BSBINews

January 2006 No. 101

Edited by Leander Wolstenholm & Gwynn Ellis Delosperma nubigenum at Petersfield, photo © Christine Wain 2005

Illecebrum verticillatum at Aldershot, photo © Tony Mundell 2005 CONTENTS

EDITORIAL...... 2 Echinochloa crus-galli (Cockspur) on FROM THE PRESIDENT ...... R ..1. Gornall 3 roadsides in S. England...... 8o.1. Leach 37 NOTES Egeria densa (Large-flowered Waterweed) Splitting hairs - the key to vegetative - in flower in Surrey ...... 1. David & M Spencer 39 Identification...... 1. Poland 4 A potential undescribed Erigeron hybrid Sheathed Sedge (Carex vaginata): an update ...... R.M Burton 39 on its status in the Northern Pennines Oxalis dillenii: a follow-up ...... 1. Presland 40 R. Corner,.1. Roberts & L. Robinson 6 Some interesting alien plants in V.c. 12 A newly reported site for Gentianella anglica ...... A. Mundell 42 (Early Gentian) in S. Hampshire ..... M Rand 8 'Stipa arundinacea' in Taunton, S. Somerset White Wood-rush (Luzula luzuloides) (v.c. 5) ...... 80.1. Leach 43 naturalised on Great Dun Fell, Street-wise 'aliens' in Taunton (v.c. 5) northern Pennines, Cumbria...... R. Corner 9 ...... 80.1. Leach 44 Plant Rings ...... D. MacIntyre 10 The Plantsman - a botanical journal Observations on acid grassland flora of ...... E ..1. Clement 45 Thornhill, Southampton...... P. Budd 11 Sisymbrium polyceratium, an urban casual in A 'Lizard' clover in South Devon Birmingham ...... M Poulton 45 ...... R.E.N. Smith 12 The Rise and Fall of Veronicajiliformis Urban/Suburban Ferns ...... c..1. Bruxner 13 (Slender Speedwell) ...... R.M Henson 46 Spindles and Dogwood trees ...... 1.E. Oliver 13 REpORTS OF FIELD MEETINGS - 2005 A very vulgar vulgare ... or 'fascinating New Forest, Hatchet Pond (v.c. 11) ...... 1. Poland 46 fasciation' ...... c.J. Lowe 14 Langton Matravers (v.c. 9) ...... E. Pratt 47 Longevity of botanists: a Lancastrian BSBI AGM, Fenyside (v. c. 44) ...... K. Pryce 48 Sample ...... 1. Edmondson 15 Castle Hill and Mt. Caburn (v.c. 14) Pollen (In)fertility ...... B. Harold 16 ...... T.P. Bartlett 49 Developing reliable tests for putative CUckmereValley(v.c.14) ...... A.Knapp&HProctor 50 hybrids of bizarre parentage: a role E. Norfolk & E. Suffolk, Grass & sedge for the BSBI? ...... R.M Bateman 17 identification weekend...... A. Copping 51 Orchid genera...... R. Burton 20 Welsh AGM at Lampeter, (v.c. 46) 4-Pinnate Yanow / Milfoilleaves. ..1.E. Oliver 21 ...... A. Chater & A. Jones 52 Euphrasia eats quite a lot of things !.... E. Pratt 21 Harlestone Firs (v.c. 32) ...... B. Laney 54 A Taster of the Flora of Bana and Braunton Bunows, Knowstone Moor & Vatersay...... c. Graham 22 Hares Down, (v.c. 4) ...... R. Hodgson 54 Part of a family ...... L. F arrell 23 Aberdeen City (v.cc. 9l-3) ...... I.P. Green 55 A native annual unfamiliar as a garden North Norfolk Rubus Meeting (v.c. 27)A. Bull 56 Weed ...... 1. Ounsted 24 Ysgolion Duon, Bethesda (v.c. 49) Cerastium brachypetalum in a Bedfordshire ...... W. McCarthy & 80 Thomas 57 railway cutting ...... P.C. Horn 25 Traeth Lligwy (v.c. 52) ...... N. Brown 58 Ladies, Roses and Coral Necklaces in BOOK NOTES ...... D. Pearman 60 v.c. 12 ...... A. Mundell 26 Botanical Cornwall 13 (2005) ...... D. Pearman 61 Meum athamanticum in Cheshire (v.c. 58) The Teesdale rarities ...... ME. Bradshaw 62 ...... G.MKay 27 A checklist of the plants of Buckinghamshire Abundance of Cunant Galls on Oak in (including Milton Keynes & Slough) Taplow, Bucks. (v.c. 24) ...... P. Taylor 28 ...... R. Maycock 62 Botany in Literature - 38 ...... 1. Smith 28 OBITUARY NOTES ...... M Briggs 62 Botany in Literature - 39 Garlic - Dracula NOTICES - Wolfsbane ...... ME. Souchier 29 BSBI Postcards ...... D. Pearman 63 Semi-double Ranunculus repens mimicking Future Developments in the Natural History R. asiaticus ...... p..1. Cook 32 Museum's (BM) British Herbarium In defence ofa 'hiccup' ...... M Palmer 32 ...... M Spencer 64 Update on the Gladys Tuck Herbarium & The Rare Plants Group of the Ashmolean Natural Stephen Bishop Herbarium - new acquisitions History Society: Basic and Advanced to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery ...... 1. Marsh 33 Identification Courses ...... S. Helm 64 ALIENS 'Cherishing Churchyards' The Dilemma ofIntroductions .....D. Millward 34 ...... Y. Heslop-Harrsion & 80 Cooper 65 Abyssinian Mustard, a relatively new crop in OFFERS Britain ...... D.R McKean 35 BSBI News - Much in Demand ...... R. Skerrett 65 Bassia scoparia (Sununer-cypress) in Somerset Back numbers ofBSBIjournals ...... Editor 65 (v.cc. 5 & 6) 80.1. Leach & E.J. McDonnell 35 Gofynne seed list 2006 ...... A. Shaw 66

Cover picture - Bluebells by the sea at Camusdarach, near Arisaig, Westerness; photo J. McIntosh © 2005 2 Contents / Editorial

Seeds from Ware 2005 ...... G. Hanson 66 From the Director of Development...... G. Hemery 70 Wild Flower Society advert...... 66 From the Volunteers Officer...... R. Ellis 71 RECORDERS AND RECORDING From the Scottish Officer ...... J McIntosh 72 Panel of Referees and Specialists Grants from the BSBI ...... P. Hollingsworth 73 ...... M C. Sheahan 68 GUIDE TO CONTRIBUTORS ...... •..Editors 74 Panel of Vice-county recorders ... .D. Pearman 68 DIARy...... 75 Flora Hibernica ...... D. Price 68 COLOUR SECTION ...... 75 NOTES FROM THE OFFICERS DEADLINE NEXT ISSUE ...... 7 5 From the Hon. General Secretary ...... D. Pearman 69 ADMINISTRATION & IMPORTANT ADDRESSES ...... 76

Editorial DR LEANDER WOLSTENHOLME & GWYNN ELLIS

As members will have realised by now, it's all Dr Walters on the back page and as luck would change for BSBI News. Not only do we have a have it I had a picture taken by Richard Pryce at new logo but also a larger page size, a full the launch of the New Atlas of the British & colour cover; a two column page layout, and a Irish Flora. I had thought of cropping the photo different order of contents. to show just Dr Walters, but as he and Dr As far as the order of contents go, we (the Franklyn Perring were so closely linked with the Editors and the BSBI Publication Committee) first Atlas it seemed appropriate to include the took the view that if we were going to change full picture, even though a similar photo was the look of News, we might as well go the whole included in BSBI News 92 (Jan. 2003). hog and look at the arrangement of papers. It Errata - Phil Smith writes 'Regarding my article was soon decided that the administrative bits on Herniaria in BSBI News 100: 23-25. The and pieces should move to the back of the jour­ person who first discovered Herniaria glabra nal, and in a complete reversal, the contents (Smooth Rupturewort) on the Sefton Coast was page(s) should move to the front, followed by the late Audrey Franks in 1980' not P.S. Gateley the Editorial and an occasional note 'From the as erroneously reported in the article. President' before the most important part of Commiserations (or should that be News, the notes and articles written by you, the Congratulations) to our past President and Bon. members. These will follow roughly the same Gen. Sec. Mary Briggs who has had to retire order as before but there seems to be little point from leading field meetings abroad due to in maintaining a strict division between' Aliens' failing eyesight. She tells me that in the last 32 and 'Natives' and in future issues these might years she has led 166 tours to 35 destinations in start to merge much more that here. 29 countries. 1,048 different people have been After the papers come the Field Meeting Re­ taken on tour, and such was her popularity that ports, Book Notes, Obituary Notes and then the many returned several times so that she actually remainder of the Notices, Offers, Recorders and led 2,677 'people holidays'. Well done Mary! Recording (which might need renaming - any Apologies to John Barron, who somehow ac­ offers), finishing with Notes from the Officers quired an extra initial during his 30 years of and the Administration page. membership. It is now causing some confusion Nothing here is set in stone and all comments and I am happy to put on record that his name is on any aspect of the 'New Look News' (for or 1. Barron, and not WJ. Barron. against), will be much appreciated. Where are they now? - the following members There will be occasions when something will appear to have moved house but have not let us appear in the 'wrong' place. This is because we know their new address. If any member can put are using new Desktop Publishing software us back in touch, please contact the General which, whilst having many benefits, does require Editor/Membership Secretary. each page to be set up individually, making it less 58857 Mrs V A Learmond, 28 Yark House, York easy to 'chop & change', and sometimes leaving House Place, LONDON, W8 4EY gaps which may only be conveniently filled by 74720 Mr I H Cook, 51 Jubilee Road, Watton, inserting an item out of sequence. THETFORD, Norfolk, IP25 6BJ 81328 Mr M R Unwin, 3 Pine Cottages, Logan Botanic Just before the colour pages went to the Garden, Port Logan, STRANRAER, DG9 9ND Printers we heard of the sad death of Max 87229 Mr R J Hutchinson, 29 Rock Road, Oulton Waiters (see also p. 63) who did so much for the Broad, LOWESTOFT, Suffolk, NR32 3NZ BSBI in the second half of the 20th Century. 100004 Miss S Pendarves, 26 Hillside House, All­ There was just time to include a photograph of croft Road, READING, RG I 5DJ From the President 3

From the President - Richard J. Gornall Director ofBotanic Garden, Bioi. Dept., University ofLeicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH Tel.: 01162523394; [email protected]

BSBI News gets a makeover with the current 1981, and for ten years was receiving editor of issue, number 101. The idea to revise its format Watsonia. For the last two years I have chaired was not a spur-of-the-moment thing, and it is that committee. I also served relatively recently certainly not change for change's sake. It arose on the Science & Research Committee. out of an opinion that the old News was becom­ ing too cramped and, after what was then nearly 100 issues, needed a fresh look to see if it would benefit from being redesigned. The new format has been two year's in the making and the sub­ ject of much discussion and critical but con­ structive comment at the hard-to-please Publications Committee. I hope you like it. Quite fortuitously, the revamp of News over­ lapped with work being done by our new Direc­ tor of Development, Gabriel Hemery, in raising the profile of the Society. Part of this brief has involved the creation of a new logo, the origins of which go back to an inspirational session in a pub in Ferryside, during 2005's AGM. Armed with the bones of an idea and subsequent (and inexpensive) input from a design company, the result is before you on the cover of this issue of News. I hope you like it too. At that last AGM, the preceding President, Richard Pryce, retired from office, and I should like to take this opportunity to thank him for all the work that I know he put in, not least of Having been in academia all my working life, I which was attending nearly all of the committee have witnessed first hand the decline not just of meetings, dealing with all sorts of issues relat­ taxonomy, but also botany generally, in univer­ ing to the creation of the post of Director of sities. The BSBI used to be a creative partner­ Development, and writing so conscientiously ship between professional botanists and for News. I could not ask for a better role model. amateurs (in the non-derogatory sense, of So thank you, from one Richard to another. course), the 'gentlemen and players' who fea­ I think at this point I should tell you a bit more tured in Dick David's presidential address about myself, as I am not exactly well-known in (Watsonia 13: 173-179, 1980). Over the last the Society, although I have been a member twenty five or so years, however, the balance of since 1975, when I joined during my final year the BSBI has swung increasingly towards as an undergraduate (studying Botany) at st. mainly amateur membership. It is my opinion Andrews. After a short spell in Birmingham I that this state of affairs is unhealthy for the went to the University of British Columbia to do Society as a whole and, in my three-year presi­ my Ph.D. in plant taxonomy, graduating in dency, I plan to try to do what I can to remedy 1980. It was there that I developed an interest in the situation, to re-engage academics who are saxifrages, an interest that continues to this day. not, but should be, members, and also to encour­ Returning to the UK in 1980, I was appointed to age undergraduates to join. There is much to be an academic post at the University of Leicester, gained from a synergy between amateurs and and have been there ever since, currently Direc­ professionals, and I hope that forthcoming initi­ tor of the Botanic Garden. With the encourage­ atives will have some effect. Watch this space ment of Chris Preston, I have also developed an interest in pondweeds, particularly from the point of view of their population genetics. As far as the BSBI is concerned, I have served on the Publications Committee continuously since 4 Notes - Splitting hairs

Splitting hairs - the key to vegetative identification JOHN POLAND, 91 Ethelburt Avenue, Southampton, Hants SO16 3DF; jpp [email protected]

Hairs on the leaves and stems of plants provide Glandular hairs can be unicellular or septate but one means by which a plant can protect itself always with a swollen gland at the apex from the elements and predation. Consequently, (sometimes minute and often disappearing as the a great variety of structures have evolved as volatile oil contained within escapes). Glandular 'plant defence'. Mere presence or absence of hairs are fairly common across the taxonomic hairs is often not a good taxonomic character, board and are a useful identification feature. but the type of hairs present on the vegetative Green Nightshade (Solanum physalifolium) parts of plants can give reliable clues to the (glandular hairy) can be readily separated from identification of many species. Dr Bob Leaney Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum ssp. nigrum) has already written about the importance of (hairs non-glandular). The term eglandular (= hairs in separating the small Geranium species non-glandular) is best deliberately avoided to (see BSBI News 99: 22-28). prevent possible confusion whilst speed-reading. The following notes give no more than the briefest introduction to the various hair types - to list all the types and the families or genera in which they are found would take up most ofBSBI News! Nevertheless, I hope that the reader, armed with this article, will be encouraged to look closely at a few ofthe types in the field. Below I present a summary of the main types to assist with field identification (N.B. a single leaf can often have one or several types, depend­ ing on the species). Glandular hair (stem hair of Corn Spurrey Simple hairs are unbranched and either single (Spergula arvensis» or multi-celled. Multi-cellular (or septate) hairs are distinct as the septa of each individual cell is Bifid or forked simple hairs are found in Brassi­ visible. This is clearly apparent with a x20 lens, caceae and some Asteraceae. A rosette leaf with at although xl 0 will usually suffice. Such hairs least some forked hairs and the presence of latex can usually be recognised, even without a lens, instantly reduces the number of possibilities in the as they crisp and distort on drying. Septate hairs British flora to two species - Rough Hawkbit are a feature of many families, particularly (Leondoton hispidus) and Lesser Hawkbit Asteraceae. In contrast most crucifers (L. saxatilis)! Furthermore, the two species can be (Brassicaceae) have single-celled hairs. Addi­ separated by the density of hairs along the leaf tionally some simple hairs can be sharply bristly margin - an observation passed on to me by Dr (hispid) and almost piercing to touch. Viper's­ David Streeter of the University of Sussex. Within bugloss, Echium vulgare (Boraginaceae) is one Brassicaceae, forked hairs are mostly confmed to such example. the genera Erophila, Draba and Arabis. The basal leaves ofDame's-violet (Hesperis matronalis) can look remarkably similar to Boraginaceae, but at least some hairs are forked.

Lesser Hawkbit (Leondoton saxatilis) Stellate hairs are branched hairs of which the rays From 1 - r: Single-celled (unicellular) hair; or arms radiate out like a star. They can be found Multi-celled (septate) hair (Thymus sp.); in many families and are a feature of many cruci­ Hispid hair (Echium vulgare) fers (Brassicaceae) e.g. Shepherd's-purse Notes - Splitting hairs 5

(Capsella bursa-pastoris) in which they are nearly always unicellular. The rays can be flattened or adpressed as in Small Alison (Alyssum alyssoides). Malvaceae is a family which typically possesses stellate hairs. Usefully, Smaller Tree-mallow (Lavatera cretica) can be separated from the simi­ lar Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) on the greater abundance of stellate hairs on the upper leaf surface (also giving a softer touch and often a slightly greyer appearance).

Comfrey Bristly Oxtongue (Symphytum sp.) (Picris echioides) Scab rid hairs, whereby the hair surface is dis­ tinctly rough, are rare on stems and foliage and, as far as I am aware, confmed to Papaver (except the glabrous Opium Poppy (P. somniferum)) and all hawkweeds (Hieracium (including the closely re­ lated Pilosella)). Some mint (Mentha) hairs are reputed to be scabrid, albeit obscurely so.

Shepherd's-purse (CapseUa bursa-pastoris) Dendritic or multi-branched hairs are a feature ofmulleins Verbascum spp. The petiole and lower side of the leaves of London Plane Platanus xhispanica may have some dentritic pubescence.

Poppy (Papaver sp.) Arachnoid (cobwebby) and cottony hairs have been lumped for simplicity and are a fea­ ture of many Asteraceae including Goat's-beard (Tragopogon pratensis), Comn;lOn F~eabm:e (Pulicaria dysenterica) and especlally thlstles m the genera Carlina, Carduus, Cirsium and Onopordum. However strands of mildew myce­ Mullein (Verbascum sp.) lia can look similar - observers beware! Uncinate or hooked hairs are strongly re­ Medifixed hairs are held totally flat against the curved at the apex, forming a hook or barb. leaf surface and 'bolted' in the middle giving a Such hairs are found in all comfrey distinctive appearance. They are found in (Symphytum) species (Boraginaceae) and Picris Brassicaceae and are diagnostic of the genera (Asteraceae) along with normal simple hairs. Erysimum (e.g. Treacle-mustard (E. cheiran­ The simple hooked hairs of Symphytum are most thoides) and Wallflower (E. cheiri) and Sweet unlike those of Picris which are often minutely Alison (Lobularia maritima). Additionally, bifid or trifid (like miniature grapnels). Inciden­ medifixed hairs are present in all Cornus species tally the hairs of Bristly Oxtongue (Picris echio­ (Cornaceae) and thus rapidly identify this genus. ides) are often pustUlate or tuberculed (swollen at the base) in contrast to those of Hawkweed Oxtongue (P. hieracioides). Hooked ~ hairs are not always easily seen but can easily be confirmed as the leaves readily stick to woolly clothing (unlike Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis ..-:::::-::::r: : ~ sempervirens) rosette leaves which often resem­ ble Symphytum)! Sweet Alison (Lobularia maritima) 6 Notes - Splitting hairs/ Sheathed Sedge in the Pennines

Anvil-shaped hairs are confmed to Hop Peltate scales. Although not strictly hair, the (Humulus lupulus) where they are undoubtedly plate-like armature of the Sea-buckthorn family act in lieu of tendrils in order to climb and twine. (Elaeagnaceae) deserves a mention. This is use­ The hairs instantly separate it from the superfi­ ful in confirming Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae cially similar Grape-vine (Vitis vinifera) or Vir­ rhamnoides) and the widely introduced Oleast­ ginia-creeper (Parthenocissus spp.) ers (Elaeagnus spp.)

Hop (Humulus lupulus) Vesiculose or bladder hairs characterise the Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) genera Atriplex and Chenopodium (although Incidentally, true aquatic plants are never hairy absent from some species). These hairs, appear­ (like Olympic swimmers!) as the hairs would ing like rather large sessile glands, often soon soon clog with mud and other particles. How­ rub off so it is best to look at the youngest ever they may have a few stiff bristles which are leaves. The shape is subtly different between the a useful identification aid in their own right (e.g. two genera, typically spherical in Chenopodium on the leaf apices of water-crowfoots and often, more or less, flattened in A trip lex. (Ranunculus subgenus Batrachium)). In a few Bladder hairs may have evolved to rid the plant species, emergent stems and leaves can become of excessive amounts of salt in the tissues. hairy, for example Uruguayan Hampshire-purs­ lane (Ludwigia grandijlora).

I am indebted to Delf Smith for providing such superb illustrations at short notice, and to Eric Clement for his useful comments on an earlier draft. Thanks also to Francis Rose for his recent support. As always, I welcome all observations or corrections from readers.

Spherical bladder hair of Fat-hen (Chenopodium album)

Sheathed Sedge (Carex vaginata): an update on its status in the Northern Pennines ROD CORNER, Hawthorn Hill, 36 Wordsworth Street, Penrith, Cumbria, CAll 7QZ JEREMY ROBERTS, Eden Croft, 2 Wetheral Pasture, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA48HU LINDAROBINSON, The Cottage, Melmerby, Cumbria, CAlO lHN

Since the discovery of Carex vaginata in the of this species from within the Moorhouse Na­ Northern Pennines in Cumberland (v.c. 70) and tional Nature Reserve with Ron Groom adding a Westmorland (v.c. 69) in 2002 (Corner 2003), second patch nearby on a later visit. Shortly after­ as had been anticipated many well localised wards FJ.R. and Mike Porter found another small additional patches each covering several square sterile patch in limestone turf at the edge of a metres have been found scattered over a wide limestone sink hole in an exc10sure also within the area at altitudes over 700m (Roberts 2003, Moorhouse NNR and not far from the former sites. 2004, 2005). This note presents updated infor­ It is significant that these plants had remained mation on its distribution in the only area of undetected by the many botanists who visited this England where it is known to occur. exc10sure to examine long introduced species from In 2004, L.R. discovered a patch on a flushed the Scottish Highlands by the then Nature Con­ grassland slope in Knock Ore Gill, the first record servancy Council. Notes - Sheathed Sedge in the Pennines 7

Since the discovery of Carex vaginata in the N orth­ organised. Miclde Fell covers a large area and has an em Pennines in Cumberland (v.c. 70) and Westmor­ aura of botanical inaccessibility not only because of land (v.c. 69) in 2002 (Corner 2003), as had been the long walk over guarded grouse moor country but anticipated many well localised additional patches because it lies within the danger area of the Warcop each covering several square metres have been found Army firing range. Non-firing days are now few and scattered over a wide area at altitudes over 700m far between so a visit needed to coincide with a non­ (Roberts 2003, 2004, 2005). This note presents up­ firing day. Luckily a non-firing weekend became dated information on its distribution in the only area available in early August at a convenient time and had of England where it is known to occur. the bonus of excellent weather conditions as RC., In 2004, L.R. discovered a patch on a flushed grass­ FJ.R. and L. R set off on a long day's botanising. land slope in Knock Ore Gill, the first record of this Having reached the foot ofMiclde Fell they traversed species from within the Moorhouse National Nature below the south facing limestone cliffs on the York­ Reserve with Ron Groom adding a second patch shire (v.c. 65) side and were eventually rewarded nearby on a later visit. Shortly afterwards F.J.R and most unexpectedly with a large sterile patch of the Mike Porter found another small sterile patch in lime­ sedge extending some 30m down and 10m across the stone turf at the edge of a limestone sink hole in an flushed grassy slope. This was quite a bonus and a exclosure also within the Moorhouse NNR and not far complete surprise to R.C. who thought that it would from the former sites. It is significant that these plants most likely be limited to the colder north facing side had remained undetected by the many botanists who ofthe fell. Notes were made on a large population of visited this exclosure to examine long introduced non-flowering Alpine Forget-me-not (Myosotis alp­ species from the Scottish Highlands by the then Na­ estris) and several colonies of Spring Gentian ture Conservancy Council. (Gentiana verna) as they crossed over to the north Also in 2004 L.R and R.C., in an attempt to extend side and concentrated on searching the flushed grass­ its range to the south, visited Meldon Hill (767m) and land habitats there. After some time a further four found a single patch of 8m x 3m and three inflores­ sterile patches of the sedge were found towards the cences on the north west side in the typical flushed eastern end in V.c. 65, two of which were in close grassland habitat. proximity. All these colonies appear to be within the In July of the same year a group including R.C. and Upper Teesdale NNR boundary. L.R searched for the sedge on Little Fell (746m) to Carex vaginata has the reputation of being 'shy­ the south west of Dufton Fell and within the Warcop flowering' but as F.J.R (Roberts 2004) points out Army range. Although the habitat looked favourable 'erratic flowering' may be more appropriate. Al­ below the summit limestone escarpment, disappoint­ though most of the patches seen had none or very few ingly no plants were found. Another group led by flowering stems, others had an abundance. L.R. saw a L.R in 2005 to the same area was also unsuccessful. patch on Green Fell with 50 stems, R.C. another on FJ.R. was very active on Crossfell in 2005 and Dufton Fell with 100 stems in an area of lOm x lOm discovered three new patches (Roberts 2005). On the and F.J.R described the densely fruiting patch on north west side of Little Dnn Fell at 800 metres, the Little Dnn Fell. This ability to set seed is in agreement highest altitude yet found in the area for the sedge, an with the fmdings of French et al. (2005) who showed impressive concentration of many fruiting plants was from DNA studies of Pennine and Southern Upland present on the edge of a peat bank where conditions populations that sexual reproduction and seed disper­ looked decidedly acid, although there was a slight sal was the primary mechanism for the formation of degree of flushing from above where another smaller new patches. Plants brought into cultivation do seem patch with a single fruiting stem occurred. The third to fruit relatively freely and L.R has noted many patch with a single fruiting plant occurred on the north seedlings around the plants in her garden. It is also side of Knock Fell where some plants were unusually noted to be an early flowerer as plants in cultivation rooted in Sphagnum, a feature previously noted by produce exserted stigmas in mid-April, well before RC. in the Ettrick Hills in Selkirkshire (v.c. 79). the sedges of the Common Sedge (Carex nigra) It seemed highly likely that Mickle Fell (790m) to group kept nnder the same conditions. the south held plants and in July 2005 RC. and Geof­ It would be intriguing to know if this sedge occurs frey Halliday made an attempt to find it. After search­ further south on the higher limestone hills of the ing they found a patch of 5x3m containing a single Yorkshire Dales or to the east on the Yad Moss /North inflorescence in poor condition on the north west end Teesdale hills. It may however be a speciality of the in V.c. 69. A hurried examination of part of the north­ Cross Fell and Mickle Fell ranges which are higher ern slopes to the east in North West Yorks. (v.c. 65) and have a much greater area over 700m. The hills to failed to reveal any further plants. the south and east are probably just not high enough It was important to see if the sedge did occur on the to support populations under the present conditions. Yorkshire part of Mickle Fell so another visit was The absence from Little Fell above Warcop is diffi- 8 Notes - Sheathed Sedge in the Pennines IGentianella anglica in S. Hampshire

cult to explain as the habitat and altitude seem ideal. its presently lmown range will almost certainly add It still remains a very local and easily overlooked further populations. species within the area and sterile plants need close Acknowledgments examination to differentiate them from Stiff Sedge Geoffrey Halliday should be thanked for organising (Carex bigelowii) which can grow in close proximity the 2004 visit to Little Fell in conjunction with Major although the habitat requirements generally differ. T. Campbell the Warcop Range officer and the initial The usually well defined and localised nature of the visit to Mickle Fell in 2005. patches is noteworthy. References In conclusion, Carex vaginata has been found to CORNER, R.W.M. 2004. Carex vaginata Tausch (Cyperaceae): a sedge new to England. Watsonia occur as some 18 patches each covering several 25: 127-130. square metres inhectads NY 63,72,73,82 and tetrads FRENCH, G.C., HOLLINGSWORTH, P.M., CORNER, NY 66.34, 66.36, 70.30, 70.32, 72.30, 74.28, 76.28, R.W.M., ROBERTS, F.J. & TAYLOR, I. 2005. Clonal 78.24,80.24,82.24. in vice-counties 65, 69, and 70. It diversity in two recently discovered English popu­ has been shown to occur from Green Fell in the north lations of Carex vaginata Tausch (Cyperaceae). to Mickle Fell in the south east, a distance of 19.5km. Watsonia 25: 389-395. The altitudinal range is 700m - 800m with the habi­ ROBERTS, F.J. 2003. After foot and mouth, Cross Fell in tats facing all aspects. Flowering is erratic and al­ bloom. The Carlisle Naturalist 10: 33-42. though many patches appear sterile others have an ROBERTS, F.J. 2004. A further note on the flora of the Cross Fell range. The Carlisle Naturalist 12: 52-56. abundance of inflorescences. More searching within ROBERTS, FJ. 2005. Further notes on the flora of the Cross Fell range. The Carlisle Naturalist 13: 20-24.

