ading through head-high ve-setationround the
pond below the Castle. ntorning cotl'eeturned into a brrr lunch Suitably tbrtifled, w'e emerged from the
dungeons to find the sun coming out and so proceeded to the Mill dam. The usual lringe grassesand
sedgesgrew especiallyat lhe far end of the dam l'huluri.: cu'ttnlinutaa (Canary Reed-grass).1)lrngmiles aLtslrolis (Common Reed). (il1ct:riu .flurtutt.: (Floating Su'eet-grass). l.y.phulatt/itliu (Bulrush)
and Cctrex roslrola (Bottle Sedge). The water-crowfoot out fionr the edge was probably Rtururrculu:
pellahts
D a y 3 - S i x o f u s m a d e l o r D o u b l e C r a i g s .t h e S S S I a b o r e C u l c r e u c hC a s t l e .r v h i l e t h e l o r i l e v e l p a i r
headedeast towards Stirling. The crags proved rewarding I'otetrtrllo netrncurniunu(Spring Cinquefoil)
was fairly frequent, althoueh flowering \\,as over Anth.tlli.r t'ulntruriu svbsp lupprnica (Kidnev
\/etch), /lo.f.r pinpinelli/i)ltu (Burnet Rose). trlitruurtiq lrnzr (Spling Sandwurt). (;t'roiliun lutrdum
(Shining Crane's-bill), Helianthenttn nuntmuluriuu (Comrron Rock-rose), and truiting Orch.r
m a s c u l t t( E a r l y - p u r p l eO r c h i d ) w e r e a l l p r e s e n t T h e b a s e r i c h c o n d i t i o n so n s o u t h - f a c i n gs l o p e sw e r e
also reflected in the grasses Ht:littotrrchrn ltuhe.ttut.s (Downy Oat-grass) and lri.\etum fkt'escen.:
( Y e l l o w O a t - g r a s s ) .L T l p t u h r o n o i t l e . r( S q u i r r e l t a i F
l e s c u e )w a s l b u n d l o * ' e r d o w n b y t h e t r a c k b a c k t c r
the castle
T h e o t h e r t w o d r o v e o v e r t h e h i l l r o a d f r - o mC a r r o n R e s e n o i r t o r v a r d sN o n h T h i r d R e s e r v o i r .
s t o p p i n gt o i n r , ' e s t i g a tteh e B a n n o c k B u r n a n d n e r g h b o u r i n gs t r e a m s .A r o a d s i d et l u s h c o n t a i n e da b o u t

70

Rcportsof FreldMectings lqq8

a hundred plants o1'Setlum t,illosum (Hairy Stonecrop), L'ennica .sculellatq (Marsh Speedwell), and
numerous sedges They then proceeded1o SauchieCraig Wood SSSI. The old lime kilns supported the
groMh of /.l.ilcrLtovate (Comnron Twayblade). Agrimoniu proceru (Fragrant Agrimony) and the ferns
Asplentunt tn.lt()tnune.\ (N4aidenhairSpleenwort.) a:rd ('v:lr4leri.s ./ragili,s (Brittle Bladder-fern). The
roadside verge leading to the quarry entrance contained the alien Atuenu ovalt/it1ra (Two-spined
Acaena) and ( arduntine intpdtren.\(Narrow-leaved Bitter-cress).
This rvas a very useful meeting as it both confirmed pre 1987 records. and found new sites ofintere s t . T h e a g i l i t y o f t h e ' C r a g s t e a m ' w a s m u c h a p p r e c i a t e da. s w a s t h e p a i n s t a k i n gr e c o r d i n go f t h e l o w
revergroup
gDJ*SiJ*S3*s::tr:r:':';i-;=:r:ir*r'.-::':r'-.*:-:ri):ri'-.f:i-.-a'ii;-I;rii*iG A L A S H I E L S( \ c c 7 q & S U )I 4 ' h& I 5 . ' J' U L Y
A total of l7 attended the meeting. It augured well for the first day as the sun shone and an otter was
seenswimming in the Tweed as membersgathered in the car park at Galafoot.
T h e p a r t y s p l i t i n t o 4 g r o u p s T h o s e v r s i t i n gt h e b a n k s o f t h e T w e e d a t Y a i r ( v . c . 7 9 )r e f o u n d C a r e x
aqualrli.s ( Water Sedge) in spite of the high water levels Sculsl/dria gulcrit:ulctlcr(Skullcap) \vas new
and in good quantit) and Rumct-lottgt.fitliu.t(Northern Dock) rvas of interest as being away from road
sides .\errecz(,x oslen/eldii (Marsh ' Comnrcln Ragwort) and Itotr chuixii ( Broad-leaved Meadowgrass) were seen and a flushed bank had a go<-rdcollection of sedges including (larex laevigata
(Smooth-stalked Sedge) and ('. pollescer.r (Pale Sedge).EssensideLoch (v.c.80) provided a good haul
of updated records. Blysmu.s compressus (Flat-sedge), l)otamogelon /iltJrtrmi.s (SlenderJeaved
Pondweed) and I). luccns (Shining Pondweed) were all refound, l'. prr.sillus(Lesser Pondweed) was
new but Rwmnculus circtnutu.s (Fan-leaved Water-crowfoot) appeared to have gone. The Haining
Loch at Selkirk (v c 79) was its usual muddy brown colour lrom algal bioom but had Nuphar lulea
(Yellorv Water-lily) and to the south west, Ilhttntnus cuthurticus (Buckthorn) planted as a hedge probably over 50 years ago and still surviving. Avenel Hill and the gorge-like glen of the Allan Water (v.c.80)
proved an attractive venue. Melicu nularr.r (Mountain Melick), a rare species in the Borders was
(Burnet Rose) in a more open site nearby. Of great
refound on shadedledges with llosu pinpinellifiio
interesl was the discovery in local abundanceof l)ntmr4tsis henekenii (Lesser Hairy-brome) recognised
b y D a v i d W o o d o n t h e s t e e p ,s h a d e db a n k s .T h i s w a s a n e w v i c e - c o u n t yr e c o r d a n d a s y e t t h e o n l y o n e
f r o m S o u t h e r nS c o t l a n d T h e D o u g l a s B u r n ( v c . 7 9 ) i n Y a r r o w a n d l a s t v i s i t e db y t h e B S B I i n 1 9 7 2
provided a good venue tbr the hill party. Conspicuous patches of a coppery coloured Jt4imulu.s(.a
monkeytlower), probably .!ul.guttatu.s , (M lutetr.t M. cuprcus), grerv bv the burn. Updated records
for Dryoptcris oreotle: (Mountain N'lale-fern) and lktsa pimpinelli/bliu rvere made lrom a large area of
open stable scree at 430 m. (ialium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw) was common in the basic pasture
and Mytlsolrs sktlontfera (Pa)e Forget-me-not) and Sedum vilkxum (Bog Stonecrop) local in flushes
and old drains. The Sedum is especially vulnerable to competition lrom rrore vigorous speciesdue to
lack of grazing and was absent lronr flushes within the fenced forest area rvhere it was seen by the
trcutiflorus
author in 1982. The rank grow1h of I)esclmmpsttt ccspito.sct(Tufted l{air-grass), ..r.r/,clr.\
(Sharp-tlowered Rush) and Holcus mrillt.s (Creeping Soft-grass) had swamped these former open
flushes.l{owever a surprise find and a new vice-county record was }ipiltfiium alsiniJblium (Chickweed
Willowherb) found as scattered plants at the extreme edge of the burn over some 100 m where the
c o m p e t i t i o nw a s l e s s .
O n t h e s e c o n dd a y t h e p a r t y a g a i n s p l i t i n t o g r o u p s H u t l e r b u r nL o c h a n d i t s m i r e ( v . c . 7 9 ; l i v e d u p
to its reputation. ('urcx /rirro.rrr(Bog-sedge). {'. lu.siotury.ttr(Slender Sedge), Eriopfurum lotifolium
(Broad-leaved Cottongrass) and I'qtt:irtiun (NrL()cLo.\((iranberry) rvere all refound and [ltrrculqria
vulgurts s l. (Greater Bladderwort) was ne\\. On the rvalk over to the loch, Rotrythtum tunario
(Moonwort) was seen in several places. Synton Mossend (v c 80) was also visited and licla
lelraspermd (Smooth Tare) seen in waste ground by the A7 This was a third vice-county record The
'lriettlctlis
policies of Bowbill (v c 79) were ssoured to try and refind
europaeu.s (Chickweed

