Vascular Plant Register County Antrim County Antrim Scarce, Rare & Extinct Vascular Plant Register and Checklist of Species Stan Beesley Record editors: Stan Beesley & Paul Hackney Authors of species accounts: Stan Beesley & Paul Hackney General editor: Julia Nunn 2006 These records have been selected from the database held by the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording at the Ulster Museum. The database comprises all known Co. Antrim records. The records that form the basis for this work were made by botanists, most of whom were amateur and some of whom were professional, employed by government departments or undertaking environmental impact assessments. This publication is intended to be of assistance to conservation and planning organisations and authorities, district and local councils and interested members of the public. Cover design by Fiona Maitland Cover photographs: Giant’s Causeway © Julia Nunn Ajuga pyramidalis © Stan Beesley Sedum rosea © Brian Beesley Mertensia maritima © Graham Day MAGNI Publication no. 019 © National Museums & Galleries of Northern Ireland 1 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim 2 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim CONTENTS Preface 5 Introduction 7 The species accounts - criteria 10 Key to abbreviations used in the text and the records 11 Contact details 12 Acknowledgements 12 Species accounts for scarce, rare and extinct vascular plants 13 Appendix I - rare casuals and garden escapes 182 Appendix II - species recorded in error 216 Checklist of taxa from Co. Antrim 217 Publications relevant to the flora of Co. Antrim 231 Index 233 3 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim 4 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim PREFACE Stan Beesley died somewhat unexpectedly on 1 August 2005, having completed his latest draft of this Register. Stan had started this project, with Julia Nunn as his editor, some two years previously, having been the Recorder for Co. Antrim for the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) for a good number of years; a position which he filled with considerable dedication and commitment. Stan had come to Co. Antrim from England in the early 1970s, and he soon became an active member of both the Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club and the BSBI. Many of his field excursions were made in the company of his close friend John Wilde who was, like Stan, both an employee of Courtaulds and a native of Lancashire. Stan had been particularly active in the organization in Northern Ireland for the BSBI’s Monitoring Scheme of 1989-1991, and Stan and John jointly wrote the Urban Flora of Belfast, published in 1997. Both were major contributors of records to my own Flora of the North–East of Ireland, published in 1992. Stan’s death has resulted in the task of completing his Register passing to myself and Julia Nunn. I have made some additions and amendments, but wherever possible, the text remains Stan’s and the overall concept and approach remains his. From the botanist’s viewpoint, Co. Antrim is one of Ireland’s most interesting and diverse counties, situated in the extreme north eastern corner of the island and separated from Scotland by a mere twelve miles at their closest. Scenically, it also has much to offer, with its rugged coastline of basalt and chalk cliffs, occasionally interrupted by extensive sand dunes. Behind the coast rise the uplands of the Antrim Hills through which are cut a number of picturesque glens running down to the sea. Behind these uplands, lies the Co. Antrim portion of the low-lying Lough Neagh basin, much of it covered formerly by wide-spread raised bogs of which some extensive fragments still survive. This Register brings together all the existing records of the rarer vascular plant species. In an Irish context, Co. Antrim has some notable plants such as Dryas octopetala, Minuartia verna, Ajuga pyramidalis, Spiranthes romanzoffiana, Saxifraga hirculus and Carex pauciflora; some species like Geranium pratense and G. sylvaticum have their only Irish native localities in the county. It is intended that this Register will assist in focussing attention on the conservation needs of these and the other species listed here. Paul Hackney Keeper of Botany Ulster Museum, Belfast 5 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim 6 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim INTRODUCTION This Register is intended to record details of the occurrence of rare plants in Co. Antrim. It has been produced as part of a national initiative based on the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) vice-county system. The Sussex Rare Plant Register (Briggs 2001) was an early publication, and in several respects has been used as a model in the present work. The work is as complete and up to date as posible, but to be