A newly reported site for Gentianella anglica (Early Gentian) in South Hampshire MARTIN RAND, 21 Pine Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants, S053 lLH

At the beginning of June 2005 I received a report populations of Gentianella amarella (Autumn and photographs from Betty Hansell Gentian). There were far fewer plants of this, and (Conservation Officer for Qinetiq) of an early­ I was able to take measurements from just 10 flowering Gentianella on one of the company's plants. However there was a scattering of G. am­ establishments at Portsdown, S Hants (v.c.l1). On arella elsewhere on the site, whereas a search of 8th June I visited the site with a posse of local the other suitable habitat in June had revealed no botanists, when we were made very welcome by G. anglica elsewhere. members of the enthusiastic site conservation The location is a rich piece of chalk grassland group. within the Portsdown Technology Park on the The Gentianella was flowering well on that date, northern slope of Ports down Hill, now surrounded having reportedly started to flower in the first on three sides by low buildings and open only to week of May, and plants were still coming into the north. (Readers should note that this is a secure bloom. The total count of plants was 120, and we defence industry site with no public access.) There measured 59 plants which had terminal flowers is a mosaic of CG2 Festuca-Helictotrichon and well enough developed to have corolla length as­ CG3 Bromus erectus (Upright Brome) grassland, sessed. The measurements taken were those de­ which is by no means pristine: paths have been scribed in Rich et. al. (1997), and analysis of the constmcted across it, one section lies over an un­ results not only confirmed that the population con­ derground storage tank, part has been terraced and tained Gentianella anglica (Pugsley) building construction has encroached on several E.F.Warburg, but also suggested the presence of fronts. Yet it preserves a fine flora characteristic of the hybrid Gentianella amarella x G. anglica the area including Thesium humifusum (Bastard­ (Gentianella xdavidiana T.G.C. Rich), not previ­ toadflax), Hippocrepis comosa (Horseshoe Vetch), ously recorded in Hampshire. I hope to present the Genista tinctoria (Dyer's Greenweed), the eye­ findings in a more general review of morphologi­ bright Euphrasia pseudokerneri, many common cal evidence for hybrids in Hampshire Gentianella chalk grassland species and an abundance of or­ anglica populations. chids including strong populations of Gymnadenia The early flush of flowering Gentianella was conopsea (Fragrant Orchid), Anacamptis pyrami­ reported to have finished in the third week of June dalis (Pyramidal Orchid), Ophrys apifera (Bee (somewhat undermining the case for hybridiza­ Orchid) and Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady's­ tion!). I revisited the site on 22nd August to assess tresses). Notes - Gentianella anglica in S. Hampshire 1 White Wood-rush in Cumbria 9

The Gentianella, as might be expected, occurs of the county, mostly in small numbers and none mainly within the CG2 grassland and especially very recent. where there are signs of past disturbance and a poor­ On Portsdown Hill it was first reported by M.H. ly-developed soil profile. In fact it was particularly Widgewood in 1913 (unlocalised), cited in Wil­ abundant in an area where footings for the adjacent son (1999). There appear to be no further records buildings have obviously disturbed the soil, despite until 1975, when it was reported above the eastern the fact that this area must now be shaded for much end ofPaulsgrove chalk pit (v.c. 11, SU63.06) by of the spring. M. Bryant, cited in Brewis et. al. (1996). The site Grazing is not feasible on the site (apart from some is not part of the spectacular modern chalk pit, but low-level rabbit activity) and it is currently mowed in older shallow workings above and to the north­ late in the season, cuttings being removed by hand east of it. It lies on the other side ofthe ridge from raking. It was evident that many of the staff took the new site, only 300 metres from it in a direct pleasure and pride in their 'patch'; and now that the line. Surprisingly there have been no records here site manager understands that he is not expected to since. John Norton and I independently made let his grounds revert to a scrubby wilderness, he is cursory searches in 2005 but without success. sympathetic. I have suggested that a programme of However plenty of suitable ground remains here occasional disturbance to the sward in limited areas and elsewhere on Portsdown, and a programme of would be beneficial to the Gentianella, along the scrub reduction and grassland management by lines suggested in Rich (1997). Portsmouth City Council may help to revive its In comparison with its status in neighbouring Dor­ fortunes. set (Edwards & Pearman (2004)) and the Isle of References Wight (Pope, Snow & Allen (2003), G. anglica in BREWIS, A., BOWMAN, R.P & ROSE, F. 1996. The Hampshire is less widespread and in general less Flora ofHampshire, Harley Books, Colchester. abundant. It does not enjoy the favourable combina­ EDWARDS, B. & PEARMAN, D.A. 2004. Dorset tion of more or less natural conditions providing Rare Plant Register, Dorset Enviromnental short, open turf in those counties, and appears to rely Records Centre / BSBI, Dorchester. heavily on other forms of disturbance to persist. The POPE, C., SNOW, L. & ALLEN, D.E. 2003. The Isle best-known sites in Hampshire are those at Martin of Wight Flora, Dovecot Press, Wimborne. RICH, T.C.G., HOLYOAK, D.T., MARGETTS, L.J., Down and Vernditch (v.c. 8, SUO.11 SUO.2) where MURPHY, R.J. 1997. Hybridisation between Gen­ the main populations are on a former rifle range, on tianella amarella (L.) Boemer and G. anglica ancient earthworks and along the sides of a bare (Pugsley) E.F. Warb. (Gentianaceae)., Watsonia chalk track; the extraordinary site at Ashley Hole in 21: 313-325 the New Forest (v.c. 11, SU20.15) where it grows on RICH, T.C.G. 1997. The management of seminatu­ chalk spoil (possibly from Martin Down) dumped in ral lowland grassland for selected rare and the middle of aNew Forest heath to provide wartime scarce vascular plants, English Nature Research target practice (a literal example of 'X marks the Report 216: 7-10. spof); and Noar Hill (v.c. 12, SU74.31) where it is WILSON, P.J. 1999. The Distribution and Status of Gentianella anglica (Pugsley) E. Warb., Plantlife in old shallow chalk workings. Elsewhere there is a Report no. 119. scattering of records on downland across the centre

White Wood-rush (Luzula luzuloides) naturalised on Great Dun Fell, northern Pennines, Cumbria ROD CORNER, Hawthorn Hill, 36, Wordsworth Street, Penrith, Cumbria CAll 7QZ

In May 2005 as I approached the summit of Great 80 metres away from the fence and had been par­ Dun Fell in V.c. 69 from Cross Fell to the north, I tially grazed by sheep. L. luzuloides is normally noticed in the FescuelBent (Festucal Agrostis) thought of as a woodland plant introduced to the grassland at 840m many quite prominent scattered British Isles as ground cover for birds. It had how­ light green rosettes of a Luzula species which I ever been introduced around the station during the didn't recognise immediately. The penny then landscaping period when it was reconstructed in dropped that they must be derived from the 1986/88 (Anderson (2001). Seed from these plants patches of L. luzuloides contained within the must have been carried in the prevailing south fenced off precincts of the Radar station and de­ westerly wind to the north of the station and germi­ scribed by me and Linda Robinson (Corner & nated in the turf with the milder Winters of recent Robinson 2002). The rosettes were present up to years having probably helped this process. 10 Notes - White Wood-rush in Cumbria! Plant Rings

This site lies in the centre of the Moorhouse and action taken if the Luzula poses a threat to the National Nature Reserve and it is worrying that native flora although the area presently colonised this alien species has escaped from the confines has no plants of special interest. It may however of the station and become established in the re­ be kept in check by grazing which thankfully has serve. It is unfortunate that alien ·species were been reduced within the reserve since the advent introduced to the station site during landscaping of Foot and Mouth. At best it may remain a (Corner & Halliday 2002). Colonisation by the botanical curiosity. Luzula outside the station is at an early stage but References given time it is possible that it may form exten­ ANDERSON, P. 2001. Plant colonisation on Great Dun sive beds similar to those ofthe Great Wood-rush Fell, Cumbria. BSBI News 86: 26. (Luzula sylvatica) although it is not as robust as CORNER, R.W.M. & HALLIDAY, G. 2002. Plant colo­ nisation on Great Dlm Fell, Cumbria. BSBI News that species. It has already completely dominated 89: 22. the area where it occurs within the station fence CORNER, R.W.M. & ROBINSON, L. 2001. Observa­ where grazing is absent. As far as I am aware tions on plant colonisation at the civil aviation none of the other species thought to have been authority station on the summit of Great Dun Fell introduced around the station have 'escaped' into (S4Sm), Cumbria with comparisons to the Icelandic the reserve. The situation needs to be monitored flora. BSBI News 88: 20-24. Plant Rings DONALD MAcINTYRE, Manor Farm, Langridge, Bath, BA1 8AJ; [email protected]

Like, or not so like, a 'Fairy Ring', at veris (Cowslip), seen earlier on May 1sI 2005, was SUI01.643 on Milk Hill at Pewsey Downs present in the rings only as scattered non-flowering NNR is a clonal ring of Carex flacca (Glaucous smallish plants, but was abundant as flowering and Sedge). The ring grows in Festuca-Avenula juvenile plants within and outside the rings (see pasture (CG2) on a steep south west facing Colour Section, plate 1). The outer edge of the scarp. When seen on May 91h 2005 the ring had rings was marked, as judged by the presence or a width of around Im, and the circle it made had absence of plants, by a clearly defmed and smooth a diameter of 19m to its outer edge. The ring boundary, while the boundary on the inner edge of was complete except at its north west edge the rings was irregular and less clearly defmed. where it had failed to pass through a group of This applied equally to the distribution of both active Badger setts. Heracleum sphondylium and Primula veris. This ring can most probably be explained by Regarding the other species present, it appeared vegetative growth and death, like the rings often that these were uniformly distributed outside, made by other plant species that can spread by inside and within the rings, so far as could be seen. vegetative growth. It is, however, remarkable These species included Anthoxanthum odoratum for its size and age. Assuming lateral growth at (Sweet Vernal-grass), Carex flacca (Glaucous around 5-10cm per year, the clonal ring at Milk Sedge), Bromopsis erecta (Upright Brome), Hill may be 100-200 years old. Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort Plantain), More lilee 'Fairy Rings', and not so easy to Ranunculus acris (Meadow Buttercup), explain, is a group of rings seen in a field near Ranunculus bulbosus (Bulbous Buttercup), Bath. The field slopes gently to the west on Rhinanthus minor (Yellow Rattle), Lotus limestone brash and the grassland is good corniculatus (Bird's-foot Trefoil), Taraxacum Bromopsis erecta meadow (CG3). Several rings officinale (Dandelion) and Lathyrus pratensis of varying size were seen when the field was (Meadow Vetchling). visited on May 1'1 and June 21'1 2005. The larg­ These rings had not been noted in previous est and most circular ring had a width of 2m and years, although they may have been overlooked, the circle it made had a diameter of llm to its and there is no evidence that they were due to outer edge. some physical cause, or to human activity, such These rings were not marked by the presence of as the placing of round bale feeders. They are a plant species, but rather by the absence, or near most likely natural features, possibly an interac­ absence, of two species, Hogweed and Cowslip, tion between a soil inhabiting fungus and the that were otherwise abundant across the entire two flower species, Heracleum sphondylium field. Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), was and Primula veris. If this is the case then the absent from the rings but was abundant within and ring like growth pattern would suggest that the outside the rings as juvenile and mature flowering fungus is more likely to be saprophytic than plants when observed on June 21'1 2005. Primula parasitic, feeding off organic matter distributed Notes - Plant Rings / Acidic grassland flora, Southampton 11 more or less evenly throughout the soil, rather time, it might be presumed that lateral growth of than on scattered individual plants. This is de­ the fungus is rather slow, as mature flowering spite the elimination ofthe two flower species at plants of Heracleum sphondylium and Primula the point that they came into direct, or indirect, veris were seen to have re-established in abun­ contact with the growing edge of the fungus, or dance within the rings. at some point ahead of or behind the growing I have not come across rings of this type edge. Accepting the above, and assuming that before and cannot recall or find any reference to the nature of the interaction between the fungus such rings, and I welcome any comments or and the two flowering plants is constant over observations that may add to this note.

Observations on acid grassland flora of Thornhill, Southampton PmLIP BUDD, 6 Caerleon Avenue, Bitterne, Southampton, S019 SiX Thomhill is an eastern suburb of Southampton although similar heath land at 'Donkey Com­ covering an area of about two square kilometres mon' has disappeared in the last 25 years. and bounded by the A334, A27 and A3024. This To the immediate east of the Thornhill area the area varies from 40m Cc. 130ft) to 75m (c.250ft) largest surviving remnant of the formerly exten­ above sea level. There is higher ground to the sive heath land exists. Known simply as Netley north (Thornhill Park) and to the south Common, much of this area is managed by the (Hightown) and these areas have a light, gravely Hampshire County Council and even contains a soil. The same conditions occur on a flat area by small pocket of valley mire (peat bog). the A3024 in the west (at Thornhill Primary The main focus of this article is the flora of the School and Donkey Common). In the middle of unfertilised acid grassland of the Thornhill area. Thomhill the lower ground overlies London Apart from Netley Common, where a strong Clay. population of Rabbits still exist, all of this is One hundred years ago the high ground on the mechanically mown. The typical flora is much north side (Thornhill Park) was mainly parkland as would be expected for acid grassland and plus mixed woodland. Similar woodland existed includes Ranunculus bulbosus, Cerastium dijJu­ on the north-facing slope on the southeast edge sum, Arenaria serpyllifolia, Montia jontana, of the area (Dumbleton's Copse) with part of the Hypericum humifusum, Erophila verna, then very extensive Netley (=Sholing) Common Aphanes inexspectata, Ornithopus perpusillus, extending eastward beyond it to the villages of Vicia sativa ssp. nigra, Erodium cicutarium, Bursledon and Hedge End. On the low ground Geranium molle, Centaurium erythraea, in between these two areas there was a small Prunella vulgaris, Plantago coronopus, Galium lake and a tiny stream but otherwise mainly verum, Sherardia arvensis, Leontodon sp., Pi­ cultivated land. The gravel plateau where losella officinarum and Luzula campestris. In Thornhill Primary School now stands was a addition there are several species of both Trifo­ strawberry growing area. 'Donkey Common' lium and Veronica. The former include T. immediately west of Thornhill School still ex­ micranthum, T. ornithopodioides and T. subter­ ists. In the 1950s much of the area was built raneum whilst the latter include V. officinalis over to create Thornhill estate, which now has a and V. filiformis. Amongst these are some spe­ population approaching ten thousand. cies of greater interest, at least to the local bota­ Today the only remnant of the woodland/ nist: parkland to the north is the 20-acre Thornhill Moenchia erecta (Upright Chickweed): Park Wood but Dumbleton's Copse still exists Found on two grassy banks in the council estate, to the southeast. The lake and the cultivated land at Burke Drive and at Medwall Green. Found at have all gone but remnants of acid grassland four other sites on the estate in 2005. There are occur sporadically on shallow roadside banks currently only three other known sites in inland and terraces within the built up area. At Thorn­ south Hampshire away from the New Forest. hill Primary School and to the southeast Scleranthus annuus subsp. annuus (Annual (Hightown) there are some more significant Knawel): There is one site at Holcroft Road on areas of acidic grassland, most notably on the a shallow roadside bank that was still flourish­ NW facing slope at Hannay Rise and on a flat ing in 2005. This is probably the only site within unfertilised field adjacent to the Eastpoint Com­ the Southampton city boundary and it is a de­ munity Centre. There are even some significant clining in Hampshire generally. remnants of dry heath land at Hannay Rise, 12 Notes - Acidic grassland flora, Southampton / Lizard Clover in Devon

Erodium moschatum (Musk Stork's-bill): Pilosella aurantiaca (Fox-and-cubs): Widely This species is listed in The Flora ofHampshire scattered in Thornhill with many small popula­ (1996) as a very rare native but is now locally tions usually on garden lawns or by roadsides. common on the lawns and greens of the Hight­ Scattered sites elsewhere in Hampshire but unu­ own area as well as in similar habitats at Mill­ sually abundant in the Thornhill area. brook in the west of Southampton. Pilosella jlagellaris ssp. jlagellaris (Shetland Linum bienne (Pale Flax): Huge colony (many Mouse-ear-hawkweed): Discovered in 2004 at hundreds or thousands) in western half of the two sites at Hannay Rise and Warburton Road, field next to the Eastpoint Community Centre. Hightown about 300m apart (confirmed by E.J. Also still on Netley Common. In Hampshire this Clement). In 2005 it was found in at least two species is rarely found in quantity away from other places on the estate i.e. at Lydgate Green Portsmouth and there no other extant sites (between the first two sites) where it covers a within eight miles of Southampton city centre to garden lawn and at Copse View (some 400m to my knowledge. the east of Hannay Rise). This scarce alien was Geranium rotundifolium (Round-leaved last recorded in Hampshire in 1976. Crane's-bill): Recently discovered at Warburton Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady's-tresses): Road, Hightown on a shallow grassy ban1e This Many thousands of plants on the Thomhill species has only recently spread away from the School Playing Fields and also present at nearby coast of Hampshire in the last ten years. Also Carey Road. Further known sites in Hightown, present in Southampton city centre. Thornhill Park and Harefield. There are two Mentha pulegium (Penny-royal): Recently huge colonies elsewhere in Southampton. Most found in quantity on a lawn at Farringford Road populations found to favour soils on River Ter­ although probably originally planted. There are race Gravel. also populations within the New Forest area. Carex caryophyllea (Spring Sedge): Still ex­ Thymus pulegioides (Large Thyme): Native or tant on a grassy bank at Macefield Green, established colonies of thyme occur on some Thornhill Park. Growing with large quantities of garden lawns on the estate. One colony was Montiafontana ssp. chondrosperma (Blinks). determined as this species. I think I'm going to keep looking down when walking around Thornhi11!

A "Lizard" clover in South Devon ROGER E.N. SMITH, 12 Castlewood Avenue, Highweek, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 1NX Whilst conducting a survey of the Bolt Head to eral square metres. A fourth very small colony Bolt Tail SSSI under English Nature's National was found in taller, denser vegetation at a fourth Volunteer Programme this year, Peter Reay and site. At this time there were very few flowers Wendy Rees found a clover which PR recog­ remaining and most plants were in seed. An­ nised as Trifolium incarnatum subsp. molinerii other very small patch was found, nearly 3km to (Long-headed Clover). I was asked to visit the the east ofthe original find, by PR in August. site and confirm the identification. I was able to Most of the colonies were situated well away do this within a few days, on 27 June, when PR from the modem coast path, though a substan­ and I searched similar habitats in the vicinity. tial colony occurs within a metre or two of it. It The SSSI, which is owned by The National is difficult to understand how it has been missed Trust, consists of mineral-rich Lower Devonian during the past. However, the populations on the schists forming cliffs rising to some 120m for Lizard are subject to considerable fluctuations about 9km, facing mostly south west. The plant (Wigginton 1999) and Cornish botanists are occurs principally on thin soils on the cliff edge saying that this year has been one of the best in in short, relatively open, vegetation where there living memory for the Lizard Trifolium spp. is less competition than in the denser grasslands (Simon Leach pers. comm.). This may help to dominating the higher slopes, i.e. an MC5 mari­ explain the lack of earlier observations in this time therophyte community (see photos in Col­ area. our Section, plate 3). There are specimens collected in 1855 by E.T. Three distinct populations were found, sepa­ Bennet near Dartmouth in BM and another col­ rated by about 150m and 300m. At the original lected by F .A. Brokenshire in 1909 from near site, the population extends over 80m where it Budleigh Salterton in the Hiern herbarium at was sometimes the dominant species over sev- RAM. While these records are not currently Notes - Lizard Clover in Devon / Urban/suburban Ferns / Spindles & Dogwood trees 13 regarded as native, the Dartmouth locality at Lizard Peninsular. The current thorough exami­ least, is likely to be on soils similar to those at nation of the flora could not have been more Halzephron Cliff in Cornwall. timely. This find amplifies the comparison, made by Reference more than one observer, of the mica and WIGGINTON, M.J. Ed. 1999. British Red Data Books, horneblende schists of the Start Point to Bolt 1 Vascular Plants, JNCC, Peterborough. Tail area to areas of similar geology on the

Urban/Suburban Ferns CHRISTOPHER J. BRUXNER, 5 Glebe Court, Syderstone, Norfolk PE31 8TL I read with particular interest the articles about The presence of lime in the substrate is also ferns growing on walls (BSBI News 98: 28-30; required or at least is highly desirable, as al­ 99:41; and 100:28-29.), since, in the late 1990s, ready postulated by correspondents, but is there I noticed plants of Ceterach ojjicinarum also another requirement that some kinds of (Rustyback) growing on a farmyard wall at brick can supply in particular? The plant is not Singleton in Lancashire (v.c. 60). The yard ap­ confined to brickwork, but one wonders if the peared to be disused and the plants were grow­ substrate in these other sites have something ing on the SW face of the wall, which adjoined unusual but in common with the kinds of brick­ a minor road. The wall was built of engineering work mentioned. It may well be revealing to or smooth-faced fletion bricks, dull red in col­ know where the clay for the various bricks was our: it was probably built in Victorian or Ed­ dug out and what the chemical composition of wardian times together with some farm the clays were. In Lancashire engineering bricks buildings adjoining. The question arises: why for house-building in the 19th century were does this fern seem to prefer walls built of this known as Accringtons - from the town of that type of brick and of a certain age? Previous name. Where did the bricks of the old chapel in correspondents have postulated theories. Loftus come from? Alternatively, the sand used To quote from E.J. Lowe: 'A local fern, grow­ in the lime mortar for the brickwork may have ing on walls and ruins from the sea level to an contained some special chemical. altitude of six hundred feet' ... 'abundant in the If a member wishes to take this matter further, west and north-west of England ... Ireland, abun­ I could provide more details of the Singleton dant but local.' and again: 'The Ceterach is said site. Nurserymen/women specialising in ferns to require a rough porous soil of sandy loam, may also provide extra evidence. with fragments of limestone, and kept rather Reference dry.' The last three words perhaps give one vital LOWE, E.I. 1867. Our Native Ferns, Vo12, pp. 372 & clue: the plant likes a free-draining habitat but 373. with precipitation of rain occurring frequently.

Spindles and Dogwood trees DR JACK E. OLIVER, High View, Rhyls Lane, Lockeridge, Nr Marlborough, Wilts., SN8 4ED Spindles (Euonymus europaeus) and Dogwood Forest. They are much taller than the post-war (Cornus sanguinea) are usually given the 'shrub' British Flora maxima (see Table I). More rather than the 'tree' designation (see Table 1). impressive than single-trunk Dogwood trees Mud Lane, an ancient track SW of Savernake was a six-trunked one in Mud Lane, but with Forest, has such a mixture of old native woody four trunks killed by ivy. This low-forking trees and shrubs that walking it gives the impres­ tree had a basal bole measurement of 2m sion of going back to the time of Victorian botany circumference at 30cm (lft) above ground books. There are Hollies, Crab Apples, Buck­ level, the two living trunks with girths of25 & thorns, Spindles, and Dogwoods of exceptional 40cm at 1.5m (5ft). The trunk base seemed to sizes and ages, many of each achieving 'tree' be one ancient stem rather than coalesced rather than 'shrub' status, with hefty trunks. contiguous root suckers, but it might soon Most surprising were the Dogwood trees, a split apart from the weight of ivy on the six change from the usual insignificant head-high splayed trunks. hedge-fringe shrubs. Such trees occur very occa­ Boulger's book (see Table: Cassel & Co., sionally in old lanes around, but not in, Savernake Victorian but undated) describes in detail the 14 Notes - Spindles & Dogwood trees! A very vulgar vulgare

Spindle-tree, particularly in Forfarshire, where We read of the dangers of genetic impoverish­ the last greatest concentrations of Spindle trees ment of tropical rain forest timbers, such as over IOm (35ft) once grew, with girths of mahogany, because the best specimens have 140cm. Along with the comparably large Dog­ always been selectively removed. This appears wood trees, it seems the biggest and best were to have happened to Spindle and Dogwood in always taken for turnery, cooperage and numer­ the decades or centuries before the Victorian era ous other usages until few or none were left, in the British Isles. Perhaps we should collect when Holly wood was substituted. berries from the best Mud Lane tree.

Boulger, G.S. Prime, C.T. & C.T.M. Stace, C. Mud Lane (2005) 'Familiar Trees' Deacock, R.I. British Flora British Flora (1890?) British Flora (1989) (1997) (1948)

Spindle Shmbs & Trees. Shmbs. To 4.5m Shmbs & Trees Shmbs & Trees Shmbs & Trees. (Euonymus Trees to 10.Sm; (to 6m) t08m Over 6m. Girths europaeus) girth oflrunks to (at l.Sm) over l40cm. 60cm

Dogwood Shmbs & Trees. Shmbs to 2.lm Shrubs to 4m Shmbs to 4m Shrubs & Trees. (Cornus sanguinea) See above. 'Both Over 6m. Girths trees (species) of (at 1.5m) 30-4Ocm. about the same One tree with a size' (Spindle & basal circumference Dogwood) (at30cm) of2m!

Table 1. Spindle & Dogwood. Comparisons of heights & trunk girths.

A very vulgar vulgare ... or 'fascinating fasciation' CHRISTOPHER J. LOWE, 25 North End, Hutton Rudby, YARM, TS15 ODO The spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare) pictured be­ This specimen was virtually surrounded by low was encountered in an extensive, sometimes normal forms, and well towards the middle of dense patch of thistles in semi-improved pasture the field. Chemical treatment thus seems an near Redmire in North Yorkshire (v.c. 65). From unlikely cause of this spectacular example of a distance, it looked like a piece of dead wood; teratology. Presumably, the answer lies in the closer inspection showed it to be a single thistle­ genes! Irrespective of the origin of this freak, is stem developed into numerous laterally-arranged ten centimetres plus, as evidenced by my plastic fibre-like growths of minimal thickness. Many of ruler, a record for such distortions? these had spiny outgrowths offoliage. Notes - Longevity of botanists 15

Longevity of botanists: a Lancastrian sample JOHN EDMONDSON, World Museum Liverpool, William Brown Sf, Liverpool L3 8EN It has long been noted that botanical pursuits can data below. Since my selection of these 111 bota­ contribute to an active, long and healthy life. In nists was somewhat arbitrary, and could have in­ earlier times many botanists were trained as doc­ troduced a sampling bias (for example, those tors, who gained a good deal of botanical knowl­ dying young may have been unfairly overlooked), edge as part of their medical education. They one should not perhaps read too much into these presumably also learned to look after themselves figures. They may however reassure the present in later life. generation of field botanists about their future While writing a chapter on botanists who con­ prospects, and perhaps even help to recruit some tributed to our knowledge of the plants of South new recorders keen to adopt a botanical lifestyle. Lancashire (v.c. 59) for a forthcoming Flora, I In this account, living botanists have been ex­ calculated that those treated therein, whose dates cluded. Ages have been calculated from the years of birth and death were known, achieved an aver­ of birth and death, which slightly over-estimates age age of70.55 years. To permit comparison with their actual age. other professions or pastimes, I have analyzed the Half-Century of Longest-lived Shortest-lived Average age Sample size birth 1601-1650 78 54 66 2

1651-1700 92 55 67.3 3

1701-1750 74 56 65 2 1751-1800 89 53 64.8 24

1801-1850 91 46 66.8 43

1851-1900 87 33 71 33

1901- 96 63 76.3 4

Many botanists who worked in S. Lancashire (v.c.59) were not born in the county. Here are the comparable figures for native-born (v.cc. 59 & 60) Lancastrians: Half-Century of Longest-lived Shortest-lived Average age Sample size birth

1601-1650 54 54 54 1

1651-1700 55 92 73.5 2

1701-1750 0

1751-1800 89 53 69.5 19

1801-1850 82 46 71.6 20

1851-1900 87 33 70.2 18

1901- 0

While it would be a major exercise to compare these figures with overall mortality rates, it is instructive to examine the data for 1901, where deaths in that year in England and Wales fell into the following age classes (according to www.statistics.gov.uklstatbase): (see table overleaf) 16 Notes - Longevity of botanists / Pollen (In)fertility

Category 0-24 yrs 25-34 yrs 35-44 yrs 45-54 yrs 55-64 yrs 65-74 yrs 75-84 yrs 85 yrs +

All 247,831 30,317 38,618 46,238 58,135 66,606 51,233 12,607

%-age 45 5 7 8 11 12 9 2

The figures for botanists are broken down here into the same age classes (though only two of our botanists actually died in 1901)

Category 0-24 yrs 25-34 yrs 35-44 yrs 45-54 yrs 55-64 yrs 65-74 yrs 75-84 yrs 85 yrs +

All 0 1 2 9 25 32 29 13

%-age 1 2 8 23 29 26 12

So while the adult cohort from 65-74 years has years. Although Nora McMillan* achieved 96 the highest percentage of deaths in both exam­ years (by my method of counting), she only ples, 38% of botanists active in Lancashire, exceeded John Blackbume by two years, and he compared to 11% of people dying in 1901, had the handicap of living mainly in the 18th survived to the age of75 or more. century. It appears, therefore, that botanists (or more Finally, if one examines the ages of people precisely, botanists who supplied plant records who actually compiled and edited Floras of for publication) achieved notably more longev­ Lancashire (excluding Fumess), their average ity than the general population. Lest it be age comes to 70.4 years (range 39-89 years), thought that the figures are skewed by the inclu­ which is virtually the same figure as for record­ sion of females as well as males, our Lancas­ ers as a whole. trian recorders were overwhelmingly masculine * Who wrote this note: Longevity in concholo­ and one ofthe few females in the sample (Emily gists. Conchologists' Newsletter no. 25, p. 46. MargaretWood, 1865-1907) clocked up only 42 1968.

Pollen (In)fertility BRENDA HAROLD, Farthings, The Green, Sarratt, Rickrnansworth, Herts, WD3 6BP The current project to revise Hybridization and the than an open flower because it is surprising how flora of the British Isles (BSBI News 99: 10-16) quickly all the pollen is shed. A pin or needle is the will have encouraged members to record hybrids, best tool for extracting stamens, especially if the but their identification can be tricky. Sterility, ei­ flower is small, and a hand-lens will probably be ther partial or complete, is diagnostic for most necessary to distinguish the anthers from the other hybrids but it is often hard to decide whether a bits and pieces. Put only a small drop of stain on plant is able to set seed or not. The fruits may be the slide (about 5mm in diameter) or the pollen immature or the plant may be self-incompatible will be diluted out. Pick up tiny stamens on the tip and have no pollen donor within range. It is much of the needle, having first dipped it in the stain. easier to assess fertility by examining the pollen Squash the stamens gently with any suitable small, under a microscope and the technique is so easy blunt instrument and then remove all visible pieces that anyone can do it, provided that they have of material from the stain (push them to one side access to a compound microscope with a xl 0 (low with the needle and pick them up with a piece of power) objective. tissue). The pollen grains are too small to see with The technique, which was demonstrated at the the naked eye and will be left behind in the stain. Recorders' Conference in September, is as fol­ Add a cover slip. If there is insufficient stain to fill lows: stamens are placed in a drop of stain on a the cover slip add a drop to one side and allow it to microscope slide and squashed to release the pol­ move under by capillary action. len. Fresh or dried material can be used; I have Normal pollen grains will be uniform in shape made good pollen preparations from Potentilla and size, rounded and full of stainable contents. herbarium sheets more than a century old. If possi­ Inviable grains will be smaller, often irregular b
e the stamens should be taken from a bud rather and variable in size, usually completely empty Notes - Pollen (In)fertility / Developing tests for putative hybrids 17 and unstained although sometimes simply paler Some [mal words of caution: a few inviable in colour. Fig. 1 (Colour Section, plate 4) shows pollen grains will always be present, even in a normal pollen of Potentilla erecta (Tormentil), good species, and adverse environmental condi­ Fig. 2 the partially sterile hybrid P. x suberecta tions or disease may cause a drop in fertility. and Fig. 3 the totally sterile P. x mixta. Specimens collected late in the growing season I always use acetocarmine stain* although should be avoided. Gene mutations may also other biological stains such as lactophenol cot­ cause male sterility and allopolyploids (such as ton blue are probably equally effective. The Potentilla anglica (Trailing Tormentil» may time taken for the stain to penetrate varies with have an unusually low pollen fertility for a the species. At the Recorders' Conference it was species. Hybrids also vary in their degree of suggested that ordinary food colouring might sterility. Some fail to produce any pollen at all work just as well. I have tried red food colouring whilst a few may have apparently normal pol­ (from the kitchen cupboard) and found that it len. Backcross derivatives are likely to be more stained Viola pollen just as effectively as aceto­ fertile than F 1 hybrids. The general advice is carmine but not Aster pollen. Fig. 4 shows pol­ therefore to examine the parents as well as the len of partially sterile Viola xscabra, stained putative hybrid and, if backcrossing seems pos­ with red food colouring, whilst Figs. 5 and 6 sible, to look at more than one plant. show an Aster cultivar with acetocarmine and * Acetocarmine stain can be purchased from food colouring respectively. Note the reverse BruneI Microscopes Ltd., price approximately effect: food colouring fails to stain the normal £4 per 30ml bottle, including p. & p. Aster pollen grains but stains the inviable ones (www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk; te!.: 01249 pink. If possible, therefore, it is better to use a 462655) tried and tested biological stain.