Reportsof Field Meetings

I99tl

7)

Wintergreen), Myrica gale (Bog Myrtle) and l'estuccrheterq)htllo (Various-leaved Fescue).The party
was unsuccessfulbut saw good colonies of P1'ntlu ninor (l.esser Wintersreen) in woodland and the
rare lt'iola canina (Healh Dog-violet) on the rocky banks of Yarrow. a tvpical Border habitat. The
introduced Alchemillo tt'llhentha (a Lady's-mantle) was locallv abundant along track sides. Its status at
Bowbill has remained more or less unchanged over the past 40 years N{ost unexpectedly, lmputtens
noli-tangere (Touch-me-not Balsam) previouslv reporled in 1880. was refound A flush near the
E t t r i c k a b o v e E t t n c k b r i d g e E n d ( v c . 7 9 ) p r o d u c e c la t h i r d r . i c e - c o u n t l r e c o r d l o r ( ' u r a x ^ f i t l w t
(Tawny Sedge , Long-stalked Yellow-sedge) and St,dunrtupcslra (Reflexed Stonecrop) was seen
t h r o u g h b i n o c u l a r so n t h e i n a c c e s s i b l e
s o u t h l a c i n g c l i t i a t t h e e n t r i i n c et o i n r p r e s s i v eK i r k h o p e [ . i n n s
Further recording was done at the Loch o' the Lowes (v c.7c))and an atternpt to refind ('orollorrhizo
lrrfttfu (Coralroot Orchid) last seen there in 1975 r.rasunsuccesstul
I would like to thank the larmers and landowners for readilv uivinc acoessto the sites and to all
those who attended for makinc the meetinr.:a success
R.W.M- CORNER
L A U N C E S T O N . C O R N W A L L , ( v c 2 ) l 7 ' i - l 9 ' hJ U L Y
Launceston is placed in the extreme east of Cornwall in SVi 8 rvhere three recording areas meet.
C o r n w a l l v . c 2 , C o r n w a l l v . c 4 , a n d D e v o n v . c ' 1 l t p r o v e d t o b e a u s e t u l c e n t r ef r o n l w h i c h t o c o v e r
s u c h a h e c t a d .F i f t e e n p e o p l e a t t e n d e dt h e m e e t i n g a n d a t - e u o f u s w e r e a b l e t o g a t h e r o n t h e F r i d a - v
evening to discussthe need to reflnd such comrrion speciesas ('urc'x flactu (Glaucous Sedgt ). ('atrrea
luletiona (Enchanter's Nightshade) and Jlanunttrlrts hederutau,t (lrry-leared Crowlbot) Three of us
had arrived early and had tinre to search the nearby Polson Bridge area specificallv f'or.\il7;rr.r.r'1/r'rarczs (Wood Club-rush) lt was not refound at this site. habitats havrng changed so nruch. but it was
eventually Iocated in a realll,'wet wooded area bv the River Taurar near the old Nether Bridse. It rvas
here that the group met on the Saturday to trnd Hypericrrm ntoculutunr (lmperfbrate St John's-rvort)
growing nearby on a wide roadside verge lt \!as one of the piants that needing re-tinding. bein.'ethe
'missing'parent
ofthe hybrid Hypericum x des(tetgel that had already been recorded. Several localities were visited during the day The r,aried habitats along the steanr-rar)rvayr.allet rvest ofLaunceston
gave new records for Ixtlepis cenuu (Slender Club-rush), Alisop.ttes ctronliun (Weasel's-snout) and
Ranunctlus sanlou.s (Hairy Buttercup) ,lunttrs /clil.l (Slencler Rush) and L'rtlpiu m.ttrros lRat's-tail
Fescue)were seen on waste ground rn Launceston and Pott nentvulis (Wood Meadtlw-grass) proved
v e r y a b u n d a n t .g r o w i n g e v e n r n a s h a d e da r e a a t t h e b a s e o f t h e w a l l s t h a t e n c l o s et h e g r o u n d s o f
Launceston Castle. The Nationallv Scarce Melittis melisx4thlllttm (Bastard Balnr) was fbund in
Landlake Wood south of Launceston and it ne\\'record r.vasnrade lbr ('urex ntrrriculu subsp lumpru>
curpa (Small-fruited Prickly-sedge). On Sundav the woods. arable tlelds and shaded hedgebanks
b e t w e e n C r o s s g a t ea n d D r u x t o n B r i d g e p r o v e d t o b e o f g r e a t i n t e r e s t B e i n g c l o s e t o t h e D e v o n
border, the gtasses RromoTt.sisnrmo.stt (Hairy-brorne) and l.lVnrr.s cutttrrtt: (Bearded Clouch) rvere
found to be very common. particularly in the hedgebanks ('ttcruclt olfit:itrurunt (Rustyback) was
plentiful on the mortared walls of Druxton Bridge but only one ytlantof l\tll.tttchunt uculcutuu (Har<l
Shield-fern) was seen. this fern being very rare in Cornwall The most interesting tlnd. liowever, was
that of Rromus .;eculinus (Rye Bronre) iong thought to ha\,c sone fiom the countv. Here. in arable
fields near Crossgate,there were dozens of plants. their tall stems standing r.vellabor,ethe cereal crops
with which they were growing. A rer.isit rvas made to the Beale's N4eadori.snear [-angdon. a reserve
o w n e d b y t h e C o r n w a l l W i l d l i f e T r u s t T h i s r e s e n e c o m p r i s e sa n u r n b e ro f ' h e r b - r i c hh a y r n e a d o w sw i l h
various ruslres,L1'chni: fkt.t-L:ttc
zl (Ragged-Robin) and nuntbersol l.)uct.thrhizo /rrrrale,rnl.r.rrr
(Southern Marsh-orchid). Agrcslis canirra subsp. cturtnu (Yelvet Bent) and liptptrcti.: hallafunna (Broadl e a v e d H e l l e b o r i n e ) w e r e a d d e d t o t h e s p e c i e s - l i s t sf i r r t h e s e m e a d o u s A t W e r r r n s t o n . n o r t h o f
Launceston,plants recorded included Leurtodcttr hi.rpitlu.:(Rough llaw,k s-bit)) unconrrnonrn Cornwall
and Mercuriali.\ ennud (Annual l\lercun) !'ru hunulr: (Spreading N4eador,,-grass)\vas seen tn a
n u r r r b e ro f p l a c e s b o t h o n w a l l t o p s a n d i n a q u a r r l / ' r t t u t t i l l t t a i r g l r c r r (r ' l ' r a i l i n g T o r m e n t i l ) a n d