of continuing use, it is important that the Register is revised regularly to include new information. In Northern Ireland, the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) at the Ulster Museum is well-placed to provide such a service. Two main uses are envisaged for the Register. Firstly to indicate and provide information on those species at risk and requiring protection; secondly, to provide information on the occurrence of casuals and introductions whose distribution and frequency of occurrence in the county could change in the future as a result of climatic, human or other factors. The botanical and common names are those used by Stace (1999). Following the layout used in the Sussex Register, the species are arranged in alphabetical order. Aproximately 461 species, subspecies and hybrids are detailed. Criteria for inclusion in the Register The principal criteria used for inclusion in the main portion of the Register are: (a) Vascular plant species growing wild in Co. Antrim (H39) (Figure 1). Native species, archaeophytes and neophytes are included. (c) Vascular plant species that are currently scarce, rare or extinct in Co Antrim (see below for detailed criteria). (d) Vascular plant species and some hybrids that are protected by international or national legislation. The Appendix lists records of species which have been recorded only as very rare casuals, or which were recorded in error. Excluded from the lists are cultivated species. Conservation legislation categories (a) Listed/occurring in EC Habitats and Species Directive Annex IIb, IVb or Vb; or Appendix I of the Bern Convention or Appendix I or II of CITES. (b) Listed in the Irish or British Red Data Books for vascular plants (Curtis & McGough 1988; Cheffings & Farrell 2005 (recently superseding Wigginton 1999)). (c) Listed in Schedule 8 of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 or the Flora Protection Order 1987 (Republic of Ireland). (d) Listed as Northern Ireland Priority Species or Northern Ireland Species of Conservation Concern. In Northern Ireland, all wild plants are given some measure of protection under the Wildlife (N.I.) Order, 1985. The order has the effect that, unless you have a licence, you may not: intentionally pick, uproot or destroy any wild plants listed in the schedule, or even collect their flowers and seeds; sell these plants or their seeds if taken from the wild; uproot any wild plants intentionally, except on your own land or with permission. 7 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim Figure 1. Vice-county H39 Antrim (modified from Praeger 1901) 8 Vascular Plant Register County Antrim Fifty-six species, listed in Schedule 8, parts 1 and 2, (Table 1 below) are given special protection. Plants which occur or have occurred in Co. Antrim are printed in bold and red type, and number 40 in total. This represents 71% of the plants listed in Schedule 8. The corresponding values for Co. Down are 26 plants representing 46% of the total listed in Schedule 8. Table 1. Plants listed in the Wildlife Order (N.I.) 1985, Schedule 8, part 1 Adoxa moschatellina Ajuga pyramidalis Andromeda Calamagrostis stricta polifolia Carex magellanica Carex pauciflora Centaurium littorale Cirsium heterophyllum Dactylorhiza Dryas octopetala Elatine hydropiper Eleocharis parvula traunsteinerioides Epipactis palustris Epipactis phyllanthes Erica vagans Erigeron acer Frangula alnus Geranium sylvaticum Gymnocarpium Hammarbya paludosa dryopteris Hierochloe odorata Hordelymus europaeus Hottonia palustris Hypochaeris glabra Lathyrus palustris Limonium binervosum Limosella aquatica Lycopodiella inundata Melampyrum Mentha pulegium Mertensia Monotropa hypopitys sylvaticum maritima Neottia nidus-avis Ophrys apifera Orchis morio Orobanche hederae Orthilia secunda Pilularia globulifera Polystichum Primula veris lonchitis Pseudorchis albida Ranunculus fluitans Rubus chamaemorus Saussurea alpina Saxifraga aizoides Saxifraga hirculus Saxifraga Silene acaulis oppositifolia Sisyrinchium Spiranthes Stachys officinalis Teesdalia nudicaulis bermudiana romanzoffiana Trichomanes Trollius europaeus Viola persicifolia Primula vulgaris * speciosum * Primula vulgaris is listed in Schedule 8, part 2 and may be picked, but not uprooted. 10 plants are U.K. Priority plant species which occur in Northern Ireland, and these are listed in Table 2. Of these plants, 8 (80%) occur or have occurred in Co. Antrim, compared with 5 (50%) which occur or have occurred in county Down. The lower occurrence of plants from county Down is presumably due to a greater range of habitats in Co. Antrim. Table 2. UK Priority plant species in Northern Ireland Cochlearia officinalis subsp. scotica Fumaria purpurea Juniperus communis Lycopodiella inundata Melampyrum sylvaticum Mentha pulegium Saxifraga hirculus Sium latifolium Spiranthes romanzoffiana Trichomanes speciosum