Developing reliable tests for putative hybrids of bizarre parentage: a role for the BSBI? RICHARD M. BATEMAN, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW75BD I read with considerable interest Julian Shaw's cialist referees of 'is probably', 'may be' or article noting some bizarre hybrid combinations 'appears to be' when faced with an especially listed in the latest volume of Flora Iberica problematic plant, but all too often such qualifica­ (Shaw 2005). Shaw's main (and, in my view, tion constitutes the only honest reply. The devil legitimate) complaint was the lack of formal tends to be in the adjective as well as the detaiL description or herbarium vouchering to accom­ With the advent of molecular methods of pany such improbable records as Dactylorhiza identification, in theory at least, we need no elata x Spiranthes aestivalis and the three-way longer suffer these uncertainties. The last year combination of Dactylorhiza elata x in particular has witnessed what has effectively [Anacamptis pyramidalis x Gymnadenia odora­ been a media campaign to persuade funding tissima]. Of course, such dubious records are by bodies that we have reached a stage in molecu­ no means confined to Iberia. They also often lar knowledge when most (some would say all) prove to be a triumph of hope over evidence. plant species can be reliably identified using the While agreeing with Shaw that herbarium sequences of bases that are the fundamental vouchering is desirable, I cannot help but recall units of nucleic acids - an approach termed numerous occasions when I have been more per­ 'DNA bar-coding' (e.g. BBC and CNN News plexed than enlightened by examining herbarium web sites for 10 February 2005). Based on my specimens of supposed orchid hybrids. In truth, own experiences of applying these techniques to high-quality images of in situ plants often convey orchids (Bateman 2001, in press), I would argue more information of value in attempted identifica­ that such triumphalism is premature. tion (a fact that has not escaped the attention of Firstly, although many species in the UK flora BSBI members, since the majority of identifica­ have now been sequenced for at least one re­ tion requests sent to me now arrive electronically). stricted region of their genome, genetic varia­ But however good the visual evidence, the expert's tion has been assessed within very few species. preferred identification is still inevitably a proba­ Where it has been assessed, considerable varia­ bility statement. BSBI members may on occasion tion has often been detected. Further blurring of find frustrating the use by their hard-working spe- genetic boundaries is caused by the exchange of 18 Notes - Developing tests for putative hybrids

genetic material between species. This is typi­ also been correctly identified, most commonly cally viewed as occurring through hybridisation simply because they were the only likely candi­ (the primary subject of this note) and subse­ dates for parents that occurred in the vicinity of quent introgression. However, it is becoming the hybrid (e.g. Bateman & Hollingsworth increasingly clear that exchange of genetic ma­ 2004). But on many other occasions DNA se­ terial can also occur between two species that quencing has demonstrated that the suspect are very distantly related if a third species, such plant was a morphologically aberrant individual as a virus, acts as a vector to transfer a fragment of one of the suspected parents, as was the case of genetic material from one species to another with the supposed bigeneric hybrid between (Bergthorsson et al. 2004). Lastly, actively di­ Pseudorchis albida (Small-white Orchid) and verging, and recently diverged, species will pos­ Platanthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly-or­ sess few if any readily detected meaningful chid) reported by McKean (1982), which is in differences in DNA sequences, despite being fact a pseudopeloric form of P. chlorantha. easily morphologically distinguished, because Such mutations occur commonly in orchids, and morphological change is far more rapid than have considerable evolutionary potential most molecular changes (Bateman 1999). In (Bateman & Rudall in press), but they represent summary, for these reasons, I view the assign­ a serious threat to confident morphological ment of individuals to species on the basis of identification of hybrids. This is perhaps espe­ sequences from small regions of their genome cially true of relatively minor morphological as being no more than a probability statement. deviations, such as the subtle changes in column In this sense, DNA bar-coding is no different morphology in Epipactis that reputedly cause a from herbarium-based identification. switch from cross-pollination to self-pollination However, once it has been successfully dem­ and so permit one particular mode of speciation onstrated that the relevant species can be distin­ (Hollingsworth et al. in press). Thus, the pres­ guished using specified regions of DNA, the ently available molecular data suggest that the identification of hybrids using DNA is trans­ so-called Young's Helleborine (E. youngiana ') formed from a probability statement to some­ is neither a distinct species nor of hybrid origin, thing approaching a certainty, at least for first but simply one extreme of the morphological and second generation hybrids (e.g. Bateman & spectrum encompassed by the widespread E. Hollingsworth 2004). Since the chromosomes helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine). Unfor­ in the nucleus are inherited from both parents, tunately, this realisation has not prevented one expects to find in the hybrid copies of 'Young's Helleborine' from retaining a tena­ specific regions of the nuclear genome inherited cious hold on our national conservation agendas from each parent. By contrast, the organelles (e.g. Cheffings & Farre1l2005). that occur in every cell of the plant and have Molecular techniques have also proven highly their own more-or-less independent genomes - informative when applied to suspected cases of the mitochondria, responsible for respiration, hybridisation that occurred further back in time. and the plastids, responsible for photosynthesis Most notably, orchids are prone to allopoly­ - are inherited only from the mother. Hence, by ploidy - hybridisation combined with duplica­ sequencing a carefully chosen region of the tion of the full set of chromosomes to generate nucleus, and a carefully chosen region of the a potentially viable evolutionary lineage. This plastid, one can identify not only the parents of process is, for example, responsible for most of a hybrid but also which species was mother (i.e. the taxonomic complexity that is encountered in contributed the ovule) and which was father (i.e. Dactylorhiza (and, incidentally, keeps me occu­ contributed the pollen). Indeed, this can also be pied as BSBI co-referee for the genus). DNA­ inferred, albeit less reliably, from the morphol­ based techniques can reveal not only the identi­ ogy of the hybrid, since intriguingly, hybrid ties of both mother and father of each polyploid orchids tend to inherit more of their characteris­ lineage but also the relative times at which the tics from their mother than their father various lineages originated (e.g. Shipunov et al. (Bateman & Hollingsworth 2004); this phenom­ 2004). enon has been apparent to orchid breeders for It is fortunate that orchids occupy the cutting some time. edge of the drive to molecularly characterise Application of these techniques to European plant species (Bateman 2001), and the resulting orchids has yielded some interesting results. data have (as noted by Shaw 2005) been used to Often, the morphologically-based inference that redelimit orchid genera to comply with their the plant was a hybrid is upheld. In almost all molecularly-inferred evolutionary relationships such cases, the identities of its two parents have (e.g. Pridgeon et al. 2001; Bateman et al. 2003). Notes - Developing tests for putative hybrids 19

Shaw concluded with the thought that 'maybe 'Coeloglossum') and Gymnadenia (expanded to . .. generic concepts based on cladistic hierar­ include 'Nigritella' and the so-called chies derived largely from DNA sequences ... 'Pseudorehis !rivaldii'), as although these gen­ will gain respectability with time.' My response era are natural groups and are readily morpho­ is that maybe they already own that respectabil­ logically distinguished, it is not difficult to find ity. It is true that the first revision appeared in occasional hybrids between these genera in the 1997, just too late to be included in the flora of many places where they coexist. Sell & Murrell (1996) or the second edition of We now return to the question implicitly Stace (1997), which was in turn determinedly posed by Shaw (2005); do natural hybrids occur followed by the ensuing Plant Atlas (Preston et between such distantly related genera as Dacty­ at. 2002). However, the new classification, as lorhiza, Gymnadenia and Anaeamptis, which summarised in Genera Orehidaeearum (e.g. together span the full spectrum of variation Pridgeon et al. 2001, 2003), has been adopted within sub tribe Orchidinae (Pridgeon et at. by the Royal Horticultural Society and the UK 2001), and Dactylorhiza and Spiranthes, which Hardy Orchid Society. It also provides the are even more divergent, occurring in different framework for two of the three orchid floras tribes within subfamiliy Orchidoideae produced for the British Isles over the last year (Pridgeon et al. 2001,2003). It has to be admit­ (Foley & Clarke 2005 and Harrap & Harrap ted that at least some such taxonomically dispa­ 2005; cf. Lang 2004). rate hybrids can be generated artificially (S. More importantly from a scientific viewpoint, Malmgren & R. Manuel pers. comm. 2005), these classificatory revisions have subsequently demonstrating that intrinsic barriers to crossing survived a battery of different tests conducted are at best imperfect. However, reports of such during the ensuing eight years. These tests have 'wide crosses' from the wild usually prove to be ranged from sequencing of other regions of the misidentifications, reflecting the greater chal­ three plant genomes (nuclear, plastid, mitochon­ lenges of reaching maturity in a competitive drial) to re-examining the preferred mycorrhizal environment. In other words, scientific evidence partners of species and the development of their supports Shaw's implicit scepticism regarding protocorms following germination of the seeds. the likelihood that the supposed wide crosses These have reinforced all but one of the original among Iberian orchids have been correctly iden­ revisions (in my view, the jury is still out on tified. whether 'Nigritella' should be separated from It occurs to me that now may be the time to Gymnadenia), as well as revealing the necessity rethink the minimum level of verification re­ of formalising further rearrangements, such as quired for an accepted, published record of an the inclusion of 'Listera' within Neottia unexpected hybrid. It has been suggested that (Bateman in press; Hollingsworth et al. in press). the field botanist's pockets will soon contain a Most pertinently from the viewpoint of this portable DNA sequencer, to supplement the article, the new orchid classification has also GPS devices that have proliferated over the last encouraged re-examination, en masse, ofprevi­ few years. My prediction is that such a device ous reports of hybridisation. When this is done will take longer to arrive (and will probably sufficiently critically, it soon becomes apparent prove less useful) than its more optimistic pro­ that truly intergeneric hybrids occur far less ponents believe. On the other hand, even given frequently in nature than was previously be­ existing technology, the cost of extracting and lieved. Hybrids between 'Aeeras' and Orehis sequencing DNAs for the more commonly stud­ s.s., or 'Coeloglossum' and Daetylorhiza, lose ied regions of the genome has been falling rap­ their mystique when for each pairing the former idly in recent years. Although a partnership with genus is shown to merely be part of the latter an appropriate academic institution would still (Bateman et al. 2003; Bateman in press). Simi­ be my recommendation, plenty of commercial larly, the apportioning of former species of Or­ laboratories are now willing to service any re­ ehis s.l. among expanded concepts of quests from the botanical community. Moreo­ Anaeamptis and Neotinea is strongly supported ver, there have been concomitant increases in by hybridisation patterns that are largely con­ the reliability of the data generated and the fined to pairs of species within each of the three proportion of plant species for which 'yardstick' redelimited genera, once unsupported reports sequences are publicly available. have been filtered out of the data (H. Kret­ In other words, DNA sequencing is reaching a schmar et al. pers. comm. 2003). For me, the level of reliability and affordability when it most problematic remaining boundary is that could in theory be made available to a field­ separating Daetylorhiza (expanded to include worker, 'professional' or 'amateur', who en- 20 Notes - Developing tests for putative hybrids / Orchid genera

counters a particularly interesting or sive horizontal transfer of mitochondrial genes provocative plant and desires a more reliable (if from diverse land plant donors to the basal an­ not necessarily definitive) identification. In my giosperm Amborella. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA opinion, such a verification scheme would pre­ 101: 17747-17752. CHEFFINGS, C.M. & FARRELL, L., eds. 2005. The clude further erroneous records from entering, vascular plant Red Data List for Great Britain. and thus devaluing, the botanical literature. This JNCC, Peterborough. would in turn prevent systematic botanists from FOLEY, M.J.Y. & CLARKE, S. 2005. Orchids of the following false leads and conservationists from British Isles. Griffin Press, Cheltenham, Gloucs. investing in the preferential preservation of mis­ HARRAP, A. & HARRAP, S. 2005. Orchids of Britain identified plants. and Ireland: a field and site guide. A. & C. Black, I am left wondering whether it is time that the London. BSBI employed one or more 'molecular refe­ HOLLINGSWORTH, P.M., SQUIRRELL, J., HOLLINGS· rees'. Perhaps we could even collaborate with WORTH, M.L., RrCHARDS, A.I. & BATEMAN, RM. In press. Taxonomic complexity, conservation and recur­ other organisations more experienced in con­ rent origins of self-pollination in Epipactis ducting DNA-based research to establish a se­ (Orchidaceae). In: J. BAILEY & R.G. ELLIS (eds), Con­ quence-based infrastructure to assist referees, tributions to taxonomic research on the British and vice-county recorders, and the botanical com­ European flora. Botanical Society of the British Isles munity in general? (c. 16 pp.). References LANG, D. 2004. Britain's orchids. WildGuides, Old BATEMAN, RM. 1999. Integrating molecular and mor­ Basing, Hants. phological evidence for evolutionary radiations. In: MCKEAN, D.R. 1982. x Pseudanthera breadalbanen­ sis McKean: a new integeneric hybrid from Scot­ P.M. HOLLINGSWORTH, R.M. BATEMAN & RJ. GOR­ NALL (eds), Molecular systematics and plant evolu­ land. Watsonia 14: 129-131. PRESTON, C.D., PEARMAN, D.A. & DINES, T.D. 2002. tion, pp. 432-471. Taylor & Francis, London. BATEMAN, RM. 2001. Evolution and classification of New atlas ofthe British & Irishflora. Oxford Uni­ European orchids: insights from molecular and mor­ versity Press, Oxford. & phological characters. J. Eur. Orch. 33: 33-119. PRIDGEON, A.M., CRIBB, P.L., CHASE, M.W. RAs­ BATEMAN, RM. In press. How many orchid species are MUSSEN, F.N., eds. 2001. Genera Orchidacearum, 2. Orchidoideae 1. Oxford University Press, Ox­ currently native to the British Isles? In: J. BAILEY & RG. ELLIS (eds), Contributions to taxonomic research ford. PRIDGEON, A.M., CRIBB, P.L., CHASE, M.W. & RAs­ on the British and European flora. Botanical Society of the British Isles (c. 16 pp.). MUSSEN, F.N., eds. 2003. Genera Orchidacearum, 3. Orchidoideae 2, Vanilloideae. Oxford University BATEMAN, R.M. & HOLLINGSWORTH, P.M. 2004. Morphological and molecular investigation of the Press, Oxford. parentage and maternity of Anacamptis x albufer­ SELL, P.D. & MURRELL, G. 1996. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland. 5. Butomaceae-Orchidaceae. ensis (A. fragrans x A. robusta), a new hybrid Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. orchid from Mallorca, Spain. Taxon 53: 43-54. BATEMAN, RM., HOLLINGSWORTH, P.M., PRESTON, I., SHAW, I.M.H. 2005. New orchid hybrids in Flora Iberica voL 21. BSBI News 100: 27-28. Luo Y.-B., PRIDGEON, A.M. & CHASE, M.W. 2003. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution of Orchidinae SHlPUNOV, A.B., FAY, M.F., PILLON, Y., BATEMAN, & Dactylorhiza and selected Habenariinae (Orchidaceae). Bot. J. Linn. R.M. CHASE, M.W. 2004. (Orchidaceae) in European Russia: combined mo­ Soc. 142: 1-40. lecular and morphological analysis. Amer. J. Bot. BATEMAN, RM. & RUDALL, PJ. In press. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: using naturally occurring terata to 91: 1419-1426. distinguish the possible from the impossible in orchid STACE, C.A. 1997. New flora of the British Isles (2nd edn). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. floral evolution. Aliso (c. 14 pp.). BERGTHORSSON, u., RrCHARDSON, A.O., YOUNG, G.I., GOERTZEN, L.R. & PALMER, I.D. 2004. Mas-

Orchid genera RODNEY BURTON, Sparepenny Cottage, Eynsford, Kent DA4 OJJ

In the last paragraph of his note about new orchid of the volume he refers to: 'Maybe ... the use of hybrids in Flora Iberica vol. 21 (BSBI News 91: further molecular markers, coupled with a less 27-28), Julian Shaw comments about the reluc­ dogmatic viewpoint which does not exclude par­ tance observed in European Floras to take up the aphyletic genera, will lead to hypotheses which recently proposed generic concepts based on cla­ agree better with the morphological data and are distic hierarchies derived largely from DNA se­ therefore more practical.' Hooray! We used to quences. This reluctance is explained on page 17 have small genera which were based on single Notes - Orchid genera / 4-Pinnate Yarrow / Euphrasia eats a lot 21

floral characters -lack of a spur in Aceras, burs­ those genera, and probably others not in the Brit­ icle simple in Anacamptis, stigmas of a distinc­ ish Isles, and have Orchis anthropophora, O. tive shape in Neotinea. If the molecular markers pyramidalis and 0. intacta. The names exist al­ used so far show that these characters do not ready. correspond to the genetic realities, let's abandon

4-Pinnate Yarrow / Milfoilleaves DR JACK E. OUVER, High View, Rhyls Lane, Lockeridge, Nr Marlborough, Wilts., SN8 4ED Three miles west of Marlborough, near the A4 leaves 4-pinnate. Stace favours the Anglo­ road, I spotted a particularly graceful specimen SaxonlDutch designation 'Yarrow', but the Latin of Achillea millefolium (Yarrow). All leaves mille folium to French mille feuille to English were feathery, the basal ones gently arching, 'Milfoil' is particularly appropriate for this plant. 45-60cm long (see photocopy 1). The ultimate segments on one basal leaf totalled over 2,700.

Photocopy 2. Tri-pinnate Yarrow pinnae, length 2cm Checks on nine British Floras, texts and/or illus­ trations, gave the following descriptions for Yar­ row leaves: 2-pinnate, 3 :2-3 pinnate, 5:3-pinnate 1. A French Flora said 2-3 pinnate. Flora Euro­ paea said 2 (sometimes 3) Pinnatisect. Interest­ Photocopy 1. Part of2 Yarrow leaves, lengths ingly, two detailed Czech illustrations showed 50 & 55cm Achillea millefolium as I-pinnate with non-linear pinnatisect pinnae. Perhaps the Atlantic plants are It seemed worthy of closer scrutiny. Each basal more feathery than the continental ones. leaf ha about 100 pinnae, the central ones meas­ I strongly suspect other 4-pinnate Yarrow / uring 22-25 mm long (see photocopy 2). These Milfoil plants occur in this part of Wiltshire. in turn can be seen to be tri-pinnate, making the

Euphrasia eats quite a lot of things! EnWARD PRATT, 7 Bay Close, SWANAGE, Dorset BH191RE

So wrote Alan ShowIer in reply to my question Yeo (Watsonia 6: 1-24 (1964)), in which Yeo (BSBI News 100: 52.). He refered me to 'The lists as hosts many species which would be Growth of Euphrasia in Cultivation' by Peter found growing with Euphrasia. 22 Notes - Euphrasia eats a lot / Flora of Barra and Vatersay

Alan Silverside has also told me that Euphra­ But what about other semi-parasitics - sia is not host-specific. He says it grows partic­ Odontites, Pedicularis, Parentucellia, Bartsia, ularly well on Trifolium and Plantago, but it can Melampyrum - and, from a different family, also grow without a host, but the plants will be Thesium - what do they grow on? May I ask small. these further questions please?

A Taster of the Flora of Barra and Vatersay CAROLINE GRAHAM, 1 Larchfield Road, Fleet, Hants GU52 7LW Barra and Vatersay fonn the most southerly of dozen species and subspecies, the PPD includes the inhabited islands of the Westem Isles and 5 species of this genus and 8 other members of have a beautiful and diverse flora. The vice­ the Family Orchidaceae and there are certainly county census for the Outer Hebrides (v.c. 110) plenty to choose from in mid-summer on the lists an impressive 937 taxa and the Plants Post­ machair. Most iconic is Anacamptis pyramida­ code Database (PPD), based on the 1982 Atlas lis, the Pyramidal Orchid with its dome of pink­ of British Flora, records about half as many ish-red flowers that are said to have a rather less native species for Barra, Vatersay, Mingulay attractive foxy scent. and other islands of postal district HS9. Barra Barra has several other botanical specialities, itself is only 8 miles by 5 miles and many parts which like me you might otherwise miss: mead­ of the island are accessible from the circular ows full of primroses which bloom well into 'main' road. In this small area a number of summer; the rare and delicate Irish Lady's-tress­ habitats exist: rocky shore, salt marsh, mead­ es, Spiranthes romanzofjiana, flowering in ows, moorland, small patches of woodland and, moist meadows grazed by cattle; the Pyramidal a feature of the Western Isles, machair. These Bugle, Ajuga pyramidalis with its bright purple coastal grasslands are formed by wind-blown flowers and on the small off-island of Fuday a calcareous shell-sand, with dunes nearer the sea colony of Thyme Broomrape, the somewhat and a mixture of sand and peat further inland. misnamed Orobanche alba with its purplish-red Walking across the narrow isthmus of dunes stems and corolla. between the white sand beaches Traigh Eais and Pollen analysis suggests the Western Isles Traigh MhOr in the north of Barra or Bagh Siar have never had many trees since the acid water­ and Bagh Bhatarsaigh on Vatersay is a good logged soils developed after the retreat of the way to see this environment. The lack of fertility glaciers 10,000 years ago (H.J.B. Birks 1991). in the soil and the low intensity farming of the Today a few small areas of woodland exist in crofters results in a glorious mosaic of flowering sheltered locations such as the small valley at plants. In July 2005 Campanula rotundifolia the roadside near Loch an Duin in the north of (Harebell), Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney Barra, although judging by the species present Vetch), Galium verum (Lady's Bedstraw), Tri­ this may have been at least partly planted. In folium pratense (Red Clover) and Thalictrum 2004 the Western Isles council initiated a biodi­ minus (Lesser Meadow-rue) and the semi-para­ versity action plan to protect the remaining na­ sitic species, Rhinanthus minor (Yellow-rattle) tive woodland. The ground flora in this and Euphrasia micro-species (eyebrights) were particular wood is mostly ferns; a number of among the plants in bloom. Six subtly different species are native to the islands and survive in microspecies of Euphrasia have been recorded places protected from the wind. The dense cov­ on Barra at various times, E. confusa, E. fou­ ering offerns (Asplenium marinum (Sea Spleen­ laensis, E. marshallii, E. micrantha, E. nemo­ wort)) growing on the wall of a first floor rosa and E. scottica; of these E. marshallii and corridor ofKisimul Castle is perhaps an extreme E. foulaensis are more localised to parts of the example. The castle stands on a rocky islet in Western Isles, the North Scottish coast and the Castle Bay and this wall would have been open Shetland Isles. To compound matters, these mi­ to the elements before the castle was restored in crospecies hybridise with one another freely. the 1990s. However botanists still wishing to 'cut their Reaching Barra and its botanical treasures is teeth' in identifying hybrids as suggested by usually quite straight forward; it is only an David Pearman and Chris Preston (2005) might hour's flight from Glasgow to the cockle strand be interested in the profusion of orchids. The beach that provides a runway. My journey vice-county census lists 8 hybrids of Dacty­ turned out to be less direct, landing at Benbecula lorhiza (marsh- & spotted-orchids) as well as a with a tour of countryside and causeways of Notes - Flora of Barra and Vatersay / Part of a family 23

South Vist and Eriskay in the school bus to PEARMAN, D. & PRESTON, C. 2005. Hybridization reach the ferry to Barra, this hardly ever hap­ and the Flora of the British Isles. BSBI News 99: pens the locals say. 10-16 With thanks to Richard Pankhurst for his Native Woodlands Habitat Action Plan: www.cne­ siar.gov.uklbiodiversity:The Postcode Plants Database guidance. References :http://intemt.nhm.ac.uk BIRKS, H.J.B. 1991 in R.J. PANKHURST & J.M. MULLIN Flora a/the Outer Hebrides p. 32-37

Part of a family LYNNE FARRELL, SNH, Battleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EW I joined the BSBI in 1967, as a result oflistening Meetings and Conservation. At first I found this to conversations about the possible develop­ daunting, climbing up to the top floor of the ments at Cow Green in Teesdale whilst sitting Linnean Society past all the portraits of eminent in my boss's, Terry Wells, room sorting through men, and sitting round the great wooden tables bags of cut vegetation. I was intrigued about the with many other famous botanists of the day. It discussions regarding the rare plants and com­ took me a long time to pluck up the courage to mWlities that grew in the area and of the immi­ add my voice to the discussions. But I remember nent threat of their being submerged. The Mrs Jocelyn Russell welcoming me and saying people at Monks Wood signed a petition and how good it was to see anew, young, enthusias­ donated some of their wages to support the tic person, and that gave me the encouragement defence of this special place. Although I only I needed. Eventually I found I could use my earned £7 per week, I felt this was a worthy knowledge and growing experience to help with cause and duly signed up to both it and the the many projects. Society. Of course, I really wanted to be a VCR, and to A few years later I attended the New Univer­ contribute to a new Atlas, but I had to wait until sity of Ulster and obtained a Boilogical Sciences 1995 when there was a gap and Peter Macpher­ degree, and then went to work in Eire surveying son persuaded me that I could tackle Mull, Coli various midland counties for An Foras Forbar­ and Tiree - the Mid Edudes - from an Edin­ tha. I explored parts ofIreland that many others burgh base. It is much easier if you live in your may not have seen. There were quite a few vice-county, but I never tire of the wonderful active field botanists, and a large area to cover, west coast scenery and the possibility that any­ even though it often seemed that Praeger had thing may turn up - Tuberaria guttata (Spotted been there before us. (Botanising in Ireland is Rockrose) for instance! The Flora of Mull pub­ summed up by his note saying that he drilled lished by the Natural History Musemn was one holes in his boots to let the water out rather than of the few floras that I did not immediately continue to walk about all day with the water acquire when it was published. Luckily Clive swishing around inside them.) But even young Jermy was able to unearth a spare copy in the graduates were welcomed into the ranks, and I 'dungeons' of the BM. So I embarked on a was soon pottering about with the knowledgea­ tetrad flora for Mull. I am still working on it, ble and friendly recorders and field workers. with over half the 337 tetrads recorded, result­ I became closely involved with the daily activ­ ing in many new localities and several new ities of the BSBI on my return to Monks Wood vice-county records for interesting species. In to work in the Biological Records Centre. There recent years I have persuaded friends to come I was on tap to all the VCRs, as well as any other and participate. If you have not yet visited Mull enquirers. The years helping produce the Fern there is a chance in July 2006 when I will be Atlas and the first Red Data Book provided an running a field meeting. opportunity to learn about the distribution and Realisation that I am getting older has dawned ecology of all the British species. It was an now after being sent on a pre-retirement course excellent training ground. by Scottish Natural Heritage - only twenty-one Dr Perring took me along to the Annual meet­ months to go now -then I will really be able to ings, where I met in person many of the people pay full attention to the Mid Ebudes, other parts who wrote or phoned BRC. This enabled me to of Britain and Ireland, and places further afield. build up a visual map of botanists throughout Somehow it does not seem that long ago that I Britain and Ireland. Eventually I was encour­ first became a botanist and part of the family. aged to sit on a few committees, including 24 Notes - Part of a family / A native annual unfamiliar as a garden weed

Maybe it's because I have enjoyed the compa­ reticence. Who can forget the American worker ny, exploration and discovery along the way. who 'pegged out' ducks on a washing line in Some people tell me that they are over-awed order to wash their webbed feet and see what by the depth of knowledge that many of the seeds they were dispersing? BSBI members display. They need not be - Today there are the usual 153 Watsonian vice­ anyone can spot a plant even if they cannot counties with recorders and now 42 of them are name it immediately. Every individual can women. That is an increasing trend. But do not make a contribution. It is much better to be in get worried gentlemen. Every family, in my the field with other botanists and to learn from opinion, needs a father, a mother and some them first hand than to dwell on the textbooks children. Perhaps this article will appeal and indoors. When Jeannette Hall and Ruth Mitchell help others to become part of the botanical casually mentioned that their group had found family of the BSBI, in which I feel so totally at Spiranthes romanzoJfiana (Irish Ladies' -tress­ home. Start now, and may be one day you will es) in a Local Change square on Mull, I was be elected a vice-president, and perhaps even rather dubious, but some close questioning over get your portrait hung on the Linnean Society dinner made me take the whole group out to the walls, or more realistically, appear in BSBI site afterwards - and there were the flowering News. plants in a totally new locality. All you need is a sharp eye and a willingness to learn. PS The fact that I have been employed mainly It took me three years as a botanical assistant as a botanist/ecologist by the official govern­ at Monks Wood to discover that other people ment agencies for over 35 years, and have been were just as shy as me when it came to tallcing given their support in matters botanical, has also to others. We received some fascinating visitors provided a secure environment, which has cer­ there, often for just half a day, and my curiosity tainly been a positive factor in my career. to hear what they had to say overcame my

A native annual unfamiliar as a garden weed JOHN OUNSTED, Apple Tree Cottage, Woodgreen Common, Fordingbridge, SP62BD My first record of Fallopia dumetorum (Copse­ 'common name' for it is 'Left-handed Bind­ Bindweed) in Worcestershire I marked as weed'. 'dubious'. But Amphlett & Rea (1909) says Anyhow, for the Kew seed-bank I asked if it 'First certain record near Kidderminster', a little would be alright to introduce to my garden a few N of my station. My own first certain record was seeds from an amazing native plant in Dorset. at Hedgerley (Bucks.) in 1950. I didn't see it They agreed, and the following year I had no again until I retired and moved (in 1982) to what difficulty in sending them 10,000 seeds. But it now seems to be its headquarters, both sides of then escaped into my five compost heaps and the River Avon between Hants. & Dorset. Here turns up everywhere that soil is disturbed. My there was one well-known site. But recording garden, 50x50m, is entirely surrounded by for the new Floras of those counties I have hedges, which it doesn't frequent. It specially found unrecorded stations in eight different tet­ likes the flower borders at the bottom of the rose rads. Fallopia dumetorum flourishes in dis­ trellis, or below the climbing roses up the cot­ turbed soil where old hedges have been cleared. tage walls. It germinates in the cultivated plots So after a year or two it disappears, having shed and flops feebly except by the Runner Beans abundant seed. Records are unreliable as it is and Sweet Peas where it gets the necessary easily confused with its congener F. convolvu­ support. My record height so far is some 6m on lus var. subalatum (an archaeophyte). Unless a compost heap adjacent to a tall (adventive!) you find one over 2m high you must compare Bay Tree. the seeds. Incidentally, before flowering, plants References may be confused with the perennial unrelated AMPHLETT, I. & REA, C. 1909. The Botany of genus Convolvulus (Bindweeds). You can at Worcestershire. once distinguish them by the F allopia twisting BREWIS, A. et al. 1996. The Flora ofHampshire. the other way round the plants it climbs up. My BOWEN, H.J. 2000. The Dorset Flora. Notes - Cerastium brachypetalum in Bedfordshire 25