't2

Reportsof FieldMeetings- 1998

P.x mixta (Hybrid Cinquefoil) were recorded and Lagarosiphon major (Curly Waterweed) and
Potamogeton crispus (Curled Pondweed) were found at Kensey Mill in a pool that may have once been
part of the Kensey River We were blessedwith wonderful weather, (those who were at the Cornwall
BSBI meeting in 1997 much appreciatedthis), the speciestotal for the hectad was greatly increasedand
numbers ofold records rvere refound. The Cornish cream tea at Kensey Mill marked the end ofa very
successfulmeeting
ROSE MURPHY
C H O R L E Y , L A N C A S T E R v c 5 9 ) 2 4 ' r - 2 6 ' hJ U L Y
Eleven members attended the field meeting during the course of the weekend. The meeting commenced
at Mere Sands Wood visitor centre (SD/446 158) on the Friday evening thanks to the generosity of
Lancashire Wildlif'e Trust reserve manager Dominic fugby. Brambles seen at Mere Sands included
Ruhus calvalu.s, R. crnthurulu.s. Il. ruhise, )1. crttrigt,r. ll. suhterconenr and /(. hylocharis. Some
menrbersalso travelled Io Banks to see /?. luti/blitr.t a specieswhich reaches a southern distribution
l i m i t i n t h e S o u t h D o r ta r e a
T h e p a r t y r e g a t h e r e do n t h e S a t u r d a ym o r n i n s a t Y a r r o w V a l l e y P a r k ( S D / 5 7 0 . 1 5 2 ) .S p e c i e so f
note included R. questteri. Il. nfiiue.'Wheldon's Bramble'. R. crintger. Il. rt'irralensis, R. distrqcti'The
Lancashrre Branrble'. After stopping briefly to see an undescribed
fttrmis, Il. ehoracensis and
plant at Copull Moor we made our way to Robin F[ood. Parbold (SD/525.116) to see R. lanaticaulis,
R. leyctnus, and R. pain/erl. Lunch was taken at Worthington Lakes Country Park from where we
travelled onwards to Scot Lane (SD/623.091) to see ll. incurvaliformis and then to the A58
r
( S D l 6 7 7 . 0 9 2 )o n t h e o u t s k i r k so f B o l t o n t o s e et h e ' N l a n c h e s t eB
ramble'.
R e t u r n i n gt o w a r d s H o r r v i c h a l o n g t h e h i l l s i d er o a d st o l h e s o u t h o f W i n t e r H i l l a s e r i e so f s t o p sw a s
made to see ll. eclliildtortles- R. cumbrertsr.r.pink tlowered Il. vestitns.the Lever Park corylifiiit. the
Bolton form of Il. ttccrcscenr and /i. ittten.stt.u.After a brief stop at Lelef Park to see the fuvington
mucronali the proceedings of the day's meetin-qrvere brought to a conclusion at Duxbury Woods,
Chorley where speciesseen included R. catuden.si.t.R. nc.s.reasrs
and Il. hcrtrumii
On the Sunday morning the party met at Worden Park. Leyland (5D1542210) Brambles seen
included R. ci.s,vburien.si.s.
R. moylei and Il. subtercuzez.swhilst ornamental Rrzbr,r.r
species included
R. otJoratu.s and Ii. lrrutlor
Moving on for a tour of the lower part of the fubble Valley catchmentarea a brief stop was made at
P i p p i n S t . ( S D / 5 9 1 . 2 4 0l b r I l . t r n i s a c a n l h o .ar n d . R . n e t r f u n l d i i . A t H o g h t o n t h e ' L e v l a n d h y . s t r i x 'a n d
R. tncurt'cttusrvere seen At Feniscowlesan escapedallotment bramble was rdentifredas the 'Bedford
Giant'.
After lunch at Winton Park we moved on to Alum Scar Wood (SD/63 28) rvhereR. adenanthoides.
'Ribble
R. angloserpenl and the
Valley bramble' occur in abundance. Onward then into v.c.60 via
Ribchesterto Longridge Fell (SD/619.384) for R. w,arreniiand a most informative talk about Lord de
Tabley lrom Alan Newlon
T h e m a i n m e e t i n g c o n c l u d e da f t e r a t o u r o f t h e h i l l s i d el a n e so n t h e f l a n k s o f t h e B o w l a n d F e l l s
where speciesseen included ll. lintlehergii.Il. cumhran:i,:. the'lnglewhite mucroiloti' and R. inJbsttts.
T h e r e w a s a l s o s o m e d i s c u s s i o na b o u t t h e s t a t u so f a l o c a l l y a b u n d a n tb r a m b l et h a t c l o s e l yr e s e m b l e s
R. grr/fithianus
A. few nrembers of the party continued onrvards to Beacon Fell to see R. ruhritinctu.s and,
R. sciocharro. and to Garstang for Il. rhombilitlitrs.
This was a most successtulfield rneeting on u'hich we were able to observe and discussnumerous
taxonomic issues, Many thanks to all who attended and to Dominic Rigby of the LancashireWildlife
Trust.
DAVE EARL

