Dorset Environmental Records Centre Newsletter No.73 Spring/Summer 2015

elcome to another DERC newsletter and a new recording Southern Damselfly Wseason. In our newsletter articles we always include the Coenagrion mercuriale common name for each species followed by the Latin binomial, ( ) relating to the and species. This has a very practical purpose; whereas the common name for a species can vary from place to place Southern Damselfly © Robert Aquilina the Latin (should) remain steadfast and leave no place for doubt. Common names are often very descriptive whereas the Latin is, of course, another language but hidden amongst the unfamiliar words there are often clues to tell us more about the plant or ’s colour, form or even its preferred habitat.

Colour is perhaps the most obvious, ‘albus’ for example, denotes white as in White Poplar (Populus alba) and ‘sanguineus’ means blood red, as seen in During the summer of 2014 volunteers the Ruddy Darter dragonfly (Sympetrum from the Freshwater Recording Group and sanguineum). Several terms are used Dorset Dragonfly Group undertook surveys for yellow – ‘aureus’ for golden yellow at a number of Dorset sites known for their or ‘luteus’ for bright yellow as in Yellow populations of Southern Damselfly. This small Vetch (Vicia lutea). ‘Macula’ means spot blue damselfly is not only nationally rare but or blemish and the leaves of Lord’s and is recognised as one of Europe’s rarest and Lady’s (Arum maculatum) are often most threatened damselflies. In England it is Lady’s-smock marked with dark blotches. ‘Helic’ means confined to the New Forest and Pembrokeshire (Cardamine pratensis) coiled or twisted and describes the form with a few scattered outlier populations of ivy (Hedera helix) twisting upwards including those in Dorset. or a whole genus of snails including the Heath Snail (Helicella itala). ‘Spinosus’, It is over ten years since DERC last collated meaning spiny, suits the Blackthorn Southern Damselfly data and initiated a survey (Prunus spinosa) but does Stinking Iris by Rees Cox to look at some sites only known (Iris foetidissima) really deserve its evil- from historical records plus some potential new smelling moniker? Whilst looking at sites. Rees found that for most historical sites names for this article I came across an changes in habitat now made them unsuitable. alternative local name for this plant – Between 2000 and 2014 a few sites have been Bloody Bones! regularly monitored and Southern Damselfly has been found at a couple of new sites in Some of the habitats most often south-east Dorset in recent years. Its future Stinking Iris occurring amongst the Latin names in Dorset, however, remains uncertain as the (Iris foetidissima) are ‘sylvatica’, meaning of the wood, new survey concluded that although Southern Photos © Bryan Edwards Photos for example Beech (Fagus sylvatica) or Damselfly is managing to maintain itself at a Wood-sedge (Carex sylvatica). ‘Pratensis’ number of Dorset sites it appears to have been means growing in meadows and is very appropriate for Devil’s-bit lost or in decline at others. Scabious (Succisa pratensis) and Lady’s-smock (Cardamine pratensis); whilst ‘arvensis’ relates to fields and cultivated land; Basil Thyme (Acinos arvensis), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Field Penny-cress (Thlaspi arvense), Corn Spurrey (Spergula arvensis) and Perennial Sow- thistle (Sonchus arvensis) will all crop up on field margins.

And you will find many more, but there are also names to confuse. ‘Praetermissus’ means overlooked or neglected – how does that help describe the stunning Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza pratermissa)? Or Broad-leaved Willowherb (Epilobium montanum), which is widespread in Dorset but where ‘montanus’ means growing Southern Damselfly site at Povington on mountains. © Chris Dieck Carolyn Steele (Records Centre Manager)

Dorset History Centre, Bridport Road, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1RP Tel: 01305 225081 Email:[email protected] Website: www.derc.org.uk 393337 Dorset Environmental Records Centre

DYER’S GREENWEED () Photos © Ian Andrews Photos

Dyer’s Greenweed is a dwarf shrub leaf mine. At the Dorset Flora found in old grassland under Group AGM in 2013, Dr Phil light grazing. It may be found Sterling illustrated some of these on the coastal clay soils of west rare found in Dorset and Dorset or on the more alkaline described their life history. I have soils of Bindon Hill. The recently spent time in 2014, searching published BSBI England Red List the plant for these mines and for plants tells of a 38% decline found laburnella in its English population and it is form wallesella on Bindon Hill. now assessed as IUCN Vulnerable. This really is ‘hands-and-knees’ One of my favourite places to see searching and on one occasion this plant is the meadows forming at Cogden I found a gall on a the National Trust’s west Dorset single plant, which was not in the property at Cogden where it is book. This was photographed

© John Newbould increasing. and sent to the British Plant Gall Leaf mine of Leucoptera laburnella Society for help. I was asked to © John Newbould

Photo Photo My interest in this rare plant send the actual gall but could began some years ago whilst in not re-find it. Whilst searching for a meadow at Powerstock, where that gall, I noticed a leaf mine on Photo © Jamie McMillan Photo Bryan Edwards drew my attention a number of plants, which was to the plant gall caused by the clearly dipterous (caused by a fly). gall midge Jaapiella genisticola. Once again, the British leaf mine Here the leaves are broadened, website was unable to help and it becoming shell-shaped and would appear that I will need to covered with white hairs. With try and find an expert. searching this gall seems present in Dorset wherever Dyer’s Appropriate management is Dyer’s Greenweed, as its common name Greenweed is found with most crucial. Dyer’s Greenweed requires suggests, can be used in dyeing wool or plants at Cogden affected and a light grazing or winter mowing fabric. It contains luteolin, the same waterfast small number on Bindon Hilll. to prevent coarse grasses and pigment found in weld (Reseda luteola) scrub growing round it and, and can produce a clear yellow colouring Butterfly Conservation has where the moths are present, it is or combined with woad (Isatis tinctoria) to produced a fact sheet outlining recommended that sheep do not produce green. The Latin name also reflects 20 moths associated with Dyer’s graze during the flowering period. its use – ‘tinctorum’ means of the dyers. Greenweed. Often one way of Remains of the plant have been found in detecting the presence of these John Newbould Viking archaeological sites and descriptions moths is by the larval case or (DERC Trustee & National Trust of dyeing with greenweed have been found volunteer ecologist). in Roman literature.

Edited by Carolyn Steele Registered in England as Dorset Environmental Records Centre Trust Company Limited Registered Charity No. 900287 Registered Company No. 2447393