Cerastium brachypetalum in a Bedfordshire railway cutting PETER C. HORN, 22 Jowitt Avenue, Kempston, Bedford, MK428NW Cerastium brachypetalum (Grey Mouse-ear) which the plant formerly grew was now no was first recorded in Britain in 1947, by E. longer a suitable habitat. Milne-Redhead, growing on railway cuttings in Photographs (in Dony 1953) show the railway North Bedfordshire. It was stated to be 'in large banks with very short vegetation. This condition quantity over a considerable distance' (Milne­ was maintained by the steam trains which at this Redhead 1947). A few years later it was said to time caused fairly frequent fires on the banks be 'plentiful for about a mile in the two large and, in addition, British Rail burned the banks railway cuttings' (Dony 1953). Later records, in to reduce the danger of accidental fires which, the 1970s, show that, within this distance of being uncontrolled, could be dangerous. In the 'about a mile,' the plants appeared in two colo­ late 1960s came the reduction and then the final nies, one colony in each cutting. phasing-out of the steam trains, followed by the The colonies were on west-facing banks on cessation ofthe periodic burning of the banks by oolitic limestone, and between 1972 and 1980 British Rail. The railway banks then started to usually contained about 1000 plants. The acquire long vegetation and the habitat soon number of plants fluctuated from year to year became unsuitable for the Cerastium. with one colony sometimes containing many In 1984 the Cerastium no longer appeared in more plants than the other. In 1974 Milne-Red­ the former colonies, having been smothered out head (in a letter to English Nature) said 'the by coarse vegetation. However I fOIDld some plant has declined lOO-fold since 1947.' From plants growing in a new location further south this, together with the records at that time, the of one ofthe former colonies. Most ofthe plants total number of plants in 1947 may be estimated in this location were growing on the top of a to be up to 100,000. retaining wall at the base of the railway bank. Also in the 1970s a small number of plants The top of this wall provided a narrow strip of were found further north near the county border shallow but firm soil suitable for the Cerastium and just across the border into Northampton­ but unsuitable for the coarse vegetation. In addi­ shire. In the latter station, last seen in 2000, it tion the retaining wall had safeguarded the was speculated that these plants had probably Cerastium against herbicide spraying which had appeared from seeds drawn down from the main been carried out by British Rail at the base of the colonies by air currents produced by passing adjacent banks. trains. (Horn 1993). In this method of dispersal Sharnbrook SUlllIDit Nature Reserve, a the modest achievements of the Cerastium can County Wildlife Site, is adjacent to the colony hardly be compared to Oxford Ragwort of Grey Mouse-ear and, as Voluntary Warden I (Senecio squalidus). In fact the Cerastium has continued to monitor the plants each year. Acci­ poor dispersal abilities and will continue to dental fires occurred on the railway banks in appear in much the same place, year after year, some years during the 1980s which prevented provided conditions are favourable and the hab­ the colony from becoming too overgrown. itat remains open and undisturbed. However by 1993, because of the further serious The plant requires, inter alia, bare soil and an decline in the number of plants, I submitted a open habitat. In Bedfordshire it does not, as detailed report to the Wildlife Trust of Bedford­ stated in one report, 'typically grow on anthills.' shire (Horn 1993). It was at this same time that It grows rarely, and does not persist, on anthills. the Cerastium was considered to be under threat It seems to prefer compacted soil, but according from the Channel Tmmel Link at its other loca­ to Milne-Redhead, when he saw the plants in tion in Kent (Rich & Palmer 1994). 1947, 'they were growing in loose oolitic soil Although there seemed little doubt that con­ between grasses and other dwarf vegetation,' trolled winter burning on the railway bank (pers. comm.). would be the easiest and most comprehensive There seems no doubt that the huge decline in method of management for the Cerastium, it plant numbers, noted by Milne-Redhead in was not possible to obtain agreement to this 1974, was due to a dramatic change in habitat; from the Railway Authority. Therefore the the railway banks had acquired long vegetation method of management adopted involved hand­ and there had been a gradual build-up of a dead cutting to remove scrub and coarse vegetation mattress of grass. Almost all of the area in from certain areas to provide the necessary open ground. 26 Notes - Cerastium brachypetalum in Bedfordshire / Ladies, Roses and Coral Necklaces

Over the last few years the number of plants The plants in this latest colony grow on bare, have fluctuated each year from 30 to about 200 very compact, ground and between 1999 and plants. The plants are self-pollinated, but it is 2005 have steadily and consistently increased in possible that occasionally they are cross-polli­ number up to about 300 plants. In Bedfordshire, nated by small flies. The fluctuations are not therefore, Cerastium brachypetalum, a red data worrying provided the trend in number is stable book plant, though greatly reduced in number or increasing. And, as has been stated, since first recorded in 1947, can no longer be ' ... clearly, a self-pollinated plant will be able to regarded as being in decline. recover more readily and quickly from a year in References which the population is reduced to small num­ MILNE-REDHEAD, E. 1947. Cerastium brachypetalum bers, or even to a single individual.' (Proctor & Pers. in Britain. The Naturalist 822: 95-96. Yeo 1972). DONY, lG. 1953. Flora ofBedfordshire. Luton. In 1999 a few plants of the Cerastium ap­ HORN, P.C. 1993. Report on the decline and conser­ peared in a completely new location about 300m vation of Cerastium brachypetalum Pers. in Bed­ north of the above colony. This new colony is fordshire. The Wildlife Trust of Bedfordshire and on the top of the railway bank and just within Cambridgeshire. RICH, T. & PALMER, J. 1994. Plantlife 'Backfrom the the boundary of Shambrook Summit Nature Brink' Project. Grey Mouse-ear (Cerastium brach­ Reserve. The appearance of these plants in this ypetalum Pers.) under threat from the Channel new location would seem to indicate that a small Tunnel Rail Link. number of seeds have been drawn down from PROCTOR, M. & YEO, P. 1972. The Pollination of the earlier colony by wind currents caused by Flowers. Taplinger Publishing Company NY. passing trains, thus supporting my earlier hy­ pothesis. Ladies, Roses and Coral Necklaces in v.c. 12 ToNY MUNDELL, 38 Conifer Close, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire, GU52 6LS News on the grapevine, that a new site for plants that frequent the remarkable wide vistas Orchis purpurea (Lady Orchid) was found in of pristine chalk grassland and woodland at 2005 near Ashbury at SU277.857 in v.c. 22 Porton Down. During this visit on 29 May 2004 (Berkshire, but Administrative Oxfordshire) has the Orchis purpurea was still in fme fettle been confirmed in the new Flora of Berkshire (Colour Section, plate 3). During this visit we (Crawley, 2005). This has prompted me to put searched unsuccessfully in the adjacent wood­ pen to paper to record an earlier similar discov­ land and scrub for any more spikes. ery in North Hampshire (v.c. 12). I will take the As access is so restricted, and visitors are opportunity to mention some other interesting always escorted, it seems unlikely that anyone plants recently found there. could have planted the orchid. However the On 31 May 2003 a group of birders visiting opportunity was taken to collect soil samples the Defence Science & Technologies Laborato­ from very close to the clump and from a metre ries (DSTL) establishment at Porton Down away. As expected, subsequent soil analysis by came across a plant of Orchis purpurea. It was Ron AlIen showed no evidence of foul play. in open woodland on Isle of Wight Hill, Although one cannot rule out seed being spread SU251.373, which is in North Hampshire very deliberately I am inclined to regard it as having close to the border with Wiltshire. (Apparently arrived naturally as wind-borne seed, either this hill was so-named because allegedly it is from other British sites or perhaps from across possible to see the Isle of Wight from it on a the Channel. The new site in v.c. 22 tends to clear day). I arrived home from a holiday to find support this. a letter reporting this discovery - new to V.c. 12. Whilst at Porton Down we paid our respects to A member of the MOD Porton Down Conserva­ a well-known colony of Salvia pratensis tion Group kindly arranged access for me and I (Meadow Clary) and found some Galium went to see it for myself on 7 June 2003. There pumilum (Slender Bedstraw) nearby. Martin were three flower spikes, plus a dead one from Rand collected a couple of Hawkweeds later the previous year, all forming a single large determined as H grandidens and clump. H sublepistoides by Rod Stem. Paul Stanley's The following year a visit was arranged for eagle eye added Cerastium pumilum (Dwarf members of the Hampshire Flora Group (HFG) Mouse-ear) and he also found some bushes of to see it, together with numerous other scarce what he felt could only be Rosa agrestis (Small- Notes - Ladies, Roses and Coral Necklaces / Meum athamanticum in Cheshire 27 leaved Sweet-briar). This led to a further HFG specified map reference only to come across meeting to study the roses at Isle of Wight Hill two other small colonies of Coral Necklace. on 11 September 2005. During this visit Paul These are about lkm and 1.5km west of the found further bushes of R. agrestis as well as the main Longmoor site, but in the adjacent 10km uncommon hybrids R. agrestis x R. micrantha, square, SU7.2, adding a further 10km square for R. agrestis x R. canina and R. micrantha x R. the Atlas update. canina, all since confirmed by Roger Maskew. In all cases military vehicles that chum up the Martin Rand found some plants of Euphrasia wet, sandy tracks are evidently spreading the corifusa nearby (det. Alan Silverside) - some­ seeds. A Defence Estates representative, Liz what surprising for this chalky habitat. Rowan (2005) told me, that she had seen it Hampshire is blessed with a wide range of recently growing abundantly on similar tracks at habitats, and in 2005 an interesting new v.c. 12 the 'Brasschaat' Belgian Army Training Area at record was made on acid heathland. A colony of a site called 'Groot Schietveld' just north of Illecebrum verticillatum (Coral-necklace) was Antwerp. As a British native it is almost con­ found by Chris Hall growing in profusion along fined to parts of Cornwall and the New Forest. some of the wet, sandy tracks used for military An exception is in Berkshire (v.c. 22) where training at Long Valley, Aldershot, SUS.5 (see Mick Crawley (2005) tells us it has been known photo inside front cover). It clearly has been as a native since IS91. Since then it has oc­ present for many years as there are several thou­ curred there at several different sites within sand plants stretching for 500m, mainly around SUS.6 and still persists in at least one of them. the edges of puddles. Coincidentally another The four new v.c. 12 sites are between those in v.c. 12 colony was found a few weeks later by the New Forest and Berkshire so I judge them to Clive Chatters and David Rumble 20km away be native. on the MOD heathland at Longmoor, SUS.2. References: This colony has about three thousand plants CRAWLEY, MJ. 2005. Flora of Berkshire, Brambleby scattered over about lOOm. Soon after that, Pe­ Books, Harpenden. ter Rollinson and June Chatfield navigated ROWAN, L. 2005. Private communication 11 Oct2005. across the expanse of MOD Longmoor to the

Meum athamanticum in Cheshire (v.c. 58) GRAEME M. KAY, 4 Geneva Road, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 3HT; [email protected] It was a fortunate day when Roy and Marie cosmia xcrocosmiiflora (Montbretia) plants were Beacham decided to take a walk along the growing by the nearby low cliff. Cheshire/Staffordshire border in July this year The big question is 'could it be native?' The (2005), for at Mow Cop they came across a nearest known sites are in Cumbria and in North plant they did not recognise. Wisely, they took Wales where it is both native and a known photographs and a map reference which they introduction. Historically it used to grow on the sent to Julie Clarke, who sent them on to John LancashireIY orkshire border where it has not Hawksford as she thought they were probably been recorded since about 1914. It is available in Staffs. John put MapMate to work and found from specialist nurseries, but seems an odd that the plant was actually a few yards into thing to plant in the wild, and if that is the case Cheshire, so handed to me pictures which set here, the culprit knew exactly what the correct my pulse racing! I visited the site as soon as habitat was. It is unlikely to be a casual chuck­ possible and there, indeed, to my delight was out as it would be quite a walk from the nearest Meum athamanticum (Spignel) within spitting road. It has not spread as is often the case with distance of Staffs as they say. There was a recent introductions, but the local cattle might single well-grown plant in an unimproved up­ cull any seedlings. Informed opinions would be land pasture at about 300m, frequented by welcome. horses and cows (see Colour Section, plate 1). References It is in a tiny fragment of a hectad the rest of SAVIDGE, J.P., HEYWOOD, V.H., GORDON, V. 1963. which is in Staffs and so may have never been Travis's Flora of South Lancashire. Liverpool Bo­ studied. Not many botanists visit that area and tanical Society the flowering period is quite short. Associated PRESTON, C.D., PEARMAN, D.A., & DINES, T.D. species were unremarkable, though some Cro- 2002. New Atlas of the British & Irish Flora. Ox­ ford University Press. 28 Notes - Currant Galls on Oak / Botany in Literature - 38

Abundance of Currant Galls on Oak in Taplow, Bucks. (v.c. 24) DR PAMELA TAYLOR, Heathlands, 74 Stomp Road, Burnham Bucks., SLl 7LT As the young oak leaves unfurled on a group of scrub oaks in Taplow (v.c. 24), during a few sunny days at the end of April, I was amazed at how many currant galls (Neuroterus quer­ cusbaccarum) appeared not just on the catkins but also on the new leaves, particularly along their margins.

x10

Spangle galls 27.7.05

Currant galls 28.4.05 The gall wasps which form currant galls and many of the other galls on oaks have extremely complicated life-cycles, often involving altera­ tion of generations. Possibly because of the complicated life-history, the populations of in­ dividual galls vary greatly from one year to the next. I should be interested to know whether the abundance of currant galls in Taplow last Spring was just a local phenomenon, or more wide­ Mature Spangle galls 17.9.05 spread. All drawings del. P. Taylor © 2005 There were few oak apples (Biorhiza pallida), and oak marble galls (Andricus kollari) on the The spangle galls are formed around the eggs oaks at Taplow in 2005, but, when they formed laid by the mated females of Neuroterus quer­ in July, both spangle galls (Neuroterus quer­ cusbaccarum from the spring currant galls, cusbaccarum) and knopper galls (Andricus hence their abundance probably followed that of quercuscallicis) were common. currant galls. However, the other part of the life cycle of Andricus quercuscallicis develops on the catkins of Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris).

Botany in Literature - 38 JACK SMITH, 48 Dean Road, Handforth, Cheshire, SK9 3AH; [email protected] Charles Nelson has pointed out to me an inter­ fying glass. I wanted to be a botanist when I esting fictional would-be botanist in Iris was ten. My father loved plants, though igno­ Murdoch's 1978 novel, The Sea, The Sea. He is rantly, and we looked at many things togeth­ the book's main character, Charles Arrowby, er. I wonder what I would have done with my who muses: life if! had not been theatre-mad?' , ... Pink and white valerian grows around the Later in the book: base of the [Martello] tower, and a kind of , ... I lingered for a little while after the toad purple flowering thyme mingles with the had gone, and looked at the red-tufted grass and perches here and there among the mosses and the flowers, mare's tails which I rocks on the landward side. I examined this, remembered from my youth, and that weird and also a tiny saxifrage, through my magni- yellow flower that catches flies. Heather Notes - Botany in Literature - 38 / Botany in Literature - 39 29

grows upon the higher ground inland, toward There was some scrappy heather and lots of Amorne Farm. I was told by the house agent those tiny yellow plants that catch flies, and that there were orchids in the vicinity, but I purple and white flowers that looked like have seen none ... ' miniature orchids ... ' Later still in the story: I think I agree with Charles that Murdoch isn't ' ... On several afternoons Lizzie and I walked referring to Utricularia, but perhaps to Pinguic­ inland, past the place where in a previous ula, where she is actually describing the leaf existence I intended to put my herb garden, rosettes, not the flowers. into the country which I had never explored. The novel contains nice descriptions of The region just beyond was bog, full of out­ coastal flora, Charles tells me. crops of rock and gorse and little black pools.

Botany in Literature - 39 Garlic - Dracula - Wolftbane MARGOT E. SOUCHIER, 26A Dryden Avenue, LONDON, W71ES Garlic: unless you are using a garlic-laden from becoming one ofthe 'Un-Dead', thus beg­ breath! (in lieu, perhaps, of the dubious gim­ ging the question: mick of a spoon oozing plastic melting ice­ 'WHICH SPECIES OF GARLIC POLISHED cream) to secure or save a seat on public trans­ OFF DRACULA?' ©:5 port in the rush-hour, the thought of the unctu­ [Hillingham]6 ous herb may conjure up memorable, if (1) ... Shortly after I had arrived, a big sometimes aggressive, southern European parcel from abroad came for the Professor. dishes such as Portuguese Ar;orda Alentejana He opened it with much impressment - as­ (Alentejo Bread and Garlic Soup), the Spanish sumed, of course - and showed a great bundle tapa ChampiYlOneS al ajillo (Mushrooms in Garlic of white flowers. Sauce), French Afoli,z Italian Pesce all' agliata 'These are for you, Miss Lucy,' he said. (Fish in Garlic Sauce), or, moving eastwards, 'For me? Oh, Dr Van Helsing!' thoughts of Skorthalia (a North Aegean Islands' 'Yes, my dear, but not for you to play with. garlic sauce known as od skorothali in ancient These are medicines.' Here Lucy made a wry Athens (Aristophanes); cj Modern Greek' face. 'Nay, but they are not to take in a (6-:-maaeeU), Garlic Dip), Garlic Soup (Romania), decoction or nauseous form, so you need not Dubrovnik Minestrone (Croatia), Tarator (a Bul­ snub that so charming nose, or I shall point garian yoghurt soup), or Muzhdei (Moldavian out to my friend Arthur what woes he may Garlic Dressing), all made with the bulb. have to endure in seeing so much beauty that Or, if you have botanised in the mountainous he loves so much distort. Aha, my pretty region of Transylvania (Erdely, Hungarian for miss, that bring the so nice nose all straight 'beyond the forest') in North-west Romania,3 you again. This is medicina1,7 but you do not may simply think of vampires and wolves* and, know how. I put him in your window, I make most obviously of Bram Stoker's famous 1897 pretty wreath, and hang him round your masterpiece Dracula,4 and its eponymous Count neck, so that you sleep well. Oh yes! they, with his strong, but pallid, aquiline features and a like the lotus flower, make your trouble for­ mouth which 'was fixed and rather cruel-looking, gotten. It smell so like the waters of Lethe, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded and of that fountain of youth that the Con­ over the lips, ... ', and hands, initially 'white and quistadores sought for in the Floridas, and fme', but on close inspection, 'rather coarse - find him all too late.' broad, with squat fmgers' and with 'hairs in the Whilst he was speaking, Lucy had been ex­ centre of the palm. The nails were long and fme, amining the flowers and smelling them. Now and cut to a sharp point. ' she threw them down, saying, with half­ But in the following two passages from the laughter and half disgust:- novel (pp. 170-71 and p. 213 respectively) two 'Oh, Professor, I believe you are only types of garlic (i.e. stem with flowers) are em­ putting up a joke on me. Why, these flowers ployed to either save the life of Lucy Westenra are only common garlic.'8 (friend of Mina, who is the fiancee-wife of To my surprise, Van Hesling rose up and Jonathan Harker, narrator of the first passage; said with all his sternness, his iron jaw set Dr Seward narrates the second) or to prevent her and his bushy eyebrows meeting:- 30 Notes - Botany in Literature - 39

... 'Oh, little miss, ... ; but there is much 'The Un-Dead'. The vampire myth widespread virtue to you in those so common flower. over Europe, including the Balkans, is undoubt­ See, I place them myself in your room. I edly derived from the Hellenic concept (as found, make myselfthe wreath that you are to wear. for example, inlEschylus' play Oresteia) that the But hush! no telling to others that make so dead do not disappear but continue a kind of inquisitive questions. ... Come with me, shadowy existence in Hades and exert an influ­ friend John, and you shall help me deck the ence on those who are left alive and, by exten­ room with my garlic, which is all the way sion, the belief in ghosts who are driven to from Haarlem, where my friend Vanderpool persecute the living because they can find no raise herb in his glass-houses all the year. I peace until they are avenged. had to telegraph yesterday, or they would not 5. This interrogative phrase is the title of a have been here.' .... research paper and as such is copyright. [Hillingham] 6 [Hillingham]: a ficticious place, possibly a conflation of the prefix 'Hilling' ( as in e.g. (2) The Professor looked sternly grave. Hillingdon, Middlesex), and suffix, 'ham' (Old .... 'Remain till I return,' and left the room. English for a village). He came back with a handful of wild garlic9 7. medicinal: common garlic is anthelmintic, from the box waiting in the hall, but which hypoglyc~mic, expectorant, antibiotic and anti­ had not been opened, and placed the flowers septic among many other attributes. A slice of amongst the others on and around the bed. fresh garlic placed against the inflamed gum of a Then he took from his neck inside his collar, painful tooth, will cause a temporary surge in the a little golden crucifix,1O and placed it over pain (enough to make one's eyes water) which the mouth ... should then subside. This being the case, a dental NOTES x-ray (£2.00!) will confirm effectiveness. 1. garlic-laden breath: (a) Until very recent­ 8. common garlic: i.e. Allium sativum L. ly, most British and Anglo-Americans regarded (Fokhagyma [fok-hadj-ma] (Hungarian); Us­ the eating of garlic as a filthy foreign habit, turoi (Romanian); Knoblauch (German: Knob garlic-eating adults being asked to leave buses, literally, dice (= the cloves); Lauch , allium, cafes and other public places (MacClancy, leek; c.f. Schnitt [= cut] lauch, chives)) 1992). (b) 'Mama soon began to complain of a (Alliace~): 'worn round neck' (Mabberley, smell, which she said was, or at least resembled 1989). that of the herb, garlic. Of course when one is 9. wild garlic: Either (1) Allium ursinum L. abroad, the smell of garlic is everywhere ... ' (Ramsons (Ramsel (German), Wild or Wood (Aickman, 1975 in Ryan: 411). (c) Mina Harker (Ail des bois (French), Waldknoblauch (Ger.)) says of the Transylvanians: 'They are very, very or Bear's (Ail des ours (French), Biirlauchkraut superstitious ... I believe they went to the trouble (Ger.)) or Hog's Garlic; Gipsy['s] Onion [fleek of putting an extra amount of garlic into our herb] (= Ziguenerlauchkraut (Ger.)), Hexenzw­ food; and I can't abide garlic.' (Dracula, p. iebel = Witch's Onion (German), also used 464). (d) Horace, who detested garlic, consid­ medicinally (Allii ursini herba) (Frohne, 1989), ered it 'more poisonous than hemlock' (Grieve, which, like A. sativum, also has white flowers' 1988). Note: chewing on a fennel seed or pars­ and has a garlic-like odour, especially on bruis­ ley sweetens, if not overcomes, a garlic breath. ing. It is found over most of Britain (Stace, 2. the Spanish tapa Champifiones al ajillo .... 1992), and throughout Eurasia (Steam, 1980; French Aioli: note-worthy points are that in Fitter et al., 1996, Frohne, 1989); subspecies (a) Arroz al horno (Rice and Chickpeas) the whole ursinum, growing in West and Central Europe, head of garlic sitting in the middle, and humor­ North and South Italy, (b) ucrainicum Kleopow ously called in the Valencian dialect the perdiu, & Oxner, in East and South-east Europe, Cen­ the partridge, is not consumed; while in the tral and southern Italy, Sicily. (2) Allium senes­ French Poulet 'aux 40 Gousses dAil' (Garlic cens L. (subsp. montanum (Fries) Holub., Chicken) the 40 garlic cloves are baked whole (German Garlic); found in Central and southern and unpeeled, resulting in a mellow rather than Europe, including Romania (Steam, 1980; Fitter strident flavour. et al., 1996); (3) Allium ericetorum Thore. 3. Romania: Until the 1920 Treaty of Trianon Found in the Carpathians (Steam, 1980; the Transylvania belonged to Hungary. Inhabitants are major forested mountain system extending Hungarians, Romanians, and Germans. south-eastwards from southern Poland and the 4. Dracula : The name comes from Vlad I>epeo Czech Republic into Romania. As Jonathan (Vlad the Impaler). Stoker's original title was Harker's journal records: 'I read that every Notes - Botany in Literature - 39 31

known superstition in the world is gathered into Root by the pharmacognocist Evans (1996), the horseshoe of the Carpathians.' (Dracula, p.8). while Wolfsbane proper is what Gerard (1994, Both A. senescens and A. ericetorum belong to prius 1597) calledA. luteum, it's yellow flowers Section Rhizirideum. The outer tunics of A. eric­ being chewed by the wolf, causing a burning etorum andA. ursinum (Section Ophioscordon (= sensation and swelling in the jaws and tongue, Greek ophio, snake-like; scordon, garlic) respec­ followed by giddiness in the head. Hunters also tively become or have parallel fibres, while A. put juice obtained from the root into raw flesh senescens, like A. sativum (Section Allium), has which killed wolves that devoured it. Arrow­ membranous tunics. In the absence of vernacular heads dipped in the juice were also employed nomenclature in Flora Europaea (sic), whether and left any wound they made incurable. A. ericetorum is commonly locally considered as The name Wolfsbane is now used for the a garlic or not, is, without further research, un­ yellow-flowered A. vulparia by some (Stace, known. Much also depends on the provenance of 1992; Fitter et al., 1996) although its synonym Van Helsing's second box. A. lycoctonum (Tutin, 1964; Coombes, 1985) is 10. crucifix: Garlic is not found in every vam­ still used by others (e.g. Mabberley, 1989; pire story, neither are crucifixes, but in Ramsay Pearsall & Trumble, 1996), which causes confu­ Campbells' short story The Sunshine Club the sion. Clearly a further edition of English Names Narrator says to Bent (in Ryan: 575): 'The gar­ of Wild Flowers (Dony et al.) is due. lic, yes, and the crosses.' 'Guh! Guh! Garlic!' he References cried and shook. 'Why do you fear garlic and ArcKMAN, R. 1975. Pages from a Young Girl's Jour­ crosses?', while in Chelsea Quinn Yarbo's 1980 nal in RYAN, A. (ed.), 1987. The Penguin Book of short story Cabin 33 (in Ryan: 499), Lorpicar, Vampire Stories. Penguin (Claremont Books), Lon­ seemingly impervious to [silver] bullets and don. 'dead' since 1896, falters when Francisco says: BENDER, H. 1957. Die Wolfe kommen zurack (from 'Dear me .... No wonder you believe all that Wolfe und Tauben, Carl Hanser Verlag), and in nonsense about garlic and crucifixes.' (crucifix, THOMAS, R.H. (ed.), 1965, Seventeen Modern Ger­ from Ecclesiastical Latin (13 th century A.D.), man Stories. Oxford University Press, Oxford. BOURNE, U. 1973. Portuguese Cookery. Penguin, crucifixus , fixed to a cross; c.f Crucifene, from Harmondsworth. rd Late Latin (3 century RC.) cruxs a cross,jerre, CAMPBELL, R. 1983. The Sunshine Club in RYAN, A. to bear). (ed.), 1987. The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories, The superstition also included, as a means of Penguin (Claremont), London. preventing the 'Un-Dead' victim from becoming CASAS, P. 1982. The Foods and Wines of Spain. a vampire, of cutting off the head, filling the Penguin, London. mouth with garlic, and driving a stake through the CHAMBERLAIN, L. 1982. The Food and Cooking of body, as Van Helsing intends to do to Lucy (p. Russia. Penguin, London. CHAMBERLAIN, L. 1989. The Food and Cooking of 259). R. Chetwynd-Hayes' short story The Were­ Eastern Europe. Penguin, London. wolf and the Vampire (1975) reiterates this, but CHETWYND-HAYES, R. 1975. The Werewolf and the somewhat more humorously, and also without Vampire in RYAN, A. (ed.), 1987. The Penguin specifying the species: Book of Vampire Stories. Penguin (Claremont), 'From what authority do you quote this infor­ London. mation?' the vicar demanded. 'Me 'orror com­ COOMBES, A.J. 1985. [The Hamlyn] Guide to Plant ics,' Willie explained. 'They give all the details, Names. Hamlyn, London. and if you go and see the Vampire of 'Ackney DAVID, E. 1987. Italian Food. Penguin, London. Wick you'll see a 'oly father cut off the DoNY, J.G., JURY, S.L. & PERRING, F.H. 1986. Eng­ lish Names of Wild Flowers (2nd ed.). The Botanical vampire's 'ead and put a sprig of garlic in it's Society of the British Isles, Reading. mouth.' EVANS, W.C.1996. Trease andEvans 'Pharmacognosy. Vickery (1995) cites the use of both Allium W.B. Saunders Company Ltd., London. sativum and A. ursinum as protection against FITTER, R., FITTER, A., & BLAMEY, M. 1996. [Collins vampires. Pocket Guide] Wild Flowers ofBritain and North­ * i.e. Canis lupus, the grey pack wolf of Eu­ ern Europe. HarperCollins, London. rope (and North America) (see especially pp. FROHNE, D. 2001. 'Allii ursini herba' in BrssET, N.G. 21,22, 4It, 64, 69 of Stoker; tc.f. Bender (1975, & WrcHTL, M. (eds.) Herbal Drugs and Phytophar­ nd Die Wolfe kommen zuriick)). Susceptible to the maceuticals (2 ed.) Medpharm GmbH Scientific aptly-named Wolfsbane of the genus Aconitum Publishers, Stuttgart. GERARD, J. 1994. Gerard's Herbal: the history of (Ranunculace

MABBERLEY, D. 1989. The Plant-book. Cambridge STEARN, W.T. 1980. 'Allium' in Tutin, T.G., et al. University Press, Cambridge. (eds.). Flora Europaea (vol. 5). Cambridge Univer­ MACCLANCY, J. 1992. Consuming Culture. Chapmans, sity Press, Cambridge. London. STOKER, B. 1993. Dracula (with an introduction and NORMAN, J. & STANGOS, N. 1989. Penguin Greek notes by Maurice Hindle). Penguin (Classics), Lon­ Phrase Book. Penguin, London. don. OLNEY, R. 1974. Simple French Food. Penguin, Lon­ TUTIN, T.G. 1964. 'Aconitum' in Tutin, T.G., et aI., don. (eds). Flora Europaea (Vol. 1). Cambridge Univer­ PEARSALL, J. & TRUMBLE, B. 1996. The Oxford Eng­ sity Press, Cambridge. lish Reference Dictionary. (2nd ed.) Oxford Uni­ VICKERY, R. 1995. A Dictionary of Plant-lore. Ox­ versity Press, Oxford. ford University Press, Oxford. SALAMAN, R. & SMITH, L. 1987. Greek Island Cook­ Y ARBO, C.Q. 1980. Cabin 33 in RYAN, A. (ed.) 1987, ery. Ebury Press, London. The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories. Penguin STACE, C. 1992. New Flora of the British Isles. Cam­ (Claremont), London. bridge University Press, Cambridge.