R e p o r t so f F i e l dM e c l r n g s l u o g

73

TARBRAX, LANARKSHIRE (v c71) 25" JULY

The meeting was held jointly with the Glas=sowNatural History Society.
The party offive met at Tarbrax and then proceededto a lay-by on the A70 rn order to take advantage of a public right-of-wa.v which would lead to the border rvith Mrdlothian (v.c 83). The leader
explainedthat the area to be surveyed had not previously been recorded for Atlas 2000 and therefore all
records would be of value. However. he was particularly interested in trying to find L"acciniummicrocurpum (Small Cranberry) which is known to be presenl just over the border in Midlothian It was
ascertainedthat only one record card r.vouldbe filled in. the members ofthe pany agreeing to call out
all the plants that they had not previously seen or heard others mention during the meeting As they
moved offto cross the fence, one or two plant names were called out. but the leader called the party
back and pointed out (to their surprise) that they had all been standing on Spergularicrmartno (Lesser
S e a - s p u r r e yi)n a s i t e a s f a r a s o n e c a n g e t i i o m t h e s e a i n t h a t p a r t o f C e n t r a l S c o t l a n d
The heather moorland had a rather unifbrm flora and in total only 96 dift'erenttaxa were recorded.
A s w o u l d b e e x p e c t e d .a r e l a t i v e l yh i g h p r o p o n i o n o f t h e t o t a l c o m p r i s e dg r a s s e s( 1 6 ) , s e d g e s( n i n e )
and rushes (six). The more interesting bog plants seen included Nurlhetium os.;ifrogun (Bog
Asphodel), Men.y'anlhe,s
trifitliotu (Bogbean). l'ittgtut:rrlu trt/gort.t (Cornmon Butterrvort), l'ethculori.s
palustris (Marsh Lousewort), Siedum t'illosum (Hairl Stonecrop) and Droseru rotundifblia (Roundleaved Sundew).
Close to the Midlothian border we noted many plants of cranberry but only two flowers and seven
fruits. A few specimens were taken, some of which seemed to match the description ol Small
Cranberry. They were sent to the Royal Botanic Garden. Edinburgh for eramination by Douglas
McKean who is also Recorder for the adjacent vice-county. He contirmed that both I,'. oxycoccos and
I/. microcarpum were presenl in the collection but did point out that there was now some dubiety as to
whether the latter should be regarded as a tnre species
However, the leader's nlain objective of tinding Small Cranberrl inv c.77 r.vasachievedl
P. MACPF{ERSON

DARTMOOR,NORTHAND SOUTHDEVON,(r'c 4 & i) 7'r'-9'h

/\UGLJST
The aim of the meeting was to search fbr two Dartmoor rarities. Hammurhytt pulrrrlo.rzr(Bog Orchid)
and Euphrasia vigursii (an eyebright endemic to Devon and Cornrvall) and to explore the area for
a d d i t i o n a l r e c o r d s f b r A t l a s 2 0 0 0 . S e v e n B S B I m e m b e r s a t t e n d e dt i o m o u t s i d e t h e a r e a a n d r v e r e
joined by eleven from the Botany section of the Devonshire Association. We rvere fortunate to have
advice and help fiom two ecologists from the Dartmoor National Park.
On Friday evening the facilities of the High Moorland Centre. Princetown were made available to
us, slides ofthe relevant specreswere shorvn and routes planned fbr the following two days. On each
day two groups went out to search for Hummorhyo and liuphra'itt r.,igur.rllrespectively.
The weather was hot and sunny throughout after a cold and wet June and July This mav account
for the lack of successrn finding Hammarhl,'crin either of its known sites or rn any of the additional 5
bogs on north-east Dartmoor that were diligently searched However other interesting bog plants were
found including Droseru irrlermedia (lnterrnediate Sundew), Pirrgrtrculu lusttunicu (Pale Butterwort),
Wahlenhergia hederacea (hy-leaved Bellflower), llhynchosporu a/ba (White-beaked Sedge) and
M enyanthes tnJo I i ata (Bog-bean)
A r e a s o n t h e e a s t e r ns i d e o f t h e m o o r . r n c l u d i n gB u c k l a n d c o m m L r na n d B l a c k s l a d ed o w n a n d m i r e ,
were searched for Euphrasia yrgrrr.r'lr Four liuphru.stu species were seen 1,. unglica, li. crnfu.sa,
E. micranlha and li. nemorur.r. but not l: vtgursir However all the usual Danmoor bog plants were
found as well as Teesdaliamulicauli.s (Shepherd's-cress)in tlower.
On the second day liuphro.sia vrgrrr.rllrvas found abundantly on High Down on the west side of the
moor. As expected it was growing in Agrostis czrlr.r'l (Bristle Bent)
{llex gallii (Western Gorse)

74

Reportsof Field Meetinss- I 998

heath but another associated plant was T'hymu; pruecox (Thyme). An evening expedition to see
Lycopriliella inundata (Marsh Clubmoss) was made to a site near old clay ponds at Cadover Bridge.
It was felt that western Dartnroor may be the easternlimit for E. vigur.siias it was not found
in several suitable sites to the east of the moor. I 998 was obviouslv a bad vear for Hqmmarbva on
Danmoor