Semi-double Ranunculus repens mimicking R. asiaticus PETERJ. COOK, 15 Park Avenue, Withernsea, HU19 2JX

I recently spotted a patch of double-flowered Ra­ I have been unable to find reference to a culti­ nunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup) hiding be­ var of R. repens described as either 'Flore Pleno' neath a bed of semi-double R. asiaticus in my or 'Speciosus Plenus' (not surprising!) so my parent's usually well-ordered garden. mind turned (briefly) to the possibility of hybrid­ Referring to David Winstanley's photograph ity. In every character I examined, I found of R. acris (Meadow Buttercup) growing in 'perfect'R. repens and after waiting a week or so, Brentwood, Essex, (BSBI News 97: Plate 1(4», found full complements offertile achenes. these buttercups were unlike David's in having This side-by-side occurrence is strangely co­ only 3 tiers of petals and were uniformly 1 cm in incidental and thinking zoomorphistically, it diameter. Subsequently I found illustrations of looks like a successful case of mimicry to avoid R. bulbosus 'Speciosus Plenus' (Bulbous But­ being weeded out. tercup) and, again, there was no resemblance. In any case, vegetatively, the plants were unmis­ takeably R. repens.

In defence of a 'hiccup' MARGARET PALMER, Nethercott, Stamford Road, Barnack, Stamford PE9 3EZ; [email protected] I read with interest David Pearman's piece in ton, 1999; Cheffings & Farrell, 2005) has ad­ BSBI News 100 (September 2005) on the new vanced our understanding of threat. A turning Red List for Britain. The effort and rigour that point came when the IUCN adopted a radical has gone into screening almost the whole of the new approach by publishing the first version of native British vascular plant flora against the its quantitative threat criteria (mCN 1994). The revised mCN threat criteria (mCN, 2003) is a initial reaction among botanists was sceptical, fine achievement. I was appalled to find that so I organised a trial whereby existing plant Red species such as Myriophyllum verticillatum Lists were reassessed using the new system. (Whorled Water-milfoil), Oenanthe fistulosa With a bit of vision, the mCN approach proved (Tubular Water-dropwort) and Groenlandia workable (Palmer et al., 1997). The main con­ densa (Opposite-leaved Pondweed), which cern was that some of our rare species would no aren't even Nationally Scarce, are now recog­ longer qualifY for red listing if the new criteria nised as Vulnerable. These species have long were used, and there was debate about what to been on my personal list of indicators of' good' do about these 'rejects', which would no longer freshwater sites, but I had no idea how drasti­ have any recognised status. A temporary solu­ cally they had declined. The new Red List tion was found by giving these species the label drives home the message that all is not well with 'Near Threatened'. I felt that we had to move the British flora. with the times and be in the vanguard of coun­ Each of the successive Red Lists (Perring & tries adopting the new criteria. In 1995, the Joint Farrell, 1977; Perring & Farrell, 1983; Wiggin- Nature Conservation Committee accepted my Notes - In defence of a 'hiccup' / Gladys Tuck Herbarium 33

proposal to adopt these criteria as the new stand­ resources, it was not possible systematically to ard for drawing up British Red Lists. check tlrrough all the commoner species to as­ As I wrote in BSBI News 73 (Palmer, 1996) sess decline. this posed a problem. Work on the third edition I admit that the third edition of the Red List of the Red Data Book for vascular plants was was far from perfect, and that the recent one has well under way in JNCC, and many members of come as an eye-opener. However, each attempt the BSBI had already sent in contributions. The at assessing threat builds on previous experience editor, Martin Wigginton, had to readjust his and I prefer to think of the third Red Data Book approach, while at the same time trying to keep as a breakthrough, rather than the 'hiccup' de­ to prescribed deadlines. Everyone had originally scribed by David. been working on the premise that the Red List References: would be based on the single criterion of occur­ CHEFFINGS, C.M. & FARRELL, L. (Eds) 2005. The rence in 15 or fewer hectads, and now we all had Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain. to come to grips with a complicated new evalu­ Species Status 7. JNCC, Peterborough. ation system. ruCN SPECIES SURVNAL COMMISSION. 1994. IUCN In my piece in BSBI News I wrote 'Species Red List Categories. ruCN, Gland, Switzerland. occurring in16 to 100 hectads are classified as ruCN SPECIES SURVNAL COMMISSION. 2000. IUCN Nationally Scarce unless they qualify for the Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 3.1. ruCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Red List, for instance because of rapid de­ PALMER, M.A. 1996. New methods of assessing cline.' This makes it clear that we expected threat and rarity - a response to David Pearman's some species that occurred in more than 15 presidential address. BSBI News 73. hectads to fulfil the threat criteria. We didn't PALMER, M.A., HODGETTS, N.G., WIGGINTON, M.I, anticipate that many of these commoner species ING, B. & STEWART, N.F. 1997. The application to would qualify and we obviously failed to get our the British flora ofthe World Conservation Union's message across strongly enough, because very revised Red List criteria and the significance of Red few species were recommended by the botanical Lists for species conservation. Biological Conser­ community and made it to the Red List. Howev­ vation 82: 219-226. PERRING, F .H. & FARRELL, L. 1977. British Red Data er, the inclusion of Dianthus armeria (Deptford Book}!: 1. Vascular Plants. Society for the Promo­ Pink) and Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower) is tion of Nature Conservation, Lincoln. contrary to David's claim that in the third edi­ PERRING, F .H. & FARRELL, L. 1983. British Red Data tion of the Red Data Book qualifying taxa were Books: 1. Vascular Plants, edn 2. Royal Society for strictly limited to those in 15 or fewer hectads. Nature Conservation, Lincoln. It must be appreciated that the New Atlas PRESTON, C.D., PEARMAN, D.A. & DINES, T.D. (Eds) (Preston, Pearman & Dines, 2002) had not yet 2002. New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. been published and much of the data was not Oxford University Press, Oxford. available for analysis, so the task of assessing WIGGINTON, M.I (Ed) 1999. British Red Data Boolr.s: 1. Vascular Plants, edn 3. JNCC Peterborough. decline was much more difficult than it is today. For this reason, and because oflack of time and

Updates on the Gladys Tuck Herbarium - a new acquisition to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery JESSICA MARSH, Documentation Assistant for Biology, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Queen's Road, Bristol, BS8 lRL; Tel: 0117 9223597;email: [email protected] Apologies for an error in the article entitled inventory of the specimens we hold in Biology. Gladys Tuck Herbarium- a new acquisition to We are still in the early stages but more and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, which was pub­ more of our collections are becoming computer­ lished in September's BSBI News. The article ised, enabling searches to be done on, among should have read 'The plants were collected other things, vice counties and national grid from the Bristol area (v.c. 6 and v.c. 34), partic­ references. If you would like any information or ularly from Shirehampton, Coombe Dingle, data from this collection, or any others please Blaise Castle Estate and the surrounding areas'. feel free to contact me on the details above. Many thanks to those who spotted this error! We are in the process of working through our collections in the aim of producing a complete 34 Notes - Stephen Bishop Herbarium / Aliens - Dilemma ofIntroductions

Stephen Bishop Herbarium - a new acquisition to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery JESSICA MARSH, Documentation Assistant for Biology, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery We have recently finished documenting the and gardener from his weekend cottage in the Stephen Bishop Herbarium. This collection of Forest of Dean. He was co-author of the Flora plants was donated to the museum in April 1999 ofLeicester and partly involved in the Glouces­ by the collector's widow, Mrs Glenda Bishop. It tershire Naturalists Society, BSBI and the Wild­ consists of 902 specimens, collected by Mr flower Society. Stephen Bishop and others through the 1960s This herbarium is a deliberate scientific study and up until the 1990s. The majority of the collection. It has particularly strong representa­ herbarium was collected from Gloucestershire tions from Rubus, approx. 206 specimens; Hier­ (v.c. 33/34) with approximately 20% of the acium, approx. 111 specimens; Salix, approx. collection from other areas, including Leicester­ 63 specimens and Ulmus, approx. 66 specimens shire (v.c. 55), Surrey (v.c. 17) and Sussex (v.c. Enquiries regarding the Stephen Bishop Herbar­ 14). ium can be directed to Sam Trebilcock, Curator Mr Bishop was head gardener at Belgrave of Biology, Bristol City Museum and Art Gal­ Hall, Leeds then Sudley and Warwick Castle. lery. Tel: 0117 9223571. He then became a self-employed nurseryman

The Dilemma of Introductions DEBORAH MILLWARD, Manor House, Thornton Rust. Leyburn, North Yorks., DL8 3AN Following rather extensive disturbance replac­ sian limestone. In the quarry the first two spe­ ing a culvert in Thomton Rust quarry five years cies are not spreading from their original site of ago it was decided to re-seed the area with what introduction. Though alien to the area they are was supposed to be a mixture of six lime toler­ not likely to cause too much angst to the record­ ant grasses. So it was quite a surprise to find a ing community as their origin has been reported proliferation of native flowering species devel­ and their proximity to the village should raise oping over the following five years. I have very suspicions, especially as Welsh Poppy mixed feelings about introducing species to an (Meconopsis cambrica) and a large patch of area where it did not previously occur and still double Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) also think it would have been better to stick to the occur elsewhere in the quarry. (Additionally a grasses ordered. However it must be admitted hybrid Sorbus has recently been planted.) that the spectacular display has been enjoyed by However wild carrot has taken off and has many people. Harebell (Campanula rotundifo­ now invaded the adjacent pasture, a village lia) and Common Bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus cor­ nature reserve with a plant community which niculatus) did previously grow there and most never naturally has wild carrot in it. Wild carrot of the new plants do occur, either elsewhere in is a beautiful plant, it's delicate flat topped the village, like Wild Marjoram (Origanum vul­ white heads embellished with a single, central, gare), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis), Cow­ ruby flower are a joy to behold and the seed slip (Primula veris) and Greater Knapweed heads are valued for dried decorations, but it (Centaurea scabiosa) or elsewhere in the Dale should not be there, it is a contaminant. Nettles like Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) and (Urtica dioica), docks (Rumex spp.), Ragwort Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris). The latter (Senecio jacobaea) and Creeping Thistle flowered for the first time this year and is only (Cirsium arvense) are systematically removed the second site that I know of in the Dale, so the from the reserve annually yet they are part of the natural distribution has been distorted. natural community, there is clearly a case for But there are three species present for which I treating the wild carrot too. Should we grit our have no records at all in the Dale, Wild Mignon­ teeth and get on with it, zapping the invading ette (Reseda lutea), Common Fleabane Welsh poppy as well, or should we just accept (Pulicaria dysenterica) and Wild Carrot that the flora will inevitably change over time (Daucus carota), though all three do occur and enjoy what we have? much lower down Wensleydale on the Magne- Aliens - Abyssinian Mustard, a new crop in Britain / Bassia scoparia in Somerset 35

Abyssinian Mustard, a relatively new crop in Britain DOUGLAS R McKEAN, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, lnverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR In the summer of 2003 my colleague, Heather set-aside, it receives the full 'area payment'. McHaffie, brought me an East Lothian crop There are as yet no reports of the Cram be as a sample for identification. It was easily recognis­ casu\ll in East Lothian but Michael Braithwaite able as a Crucifer but which genus? No one in found it twice in 2004 by the River Tweed in the department had seen it before but a phone Berwickshire, which are believed to be the first call to the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency records for Britain of this plant in the wild. (SASA) suggested Abyssinian Mustard. Some These records are: library research at first gave the name Crambe 11 September 2004, River Tweed at Milne abyssinica but further research gave Cram be Garden, NT878.445. Several plants at the drift hispanica L. as the current name with C. abys­ line along the riverside in alluvium with sinica as a synonym. This straggly weedy an­ Gnaphalium uliginosum, Malva sylvestris, and nual with white flowers and round fruits on long Heracleum mantegazzianum. Determined by racemes is said to be densely hispid in Flora D.R. McKean. Europaea but the recent Flora a/Ethiopia says 9 October 2004, Haugh by River Tweed be­ it is quite variable and even glabrous. While the low The Lees, NT854.390. Several plants in round fruits suggest a Cram be, the weedy ap­ flower and in fruit in a sandy deposit left by pearance makes it quite unlike the native floods on the river bank with a colony of Crambe maritima (Sea-kale). Rorippa xanceps (R. sylvestris x R. amphibia) A search of the Web gave an address for a (Hybrid Yellow-cress). A search did not trace Cram be seed supplier in Yorkshire. They told the crop which had presumably been grown me that this plant is grown in set-aside ground somewhere in the Tweed valley, possibly in which naIve me thought was ground set aside 2003. for wildlife. This is where the public can be I hope this note will help you to recognise this misled, while set-aside can be ground left fal­ plant when you see it. Duplicate specimens were low, with weeds allowed to flourish, this is not sent to Tim Rich at Cardiff and Clive Stace at necessarily the case as set-aside can be used to Leicester. [For images of Crambe hispanica see grow industrial crops which are not for human http://images.google.de/images?q=Crambe+hispan consumption. The Crambe is such a crop and is ica-Ed.] grown as an industrial oilseed and, if grown as

Bassia scoparia (Summer-cypress) in Somerset (v. cc. 5 & 6) S.J. LEACH & E.J. McDoNNELL, English Nature, Roughmoor, Bishop's Hull, Taunton, Somerset, TAl 5AA; [email protected] The colonisation by Bassia scoparia (L.) Voss of interest, there has been a dearth of recent of roadsides in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire has articles on this species in BSBI News. Is this been well documented (e.g. notes by Peter because the plant's rate of spread has slowed Cook, Paul Kirby & Ray Eades, in BSBI News down? Or has Bassia just lost its novelty value, 74: 48-50). Humberside rightly showed up as a with botanists continuing to record it in new 'hot-spot' of records in the New Atlas, but un­ localities but no longer thinking it worth bring­ fortunately the map was incomplete. This was ing to the attention of fellow recorders? We partly a consequence of the continued spread of suspect the latter, since one of us (SJ.L.) no­ the species between 1999 (the final Atlas re­ ticed great swathes of what looked like Bassia cording season) and 2002 (publication date), but growing along the central reservations of the partly - it has to be admitted - due to the fact M27 and M3 in S. Hants (v.c. 11) in September that some pre-1999 records were unaccountably 2005, but when we mentioned this to Paul Green overlooked, for example the 10-km square we discovered that, in his estimation, B. sco­ records for Lincolnshire and East Anglia made paria is now quite abundant on several motor­ by Peter Cook in 1997 and reported in BSBI ways and dual carriageways in S.E. England. News 78: 63. We presume, therefore, that the report of its The magnitude of the spread of Bassia sco­ possible arrival in the London area in the late paria is not entirely clear. After an initial flurry 1990s (Ray Eades, BSBI News 77: 52-53) was 36 Aliens - Bassia scoparia in Somerset

more than likely well founded, and that in S.E. This species bears a superficial resemblance to England - as in East Anglia, Lincolnshire and Atriplex littoralis (Grass-leaved Orache), which the East Midlands - the Atlas map is badly in occurs only rarely on the MS in Somerset but is need of updating. locally abundant, and increasing, further north To this, we can add a further 'outbreak' of in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. Bassia, Bassia, this time in S.W. England along the MS. however, does have its own distinctive 'jizz' - Until now, the only recent record of B. scoparia quite large cypress-shaped 'bushes', lime-green in Somerset was in 1990 " ... from disturbed in summer and turning a striking red or flame­ ground in the parking area along sea front [at] yellow in autumn - and, once one is familiar Burnham-on-Sea" (Green et al. 1997). Never­ with it, one can reliably record the species even theless, in the last year or two the Green twins at speeds of SO-60 mph. had begun to notice a Bassia-like chenopod on The current I-km square distribution of Bas­ the central reservation of the Bridgwater section sia along the Somerset section of the MS is of the MS. No one had attempted to collect any shown in Fig. 1. All records were made between material, however, until this autumn, when late September and early November 200S, with plants colonising the verge adjacent to the hard locations plotted 'by eye' onto 1:2S000 maps or shoulder persuaded one of us (E.I. McD.) to aerial photographs using nearby landscape fea­ 'stop and grab' - hazard lights flashing - and, at tures, especially buildings, cuttings and bridges, last, we had confirmation that our mystery or by recording distances from the nearest mo­ chenopod was indeed Bassia scoparia (voucher torway junction using a car mileometer and specimen held in herbarium of the Somerset pocket Dictaphone. Rare Plants Group).

7 ;~r 6 ' .~ i,.j,r ' .. 4 .~ ...... ! '. ;. 3 '.J'" .... ~... ..' :. ~ ...... -;.-~.- .. ~.~ .•.. .. - . . ~/ .".: ~~~~-~ 2

2 5 6 7 ·.8 9 ; Figure 1. lkm square distribution of Bassia scoparia on the MS in Somerset, September-October 200S (mapped using MapMate, version 2.004. © Teknica Ltd. 2002) Many of the mapped locations support just (ST28.29), 10-20 plants; W of North Newton small groups «S plants) or isolated individuals, (ST28.30, ST29.30 and ST29.31), 50+ plants; and almost all- even those with larger colonies E of Bridgwater, near to 'Humphrey', - seem to be restricted to the central reservation Bridgwater's much-loved carnival camel of the motorway. Fig. 1 gives a reasonably good (ST32.37), SO-lOO plants, including some on the impression of the current distribution, but hard shoulder; junction 22, Burnham-on-Sea within this we have identified several 'hot spots' (ST33048, ST34048 and ST34049), 40-S0 plants; supporting particularly large or extensive colo- about 1 km N of junction 22 (ST34.49), IS-20 nies. These are as follows: E of Adsborough plants; Edingworth (ST3S.S2 and ST36.S3), two Aliens - Bassia scoparia in Somerset / Echinochloa crus-galli on roadsides 37 colonies of 20+ and 30+ plants; Loxton Gap (S.J.L.), on his third trip along the M5 in as (ST37.55 and ST38.56), several localities, per­ many days, noted several uprooted Bassia haps 10+ plants in all. The only plants that we plants - including one lying on the hard shoul­ have seen to the north of Loxton are in ST37.61 der of the south-bound carriageway at and ST37.62, the most northerly of these being ST3l5.403 (north of Bridgwater), almost 2km alongside the hard shoulder of the south-bound downwind of the nearest recorded colonies. Had carriageway at ST378.621, about 500m south of it been growing, undetected, close to where it junction 21 (Weston-super-Mare). At the other now lay? Or could it have 'tumbled' there over­ end of the county, we had thought the southern­ night from a more distant place, shedding seed most plants were singletons close to junction 25 as it went? (Taunton) at ST264.260 and ST270.267, until We would be interested to hear from anyone Steve Parker found it to the west of junction 24, who has seen Bassia scoparia elsewhere in close to the Devon border (STlO.17 and Somerset, or on other stretches of the motorway STl1.17). network in S.W. England. From our observa­ The role of wind in assisting the dispersal of tions this year, we are tempted to speculate that this shallow-rooted species along roadsides has within 5 to 10 years Bassia may well rival already been postulated (Ray Eades, BSBI News Cochlearia danica (Danish Scurvygrass) as one 74: 49), and we discovered through 'googling' of the most conspicuous of our saIt­ that Bassia is a major pest in parts of the Aus­ tolerantlhalophytic motorway plants. tralian outback where it behaves as a Reference: 'tumbleweed', spreading rapidly and widely GREEN, P.R., GREEN, LP. & CROUCH, G.A. (1997). through the uprooting and· wind-dispersal of The Atlas Flora of Somerset. Wayford & Yeovil, whole plants. On 19th October, after a night of privately published. heavy rain and strong southerly winds, one of us

Echinochloa crus-galli (Cockspur) on roadsides in S. England SIMON J. LEACH, English Nature, Roughmoor, Bishop's Hull, Taunton, Somerset, TAl 5AA; [email protected] The caption in the New Atlas (p. 802) states that As an incentive to other recorders to start Echinochloa crus-galli is found' ... as a casual looking out for (and documenting the spread of) of rubbish tips, waste places and cultivated this grass, I list below those 10-km squares in ground, mainly from bird-seed but also from which I have seen roadside E. crus-galli this wool shoddy, soya-bean and other sources'. year; those marked with an asterisk appear to be There is no mention of this annual grass occur- 'new squares', i.e. there are no 1987+ records ring, let alone spreading, along roadsides; in- mapped for these squares in the Atlas. Records deed there's no suggestion of it spreading are arranged by vice-county, and then by IQ-km anywhere, since the caption also suggests that square. E. crus-galli is a late-flowering and ' ... the distribution is now probably stable'. rather 'bulky' grass: it is particularly conspicu- As I was responsible for drafting that caption, ous in late summer! autumn when its relatively I feel compelled to point out how wide-of-the- tall stature, rather 'floppy' yellow-green foliage, mark it now appears to be. Perhaps I relied too and large, heavy - often purple-tinged - seed- much on my own limited experience of the laden inflorescences combine to make it one of plant; indeed, at the time I had only ever seen it the easier grasses to identify at speed. It has a as an occasional bird-seed alien, as a pavement 'visibility rating' on a par with roadside Phala- cracklkerbside casual in urban areas, and as a ris arundinacea (Reed Canary-grass), Phrag- weed (seed contaminant) of maize crops. Had I mites australis (Common Reed) or simply overlooked the fact that this grass also Calamagrostis epigejos (Wood Small-reed), occurred on roadsides? Or is it more likely that and when forming large patches, as it often E. crus-galli, like a handful of other salt-tolerant does, it can be confidently recorded even at 70 aliens, has been very much 'on the move', and mph - once one has learnt the jizz. All the that it is really only since the Atlas that this records listed below were made between August species has appeared and begun to spread along and mid-October. the central reservations and - to a lesser extent S . DEVON (v.c. 3) - the outer verges of motorways and dual car- *STO.1: MS, south of junction 27 (Tiverton). riageways in S. England? 38 Aliens - Echinochloa crus-galli on roadsides

S. SOMERSET (v.c. 5) tion, but also a few patches on outer verges and slip *ST1.2: M5, between junctions 24 (Wellington) and roads. 25 (Taunton); abundant on central reservation near W. SUSSEX (v.c. 13) Taunton Deane Service Station. SU9.2: A272, Petworth; one small patch beside single ST2.2: M5, to north of junction 25 (Taunton), at least carriageway road, near mini-roundabout on north­ six patches between Creech St Michael and ern edge of town. Thurloxton!Adsborough. There seems little doubt that E. crus-galli is ST2.3: M5, E. of North Petherton, alongside hard currently spreading rapidly along motorways shoulder of north-bound carriageway and a few and dual carriageways in S. England. How it patches on central reservation. arrives at these roadside sites is not mown, but ST3.3: M5, junction 24 (Bridgwater). N. SOMERSET (v.c. 6) one wonders whether 'founder' plants may have ST3.3: M5, E. ofBridgwater, near the 'Carnival Cam­ their origins in seed spilt from lorries transport­ el', with Bassia scoparia. ing agricultural seed (e.g. maize) or bird-seed. *ST3.4: M5, on central reservation just S. of junction Once established on a roadside its phenomenal 23 (puriton); four further patches between junctions seed production - said to be up to 40,000 seeds 23 and 22 (Burnham-on-Sea), including a large per plant per year - would be more than enough stand on E. side of motorway at junction 22. to enable the plant to rapidly increase in num­ ST3.5: M5, one patch on central reservation, N. of bers and colonise new sites. The seeds are quite junction 22, E. of Battleborough (Brent Knoll); a large (similar to millet or sorghum seed), but it second patch just north of A38 crossing. Several large stands in ST3759,just north of A37l crossing is easy to imagine individual seeds, inflores­ at Banwell. cences or uprooted whole plants being picked ST3.6: M5, large stands in ST3760. up and dispersed in vehicle slipstreams, or pos­ ST4.7: M5, extensive patches on outer verge of north­ sibly spread by motorway maintenance vehicles bound carriageway, just W. of junction 19 or grass-cutting machinery. It is mown to be (Gordano). herbicide-resistant, and this may explain its *ST5.2: A303, junction with A37, on the Podimore ability to persist (even thrive) on motorway roundabout. central reservations and verges where the vege­ *ST6.2: A303, near Sparkford roundabout, several tation is kept in check by use of weed-killers. E. patches in gravel on outer verge of road. S. HANTS (v.c. 11) crus-galli is thought to be frost-sensitive - it is, SU4.1: M27, abundant between junctions 5 and 7, on as the Atlas says, a native of 'warm-temperate central reservation and hard shoulder; also at junc­ and tropical regions of Europe, Asia and N. tion 4, and on link road between M27 and M3. On America' - and its expansion along roadsides at M3 it is abundant, often with Bassia scoparia such northern latitudes may only have been (Summer-cypress). possible thanks to the recent run of mild winters. *SU4.2: M3, abundant between junctions 11 and 14, It is also ' ... tolerant of saline conditions' including some large stands adjoining hard shoul­ (www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin). and indeed has der of north-bound carriageway; Bassia scoparia sometimes been used in the reclamation of sa­ and Spergularia marina (Lesser Sea-spurrey) also noted in this square. line soils, especially in Egypt; hardly surprising, *SU5.0: M27, between junctions 9 and 11; very ex­ then, that it seems to be doing so well on inland tensive along this section of motorway. road verges, alongside halophytes like Spergu­ *SU6.0: A3 (M), A27 and M27; some very large and [aria marina and Puccinellia distans (Reflexed extensive colonies, on central reservation and Saltmarsh-grass ). (locally) both outer verges. It will be interesting to see if this grass continues *SU7.1: A3 and A3 (M), south of Peters field. to expand its distribution - weather permitting - N. HANTS (v.c. 12) along British roadsides. It would be worth trying to *SU2.4: A303, near turning to Thruxton; several establish whether it is also increasing as a colonist patches. *SU3.4: A303, south of Andover; several patches of other habitats, especially maize fields. In this near junctions with A3057, A343 and A342. connection, it should be noted that E. crus-galli has *SU4.3: A34, many patches on central reservation, acquired a degree of notoriety; indeed, it is now some on outer verges too; especially abundant at widely regarded as ' ... one of the world's worst south end of A34 near to junction with M3, some weeds, reducing crop yields and causing forage stands more or less continuous over several hun­ crops to fail by removing up to 80% of the availa­ dred metres. ble soil nitrogen' *SU4.4: A303 and A34, particularly extensive on (www.weedsbc.ca/weed_desc/bamyard. html). central reservation between Sutton Scotney and One to watch, then? A3031A34 junction. SU7.2: A3, Peters field by-pass; masses of it, several stands 30-50m length, mainly on central reserva- Colour Section 1

Meum athamanticwn (Spignel) at Mow Cop, Cheshin~/Staffordshire border, photo © G. Kay 2005

A plant ring in grassland near Bath, with Primula veris in flower, photo © D. MacIntyre 2005 2 Colour Section

Egeria densa (Large-flowered Waterweed) in ornamental pond (v.c. 17), photos © J. David & M. Spencer 2005

Putative Erigeron acer x E. speciosus at Sisymbrium jJolyceratium, an urban casual in Ainsdale Dunes, photo © R. Burton 1997 Nechells, Birmingham, photo © M. Poulton 2005 Colour Section 3

Trifolium incarnatum subsp. molinerii (Long-headed Clover) in S. Devon, photo © Roger Smith 2005

Trifolium incarnatum subsp. molinerii on sea cliff at Bolt Head SSSI, S. Devon, Orchis purpurea at FOlton Down, photo © Roger Smith 2005 photo © Tony Mundell 2004 4 Colour Section • .. ,. • Q) a' • • l • • • • • • ~ • • '~ , 1. Potentilla erecta (acetocarmine) 2. P. xsuberecta (acetocarmine) , .. 6 .....• ' ... .s' •.. • • tt:.@ .. .~ • •

3. P. xmixta (acetocarmine) 4. Viola xscabra (red food colouring)

• • • •• -. , •., ....• Il • ~ Y .. • .. • • • • • 5. Aster cultivar (acetocarmine) 6. Aster cultivar (red food colouring)

All pollen photographed using a xlO objective Photos © B. Harold 2005 Aliens - Egeria densa - in flower in Surrey / Undescribed Erigeron hybrid 39

Egeria densa (Large-flowered Waterweed) - in flower in Surrey JOHN DA YID, RHS Garden Wisley, Waking, Surrey, GU23 6QB MARK SPENCER, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW75BD In September 2004 the conspicuous white flow­ ferred to a pond, at Rathaberna (Reynolds, ers of this waterweed were observed in a small 2002). The species is dioecious but only the ornamental pond that receives no water other male has been found in the British Isles. than rain water and in summer becomes quite Egeria densa is a native of South America, stagnant. The pond had formerly been used for found principally in Argentina, Uruguay and S. fish experiments by the Zoology department of Brazil, whence the name by which it is known in Royal Holloway College, University of London. North America, 'Brazilian elodea'. It has been One of us (M.S.) recognized the flowers as spread around the world, mainly through its im­ belonging to the rare alien aquatic, Egeria densa portance as a good 'oxygenator' plant for aquaria Planchon, which although naturalized in canals, and subsequently released into water systems. It rivers and ponds in the UK, is generally consid­ was found in the US in 1893 and was reported ered only to flower in well-warmed water. A from a canal in Leipzig, Germany in 1910. It is specimen was taken and is now in Herb. BM now a major problem plant in both the US and [000847984]. This plant closely resembles the New Zealand where it forms dense mats restricting much more well-known and widespread Elodea the flow of water and clogging intake points for canadensis (Canadian Waterweed), but can be electricity generating plants (Western Aquatic distinguished by the longer leaves and by the Plant Management Society webpage, larger flowers. More technically, the two genera http://www .wapms.org/plants/egeria.html). The are separated by Egeria having male spathes genus contains a further species, E. najas, sepa­ 2-4-flowered and upper leaves usually in whorls rated from E. densa in having leaves with promi­ of 4 or 5; whereas Elodea has single-flowered nent serrations or marginal pricldes. This species is male spathes and upper leaves in whorls of 2 or also grown by aquarists and is starting to be en­ 3 (Catling & Wojtas, 1986). Information about countered as an alien adventive in North America this plant is hard to come by and illustrations (Catling & Mitrow, 2001). even fewer. The photographs that accompany References this note (Colour Section, plate 2) were taken of CATLING, P.M. & MITRow, G. 2001. Egeria najas at the the plants we found. Initially discovered in 1953 Canadian border and its separation from tbe related in S Lancs. (v.c. 59) and SW Yorks. (v.c. 63) aquatic weeds Egeria densa and Hydrilla verticillata (Stace, 1991) it has also been reported from (Hydrocharitaceae). Botanical Electronic Newsletter Glams. (v.c. 41) (1988), W. Sussex (v.c. 13) No. 278, 1-3 (http://www.ou.edulcaslbotany­ (1990), Middlesex (v.c. 21) (1993) and most microlbenlben278.html). recently Caerns. (v.c. 49) (2005). The recent CATLING, P.M. & WOJTAS, W. 1986. The water­ weeds (Elodea and Egeria Hydrocharitaceae) in Atlas (CD version) has further records in addi­ Canada. Can. J. Bot. 64(8): 1525-1541. tion to these but the plant apparently still has a REYNOLDS, S.C.P. 2002. A catalogue of alien plants scattered distribution. As far as we are aware in Ireland. Glasnevin: National Botanic Gardens. this is the first record for this species from STACE, C.A. 1991. New Flora of the British Isles. Surrey (v.c. 17). It is also known from Eire, Co. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sligo (H28) and flowered in 1993, when trans-