ALISONWATT andROBERTHODGSON
BARRA AND OTFIER ISLANDS. OUTER HEBRIDES (v c I l0) 30b ruLY - 1" AUGUST
Our three days of recording netted 925 records for the Atlas, i.e. 10 km square records in addition to
the 660 post-l 987 records that we already had. On the assumptionthat about 2300 records (which is
the sum total of all previous records plus l0%) is the maxirnum possible,this means that the coverage
has improved from 30% to'7Oo/o.These records are spreadover 7 different l0 km squares,but only 5 of
these have sr.rbstantial
amounts of land in them. These statisticshave been worked out with the aid of
the RECORDER database. Recorders rvere provided with a printout of the known records for each
l0 km square and for each island. in the manner describedin BSIII News'l'7 . 20-21(1997). This enabled
us to know immediately in the field whether a speciesfound was already recorded for the Atlas, or a
refind from beibre 1987. or conrpletely new to the area We could also use the databaseon a ponable
computer to look up any old record. The Barra meeting was very well attended, with altogether l8
members and guests. The Pankhursts landed on the Saturday beforehand. In the undergrowth by the
house there rvere several resident corncrakes. ollen heard but never seen. and H.ypericum elode.s
( M a r s h S t J o h n ' s - w o r t )i n t h e b o g o v e r t h e r o a d .
Several other folk joined the Pankhursts in informal excursions before the main meeting started.
The most menrorable of these was to the uninhabited machair island of Fuday, NE of Barra. Six of us
boarded the boat in such torrential rain that we briefly doubted our sanity, but mercifully the sun came
out shortly after and shone hotly for the rest of the day. Fuday is remarkable for the huge quantities
bolh of Anacttmplis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid) and Orobanche olba (Thyme Broomrape) (dark
reddish-brown in spite of its name), both so scarce elsewhere in Scotland. Another big treat was to
meet with a pair of golden eaglesat their eyrie in the east of the island.
Apart lrom the above downpour we were generally fortunate with the weather, which was mostly
dry and cloudy. but with sunny spells on most day's.We were also lucky to have a sufficient number of
expert field botanists so that we could, on occasion. divide up into as many as five separategroups.
This meant that we were able to cover the ground pretty evenly, except perhapsfor the hills in central
Barra
On the morning of the first full day we were welcomed by Dr Robarts at Bruernish, who very kindly
showed us round the Spironlhes romctnzrffiana (lrish Lady's{resses) colony. The first spikeswerejust
coming into flower. After lunch rve spread out into groups. and the best find was a large colony of
A.jugapyrunulali.r (Pyramidal Bugle) in a new site There had been previous reports of an unidentified
Rihes and this time a lruiting plant of Il. rubrum (Red Currant) was found in a wild habitat near
Earsary.Bird-sown perhaps,but well establishedand a new vice-county record.
On Friday morning l0 of us set out ttom Castlebayin a fishing boat to vrsit Mrngulay and Berneray
(Barra Head). Mingulay is the most visited of the islands south of Barra. but we had no post-1987
records. Two parties landed there in the sunshineand made I 65 Atlas records, of which more than 20
(Barra Head) funher south. There had been
tvere ne\l' for the island. Another party landed on Bernera'yno records tiom this island since 1941. and it intersectstwo l0 km squares,so every plant seenwas an
Atlas record. The engine ofthe boat broke down and was soon fixed by the ever-resourcefulboatmen,
so we rvere obliged to sta), on the islands lor longer than intended. However. rro complaints were
'mainland',
heard. Meanwhile, back on the
another group went to Vatersay, the next island south of
Barra, and now accessibleby causeway Culium uligitto.rliz (Fen Bedstraw), ivhich is rare over here,
* a s r e f o u n d( l a s ts e e nl 0 4 l )

Botanical HoLdavs Ovcrseas

'75

O n S a t u r d a y ,a n o t h e r b o a t l o a d s e t o u l f b r t h e i s l a n d s .a i t h o u g h t h i s t i m e i n a d i f f e r e n tb o a t . O u r
targets were Muldoanich (steep and rocky) and Pabbay (part machair. part moorland) and both
uninhabited.Neither had been recorded since l94l Muldoanich has no machair and was expectedto be
a little dull, but in the er,entthe team reported that it was so interestingthev had not had enough trme to
see everything What seems to be l,trpltt,t.:tu not.thulht (an evebrisht). rcported lrclm here bv Proi
Heslop-Harrison. was refbund. Pabbay has little more than 2 square kilornetres but vielded or,er 200
-l
s p e c i e sw
. i t h o v e r 10 0 r e c o r d sq u i t e n e w t o t h e i s l a n d . h r s p r e s u r n a b l yr e f l e c t st h e l a c k o f a n y d e t a i l e d
earlrer recording Meanrvhile. further efibns back on Vatersav turned up ('trl.t'.;tegruxtldanellu lSea
Bindweed), the first record there tbr 20 years
The lists of species fbr Barra will give a lalse irnpressiontbr the lrequency of weeds of cultivation
'tatlv
It is nou'quite rare to tlnd a
p a t c h ' u r a c u l t i v a t e dg a l d e n a n d t h e a c c o m p a n y i n _wqe e d s m a y b e
qurte a treat. as on one occasion at Borve where there vere, Inntrunt unplcxrcuuit'(llenbit
Dead-nettle) 1,. crtrfertum (Northern Dead-nettle). L. hyht tLlunr (Cut-leaved Dead-nettle) and
L. ptrpureunt (Red Dead-nettle) rvith ('hrysunlhentunt segetum (Corn Marigold) and Ayeno sn'igoso
(Bristle Oat). On arrival I asked one recorder to look out lor {-up.sallu brrr.::tt-ptr.;tori.s
(Shepherd'spurse) and it was three days befbre he found it It is a scaroeplant on Barrar
This was a very satisfactory recording nleeting. We were fbrtunate with the weather and with the
boating, and mv thanks are due to everyone rvho took part.

RICHARD PANKHURST
P E N Y G R O E S . C . A E R N . { R F O N S H I R E( r . c - l e ) l 6 ' A L r G Ir S T
N i n e m e m b e r sa n d f r i e n d sa t t e n d e dt h e m e e t r n gw h i c h w a s t a r o u r e c lb v d r t ' a n d r r a i n l y s u n n y w c a t h e r
The party split into two groups. one visited coastal areas and the other explored r.vasteground around
Penygroes,a country lane and an old slate quarry.
The first group drove towards the coast and parked at Pontllt'thi. We r.r'alkedbeside the Aibn Llyfni
towards the shore and alongside the track were some naturalised aliens. including Slringa vulgans
(Lilac), Hypericum x ittodorun (Tall Tutsan) and Krtipholiu ' pruecox (Greater Red-hot-poker).
Further along the stream Sltach)'st anthtgtrtt (Hybrid \Voundwort) was spotted together with one ofits
parents, Slathys palustrl.s (Marsh Woundw'or1). On reaching the shore typical sand and shingle plants
were immediately seen, including Honckett\tr pepktidt'.t (Sea Sandwort). ()luuctun /luyum (Yellow
Horned-poppir), Ileta vulguri: subsp rralrllnrrr (Sea Beet). Iirtlthorhiu Turruliat (Sea Spurge) anci
s u r p r i s i n g l y( ' r t l h m u m n o r i l i m u n ( R o c k S a r n p h i r e )T h e o n l y , l t r t y t l e xt h a t w e c o u l d p o s i t i v e l yi d e n t i l y
at that time of the year was.4. !ttciniutu (Frosted Orache)
H a v i n g e x p l o r e d t h e a r e a w e t h e n d r o r e 2 k n r s o u t h r v a r d st o , , \ b e r d e s a c ha n d h a d l u n c h i n t h e
b e a c hc a r p a r k o v e r i o o k i n ga r o c k y s a n c l l ' b a vJ u s t o u t s i d et h e c a r p a r k * a s a p a t c h o l I ' a t o t t t t u u g r a . s / l " r ( G r e e n F i e l d - s p e e d w e l l )T h e h a b i t a t * a s s i r n i l a r t o b c l b r e b u t r v e s a u . i n a d d i t i o n . ( . u 1 1 . ; t e g r u
s o l d a n e l l a ( S e a B i n d w e e d ) . ' l r i / b l i u m L r t ' a n \ t . \('H a r e ' s - t i r o t f i l o v e r ) ,l ) u u t u . s c u r r t t t ( W i l d C a r r o t ) a n d
L,r.tng1u, mortlimum (Sea Holly) Bv the stream was,\limulrr.t {tt/lLtltt.\ (Nlonkeyt)clwer) and l)ar.sr,
c a r i a a m p h i h i u ( A m p h i b i o u s B i s t o r t ) O n e s h a r p - e 1 e dm e m b e ro f t h e p a r l \ , s p o t t e dl l u m c x , p r u t e n . t i . s
(ll. crispus ' R. ohtusifttliu.r')(Meadori Dock). both parentsalso bcing present
We then drove northwards just past Caernartbn Airpon to record in lhe saltmarsh in Foryd Bay
IVost of the typical saltrnarshplants were seen. inciuding (ilutr.r nuritimir (.Sealvlilkrvort), Aster trif)lium (.Sea Aster). ('ochleuriu uttglicu (EIrglish Scurrygrass), .\ruretlu muntrnrrr (Annual Sea-blite).
Sparlina uilglico (Common Cord-grass), Spergulurtu mediu (Greater Sea-spurrey),.Juncusnruriltmus
(Sea Rush) and .1. gerurdir (Saltnrarsh Rush). We also managed to identily Put:citrcllia tli.stctts
(Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass)and l'. murittmu (Comnton Saltmarsh-grass) As we w'alked southwards,
further from the sea, marshland plants began to appear such as lJolbrt.schrnrilt.\
mantrmu.\ (Sea Clubrush) Alismu planlttgrroquul/c./ (Water-plantain), Llcr4ur.\ aur()puett.\(Ciipsywort). ,\chtrcnr4tleclu.:
lLthenuen(rilLilz (Grey Club-rush), l(utrutttrltr.t huudrtir (Brackish Water-croulirotl. and ,ltutelluru
galericuloltr (Skullcap). FInally. by the bridge over a stream in which T,unntchclliuTtulu.strr.;
(Horned

Rcportsof Field Meetings 1998 / Botanical Holidays Overseas

Pondweed) occurred. we found Vicia lelrasperma (Smooth Tare), a plant I had not noticed previously
in North Wales
The other group started with a new v.c. record in Penygroes car park, namely Polentilla qrgenleo
(Hoary Cinquefoil) probably brought in with soil from elsewhere. The waste ground nearby yielded
Geranium pusilhrm (Small-flowered Crane's-bill), Ornilhopus perpusillu.s (Bird's-foot) and Linaria
repens (Pale Toadflax). Following a lane with wet meadows and a marsh alongside,interesting plants
such as Hypericum elodes (Marsh St John's-wort). Pediculari.spaluslrl.i (Marsh Lousewort), Razazculus omiophylhrs (Round-leaved Crowfoot) and Sculellariu minor (Lesser Skullcap) were seen.
On arriving at an old slate quarry. I.rlugo ntinimu (Srnall Cudweed) and F. vulgaris (Common
Cudweed) were noticed growing on its floor. and nearby was (-eratocapruts claviculala (Climbing
Corydalis)
l n a l l I v . c r e c o r d a n d 3 5 n e w h e c t a dr e c o r d sw e r e m a d e
G. BATTERSHALL

BOTANICAL HOLIDAYSOVERSEAS
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June
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!9p Prgsq

17

STOP PRESS
STUNG
'l
The following extract from a letter to T'he intes in 1958 may amuse some members I discovered it
while going through my late father's papers in I 960 and rediscoveredit during my retirement sortingI
'Sir,

My company is building a small works fbr the manufacture of electrical appliances in a road
a d j a c e n t o t h e s t a t i o n V a r d i n a t o w n n e a r b y ' . U n t i i r e c e n r l vt h e ' s i t e ' w a s c o v e r e d w i t h r v e e d so l a l l
descriotions.
T h e C o u n t y P l a n n i n gC o m m r t t e e .q u i t e w i s e h ' . l a v s d o w n a s o n e o l i t s r e q u i r e m e n t st h a t a c e r t a i n
amount of planting of tlowers in lront of works shall be done. and our architect prepared our first plan
accordingly with a bed marked "Shrubs " For some reason which I cannot understand, the plan r.vas
r e t u r n e d w i t h a r e q u e s t t b r a p l a n t i n g s c h e m e .a l t h o u g h o f c o u r s e n o p l a n n i n g c o m m i t t e e i s a b l e t o
ensure that subjects shall continue to live after being planted. Feeling that this was just a little too
m u c h ,I s u b m i t t e d a p l a n s h o w i n - g t h e t b l l o w i n sl . ( ' r u t o e g t s ( ) x 1 - a L a t i l h o ( c h a r m i n g s h r u b r v i t h w h i t e
'laraxflowers and red berries). 2. ('ulyslegtu septun (climbing perennial-large white llowers). 3
acum olJicinale ( I ft. 6in. high perennial with many yellow flowers) , 4. Ilrtica c/ir.rlc'c(leaves of dark
green-3ft high, pale yellow flowers in spreading spikes).5. Ligustranr vulgure (handsorne shrub.
white flowers, heavily scented).6. Runex ohtusifolia (large perennial.3 ft. high. red flowers and fruit).
J. Sambuctt.snigra (shrub. white flowers in corvmbs), 8. ('trcueu lutetianu (perennial, lli.6in. high,
pink, in elegant racemes).
We offered to amend the list in any way that the Planning Committee wished, but no changeswere
required. I belie'"'ethat such plans go betbre no tbwer than three separatecomrnitteesof elected representatives.In due course the plans were returned stampedwith the approval ofthe County Council.
I f i n d m y s e l f i n s o m e d i f f i c u l t v n o r i . s i n c e I f i n d t h a t I n o l o n g e r w i s h t o p l a n t s t i n g i n gn e t t l e ,
b i n d w e e d ,d o c k s , a n d d a n d e l i o n s .M u s t I n o r v a p p e a l t o t h e M i n i s t r y o f H o u s i n g f o r p e r m i s s i o nt o
m a k e a c h a n g e? L e t m e m a k e i t c l e a rt h a t i n m v c o m p a n y ' sa n d t h e p u b l i c ' si n t e r e s tw e i n t e n dt o m a k e
our factory look attractive.
The County has many serious planning problems. is it not time that more attentron were given to
the greater questionsthan the grandmotherly superr/isionofpettv little matters ofthis sort t
I wonder rvhat speciesfinally did get planted?

r:r:i::.:r....::r:.,11r.