A potential undescribed Erigeron hybrid RODNEY M. BURTON, Sparepenny Cottage, Eynsford, Kent DA4 OJJ Recent events have reminded me of a plant seen pophae rhamnoides (Sea-buckthorn) were pesti­ more than eight years ago, and forgotten about lential. Although there were also unusual native since. It was at a meeting of the Wild Flower plants about, the octogenarian leader set off at a Society in South Lancashire on 4th and 5th July, cracking pace, heading for a slack full of Juncus 1997. On the first day we started from a car park balticus x J. inflexus (a hybrid rush). Conse­ by Ainsdale Lake, and then walked northwards quently the group got rather strung out, and my along the landward side of the coast road, on wife and I were near the back of the string when sandhills where aliens Rosa rugosa (Japanese I noticed a group of plants of Erigeron acer Rose), Populus alba (White Poplar) and Hip- (Blue Fleabane), one of which was strikingly 40 Aliens - Undescribed Erigeron hybrid / Oxalis dillenii: a follow-up different from the others. Its flowering stem had plant. The correct name of the species intended leaves just like those of nearby typical E. acer is E. speciosus (Meadow Fleabane), and since in density, colour and shape, but arose laterally starting to write this note I have discovered from from under a rosette of much larger paler and Clement & Foster's Alien plants of the British softer leaves, and had only a single flowering Isles that this species has been recorded from head much larger than those of the typical dunes between Ainsdale and Birkdale. plants. Unfortunately the rosette leaves are not Does anyone else know of this plant in a visible in the one photograph (see Colour Sec­ well-botanised area? At a guess I would say that tion, plate 2) which I had time to take. My its grid reference is SD303.133. Mike Wilcox immediate thought was that this plant was a and Phil Smith have kindly spent some time hybrid of E. acer and the most commonly culti­ looking for it. I believe I have discovered vated species, the leaves of which are very like Erigeron acer x E. speciosus new to science, the rosette leaves of my hybrid. At the time, I but accept that better evidence is needed before supposed, quite wrongly, that this is E. glaucus it can take its place in the literature. (Seaside Daisy), but that is a much fleshier

Oxalis dillenii: a follow-up JOHN PRESLAND, 175c Ashley Lane, Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire BA15 2HR Identification This represents shifts from his 1997 key, In my article in BSBI News 98 (Presland 2005), which said 0. dillenii stipules were 'rarely au­ I claimed to have found Oxalis dillenii (Sussex riculate', thus implying that sometimes they Yellow-sorrel) in my garden. The following tale were, and that the patches on the seeds were of subsequent woe has brought about some re­ white rather than 'brown or occasionally grey', thinking relating to my find, and I feel it has i.e. no mention of greyish white or bright white. wider implications. If a system of referees is to be meaningful, one Firstly, why did I identify it as 0. dillenii? must take, for recording purposes, the view of Initially, I used the key in Stace's (1999) Field the official referee, so I cannot record my spec­ Flora, which, I felt, led clearly to this identifica­ imen as 0. dillenii. tion. I checked with Mark Watson's 1997 key Is O. dillenii (as per Watson) extinct? (Watson 1998). Though the outcome was rather However, the matter does not end there. Firstly, more ambiguous, O. dillenii still seemed to be it's back to the original question - is 0. dillenii right. Finally, it was confirmed by Eric Clem­ (as per Watson) extinct? ent. I should have had the views of Mark An obvious first resort in looking for other Watson, the BSBI referee for the group, as well, recent records is the Biological Records Centre but, for reasons which are nobody's fault, this at Monks Wood. It had 9 records for the 1990s did not happen at that time. and 8/9 in 1987/8, though some of these may be The trouble began later, when Mark Watson duplicates. I was able to contact the suppliers or was able to comment and identified my speci­ local holders of all the records from the 1990s. men as 0. corniculata (Procumbent Yellow­ Surprisingly, 8 of the 9 were denied by their sorrel). This was on the grounds that it had suppliers, who said, thought or implied that their auriculate stipules rather than semicircular (see record was of what is now called 0. stricta drawings below from Young 1958) and the (Upright Yellow-sorrel). There was no informa­ seeds had greyish white patches on the ridges tion available for the other. I am indebted to rather than bright white. Graeme Kay and Henry Arnold for helping me towards the realisation that most, probably all, of the 1990s records entered in the BRC data­ base as 0. dillenii are really 0. stricta. This occurred because of the change of names of 0. europaea to 0. stricta and 0. stricta to 0. dillenii about the time of records submission for the New Atlas ofthe British & Irish Flora. It must surely explain the responses I received in my follow-up. I have to conclude that there are no clear records of 0. dillenii from the '90s. 0. corniculata 0. dillenii Aliens - Oxalis dillenii: a follow-up 41

The remaining BRC record I followed up was region where each auricle was supposed to be, from 1988, and that was submitted as what is which was not found in Iulie's specimens. now called 0. dillenii. So the erroneous entries • Another clear difference between the two may well be restricted to the 1990s. However, specimens was that the leaves were alternate the 1988 record was not confirmed by Mark in mine, and clustered in groups arising at the Watson, nor were the crucial criteria he identi­ same node on Iulie's, and this is supposed to fies checked. Recent examination of a specimen help differentiate the two species, though also from the same colony found it did not clearly variable. meet the crucial criteria, though it was like 0. Though Mark's identifications have to be ac­ dillenii in other respects. It seems unlikely that cepted for recording purposes, different opin­ Mark confirmed any of the other pre-1990 ions on the matter are possible. The records, though these have not been followed determination is, it appears, difficult because of up. So we cannot be sure that 0. dillenii, as the great variability of 0. corniculata. Regard­ defined by Mark, was ever in Britain in the 20th ing those characteristics which are used to dis­ century. tinguish it from 0. dillenii in the keys by Stace Much more recently, two records have been and Watson and by Mark in correspondence: confirmed by Mark. One of these records was • Mark says the stems of 0. corniculata can, by Iulie Clarke in Cheshire, the other by Aaron like 0. dillenii, sometimes be 'decumbent to Woods in London, both in gardens. A number erect, not or very sparsely rooting' at the of other very recent records of 0. dillenii have nodes, distinctions used by Stace. My own been claimed, including two in articles in BSBI specimen had stems of every type mentioned News (Payne 2005, King-Salter 2005), but they and no rooting at the nodes, which causes have not been confirmed by Mark Watson and some degree of difficulty for every key I have it is not clear that they conform to his criteria. seen. Some have been confirmed by other experts, • Mark says 0. corniculata has auriculate stip­ but, as my experience has shown, this is no ules, but implies that 0. dillenii sometimes guarantee of confirmation by Mark. Plainly, does too. They are not always clear in however, O. dillenii, as defined by him, is not 0. corniculata. extinct in Britain, but it could be almost so. • Mark says 0. dillenii has bright white patches More on identification on the ridges, whereas O. corniculata has Iulie Clarke has kindly sent me a collection of them brown or grey or at most grey-white, but specimens of confirmed 0. dillenii, which illu­ 0. dillenii has to be in good condition to show minate both Mark's distinctions and the diffi­ the brightness. One correspondent thought culties involved. Comparing it with the there were seeds with grey-white and seeds disconfirmed plant in my own garden: with bright white patches on the same plant. • Iulie's plants were entirely upright, even Mark uses a suite of characters for identifica­ when its fruits were fully ripe, whereas mine tion, but does multiplying unreliable distinc­ had branches varying from upright to trailing. tions result in more accurate identification? I It should, however, be borne in mind that doubt it. 0. dillenii is described by Mark as becoming Even if we take the shade of whiteness of the decumbent with age, so Iulie's plant was seed patches as reliable, the above raises the atypical in this respect. question of how to decide where one species • The patches on the seed ridges were much begins and the other ends. Firstly, there is whiter than on mine, and also much more Mark's view that 0. corniculata is very variable prominent. and includes all examples except those con­ • The stipules did not yield their secrets so forming to his crucial criteria. Alternatively, it easily. At first, I could not see any on Iulie's could be argued that 0. dillenii is very variable specimens, nor on my own, on which I had and that some of the plants identified as 0. seen them the previous year. I then discovered corniculata by Mark Watson are really within that the stipules are attached to the petiole, so the range of O. dillenii. Or perhaps we should that they may appear as only a thickened and not regard them as separate species at all, but sometimes differently coloured area, some­ just part of a range which is better thought of as times with narrow, hairy and often indistinct belonging to one. There is no genetic evidence wings. I was able to convince myself that to throw into the pot, and there seems no clear these were at least sometimes slightly auricu­ reason based on evidence for accepting one of late on my plant but not so on Iulie's. Mine these hypotheses rather than another. Mark is also often had a thick tuft of hairs in the quite frank about the distinction being his own 42 Aliens - Oxalis dillenii: a follow-up / Interesting alien plants in v.c. 12 opinion, which is, of course, based on a detailed Kay, Henry Arnold, Julie Clarke, Arthur Chater, study of the group. Paul Harmes, Alan Knap, J Hawksford, Martin Are there more? Rand, Giles King-Salter and Mike Poulton. It would be helpful ifBSBI members could look References: carefully at Oxalis plants they encounter and KING-SALTER, G. 2005. Oxalis dillenii in Dublin. identify them by Mark Watson's key modified BSi1I News 99: 50 as described above. Hopefully, my own com­ PAYNE, R.M. 2005. Oxalis dillenii also in Norfolk. BSBI News 99: 50. parison above of a specimen of each could also PRESLAND, J. 2005. Oxalis dillenii not extinct. BSBI be helpful, though most of the characters are News 98: 48. variable and, with the stipules, I felt I was partly STACE, C. 1999. Field Flora of the British Isles. observing and partly trying hard to see what the Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. various sources had told me I ought to be seeing. WATSON, M.F. 1998. Oxalis. In RICH T.C.G. & JERMY A.C. Plant Crib (p. 207), BSBI, London. Acknowledgements YOUNG, D.P. 1958. Oxalis in the British Isles. Watso­ I would like thank the following for their help in nia 4: 51-69. enquiries - Mark Watson, Tim Rich, Ron Payne, Tony Smith, Aaron Woods, Graeme Some interesting alien plants in v.c. 12 ToNY MUNDELL, 38 Conifer Close, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire, GU52 6LS It seems to be a feature of the countryside now­ found it in the car park of a garden nursery. The adays that whilst many scarce native species are nursery owner was as mystified about its origin gradually teetering towards oblivion, some alien as we were, but of course its seeds are well species are rapidly increasing. In late July 2005 equipped for air travel. We also found another I struggled across an extensive area of pure increasing alien Polypogon viridis (Water Bent) sand, deeply rutted by the frequent churning of a few yards away, adding to a couple of other military vehicles, on a MOD training area at The locations, though on roadside verges, where I Slab, Bordon SU78.35. Here I was amazed at had seen it in v.c. 12. the abundance of a grass new to me growing Plant nurseries are a good hunting ground for often half-buried in sand. It was widespread aliens growing as uninvited weeds. Paul Green beside many of the tracks in the area, spread visited Longstock Nurseries, SU367.388, in v.c. very effectively by the speeding army lorries 12 on 30 July 2005 and sent me a remarkable list and tanks. Bruno Ryves confirmed it as Digi­ of plants found there as weeds in the pots or in taria ischaemum (Smooth Finger-grass) which the gravel paths, etc. Here he found Cardamine I see was prematurely described as 'Extinct - corymbosa (New Zealand Bitter-cress), Eu­ Once a very rare infester of sandy fields' in The phorbia thymifolia, Polypogon viridis, Portu­ Flora ofHampshire (Brewis et aI, 1996). laca oleracea (Common Purslane), Veronica In moderation such soil disturbance by mili­ peregrina (American Speedwell) and Veronica tary vehicles can be beneficial to scarce native polita (Grey Field-speedwell). plants as well. In v.c. 12, Crassula tillaea Arable fields are another major habitat for (Mossy Stonecrop) and Illecebrum verticillatum aliens. Farmers are increasingly sowing many (Coral-necklace) thrive on such treatment and different plants as food or cover for pheasants. seem to be increasing. Apart from such grasses as Setaria pumila Clive Stace (1997) predicted the likely spread (Yellow Bristle-grass) and Setaria viridis of Senecio inaequidens (Narrow-leaved Rag­ (Green Bristle-grass) that I often see, I am now wort) with the words 'perhaps soon to spread as getting records on arable land of Phalaris para­ in N France'. This prophecy was fulfilled and it doxa (Awned Canary-grass) sometimes with was reported in several counties in England and Phalaris aquatica (Bulbous Canary-grass). The also in Northern Ireland in BSBI News 82:74; former is remarkably variable in height when 84:49, 50 & 68 and 85:45. Since 2000 it has mature, ranging from a few centimetres to 1.5m, been found at four sites in South Hampshire, whereas the latter is always around 1.5m. v.c. 11 (see photo inside back cover). I first saw Although not strictly qualifying for this arti­ it in North Hampshire, v.c. 12, when Roger cle, as it is a few hundred metres into South Veall reported it in 2003 within one of the Local Hampshire, v.c. 11, an unusual alien plant was Change tetrads at Easton. A group of us survey­ found in 2005 in an area of industrial buildings ing another Local Change square at Ecchinswell in Petersfield. On a small footbridge across a Aliens - Interesting alien plants in V.c. 12/ 'Stipa arundinacea' in Taunton 43 railway line at SU740.232 Dr Christine Wain growing in a gap at the edge of the bridge with found an attractive member of the Aizoaceae no apparent trace of soil. As recounted by Roy family, and gave me a photograph of it (see Lancaster (1999), in its native Lesotho and photo inside front cover). From the photo Eric South Africa it grows at high altitude, and can Clement tentatively suggested it might be tolerate desiccation and mild frost. However, I Delosperma nubigenum (Hardy Yellow Ice­ will be surprised if it survives long at Petersfield. plant). Martin Rand subsequently let me know References that this taxon was the subject of an excellent BEESLEY, S. & WILDE, I. 1999. BSBI News 82: 74. article by Roy Lancaster in the RHS magazine BREWIS, A., BOWMAN, P. & ROSE, F. 1996. The The Garden (Lancaster, 1999). I think that the Flora ofHampshire, Harley Books. p. 289. illustration and description there matches our DAY, G. 2000. BSBI News 84: 49. plant well. I also tried looking on the web and LANCASTER, R. 1999(May). The Garden: 326-327. was surprised when a 'Google' search for LEADBETTER, D. 2000. BSBI News 84: 50. Delosperma nubigenum gave about 600 'hits'. SHOWLER, A. 2000. Survival of the fittest? BSBI News 85: 45. Obviously I only looked at a few of those web­ SKINNER, I.F., PAYNE, R.G. & PYNER, T. 2000. BSBI sites but there were numerous illustrations and News 84: 68. descriptions, again convincing me that Eric's STACE, C.A. 1997. New Flora ofthe British Isles. 2nd initial suggestion was right. ed. Cambridge University Press. p. 739. By the time I visited the plant in mid July the flowers were over and it looked very desiccated,

'Stipa arundinacea' in Taunton, S. Somerset (v.c. 5) SIMON 1. LEACH, 15 Trinity Street, Taunton, Somerset, TAl 3JG; [email protected] In 1999 I returned home from the local school ing for the first time, and providing a 'launch fete clutching a grass bought for 50p at the plant pad' for further colonisation perhaps. stall. The label said 'Calamagrostis', but I Infuriatingly, despite several searches of gar- wasn't convinced. It grew well in our back dening books and local nurseries, my grass still garden, forming a single large tussock, with lacked a proper name; that was, until our next graceful arching foliage having a distinctive door neighbour returned from a trip to a garden chocolate brown coloration in the spring, turn- centre with two clumps of the exact same grass, ing olive-green in high summer and a striking labelled' Stipa arundinacea £6.99'. Eureka! An orange in the autumn. It had delicate, almost internet search has since confirmed the identifi- 'feathery' panicles in late summer and autumn, cation and straightened out the taxonomy: what which didn't look quite right for a Calamagros- gardeners, in this country at least, continue to tis - so I was relieved when I found the same call Stipa arundinacea, botanists now refer to as plant in 2002 on sale at the W.!. Market in Anemanthele lessoniana (Steud.) Veldkamp. It Taunton, but this time labelled 'Stipa'. This is listed under the latter name in Alien Grasses seemed much more likely, yet if it was indeed a (Ryves et al. 1996, p. 11), where it is square- Stipa I still had no idea which one it might be. bracketed as a grass known to seed freely in In 2003 we decided the tussock had outgrown cultivation but yet to be reported from the wild. its allotted space in the back garden, so dug it up Anemanthele lessoniana has had quite an ar- and dispatched it to the 'recycling centre'. At ray of names in the past, being included not only about the same time, I noticed that several within Stipa (s. arundinacea), but also Oryzop- young plants of this mystery grass had become sis (0. rigida, 0. lessoniana), Apera established, presumably from seed, in the 'semi- (A. arundinacea, A. purpurascens) and Agrostis wild' ofthe gravel path that runs past our garden (A. lessoniana, A procera) - though never Ca- (ST235.244), and in 2004 I located several fur- lamagrostis as far as I can tell. The species is ther, more convincingly wild, plants in pave- endemic to New Zealand, where it is usually ment cracks and kerbsides of neighbouring known as 'Wind grass' or 'Pheasant's-tail streets (Gordon Road, ST234.244; South Street, grass'. The Maori name is hunangamoho. ST236.243; and Holway Avenue, ST237.242). Since finding Stipa arundinaceal Amenan- Most of these wild individuals have become thele lessoniana as a street weed in Taunton, well established, some ofthem this year flower- there has been one further report of this species growing in the wild in Somerset, from Liz Mc- 44 Aliens - 'Stipa arundinacea' in Taunton / Street-wise' aliens' in Taunton

Donnell: in Wedmore, two clumps (one with an with an array of other ornamental grasses - and inflorescence) at the north end of a narrow foot­ is now easily obtainable from plant nurseries path running along the backs of gardens, at and garden centres (not to mention W.!. mar­ ST436.476 (specimen in Somerset Rare Plants kets ... ). Group herbarium). It will be interesting to see Reference whether this species increases as a garden es­ Ryves, T.B., Clement, E.J. & Foster, M.C. 1996. cape or throw-out, especially as it is evidently Alien Grasses ofthe British Isles. Botanical Society becoming more common in cultivation - along of the British Isles, London.

Street-wise 'aliens' in Taunton (v.c. 5) SIMON J. LEACH, 15 Trinity Street, Taunton, Somerset, TAl 3JG; [email protected] The articles on urban 'aliens' by Philip Budd the street: in the last couple of years I have seen and Rodney Burton in BSBI News 100: 45 & it in several places along Trinity Street, and this 48-49) were most interesting, and the possibility year at the top end of neighbouring Church of a link between our changing urban flora and Street too. 'global warming' - or at any rate the recent run Other grasses occurring more frequently now of mild winters and warm, dry summers - seems than they did a few years ago include Ph alaris highly plausible. canariensis (Canary-grass) - a common bird­ In the last few years I have been recording the seed casual- and Briza maxima (Greater Quak­ flora of the Taunton area in a systematic way, ing-grass), a garden escape which is well estab­ using 0.5km squares as my recording unit, and I lished in a pavement at the northern end ofTrull have noticed a number of (mainly non-native) Road, as well as a few plants noticed last year in species becoming increasingly frequent as street nearby Westgate Street. I also saw it this year, weeds during that time. Many of these are in considerable abundance, on a road verge near 'southern' species, having a wider European the entrance to the town's recycling centre on distribution centred on the Mediterranean; the Priorswood Industrial Estate. Apart from whilst those originating from further afield still Anemanthele lessoniana (the subject of a sepa­ tend to be associated with warm-temperate or rate article, page 43), the only other 'alien' grass tropical climes. of note so far is Anisantha madritensis Amongst the grasses, Polypogon viridis (Compact Brome), which lines the northern end (Water Bent) is now spreading quite rapidly in of the Obridge viaduct. Away from the Avon Taunton. In the mid 1990s I remember it as Gorge, beside a busy Taunton highway, this being restricted to a few dozen plants in Stephen former Red Data Book species (now a Street, just south-east of the County Cricket 'neophyte') begins to look a little lack-lustre - Ground. But it now occurs commonly in pave­ the botanical equivalent of a B-list celebrity, ment cracks, on kerbsides and at the base of perhaps? street-side house walls in Eastbourne Road, St Other increasing 'aliens' in Taunton include Augustine Street, Laburnum Street, Haydon many of those also noted by Philip Budd in Road and Wilfred Street. In 1998 it turned up in Southampton, such as Diplotaxis tenuifolia our garden in Trinity Street, where it now grows (perennial Wall-rocket), Soleirolia soleirolii prolifically between bricks in the backyard. Its (Mother-of-thousands), Erigeron karvinskianus spread is presumably being helped by the traffic (Mexican Fleabane) and Campanula poschar­ of human feet, and the route between our house skyana (Trailing Bellflower). We also have a lot and the cricket ground is a well-trodden one of C. portenschlagiana (Adria Bellflower) and which takes in several of the aforementioned Pseudofumaria lutea (Yellow Corydalis), streets. mainly on walls, plus scattered records of Lo­ In our garden P. viridis shares its living quar­ belia erinus (Garden Lobelia) and Nigella da­ ters with another Mediterranean grass, Lagurus mascena (Love-in-the-mist) in pavement cracks ovatus (Hare's-tail). This was deliberately intro­ - all these species seem to have increased quite duced in about 1999, using seed collected from markedly over the last ten years. Several Oxalis a wild population at Minehead Warren. Lagurus spp are increasing too, including 0. articulata clearly enjoys its backyard habitat, but has been (Pink-sorrel), 0. corniculata (Procumbent Yel­ quick to escape into the front garden too, and low-sorrel) and - particularly in the last couple from there into neighbours' plots and out into of years - 0. stricta (Upright Yellow-sorrel). Aliens - Street-wise 'aliens' in Taunton / The Plantsman / Sisymbrium polyceratium 45

Erodium moschatum (Musk Stork's-bill) is also dant in lawns at the local primary school in spreading: discovered in Trinity Street in about South Street, where it was first noticed about 1996, more recently found in nearby Church three years ago. Street and Queen Street, and now locally abun-

The Plantsman - a botanical journal ERIC J. CLEMENT, 54 Anglesey Road, Gosport, Hants. P012 2EQ Many members are probably unaware of the (European Michaelmas-daisy) (photos of many value, or even existence, of the journal, The cultivars), Crocus, Geranium, Ozothamnus and Plantsman. It can, on occasion, help to name Saxifraga. An article on overcoming seed garden escapes, and it always gives good in­ dormancy is interesting and informative: to struction on the more botanical aspects of gar­ simulate passage through the digestive tract of dening. Any member having trouble separating animals/ birds, it suggests (p.l61) the novel the very similar Scilla bithynica (Turkish solution of 'washing them in dilute lemon juice Squill) and S. messeniaca (Greek Squill) should or cola drinks' . refer to the excellent coloured photo in 4(2): 114 Regular features include a News section, Let­ (June 2005), where the two taxa lie side-by-side ters and the valuable Book Reviews (which and are captioned with their differences in mor­ often cover wild plants, too). phology. Below, I give a brief introduction to The December 2005 part will tell us about the this periodical. incorporation of Smilacina into Maianthemum. The Plantsman (New Series) is published Clement & Foster's Alien Plants of the British quarterly by the Royal Horticultural Society as Isles (1994) does list them cheek by jowl. And, their 'premier publication' with each issue, of Roy Lancaster will review the BSBI's Illustra­ some 68 pages, printed in full colour giving 'an tions ofAlien Plants of the British Isles (2005) authoritative and accessible mix of plant pro­ - we hope enthusiastically! files, horticulture, botany and garden plant de­ A selection of previous articles can be viewed velopment. '. It focuses on ornamental plants on-line and subscriptions, currently £29 per grown in temperate gardens and its current edi­ annum (£23 for RHS members), can now be tor is none other that our own BSBI member, registered at: www.rhs.org.ukllearning/ Mike Grant. See, his smiley face and read his pUblications/pubs journals---'plantsman.asp 'First Words From the Editor' in each part! The Plantsman is certainly a recommended Articles append full details of all references, and purchase for the serious botanist or plants-per­ even keys are occasionally printed (so loathed son, and I am unaware of any real competitor, by gardeners!). bar the prestigious Curtis's Botanical Maga­ Recent issues have delved, in great depth, into zine, now priced at £51.45 per annum. bulbs, including Scilla and Muscari (by the [A leaflet advertising The Plantsman was master, Brian Mathew). Myrtles of Chile were distributed with BSBI News last year, entitling covered in 4(3): 152-158 (Sept. 2005), more members to £6 off the normal subscription rate. species of which may escape than we realise. In Copies are still available from the General the same issue are articles on Aster amellus Editor.]

Sisymbrium polyceratium, an urban casual in Birmingham MIKE POULTON, 1 Miles Grove, Dudley, DY2 7TT Whilst recording for the Birmingham and Black ous road I had walked along which had recently Country Flora Project in an area of Nechells, been weed-killed. I ticked off the usual roadside Birmingham, B19, during June 2005 and thinlc­ species including Poa annua (Annual Meadow­ ing ofthe 1001 places I would rather be botanis­ grass), Epilobium ciliatum, (American Willow­ ing, I came across a rather uninspiring row of herb) Sonchus oleraceus (Smooth Sow-thistle), houses which were completely devoid of front Sagina procumbens (Procumbent Pearlwort) gardens and with front doors opening onto the and Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd's-purse) pavement. A few weeds were struggling to exist and then, to my surprise, I found a yellow-flow­ in cracks in the paving and along the roadside, ered crucifer I did not recognise. A few metres but at least it was an improvement on the previ- further along the road there were several more 46 Aliens - Sisymbrium polyceratium / Veronicafiliformis / Field Meeting Reports - S. Rants of the same species. All were growing along the A specimen was collected and sent to Eric crack in the paving where it meets the house and Clement for a determination and his conclusion wall. In all there were about twenty plants, was Sisymbrium polyceratium (Many-podded ranging from a few centimetres to about half a Hedge-mustard), a casual plant in Britain that metre in height. In the last seven years of similar had not been recorded during the last twenty recording I have never found this species any­ years as far as he was aware. I have however where else. been informed by John Hawksford, the County A close examination of the plant revealed that Recorder for v.c. 39, that this is the second the leaf shape varied from lobed to pinnatifid on Staffordshire record in recent years. the same plant and the clusters of tiny, yellow I would be interested to know if anyone else flowers were formed in leafaxils all the way up has found it recently, and in any comments on the stem, followed by slender, slightly-beaded this species. fruit that curved downwards as they matured. At the tip of the fruit there was a short, persistent style. (see Colour Section, plate 2).

The rise and fall of Veronica filiformis (Slender Speedwell) ROGER M. HENSON, 9 Harlow Manor Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 OEG; [email protected] 30 years ago Slender Speedwell (Veronica fili­ treated with anything to get rid of it and the form is) was scarce in the Harrogate (North mowing schedule had not been significantly Yorkshire) area. It then arrived on the Stray, 200 changed. I spoke to a friend who has a weekly acres of grass in the town centre. It was then outdoor article in the local paper and he in­ spread on gang mowers and quickly colonised cluded an item asking if anyone knew what had all the areas of gang mown grass in the district. happened to the Veronica, there was no re­ A couple of years ago I turned up an old photo sponse. showing a large area of the Stray turned blue by The Royal Horticultural Society's the Speedwell. This reminded me that I hadn't 'Encyclopedia of Gardening' (1992 reprinted seen any recently, so I looked and could only 1996) specifically mentions Veronica filiform is find a few small insignificant patches on the as being a lawn weed that may survive several edge of some grassy areas. I spoke to the Corpo­ applications of weedkiller. ration officer responsible for the Stray and some Is this infestation followed by decline com­ of the men actually driving the mowers and they mon with Veronicafiliformis or is the Harrogate all assured me that the Stray had not been experience unusual?

FIELD MEETING REPORTS - 2005

Reports of Field Meetings (with the exception 4PA, Tel.: 01494 562082. Potential authors of of Reports of Irish Meetings written by Alan reports should note that they should not be much Hill) are edited by, and should be sent to: Dr longer than 500 words (half a page of News) for Alan ShowIer, 12 Wedgwood Drive, Hugh­ a one day meeting and 1000 words (1 page of enden Valley, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 News) for a weekend.