THE EXHIBITION
B o t h f i e s h a n d p r e s s e dm a t e r i a l
Cihoice-gatheredfar and wrde.
O f r i c h l y d r v e r s et a x a . a l l
Brnomialsupplied
F r o n r a l t i t u d e sl o i l , m i d d l e .t a l l ,
E a c h s e a s o n ' sj o y a n d p r i d e ,
D i s p l a y e da t o u r s r e a t A n n u a l
' G r e a tp l a n t s
h e r e .t o o l ' w e c r i e d .

P.

..9.k4.
*,,,"*'*.:.........:.....*

78

Stop Press

BSBI POSTCARDS
A r e m i n d e rr h a t t h e s ea r c s t i l l a r a i l a b l e l o s u p c r h d i f f e r e n t p ( ) s t c a r d so f p l a n l s I t o m B r i t a i n a n d
l r e l a n d p r o d u c e do n h i g h q u a l i t y c a r d , a n d p r o m o t i n g t h e S o c r e t v .
P l e a s e s e n d 1 2 . 5 0 p l u s 5 0 p p & p t b r a s eo tr .t 4 7 5 f o r 2 s e t s t o ( a n d c h e q u e p a y a b l e t o ) '

*.fl],*.,1,,F*.R\i.$f,*;1.!-s.,,9'1.9'*B,.:..:.l..o....}*l,g:._1..i'*Q'tslk3gg:':'':.!
TREASTiRER AND MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
It is very important fbr members to remember that the jobs of Hon. freasurer and Hon. Membership
Secretaryhave been split up
Our Hon Treasurer is Michael Braithwaite and all queries of a tinancial nature apart from
SUBSCRIPT|ONSshouldbesenttohimat. l9tsuccleuchStreet,Hawick.Roxburghshire,TD90HL;
T e l 0 1 4 5 0 - 3 7 2 2 6 ' 7F a x 0 1 4 5 0 - 3 7 3 5 9 1 .a n d n o t t o h i s h o m e a d d r e s s ( g i v e n i n t h e Y e a rB o o k ) w h i c h
is fbr his vice-county recorder duties only.
M i k e W a l p o l e i s o u r H o n M e m b e r s h i pS e c r e t a r ya n d a l l q u e r i e sr e g a r d i n gS U B S C R I P T I O N S a n d
M E M B E R S H I P s h o u l d c o n t i n u e t o b e s e n t t o h i m a t 6 8 O u t w ' o o d s R o a d , L o u g h b o r o u g h ,L e i c s
L E l l 3 L Y , T e l 0 1 5 0 9 - 2 1 5 5 9 8 ,E - m a r l m i k e w a l p o l e - r r r d rpailp e x c o m

EDITOR
Contactingthe Hon. General Secretaryor Editor by phone: lft'ou necdto contactmc by phone.thereis a 24
hour ansrvenng/t-ax
ntachinein mr BSBI olice. lust learc a mcssagc(includrng1'ourphone numbcr - most
rmportant.don't assumeI havc it. and pleasespeakslorvly)and I rvill gct backto _"-,ou.
The numberof timcs I get
a m e s s a g c t o p h o nseo m e o n e b a c k * r t h a r u s l i e d . u n r n t c l l i gpi bhloen e n u m b c r i s a n v o n e ' s g u eYsosu m a l ' b e a b l e
to rattleoffvour numberat top speed.but don't c\pcct anvoneelseto decipherit!
Bearing in mind that. accordingto Mary Briggs' classificatron'.I am an orvl. thc bcst times to catch me in my
officc arc betweenl0 a m. and 12 noon and 2 p.m to 5 30 p.m. on rvcckdavsbut be rvarned.I do not spendall
m y t i m e i n t h c o f t i c cI f v o u f a i l t o l l n d m c r n l d o a p o l o g r s c . b u t . j u s t l e a r ' c a n r c s s a g c a n d l r v i l l g e t b a c k t o y o u
as soonas I can I do have another(honrc)phoncnunrbcrrrhich. in u cnrergclrcr.can bc obtainedfiom Drrecton Enqulrics.but please-onlr rrscrt as a llst resort
'12-73
(1997)
Guide to contributors. A full gLridcto authorsof papcrsirnd artistsappearedin BSBI Newsl5
Copics are available from thc Editor on receipt of an s r c Pleaseread and follow thesegurdclir.rcs
as far as
possible.
EDITOR
The EditorCrirnn Ellis can bc contactedbi phoncor fax on 01222-196042
or e-mail:bsbihgslayaol.com
All text and illustrationsappearingin BSBI News and its Supplementsare copyright and no reproduction
in any form may be made without written permissionfrom the Editor.
Offers and spcctaltemrs applv onlr to mcmbcrsoftlie Societyand copicsarc not availableon an exchangebasis
B S B I N c i v s( I S S N0 3 0 9 - 9 3 0 Xi)s p u b l i s h c d
b r t h e B o t a n i c aSl o c i c t vo f t h c B r i t i s hl s l e s
's
Enquirresconcentingthc Soctctt aotirrtiesand mcmbcrshipshouldbc addressed
to: Thc Hon. GcneralSecretan'. c/o Dcpt. of Botanr. Thc Natural Hrston Nluseum.CromrvcllRoad-LondonSW7,5BD
T c l :( l l 7 l 9 i l l l t 7 0 l
Camera ready copy produced by'Cwynn Ellis and printed by J. & P. Davison,S JamesPlace,Treforest,
P o n t y p r i d d ,M i d G l a m o r g a nC F l T 2 B T . ( T e l .0 1 4 4 3 - , 1 0 0 5 8 5 )