New Forest, Hatchet Pond, South Hants (v.c. 11). 24th April JOHN POLAND Twenty-three attendees turned out for one ofthe Galium constrictum (Slender Marsh-bedstraw) first field meetings concentrating on the vegeta­ and Ranunculus xnovae-forestae (New Forest tive identification of our flora. Starting at Crowfoot), These rarities were well received by Hatchet Pond, a site well known to botanists, we those travelling from distant counties! had a selection of New Forest 'goodies' includ­ The main focus of the day was to demonstrate ing Ludwigia palustris (Hampshire-purslane) the ease at which plants can he identified vege- Field Meeting Reports - S. Hants / Dorset 47 tatively. One i.d. challenge were three glaucous first glance, looks incredibly similar to unlobed sedges - Carex jlacca (Glaucous Sedge), C. leaves of Plantago coronopus (Buck's-horn panicea (Carnation Sedge) and C. nigra Plantain) but the lack oflong hairs at the centre (Common Sedge) - growing intermixed. Only ofthe rosette was an instant giveaway. C. nigra has stomata (clearly visible as little The final port of call was to an established, but white dots through a hand lens) on both sides of rarely flowering, colony of Luronium natans the leaves, with C. jlacca and C. panicea having (Floating Water-plantain) near Brockenhurst. stomata confined to the underside only. These The 'ladder-like' venation of the floating leaves latter two sedges are readily separated by the is most unlike any other aquatic plant as the midrib channel on the upper leaf surface - usu­ secondary veins connect the midrib to the prom­ ally extending to the extreme apex on C. jlacca inent submarginal vein at almost right-angles. but falling short in C. panicea (forming the As with floating leaves of any aquatic plant, the distinct trigonous tip). Additionally. the veins stomata are confined to the upper surface - if are more irregularly spaced in C. panicea. Over they were below, the plant would drown! lunch, some members keyed out grasses using Thanks to Phil Budd for jointly leading the the first draft of the 'Vegetative Key' and others event, and to those who attended, most notably found themselves picnicking on Poa bulbosa Eric Clement for his encyclopaedic knowledge (Bulbous Meadow-grass) - a new site record! of the British flora. Thanks are also due to the We moved on to nearby Setley Plain where we Forestry Commission for permitting the collec­ had the rare alien Plagiobothrys scouleri (White tion of material for close examination. Forget-me-not). This rosette-forming annual, at

Langton Matravers, Dorset (v.c. 9) 3rd May EDWARD PRATT Twenty members of the BSBI and the WFS, was seen later in the walk, were described. together with two recently appointed National Entering White Ware the party enjoyed the large Trust staff, had an exhilarating walk in the rain­ colony of Orchis moria (Green-winged Orchid), less breeze, serenaded by Skylarks. We were and then plenty of Brassica oleracea (Wild sorry that eight others who had booked failed to Cabbage) also in full flower on the cliff top. show, some perhaps deterred by heavy rain Under the east side of a stone wall the leaves of inland. We divided in two with David Leadbet­ Arum italicum subspecies neglectum (Italian ter leading the second party. Lords-and-Iadies) were seen, but no flowers. The first stop was at Spyway Barn to view the The leader wonders whether at least some of it National Trust's pictorial display of features of is the hybrid with A. maculatum. the area. We continued southwards on to the We moved west passing Dancing Ledge, and SSSI recently named The Purbeck Wares. It came to a colony of Valerianella eriocarpa consists of Purbeck Limestone grassland and (Hairy-fruited Cornsalad), just north of the scrub sloping to the south from around 11 Om to Coast Path. Several new colonies of this species the cliff tops at around 35m. It extends from have been found in Purbeck Limestone and Durlston Country park in the east to, and includ­ Chalk grassland in recent years, showing that ing, Seacombe Valley in the west. There are Purbeck is its British headquarters. Though usu­ traces of old quarries in the grassland, and Port­ ally in flower by early May, this year it was late land Limestone quarries on the cliffs, part of the and only buds were seen. The party then de­ recently-designated geological Jurassic Coast scended by an easy path into Hedbury Quarry, World Heritage Site. best known for its one cannon left over (it is The first species of interest was Rumex said) from the Napoleonic Wars. There we pulcher (Fiddle Dock) in leaf. Next we saw stopped for a late lunch. When the second party Cerastium pumilum (Dwarf Mouse-ear) on an­ arrived they told of seeing Gentianella anglica thills on top of an overgrown spoil heap, to­ (Early Gentian) and Thesium humifusum gether with the first few Ophrys sphegodes (Bastard-toadflax) on the slopes. The first party (Early Spider-orchid), a species which appeared tried to counter with the Little Owl which had at frequent intervals during the walk, sometimes flown off as they had entered the quarry! The in many hundreds. Turning down the slope friendly rivalry continued after lunch when the beautiful patches of Polygala calcarea (Chalk parties met after viewing Asplenium marinum Milkwort) appeared, and the differences with (Sea Spleenwort) and other species at opposite Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort), which ends of the quarry. One said 'We've seen two 48 Field Meeting Reports - Dorset I BSBI AGM, Ferryside

Wall Lizards', to which they received the reply the Arum italicum. Also on the return route we 'We've seen two Wall Lizards too'. (This conti­ visited a pond to see Ranunculus trichophyllus nental species was introduced to one of the cliff (Thread-leaved Water-crowfoot) in flower and quarries a few years ago, and has found the Lotus glaber (Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-tre­ habitat to its liking, spreading all along the foil) in leaf. limestone cliffs). The first party did see the The Purbeck Wares are open country. I would Gentianella in a different site later in the day. like to record our thanks to the owner, The Another smaller colony of Orchis morio was National Trust, and to their farming tenants for visited to see albinos together with a remarkable that part, Paul and Tricia Earley, for the splen­ piebald specimen. On the way back up the slope did condition of The Wares. Steve Clarkson spotted an unrecorded clump of

BSBI AGM, Ferryside, (v. c. 44) 13-1Sth May KATHPRYCE On our way to the National Botanic Garden of ed: either a pub with a tiny room used for kara­ Wales where many BSBI members were to meet oke or the local Rugby Club which proved to be for lunch, Richard and I put the final touches to very popular - the Rugby Club proprietors were the AGM preparations, calling at Ferryside Ed­ obviously keen for people to attend, as a custom ucation Centre to tie 'BSBI' direction notices to made notice appeared at the Education Centre strategic posts at the entrance. The weather entrance pointing us in the right direction! forecast was not good and he had a few extra Saturday offered two alternative morning indoor activities in mind as contingency should meetings, to Burry Port Harbour (led by RDP) the rain be torrential (it is Wales!). However, the or to Waun-y-Gwiail Fach farm (led by Andrew weather turned out to be remarkably fine and Stevens). At Burry Port two spikes ofAnacamp­ sunny for the whole weekend. tis (Orchis) morio (Green-winged Orchid) were After lunch (where we wished Trevor Dines seen east of the harbour at a new site and the Happy Birthday and realised just how old we Silene gallica (Small-flowered Catchfly) was in were - or how young he is), we were met by full flower on the dock wall at its only Carms. Rhodri Griffiths, Director ofNBGW, followed locality - a very good display (see photo inside by various 'behind the scenes' tours to the corri­ back cover). Near 'Turbine Hall Pond' many dors beneath the Great Glasshouse and to a plants of Linaria supina (Prostrate Toadflax) small part of the farm estate, then inside the were growing amongst the crushed-concrete propagation greenhouses and to the Walled Gar­ rubble derived from the demolished power-sta­ den. I was asked to photograph several large tion which once occupied the site. Andrew self-sown plants of Lactuca virosa (Great Let­ showed the other party the acid, heathy fields tuce) outside the greenhouses (the 1st record for which he manages at his farm. These are good Carms.) and Oxalis exi/is (Least Yellow-sorrel) examples of Carmarthenshire coalfield rhos­ growing as a weed inside. I don't know what pastures and support a rich variety of character­ the staff thought of the fact that many BSBI istic sedges and other plants. members seemed to be more enthusiastic about After lunch, the AGM was convened. The first the weeds than the exotic species planted in the and very pleasant task was for RDP to present gardens, greenhouses and Great Glasshouse! the President's Prize for the best botanical pub­ Members then drove to Ferryside and settled lication of 2004 (judged and awarded jointly by in to their accommodation. By this time more the Presidents of the BSBI and Plantlife) to Dr people had arrived and, as well as meeting old Alison Averis who represented the six authors friends, we were finally able to put faces to of An Illustrated Guide to British Upland Veg­ some of the names we had booked-in over the etation. She was warmly congratulated and past weeks. The evening meal was a good social thanked for her attendance, having travelled start to the event and members were able to meet from Scotland. Before welcoming Richard Gor­ the incoming President, Dr Richard Gornall, nall as new President, Gwynn Ellis presented and the newly appointed BSBI Director of De­ him (RDP) with a pre-publication copy of velopment, Dr Gabriel Hemery. Clement, Smith & Thirlwell's Illustrations of This was followed by a walk along the fore­ Alien Plants of the British Isles. He warmly shore, after which some members investigated thanked those present for this unexpected gift the local pubs. The choice was somewhat limit- and, although relieved at standing down after Field Meeting Reports - BSBI AGM, Ferryside I Castle Hill, E. Sussex 49 his busy three year term, was very appreciative E. xrothmaleri (a hybrid horsetail) at Pentreg­ of all the assistance he had received from the wenlais Quarry. officers and members and was very grateful for Pembrey Burrows is a Local Nature Reserve having been given the chance to serve the Soci­ administered by Carmarthenshire County Coun­ ety in such an elevated role. cil where thousands of Anacamptis moria plants Following a short break for tea, RDP gave an were seen in flower with occasional Botrychium illustrated talk on the botanical highlights of lunaria (Moonwort) in the dune hollows (see Carmarthenshire which was somewhat marred photo inside back cover). A new 10km square by only two of the colour channels working on record (for the vice-county) was made for Ballota the Centre's digital projector! We also had nigra (Black Horehound) in the abandoned car­ presentations from David Pearman, Bob Ellis park and many people remarked on the attractive and Gabriel on Local Change, the proposed displays of Viola tricolor subsp. curtisii (Dune Hybrids Project and what the future holds for Pansy) and Viola canina (Heath Dog-violet) (see the Society. photo on back cover). We ate our packed lunches Following the evening meal, some members by the pond which had been created several years went botanising, walking along the lane and previously when a start was made on the control onto the bank of the River Tywi at Morfa U chaf, of Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn), a north of Ferry side. This proved to be an enjoya­ species introduced for sand stabilization by the ble short excursion with a chance to see Fu­ Forestry Commission in the 1920s and 1930s but maria capreolata (White Ramping-fumitory) in which is now an aggressive colonist of all the local hedges at the edge of the village, an unfa­ dunes in the area. Noteworthy species included miliar plant to many present. Characteristic spe­ Eleocharis uniglumis (Slender Spike-rush) and cies were noted on the saltmarsh with much the stoneworts Chara vulgaris var. papillata and discussion being generated over the discovery C. vulgaris var. hispidula (subsequently con­ of the possible hybrid Cochlearia anglica x C. firmed by Nick Stewart). Amongst the party were danica (English Scurvy-grass x Danish Scurvy­ some Lepidopterists and species recorded in­ grass). The party was eventually defeated by the cluded Green Hairstreak, Small Blue, Grizzled fading light and many retired to the bar of the Skipper and Dingy Skipper. Rugby Club on the return to the Centre! By mid afternoon many people had departed Sunday was fine and sunny and the alternative for long journeys home and the few remaining field meetings were to Pembrey Burrows (led by were local or staying an extra night at Ferryside. RDP) or Carmel Woods National Nature Re­ We gave one member a lift back to Ferryside, serve (led by Dr Nigel Stringer). RDP choosing the coastal road. It was most The Carmel Woods party were first shown the refreshing to hear him say how wonderful the limestone collapse feature at Pwll Edrychiad scenery was and how much he had enjoyed the before walking through the disused Glan weekend especially as he had only recently Gwenlais Quarry and its associated calcareous joined BSBI. Back at Ferryside we gathered that woodland, then passing the Pentregwenlais Tur­ most people thought that the weekend had been lough before finishing the afternoon by examin­ a most successful AGM, much to RDP's relief! ing the Equisetum variegatum var. wilsonii (a I am very grateful to Ailsa Bums for her help variety of Variegated Horsetail) and in encouraging those who still owed money to pay, to avoid the need for chasing them later!

Castle Hill and Mt. Caburn, East Sussex. (v.c. 14). 14th May T.P. BARTLETT Although billed as a joint LNHS/BSBI Meeting, over the hills at lunchtime without being pub- a large majority of the 19 Members who at- licly thanked. tended belonged to the latter Society, though Castle Hill is not easy of access, and the stiff several were common to both. climb along the South Downs Way from the The areas visited are wonderful examples of village of Kingston-near-Lewes was chosen as antique chalk downland, sandwiched between being potentially the most interesting approach. arable fields, and are administered as National The date was chosen with a view to catching the Nature Reserves by English Nature. Hence we last part of the flowering season of Ophrys were very lucky to have Malcolm Emery, EN's sphegodes (Early Spider-orchid), together with Site Manager with us, to share his detailed the start of the wonderful array of flowers to be knowledge, and I was sorry that he disappeared seen in summer in good chalk grassland. The 50 Field Meeting Reports - Castle Hill, E. Sussex / Cuckmere Valley, E. Sussex latter largely failed to materialise in the dull, only seven members to enjoy the best part ofthe cold and damp weather but the huge population day, when we visited Mount Caburn. The tem­ of orchids was worshipped and photographed. perature had risen, the wind had dropped, the An exciting find by one member was a single sun was almost shining, and the vegetation in flowering plant of Gentianella anglica (Early the sheltered valley was much more advanced. Gentian), which had been known from the site Plants seen included Arabis hirsuta (Hairy but had not been seen for many years. Another Rock-cress), more Tephroseris, Hippocrepis co­ interesting chalk plant seen in good numbers, mosa (Horseshoe Vetch), various Violas, and and one which has a very limited distribution, much Cynoglossum officinale (Hound's­ was Tephroseris integrifolia (Field Fleawort), tongue). Opinion was divided as to whether this while Lepidium campestre (Field Pepperwort). plant smelled of mice, or curiously, of peanut and Carex caryophyUea (Spring Sedge) at­ butter! And to finish the day on a high note, tracted some interest. there was a fine display of Orchis (or should I Several participants sloped off during the day, say Neotinea now?) ustulata, the Burnt Orchid. to 'spend more time with their families' , leaving

Cuckmere Valley, East Sussex (v.c. 14) 25-26th June ALAN KNAPP & HELEN PROCTOR The purpose of the meeting, was to introduce Flower of Sussex. 12 plants of Orchis ustulata members to plants special to the lower Cuck­ (Burnt-tip Orchid) were seen together with mere Valley and to record for the proposed new Gymnadenia conopsea (Fragrant Orchid) and Flora of Sussex. 20 members of the BSBI and Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid). Sussex Botanical Recording Society assembled The planned route took the party along a in the car park at the Seven Sisters Country raised footpath through the saltmarsh near the Park, Exceat, near Seaford and listened to a river. Two more plants of A. pyramidalis were short introductory talk given by the Park Man­ unexpectedly seen on the bank above the salt­ ager, Robin Thorpe. Owned by East Sussex marsh. Several plants of Raphanus raphanis­ County Council, the Park is managed for recre­ trum subsp. maritimum (Sea Radish) and ation in the valley, education, and conservation Crithmum maritimum (Rock Samphire) oc­ in the remoter areas. Habitats include chalk curred by the path. Cram be maritima (Sea-kale) grassland, brackish water, saltmarsh and shin­ and Glaucium flavum (Yellow Horned-poppy) gle. The Country Park lies partly in four tetrads, were abundant on the shingle. Patches of for­ which necessitated close attention to detail with merly grazed turf had a varied flora including the G.P.S. Sagina maritima (Sea Pearlwort) and Geranium As the party left the car park, a large plant of columbinum (Long-stallced Crane's-bill). Re­ Centaurea calcitrapa (Red Star-thistle) was cent recording of five 2m quadrats had produced noted. Possibly native in Sussex (Briggs, M., a list of 39 species. Lotus glaber (Narrow­ 2004, Sussex Wild Flowers. Henfield) it occurs leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil) was flowering pro­ frequently on disturbed ground in the Country fusely, providing a dense yellow 'carpet'. This Park and by the Cuckmere river as far inland as area, just behind the shingle bank had been Litlingon. Large amounts of Ruppia cirrhosa swept completely clean by a storm in 2000. (Spiral Tasselweed) were found in bracldsh wa­ On Sunday, members met in the car park at ter. Seen in flower a week earlier by the leaders, 'High and Over', between Alfriston and Sea­ the fruiting stems were now clearly coiled. This ford. The group walked downhill to see Marru­ is the only known site in East Sussex. (Briggs, bium vulgare (White Horehound). A very scarce M., ed. 2004. The Sussex Rare Plants Register. plant in Sussex, two colonies were found lower Henfield). Also common in Sussex, Carex dis­ down the hill than before, where the burrowing tans (Distant Sedge) had colonised the bank of activities of rabbits had caused extensive soil a ditch. A detour was made up the hillside to disturbance. About 20 plants of Hyoscyamus study an area of Bromopsis erecta (Upright niger (Henbane) were also seen here. Scattered Brome) chalk grassland which had benefitted plants of Ranunculus parvijlorus (Small-flow­ from winter grazing. Phyteuma orbiculare ered Buttercup) in fruit were evident in short (Round-headed Rampion) was just coming into turf. The party crossed the road to Cradle Hill, flower. Also known as 'Pride of Sussex', this another National Trust owned site. A dewpond plant was recently nominated as the County contained several aquatic plants including Stra- Field Meeting Reports - Cuckmere Valley, E. Sussex I E. Norfolk & E. Suffolk 51

tiotes aloides (Water-soldier), Ranunculus tri­ hillside. Lower down the hillside, former arable chophyllus (Thread-leaved Water-crowfoot), land had been allowed to revert to chalk grass­ and Callitriche obtusangula (Blunt-fruited Wa­ land, allowing a comparison to be made of the ter-starwort). Long established chalk grassland floral composition of the two areas. Two plants on steep slopes produced a large species list of of Valerianella dentata (Narrow-fruited Corn­ typical Downland plants including two colonies salad), a rare plant in Sussex, were found here. of the late flowering form of Orchis ustulata. The meeting was blessed with dry, mild One plant of Gentianella amarella (Autumn weather on both days. A total of 562 records Gentian) was already flowering. Many hundreds were collected and participants were able to see of plants of Thesium humifusum (Bastard-toad­ several plants of particular interest in Sussex. flax) were seen over more than 100 metres of

E. Norfolk & E. Suffolk (v.cc. 25 & 27) Grass & sedge identification weekend, 11_12th June ARTHUR COPPING Twenty-one members and one guest, in addition After lunch the party transferred to Church to the leader, met at the Sea Mere Study Centre, Green, Old Buckenham, a large grassy common Hingham, on the morning of 11 th June where from which an annual hay cut is taken in late they were welcomed by Mrs Judy Watson who summer. There was considerable variation in briefly described the function of the Centre and the composition of the vegetation cover across the features of the surrounding area. Sea Mere the common with tall Arrhenatherum elatius itself is a 20 acre circular lake formed by glacial (False Oat-grass) dominating communities at action enclosed by 50 acres of deciduous wood­ the margins and a shorter turf containing land and 35 acres of marsh (Turf Meadows). Festuca rubra (Red Fescue) and Anthoxanthum After a brief introduction to the structure of odoratum (Sweet Vernal-grass) in the centre. grass and sedge plants by the leader in which Recognition of the diagnostic features of the Anisantha diandra (Great Brome), Alopecurus common pasture grasses was the principal pratensis (Meadow Foxtail), Lolium perenne theme here with Schoenoplectus lacustris (Perennial Rye-grass), Carex riparia (Greater (Common Club-rush) planted in a pond, Carex Pond-sedge), C. acutiformis (Lesser Pond­ ovalis (Oval Sedge) beside paths and a small sedge), C. divulsa subsp. divulsa and subsp. colony of Agrostis canina (Velvet Bent) the leersii (Grey Sedge) and the non-British C. only unusual species of note. One surprise, both vulcani were used for illustration, the party set here and at Sea Mere, was the vast quantity of off for Turf Meadows where approximately Poa trivialis (Rough Meadow-grass), which in three hours were spent exploring a rich and places grew to the virtual exclusion of other diverse habitat. The meadow margins consisted plants, and the extreme scarcity of P. pratensis of damp grassland with gentle slopes leading to s.l. (Smooth Meadow-grass). This led to a permanently wet, sedge dominated centre speculation about whether the balance in where most prominent were swathes of Carex numbers between these taxa was shifting acutiformis, large tussocks of C. elata (Tufted­ with time in favour of the former. Cynosurus sedge), and abundant C. disticha (Brown Sedge) cristatus (Crested Dog's-tail) was another and C. hirta (Hairy Sedge) at the edges. Of unexpected rarity, apparently totally absent particular interest was a boggy arm of the mead­ from Old Buckenham. ows, flanked on three sides by willow carr, By 5.00p.m. the Green's potential seemed which contained Carex appropinquata (Fibrous exhausted and Bob Ellis suggested transfer­ Tussock-sedge) and C. lasiocarpa (Slender ring to the nearby New Buckenham Common Sedge). The grass flora was secondary at Turf for the final hour, a site previously unex­ Meadows, but of special note was a large colony plored by the leader. This proved instantly of Catabrosa aquatica (Whorl-grass) in a rewarding and added ten new taxa for the stream and an almost circular patch of Glyceria day, including Festuca filiformis (Fine­ xpedicellata (Hybrid Sweet-grass) growing leaved Sheep's-fescue) which seems to be nearby. Both parents, G jluitans (Floating much commoner than F. ovina (Sheep's-fes­ Sweet-grass) and G notata (Plicate Sweet-grass) cue) on many East Anglian heaths, Dantho­ were also found here and there. nia decumbens (Heath-grass), Carex muricata subsp. lamprocarpa (Prickly 52 Field Meeting Reports - E. Norfolk & E. Suffolk / Welsh AGM, Lampeter

Sedge), Glyceria declinata (Small Sweet­ (Divided Sedge). The 2000 meeting had grass), Alopecurus geniculatus (Marsh Fox­ been held later in the month and unfortu­ tail) and the much rarer A. aequalis (Orange nately the Elytrigia hybrids which are to be Foxtail). found at Landguard were too immature to be On Sunday 12th the party met at Landguard identified in 2005. local nature reserve, Felixstowe, an area of By the end of the meeting we had seen 22 consolidated shingle and dune, where we sedge and 63 grass species, the latter number were joined by the reserve manager, Malte representing more than 40% of those illus­ Iden, who accompanied us for the day. In­ trated in the first edition of Hubbard's land Norfolk and Suffolk had experienced Grasses. Additionally we added a new adequate rainfall so it was a shock to find record for the intensively botanised Land­ large areas of Landguard desiccated by guard LNR, a splendid solitary plant of drought and totally brown. This site had Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid). been visited during the 2000 BSBI Grass Finally, the Society thanks Judy Watson Identification meeting and contains many for allowing us access to the Sea Mere site, rarities, many of which were refound (see Judy and Malte Iden for permitting us to use BSBI News 86: 68). Among these were Cy­ the classroom facilities at Sea Mere and nosurus echinatus (Rough Dog's-tail), Vul­ Landguard respectively, including the provi­ pia ciliata subsp. ambigua (Bearded sion of tea or coffee to accompany our Fescue), both in quantity, Parapholis in­ packed lunches. Thanks are due too to Mrs curva (Curved Hard-grass), Anisantha J. Getley who gave consent for us to use the madritensis (Compact Brome), Vulpia fas­ Old Buckenham Village Hall car park. ciculata (Dune Fescue) and Carex divisa

Field Meetings at Welsh AGM at Lampeter, Ceredigion (v.c. 46) 17-19th June ARTHUR CRATER & ANDY JaNES The first outing was after dinner on the Friday had imagined. As the light began to fail we evening when our aquatics tutor, Richard walked up to the churchyard to inspect more Lansdown, demonstrated to a large group some straightforward plants among the rich grassland of the techniques of sampling and identification flora on the site of the demolished medieval in the Afon Dulas, a well vegetated stream building, including three calcicole grasses un­ conveniently flowing through the grounds of common in the county, Briza media (Quaking­ Lampeter College where we were staying. Cal­ grass), Trisetum flavescens (Yellow Oat-grass) litriche obtusangula (Blunt-fruited Water-star­ and Brachypodium pinnatum (Tor-grass), the wort) was showing a profusion of yellow latter probably the true B. pinnatum rather than anthers on its floating rosettes, and C. brutia B. rupestre. subsp. lacustris (c. hamulata) (Intermediate On Saturday morning half the members went Water-starwort) was mixed with it, its flowers to Denmark Farm nearby at Betws Bledrws. submerged, and with deflexed styles on the Richard Williams told us something of the his­ developing fruits and bicycle spanners on the tory of its origins as a nature reserve and demon­ leaf tips; other clumps lacked any of the diag­ stration conservation centre under the inspired nostic features and were left as C. brutia sens. management ofNeil and Barbara Taylor, and its lat. Ranunculus penicillatus subsp. penicillatus evolution into and continuing work as the (Stream Water-crowfoot) was growing in abun­ Shared Earth Trust. This has provided much dance, enabling Richard to demonstrate the var­ original and valuable monitoring work showing ious leaf characters, length in relation to how the rye-grass desert of the early 1980s was internodes, numbers of divisions and the devel­ enabled to revert to species-rich pasture and opment of laminar leaves. The submerged form marsh, and has also involved and given guid­ of Oenanthe crocata (Hemlock Water-drop­ ance to the local farming and landowning com­ wort), Sparganium emersum (Unbranched Bur­ munity. In keeping with the theme of the reed) and Fontinalis antipyretica (Great Water­ weekend, we concentrated on the water bodies moss) were among other aquatics there. We of which there were ten. Richard Lansdown, were alarmed to learn that the distinction be­ clad in chest waders, was able to demonstrate tween Lemna minor and L. gibba (Common and Potamogeton natans and P. polygoni/olius Fat Duckweeds) was by no means as clear as we (Broad-leaved and Bog Pondweeds); a fine- Field Meeting Reports - Welsh AGM, Lampeter 53 leaved species, material of which was collected forms of various aquatics, and more importantly from the old farm pond and several of the what techniques to use in identification. Perhaps scrapes, was later confirmed by sectioning the most useful of all was his repeated demonstra­ stipules to be P. berchtoldii (Small Pondweed). tion that some even common aquatics are often Callitriche brutia s.l. and C. stagnalis just unidentifiable and that, however much it (Common Water-starwort) were also collected may go against the grain, we should be more for study indoors. We wound our way through sparing and critical in our identifications. the very colourful pastures visiting each scrape The other Sunday excursion went to the very in turn and listing their aquatics. The profusion scenic Teifi Pools, at the headwaters of the Teifi of damsel flies and dragonflies was remarkable. catchment, to investigate the flora of nutrient­ The comparatively large 1980s lake was disap­ poor upland lakes. At Llyn Hir - one of the pointing, adding only Hypericum elodes (Marsh smaller and least modified of these lakes - St John's-wort) to the list, apart from Iris pseu­ members observed the distinct zoning of sub­ dacorus (Yellow Iris) which is, apart from trees merged and emergent vegetation in response to in an area of woodland and some hedge trees, water depth, different substrates and the prevail­ the only introduction on the site. ing wind. The fringe of Carex rostrata in shal­ On Sunday half the members went to the low water seemed to be most tolerant of lower end of the Cors Caron NNR by kind wave-action (where it incorporated the supply permission of the CCW warden, Paul Cu1yer. of finer gravels) with Equisetum fluviatile at We met at Pont Einon, and spent the next few greater depth, whilst flowering Lobelia dort­ hours along a short stretch of the meandering manna and Potamogeton polygonifolius were Afon Teifi with Richard, again half submerged evidently restricted to the more sheltered sites. in his chest waders, teaching us how to identify A quick search of the driftline along the north­ especially the often bewilderingly similar sub­ east shore revealed detached fragments of merged forms of many species here. These in­ nearly all the species we were to find in situ later cluded Schoenoplectus lacustris (Common on - but with the slightly surprising absence of Club-rush), Sparganium erectum Branched Luronium natans. Submerged flowering Subu­ Bur-reed), Potamogeton natans (Broad-leaved laria aquatica was also only found in very Pondweed) and Luronium natans (Floating Wa­ shallow water over gently shelving mud and ter-plantain), all with long linear underwater coarse gravel - and here mainly along the lee leaves or phyllodes of various textures, colours shores. These spots, however, showed the great­ and cross sections. The Potamogeton natans est richness of 'Littorelletean' vegetation, with plants here showed a whole series of intermed i­ a range of species including Littorella uniflora, ate structures between the phyllodes and the Juncus bulbosus, Callitriche hamulata s.l. and floating leaves and was thought to be a good Myriophyllum alterniflorum assuming very dif­ candidate for P. xgessnacensis. Other aquatics ferent deep water and emergent forms. Mem­ included Myriophyllum alterniflorum (Alternate bers admired the inflorescence of terrestrial Water-milfoil), Elodea canadensis (Canadian Littorella (resembling a reduced Plantago with Waterweed), Callitriche brutia s.l., Ranunculus enlarged anthers) but, in the absence of any penicillatus subsp. penicillatus, Nuphar lutea flowering J bulbosus, could not explore the (Yellow Water-lily) with its crinkly submerged status of 'J kochii'. Despite careful searches of leaves, and Persicaria hydropiper in the deep several suitably sheltered sites, both L. natans part of the chaunel. Apium inundatum (Lesser and Elatine hexandra were also very elusive Marshwort) was flowering on the exposed shin­ (perhaps both obscured by fairly thick filamen­ gle. Behind us on the species-rich horse-grazed tous green algae) and all of the numerous quill­ pasture a few plants of Platanthera chlorantha wort specimens we examined proved to be (Lesser Butterfly Orchid) were in flower. Fur­ Isoetes echinospora. Andy Jones then demon­ ther up-river at the flash Richard showed us strated the use of polarising sunglasses (for Callitriche brutia subsp. brutia and Elatine hex­ cutting out surface reflections), chest waders andra (Six-stamened Waterwort) flowering and and a bamboo cane with wire hook to rake up fruiting on the expanse of dried mud, there were deep-water 'isoetid' plants of Luronium natans dense stands of Carex aquatilis (Water Sedge) and at least one plant of Isoetes lacustris - and C. vesicaria (Bladder-sedge), and Pota­ although this was only confirmed later under the mogeton berchtoldii was in an adjacent ditch. microscope. Our subsequent visit to Llyn Eg­ We dispersed soon after lunch, having learnt nant made a slightly disappointing comparison, from Richard over the weekend not only some with the vegetation around its artificially raised difficult species, but also various unfamiliar water levels dominated by J bulbosus and Lit- 54 Field Meeting Reports - Welsh AGM, Lampeter I Northamptonshire torella, no Lobelia and only scant Sparganium to demonstrate (in deteriorating weather) the angustifolium and P. polygonifolius. A few de­ presence of very different vegetation at depths tached fragments of M alterniflorum and Iso­ and the general principle of localised species' etes sp. on the northeast shore, however, helped distributions in a superficially uniform habitat.