79

Contents
Continued

from hack cover

ATENS
AIien records
Misconoepttons abo\\ Amsinckia lycopsotdes Lehn.
'
Ar unusual hrhrrd
Anothcr handsomc. though not so vigorous. h\bnd
The Scilfu at \l arler Plaee
Dcureasrng alienr
Geun macrophyllum. a natil,e ol-Aflrcnaa. ntrkes rtscll rt horne irr rnr gardcl
Rhagatliolu-s edtlis rn Mallorca
. and []ntain:'
Alien and cultrvated So/anrz - a nomenclatural Lrpdatc
New corufer rn the Bntish Isles)
....
NOT]CFS (BSBT)
Ladl s-slrpper orchi.l
NOTICES t NON RSB)1
I ir"-t Patron ol the Ilritrsh Ptcndologica] Soclct\
Scotland s National Botilic (larden wns Scottrsh Mirrkettng Asard
Orlbrdshtreercnts
I-lora Locale lraining rjar.
ldentilication ol aquatic rnacrophfles
Id-QUES't S
Bucks. rcoords u'mted lbr Atlas 2(X)0
....
Florturca
I4drroria requcst(J
Glabrous lbrrns ofSilene dioica (Red Campron)
Scc\rng hotarrrcalanr:ts
(iffllRS
Wcst Dourr \ccd lisl larx
Morc seed. llom Warc
Supplr o1-herl'ariun)nrountirg prper
TJOOK N( )TTS
Revicss ofreccnt BS[JI publications (] )
l}c lrLcl ol the Irish
l l , n t r - n h 1 9 9 d .r o n t g c r r d a
OBTTUARY NOI-LS
REPORTS OF OVERSEAS COMTHRENCES OIt TRIPS
Vrsrt [o Consenalojre Natronalc Botaniquc at I]riIIcul. I6'I,).lulv
A n e v e n r n gu a l k r r r S s e J e r r
REPOI{TS OI FIELD MEETINGS
I998
Druue lccture & I-rcldmeetings. Norlhdrnptonshrre (v.c.32 I
Islcol Wrght (\ c lr)r
Cenfal Southem Sussex (v.cc.l3 &14)
...
( issbun Rilg
Frnlr). Slirlrnlshirel\ u 16,
-q
Grrlashielsr r (c
& xri.J
L a u n c e s t u nt. o p u a J l 1 r e 2 )
Ch()rle) I aD(dsler \ ( 5q.j
T a t b r a x .L n r u r l s h r r e r v c . 7 " 1
Dartmoor. North and South Dcvon. (v c .1 & 3 )
Bana and olher islands. Outcr I iebridcs ( v c I I 0 )
Penl,groes,CaemarloDshire (v u..19)
BOTANICAI, HOLIDAYS OVERSI.,AS
Botanical Ilolidavs Overscas I 999 with Cox & Kings
Field Studies Councrl ()verseirs ll\pcricnces in lr)()9

sTof I'l{ss
Srune
thc Exhibitron
RSBI Portc:rrls
Treasurer ald Menbcrship Sccretan
Contactitrg the Ilon. General Sccretary or Editor bv phone
(;uide lo (rrntribulors

I')9li

1l
,13
44
45
,16
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4tt
4l{
49
51
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52
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53
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54
5,1
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1l
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7l{
78
'7A
'78

CONTENTS
ADMINISTR
II(]N
ADMn\I\I'RATJ{)N
L ourrcil Nornrnrlr,'rr.
Deadlurc lbr curtributtrrls tbr /9JR/ Vev,r 8l
IMI'ORIAN | \(,TT( I-\
C o v c r r r r r { sa r r r lS u h : , r r p tr o r r :
anrolc lor'l\prng
8.\B-l \ievs hdct
I)IAR\
rTI
,ldAl
& N{
:
LL)l l{
( onprrlulrtlon'
L ongralulalinrli rlju l(r
Thrrrl.
I hanl. a1..,,
An dlolog\
Codc o1 Curr.lu. t
And tinrrllr
n ILAS 2rrrnI
l ' r , , E r e { iR c l o n
Retur.ls l(erctreJ
Vi((-rounlic\
FiusheLl
Monitorng Scheme Square"
l\ogtess at \{es[. WooJ
H c c l r r dI e r g u e l a h l e
AIens
Lict Your RcuorJs Lr'
I inJcr-rer nttlcJ S(luJrc:
WilJ I luscr S.Lrct\ CrJrrl
n uth,{\
AeLtuu lcLlpcmetrl '
'ihc
vascular plant databasc lbr Norlhcm lrcland (Nli and NI Atlds 20()()prolecl
CIJ.(JI{DINAfORS
CL]RNI ll.
l ( a r c I ' lj r n l R c E r . r l e r . ,
(-onrputcrr 'alror,
I tueatenerl Planls Italahusc
RLL U}TDERS AND RI( ORDI\C
I'ancl oi Relelees
( haillci in \ L Rc(L,rLl.ts
APPoitlllrrenli
Rciigrt"t totts rt,,l I)crlhs
Vice-countt Rare Plalit Registcrs thc standard un)del or a revised allcmalivc -.r rcsponst
N( tlf S AND n Rl-lCI I S
'Ihe
DNA phylogenv ot llo\\erinB plants
Ludwryra palrtnr
rn l)otset
Ncu Flora o1 the Ilritish Isles, ed. 2 - important enata
..
A neu inliageneric orchid hybrid f-or tsitainl
Whatcvcr happcned to the hernlock )
L urunorr Jaiiies urrrlerllucut
Fungal inl'cction oi clpress spurge
(-\prcss'purg( Irilcrlr,ril
List of plants endernrc to thc British lslcs
Tolypella ptoltJeru discovered rD N Somcrsct (v.c 6)
Spergularia narun on tnland roadstdcs (2)
Is thls a reco.d hciglTl lor a l:erbascuni)
( ardamrne pratetsu in laus ( l )
( ardamine praleilst r in larvns (2)
Cardamite pratensir ln an urban laun in l-cudon (3)
(-ardamine pratensis rn urban lawns (,1)
('ardaniil. prdtensr.r n ld*rls (5)
I9
Botany- (natural histon ) in literature
2l)
Botrtn itr litctatutc
Botrrn irrliter.rturc 2 I
Vrsrul.r
LUNSLI(VA I.I( 'N NIWS & VII WS
I Iabllalll Jnilo(dllors
Ftmona reuten
V a s c u l a rp l a t t t l r s t . o t ' s c h s t t e
Putting thc savagc back into *ild Ilowcrs . .
An cnrlangerctl iounr.rli.t.'
An airstrip at Demgimlagh tn the Roundstonc Bogl
Continued 0n inside back coier

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