Harlestone Firs, Northamptonshire (v.c. 32) 18th June BRIANLANEY 8 members and friends turned up on what was flower and in one area nearby <\bout 10 Ophrys to prove a very warm but successful meeting. apifera var. belgarum. I had found this variety First stop was Harlestone Firs, just NW of new to Northamptonshire back in 2001 and it Northampton. It was at one time, I would imag­ was good to see it still doing well and increasing. ine, our only heathland site in Northampton­ Moving on, we visited the Brampton Valley shire. Sadly, this is not now the case, the site Way, near Oxendon tunnel (not far from Market being planted with conifers and famous with Harborough) close to the county boundary. The Northampton dog walkers. However, a large Way was a disused railway line but is now a cleared area near the sawmill is turning up many cycle way between Northampton and Market goodies coming up from the seedbank. Notable Harborough. Luckily no one was run down by species included Bird' s-foot ( Ornithopus perpu­ bikes but we did fmd Grass Vetchling in flower sillus), one Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) in again. However, just 2 weeks before this meet­ flower, Trailing St John's-wort (Hypericum hu­ ing I had discovered, new for Northants. along mifusum), Sand Spurrey (Spergularia rubra), this line Wall Whitlowgrass (Draba muralis) Water Purslane (Lythrum portula) and Wood and I managed to show everyone a good stand Sedge (Carex sylvatica), to name just a few. We well in seed on a bare lump of clay by the old also had Small Cudweed (pi/ago minima), line. I think a couple of people were not too which I refound for v.c. 32 last year; previously impressed by the dead stems but they can be recorded about 1953! Blinks (Montia fontana) re-educated! had gone for the year by the time of the meeting. Sadly, the heat was getting a bit much but the This is also a plant I had refound, last seen in the few who carried on were taken to a large, old, county in 1930. Excellent! It was in very good derelict quarry just N of Kettering on the A43. numbers in the spring. Sadly, John Prescott's vision of a second Lon­ Next stop was the disused Harrington airfield don in East Anglia is getting ever closer and near Lamport; some parts of the large airfield threatening the quarry. Much of it has now been have not been destroyed by modem agriculture. filled in, with in one part conifers growing on it. Before entering the runway, we had on the On the edge of a track there is a row of cypress roadside Grass Vetchling (Lathyrus nissolia) in trees and underneath one section of these on the flower and Bee Orchid. Once on a superb, bo­ barer, shorter turf were about 26 flowering yel­ tanically rich area of the runway, species that low Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera var. ch loran­ were seen included, of course, Bee Orchid, tha). This variety is on the increase here since I Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praeter­ first saw it at this locality in the early 1990s. missa) (one plant), Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot­ Let's hope it is still here for future visits by trefoil (Lotus glaber) and Twayblade (Listera botanists. ovata). Further along we came across hundreds Many thanks to all who came along. of Common Spotted-orchids (D. fuchsii) in full

Braunton Burrows, Knowstone Moor & Hares Down, N. Devon (v.c. 4) 2-3rd July BOB HODGSON Twenty-two of us met at the Sandy Lane car Braunton Burrows is the largest area of sand park at Braunton Burrows on 2nd July. The party dune and slack in south west England and is divided into two groups. The first, led by John home to a number of rarities apart from a very Breeds, the Warden, went down to the southern rich flora. It is owned by the Christie estates and end of the Burrows and the other party led by mostly managed by the MOD. There is some Mary Breeds and Bob Hodgson took a more evidence that many of the slacks have become local route. However in general both groups saw drier over the last few years although the cause much the same species. is not clear The north party made its way via Field Meeting Reports - Northamptonshire / Aberdeen City 55 various slacks towards the sea. A number of Horned-poppy) and Erodium lebelii (Sticky orchids were seen on the way including Dacty­ Stork's-bill). lorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid), On Sunday the party met at Knowstone Inner Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea (Early Moor which is part of a large block of culm Marsh-orchid) Listera ovata (Common Twayb­ grassland with moorland affmities. The site be­ lade), Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Or­ came progressively wetter as we moved down­ chid) and abundant Epipactis palustris (Marsh hill. There were abundant Dactylorhiza Helleborine). Braunton specialities included maculata (Heath Spotted-orchid) although just Juncus acutus (Sharp Rush) Equisetum variega­ past their best. Typical plants of this habitat turn (Variegated Horsetail), Teucrium scordium were Lychnisflos-cuculi (Ragged-Robin), Men­ (Water Germander) though not in flower, and yanthes trifoliata (Bog-bean), Pedicularis Trifoliumfragiferum (Strawberry Clover). palustris (Marsh Lousewort), Cirsium dissec­ In a slack near the sea abundant Pyrola minor turn (Meadow Thistle), Hypericum elodes (Common Wintergreen) was noted as well as (Marsh St John's-wort), Pinguicula lusitanica Polypogon viridis (Water Bent). (Pale Butterwort), Genista anglica (Petty We then reached the sea and on the strand line Whin), Carex hostiana (Tawny Sedge) and found Salsola kali (Prickly Saltwort), Atriplex Rhynchospora alba (White Beak-sedge). laciniata (Frosted Orache) and the Braunton After lunch the party divided in two and re­ specialty Matthiola sinuata (Sea Stock). Nota­ corded in two adjacent areas Knowstone Outer ble plants seen on the return included Ophrys Moor and Hares Down. In general the flora was apifera (Bee Orchid) and two special Braunton very similar to Knowstone Inner Moor but a introductions, Linaria arenaria (Sand Toadflax) little less rich. However Dryopteris carthusiana and Rumex frutescens (Argentine Dock). (Narrow Buckler-fern) was found in both areas The southern party also found Hyoscyamus Many thanks are due to John and Mary Breeds niger (Henbane), Marrubium vulgare (White at Braunton and to Jeremy Ison at Knowstone Horehound) Glaucium /1 avum (Yellow Moor.

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire (v.cc. 91-3) 9-10th July IANP. GREEN 15 members met on a glorious hot sunny day to banks of the river. Carex aquatilis (Water explore Forvie National Nature Reserve (v.c. Sedge) was found along the wetter parts of the 93). The dry sandy areas produced Teesdalia river bank. The sandbar had a good number of nudicaulis (Shepherd's Cress). Viola canina plants of Polygonum oxyspermum (Ray's Knot­ (Heath Dog-violet) and our first hybrid of the grass). The south side of the river has a small day Viola xintersita (V riviniana x V canina). reed bed mainly made up of Phalaris arundina­ On the dry heathland a small patch of Anten­ cea (Reed Canary-grass). Here we had come to naria dioica (Mountain Everlasting) was seen. look at a Rumex which I had found in 2004, and A single plant of Mertensia maritima thought was Rumex crispus subsp. uliginosus (Oysterplant) was found on a sandy beach. On (Curly Dock) but had only seen it early and late the rocky cliffs above a few plants of Ligusti­ in the year, but we found July was still too early cum scoticum (Scots Lovage) were spotted. A to be sure which subspecies it might be. (Later grassy slope produced our second hybrid of the in the year it was determined as the above sub­ day Rumex xpropinquus (R. longifolius x R. species). This is the first record for this Rumex crispus). from Scotland. The second stop of the day was An Osprey tried showing off its fishing skills at Nigg Bay (v.c. 91); here the plan was to see if in the River Ythan to us, but after about 20 we could locate the Lathyrus japonicus (Sea attempts it gave up and flew off. Several moths Pea), which after sometime we did. The plants were seen including Wood Tiger. Six-spot Bur­ were small, but flowering and fruiting nicely. nets and a Poplar Hawk as well as a lot of Dark We also saw lots of plants of Mertensia mar­ Green Fritillary Butterflies. itima and a few plants of Polygonum oxysper­ The sun was out again for the Sunday but only mum. The last stop of the weekend was to look 10 members met on the north side of the mouth at Cystopteris dickieana (Dickie's Bladder-fern) of the River Don (v.c. 92). Allium scorodo­ in a sea cave at Cove Bay (v.c. 91 ). which was prasum (Sand Leek) was plentiful on the sandy looking very good. 56 Field Meeting Reports - North Norfolk Rubus Meeting

North Norfolk Rubus Meeting (v.c.27) IS-17th July ALExBULL A 'recce' visit was paid to Fulmodeston Sever­ migrating Thrushes - some while back as the alls 3 days before we were due to visit, as it was colony measures at least 20x5m. hoped to plan a route round this large wood to Why we did not see one of Norfolk's 'big' take in the best brambles. We had the owners' species at Salthouse is a mystery, but Rubus 'kind permission' following a visit during 2004, boraeanus was soon spotted at Swanton Novers since when felling and replanting operations Great Wood next morning after our pass had had been accompanied by a removal of almost been collected, with 9 members present. An­ all ride side vegetation. A frantic telephone call other Norfolk speciality, first collected from the to a friend at English Nature revealed that the county by Rev. E.F. Linton, was R. criniger, Honey Buzzards were not nesting at Swanton whilst 2 plants of more northern and western Novers Great Wood this year so he would use inclination which have strong Norfolk popula­ his good offices to get us a pass. This wood is a tions, were R. hylocharis and R. mucronulatus. National Nature Reserve managed by English A plant that was frequent in the wood and was Nature in conjunction with the owners, the Ast­ causing some debate was [mally named by Alan ley Estate. By 9.30 next morning, I had been put Newton as R. lintonii. This was more shade through to the Estate's summer warden who grown than the leader was accustomed to see­ instructed me to look for our pass on Saturday ing, and was also met with at our next two stops. morning, under the old car battery outside his Another plant which was almost an ever present caravan. throughout the weekend, was R. amplificatus, With these preliminaries out ofthe way, seven whilst records of R. pyramidalis and R. of us were welcomed to Greshams School at sprengelii were 'scattered throughout the week­ Holt by Dr. Tony Leech, in the Biology lab. end'. Finally at Swanton Novers, stands of R. where he regaled us with tea and biscuits before nessensis towering up through other bushes to a having to rush off as he was organising an height of some 3m were much admired. exhibition to celebrate notable inventors who In addition to brambles, we also saw White were old pupils of the school, as part of the Admiral and Purple Hairstreak butterflies, the school's 400th anniversary celebrations. latter species being seen again after lunch at Our excitement for the evening was to be Sheringham Park. As we set out after lunch, found 3 miles from Holt and right beside the Trevor James pointed out a plant new to several coast on Salthouse Heath. Parked first at the of us, in the car park entrance. This was the alien back of the heath, with Rubus polyanthemus, the Senecio inaequidens (Narrow-leaved Ragwort). second commonest species in Norfolk, and Ru­ New brambles found at Sheringham were R. bus gratus, abundant at this site, the first pannosus and R. glareosus, whilst the two mem­ 'goodie' was only a few yards further on, this bers not with us on Friday evening had the being Rubus neumannianus which had been opportunity to examine R. neumannianus which named 'Rubus cromerensis' until it was realised was also present. This species, R. glareosus and that it was this, then recently named, continental R .tintonii were also present at our next brief species. Then followed Rubus pruinosus, R. stop, Pretty Corner, also in Sheringham, which flexuosus, R. nemoralis, R. lindleianus and R. is home to the only known but quite extensive plicatus, the latter frequent on the heath as it is colony in Norfolk of Rubus leucostachys. Our in many such sites in the county. Now we final stop on Saturday, was at nearby Felbrigg moved the cars to the top of the hill and wallced Park where not many species were present, but along a track to inspect the only known East where the local endemic R. villosior dominated Anglian colony of R. incurvatus. Could it have the cattle grazed park area, the shaggy, white arrived here, bird sown, from the only known flowered panicles scrambling up into and over colony in Denmark? the branches of some of the smaller trees. An Before giving up for the evening, three of us unknown member of the group Hystrices was went to see the, rather bracken-smothered at this also studied, but remained so. season, very large colony of Maianthemum bifo­ Seven of us met again on Sunday morning in lium (May Lily), long past flowering of course. the car park at Bacton Woods picnic place near This colony was discovered about 4 years ago North Walsham. When the recce was done in following the clearance of birch scrub, and may July 2004, 14 species were named round the also have arrived from Scandinavia courtesy of picnic area. Of these, two were not refound this Field Meeting Reports - North Norfolk Rubus Meeting I Caems 57 time, one unfortunately being the regional en­ Felmingham, just the other side of North Wal­ demic R. gariannensis. In 2004 it was noted to sham. Bryant's Heath is a very special place for be having a struggle with a vigorous bush of R. the Batologist. In fact, Alan Newton described adamsii and it would appear that the latter won! it as 'a gem that needs sympathetic manage­ There is more R. gariannensis in the wood, but ment' because of the concentration of members that was unfortunately temporarily out of of Rubus sub genus Rubus formerly called the bounds. By the time we had made our way Suberecti; i.e. those brambles of ancient sites round the picnic place on this occasion, we had which do not have a tip rooting facility and are actually named 15 species and found 4 more thus easily and irrevocably wiped out by unsym­ that were not nameable. Specimens of one of pathetic management. Ofthese, we found Rubus these were gathered for further study as it vigorosus to be one of the dominants all over the seemed to be a particularly interesting plant. parts of the Heath that we visited. Rubus plica­ In addition to some fine bushes of R. adamsii, tus was frequent and a good number of bushes everyone was impressed by the large spreading of both R. fissus and the nationally-rare panicles of R. norvicensis cascading down over R. arrheniiformis were seen. For the leader, who a thicket of that plant, with a mass of white had long been aware of the importance of the flowers almost to the ground and up to 2m high. site for this group, the 'gem' appeared when he R. insectifolius was new for the weekend and spotted a single bush of R. bertramii, a bramble a good quantity of the old forest bramble with only one old record in the county, and R. angloserpens was seen. At present, this is the bringing the number of members of subgenus only Norfolk site for this. Interestingly, Forest Rubus up to 5 from a British total of only 32. Enterprise are engaged in removing the conifers Our final stop of the weekend was just a mile from 50 hectares of the wood to return it to down the road at Lord Anson's Wood on the traditional Oak woodland as it had been in the Westwick Estate. The wood contains quite large past. A further ancient woodland indicator, R. open areas of heathland which may well have nessensis, was also present here. Packed into joined up with Bryant's Heath at some time in two cars, the party made the 5 mile round trip to the past, so it was no surprise that we again Crostwight heath with the express purpose of found R. vigorosus, R. plicatus and visiting the only known colony of R. poliodes in R. arrheniiformis in small quantities. We also the north east corner ofthe county, then back to found one last new species in Rubus platyacan­ Bacton Woods where we found the car parking thus to bring the weekend total to 36 species. spaces had all been filled in our absence, so we Thanks have been sent accompanied by lists went on to our afternoon stop and ate lunch of species found, to all landowners who gave when we got there. This was Bryant's Heath, permission for us to visit.

Ysgolion Duon, near Bethesda, Caerns. (v.c. 49), 23rd July WENDY MCCARTHY & SAM THOMAS Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders), on the north Campion) which had flowered earlier, Oxyria side of Carnedd Dafydd, presumably named digyna (Mountain Sorrel) and Thalictrum alpi­ because of its dark dolerite formation, has long num (Alpine Meadow-rue). Sam Thomas was been visited by notable botanists. Reaching able to tell us why the fern growing so luxuri­ these floristically rich cliffs, described by Pen­ antly on a mossy ledge was Dryopteris oreades nant as 'the most horrid precipice that thought (Mountain Male-fern), later enabling some of us can conceive', involves a lengthy walk in to recognise it for ourselves. Here too grew through the attractive valley of Cwm Llafar, and Geum rivale (Water Avens), Phegopteris con­ we set off with a list of species in need of nectilis (Beech Fern), Oreopteris limbosperma updating. As we approached the dark cliffs, on (Lemon-scented Fern) and Hymenophyllum some massive boulders we found Festuca vivip­ wilsonii (Wilson's Filmy-fern). The more ener­ ara (Viviparous Fescue) and two hawkweeds, getic of the party were by now climbing higher one (appropriately) the spotted-leaved Hier­ and soon Mark Kitchen called down that he had acium carneddorum, the other awaiting deter­ found Saussurea alpina (Alpine Saw-wort) and mination. Soon we were following the mountain Epilobium alsinifolium (Chickweed Willow­ streams up the grassy slopes towards the cliffs herb). Continuing upstream, we came to some and ledges, seeing Saxifraga oppositifolia dripping rocks where Juncus triglumis (Three­ (Purple Saxifrage) and Silene acaulis (Moss flowered Rush) grew amongst the bryophytes 58 Field Meeting Reports - Caems. I Anglesey and a Red Fescue with abundant white hairs was reach. As we moved among the cliffs, we found perhaps Festuca rubra subsp. arctica, but this further good quantities of Epilobium alsinifo­ needs further investigation. In the distance, a lium and Saussurea a/pina, the latter always on fine stand of Trollius europaeus (Globe-flower) high ledges and frustratingly almost out of cam­ was just visible on a high ledge, along with era reach. We were delighted to find a very few lowland species such as Leucanthemum vulgare plants of Poa glauca (Glaucous Meadow-grass) (Ox-eye Daisy) and Silene dioica (Red Campi­ one of the 'most-wanted' species on the list. By on). now, it was late afternoon and as we had ex­ Possible safety issues of mountain meetings plored almost all of the wetter cliffs, we started were brought home to us as we sat enjoying the long descent, looking under boulders for lunch in the sunshine, when a huge boulder Dryopteris expansa (Mountain Buckler), find­ hurtled past us from above, with no apparent ing lots, and possible hybrids with D. dilatata visible source of disturbance, reminding us of (Broad Buckler). A small colony of Gymnocar­ Pennant's words. pium dryopteris (Oak Fern) was a pleasing end After lunch we searched for Carex bigelowii to the day. (Stiff Sedge) eventually finding a few plants on My thanks to go to all participants for helping a high corner, and were able to examine its to up-date important records in somewhat diffi­ glaucous stout stems and dark inflorescences, so cult terrain. often grazed off by sheep when within their

Traeth Lligwy, Anglesey (v.c. 52), 3rd September NIGELBROWN 11 attendees enjoyed Indian Summer weather winds from such a close association. A few and some interesting hybrid horsetails and Poly­ metres away in more exposed conditions there pody ferns when they visited the N.E. coastal stretched a fairly dense colony of Equisetum region of Anglesey under the guidance of Ni gel arvense (Field Horsetail) and we spent some Brown and Ian Bonner, joint county recorders time comparing the distinct mat green, roughly for v.c. 52. We met at Traeth Lligwy, a sandy ridged, coarsely branched shoots, of this smaller bay at the confluence of sedimentary rocks of cousin of E. telmateia. Determined pulling of Devonian and Carboniferous ages. Relatively the shoots of both species easily exhumed small low rocky cliffs to the north and south of the bay sections of their dark coloured, relatively thin reveal cyclical variation of conglomerate, sand­ underground rhizomes and in each case incipi­ stone and limestone, all overtopped by much ent buds were observed and considered to repre­ more recent boulder clay of glacial origin and sent next season's precocious. colourless fertile additionally a small scale post glacial sand dune shoots or strobili. formation. Acknowledging the geological back­ Our next stop was the base of a low boulder clay ground reminded us that many of the lower cliff at the southern end of the beach and a colony plant groups we enjoy looking for and studying of rather yellowish green, semi-decumbent, well­ at the present day were flourishing 300-400 branched horsetails sprouting from patches of par­ million years ago when the underlying rocks of tially bare ground just above the high tide level. this part of Anglesey were laid down in shallow Here was the hybrid between the two species of coastal zones; a fossilized stem fragment from a horsetail we had found on the cliff top, discovered Carboniferous horsetail collected locally was and described five years ago by Trevor Dines and ample proof that we were actually 325 million Ian Bonner in this very spot which is now recog­ years too late to appreciate horsetails at their nised as the type locality for the new hybrid taxon best! - the specimen provided was part of a tree named E. xrobertsii in honour of R.B. Roberts, size horsetail. lately v.c. recorder for Anglesey and an acknowl­ Equisetum telmateia (Great Horsetail) occurs edged authority on Equisetum. The discovery here in discrete colonies, such as the cliff-top takes the total known number of hybrid horsetail site we visited first to clarify the general struc­ taxa found in the UJ( to 10. What is so pleasing ture and characteristics of the horsetail group. about E. xrobertsii is that it is usually seen to be Growing l.5m in height this was to be the tallest intermediate between its parents in so many char­ (living) species of the day and easily coped with acters ranging from the macroscopic (shoot, col­ overshadowing, Salix scrub - indeed it may well our, stem surface, length of first branch internode) have gained some protection from salt laden to the microscopic (stem stomata density, stem Field Meeting Reports - Angelsey 59

anatomy). We noted how abundant the hybrid is at ler-fern), D.filix-mas (Male-fern) andPolystichum this station and how well it appears to compete setiferum (Soft Shield-fern). At the base of the cliff within a species rich and luxuriant grass and we are able to appreciate why Lligwy is so special bracken scrub community. E. arvense was found as suddenly Polypodium cambricum (Southern growing closely with the hybrid in several places Polypody) is abundant; both on fallen boulders and along a 200m stretch of low cliff allowing close on rocky bluffs and even the sheer sides of the cliff comparison, in situ, and with practice the hybrid above. Against the afternoon sun which filters proved easy to spot - for example even at a dis­ through the canopy here and there the semi-trans­ tance the more upright branches of E. arvense lucent nature of the frond ofP. cambricum is plain contrasted with the more spreading and somewhat to see, as is its generally rather broad frond outline weaker looking side branches ofE. xrobertsii. The and slender pinnae. Several plants show markedly ecological tolerance ofthe hybrid does not appear serrate pinnae margins and sometimes random to stretch to open, mobile strand line communities extensions of them, as well as inverted or upward as seen in E. arvense at this site. directed basal pinnae. No mature sori were found Feeling confident now of our ability to fmd and as this taxon is the latest of the cytotypes of Poly­ explain hybrid horsetails we set off to explore the podium in the UI( to develop its spores, which are small sand dune system in the mid section of the consequently often released during the winter. bay. lOOm back from the shore a moribund stand A short distance from the P. cambricum colonies of Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia (Grey Willow) we were able to admire a population of P. marks a damp stabilized area which supports a xshivasiae hanging from a near vertical section of thriving colony of E. xfont-queri, discovered by cliff, its broad but elegant, arching fronds subtly R.H. Roberts in 1989. The colony proved very different in shape and aspect from either P. cam­ easy to find and we examined a number of charac­ bricum or P interjectum, the parents of this scarce teristic features of this hybrid, again mostly inter­ hybrid. Finally, Sam Thomas expertly spotted two mediate between the parents, in this case E. isolated clumps of P. vulgare (Common Polypo­ telmateia and E. palustre (Marsh Horsetail). E. dy) below the general cliff line and we were able xfont-queri is an elegant plant with a fresh yellow­ to contrast the distinctly mat coloured, paralle1- ish green stem (up to a metre tall) and slender sided frond of this tetraploid cytotype with the branches, the stem leaves bear markedly scarious hybrid tetraploidP. xshivasiae, noting that despite margins and intermittent branches may bear small their equal chromosome count they do not share dark terminal cones. Although neither parent spe­ the same genome reflecting their quite different cies of horsetail grows close to this hybrid a search and distant origins. The tidy bicoloured sporangia of damp grassland some 300 metres north revealed of P. vulgare were the only mature reproductive small quantities of E. palustre and some dense structures of Polypodium we saw all day. stands of E. telmateia. And it was Sam Thomas's familiarity with Dry­ After lunch we drove a mile inland to Lligwy opteris that highlighted another fascinating, vigor­ woods and turned our attention to ferns. This site ous hybrid on the outskirts of the woodland - D. is well known for its fme colonies of Polypodium xcomplexa, the product of crossing D. filix-mas which were studied in great detail by R.H. Roberts. with D. affinis subsp. affinis (Scaly Male-fern), ran Bonner brought along some notes made by Mr. both of which were noted and examined nearby. Roberts about the Polypodium complex and her­ The hybrid has the appearance of a particularly barium specimens of the range of Polypody taxa robust D. affinis but with less truncated pinnules. collected from Lligwy Woods in January 2005. The excursion benefited from the happy and We discussed the current understanding of the 5 fruitful contributions made by all involved and cytotypes present in the UK, all ofwhich are repre­ hopefully highlighted the significance and fascina­ sented on Anglesey. Here at Lligwy the Polypody tion surrounding naturally occurring hybrids ferns are generally associated with a dramatic es­ amongst our native ferns and horsetails. We are carpment outcrop ofuniform blocky carboniferous grateful to John Aron for kind permission to visit limestone sheltered by a dense deciduous wood­ Lligwy Woods. land canopy dominated by Fraxinus excelsior References: (Ash), Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore), and for­ DINES, T.D. & BONNER, I.R. 2002. A new hybrid merly Ulmus glabra (Wych Elm). Limestone horsetail, Equisetum arvense x E. telmateia (E. x blocks at the base of the escarpment cliff support robertsii) in Britain. Watsonia 24: 145-156 fme colonies of Phyllitis scolopendrium (Hart's­ ROBERTS R.H. 1990. Equisetum xfontqueri in Angle- tongue) andPolypodium interjectum (Intermediate sey. Pteridoligist 2: 17-18 Polypody), whilst the ground between is home to reasonable sized Dryopteris dilatata (Broad Buck- 60 Book Notes

BOOK NOTES DAVID PEARMAN, Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA; Tel: 01872 863388 The comments are mine, though I am grateful to America Editorial Committee. 2005. OUP. Sue Atkins for some of the details. £75. Hbk. (Summerfield will supply this for I have stopped entering ISBN numbers as my £60) own experience is that they are never used. The Naming ofNames. The search for order in Plant Atlas ofMid-West Yorkshire. P.P. Abbott. the world of plants. Anna Pavord. 2005. Pp 2005. Pp 248. Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. 472. Bloomsbury. £30. Hbk. £21. Hbk. A history of the struggle to assign names to The Flora of Berkshire. Michael J. Crawley. plants, from Theophrastus to Linnaeus. I feel 2005. Pp xv +1375. Brambleby Books. £50. ambivalent about this, and if I had not found Hbk. a copy for £9.99 I would have hesitated. It is A Checklist of the Plants of Buckinghamshire beautifully produced, written in a journalistic (including Milton Keynes and Slough). R. style that I fmd difficult, though the Maycock & A. Woods. 2005. 48pp +4pp publisher's blurb that this is a thrilling adven­ plates. Milton Keynes NHS. £2. Pbk. ture into botanical history is a welcome touch New Flora of Attingham Park. S. Whild & A. of glamour to our profession! Somehow the central theme is outshone by the characters Loc~to~, eds. 2005. Pp23 + map. University of Bummgham & Shropshire Botanical Soci­ and ...... ety. Pbk. Available on line at Flora of Egypt - Volume Four: (Alismataceae­ www.shropshirebotany.org.uk. Orchidaceae). Boulos, Loutfy. Al Hadara Frank: Perring's 1975 Flora of Attingham Publishing, Cairo. 2005. 617 pp, map, 128 was based on work done by him from 1969 to plates of line drawings, colour photo section' 1972. This repeat survey is based on the same full descriptions and keys to the genera and area and compartments and gives gains and species. £80 (from Summerfield). Hbk losses and some reasons for the changes. The last volume in the series covers 29 The Flora of Walls and Buildings in the Isle of monocot families of native and naturalised Ely. R.M. Payne. 2005. Offprint from Nature plants, and includes. Gramineae (284 sp.ecies), in Cambridgeshire No 47: 43-58 + 4pp plates. Cyperaceae, Hyacmthaceae and Alhaceae. £3. There are annexes with additions and correc­ A summary of six years recording in the tions to vols 1-3, keys to major divisions and old administrative entity that always was part the 128 families treated in the four volumes' ofv.c. 29, but is now part of Cambridgeshire. Latin-vernacular and vernacular-Latin names: The survey covers 750 sites, and in addition and a cumulative index. ' to a list of the 299 species reco;ded covers Wild Flowers ofBritain and Ireland. Rae Spen­ comparative frequency in various habitats and cer-Jones, & Sarah Cuttle. Kyle Cathie Ltd. notes on methods of dispersal, urban and rural 2.00? Pp25~ colour photos, many displaying species and methods of dispersal. slmdar-Iookmg plants together against a plain A Check-list of the Flowering plants and Ferns background. Botanical Consultant Barry of the Island ofBute. A.c. Hannah. 2005. Pp Tebbs. £25. Hbk. 43. Buteshire NHS. £3. Pbk. 'A photographic field guide to over 600 This is apparently only the second list for the species'. Grouped by colour, each featured area, which is part of V.c. 100, Clyde Isles, plant is described with notes on habitat distri­ and the first since 1906. (The rest of the V.c. bution and flowering time as well as i~terest­ comprises the Isle of Arran, for which several ing comments on names, habits and uses. It editions. of a recent check-list have appeared, includes a chapter on gardening with wild flowers. Rather large and heavy to be classed an~ the Islands of Great and Little Cumbrae). It IS based on recent recording and in particu­ as a field guide, but could fill the gap for lar systematic work by the author from 2002 beginners requiring a photo guide, though I do to 2005. It covers 700 species giving a short not feel enthusiastic. note on each and the number of occurrences Lapland - A Natural History. Derek Ratcliffe. in the 115 recording units used. Poyser. 2005. 352pp, colour photos, illustra­ Flora of North America Volume 5: Magnolio­ tions by Mike Unwin, maps. £40. Hbk. phyta: Carophyllidae, Part 2. Flora of North . An in-depth look at the ecology of Lap land, ItS flora and fauna, and habitats including Book Notes - Botanical Cornwall 61

Boreal Forests, Lakes and Rivers and Coast­ of the ground flora, particularly in 'woodland lands. specialists'. The effect of lack of manage­ The Genus Sorbus. Hugh McCallister. The ment, warmer and earlier springs and eutroph­ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2005. A Botan­ ication causing, inter alia, higher shade ical Magazine Monograph. 252pp, colour levels, are all thought to be contributory fea­ photos, paintings by Josephine Hague, maps. tures. The findings repay closer study. £30. Hbk. Audit of non-native species in England. Mark The author has been studying the genus for Hill et al. 2005. Pp81. English Nature Re­ nearly 30 years, and this long-awaited work search Reports, no 652. Available free of covers over 60 species using chromosome charge from EN Enquiry Service, Peterbor­ numbers and living material to devise an evo­ ough. lutionary classification. Note that it does not This report covers all taxa that are found in cover cultivars and does not deal with Section the wild (i.e. animals, bugs, molluscs etc as aria. well as plants), (2721 in total of which terres­ Alpine Plants of Europe. Jermyn, Jim. Timber trial plants account for 1798 species) and P, 2005. 320pp, excellent close-up colour summarises these in terms of their numbers photos. £25. Hbk. and impact on biodiversity. The short discus­ Although subtitled 'A Gardener's Guide', sions cover pathways and dates of introduc­ and with garden-worthiness as the main fo­ tion and persistence, habitats and economic cus, this is nonetheless a plantsman's tour and ecological impacts, trends and conclu­ through The Pyrenees, The Western and Cen­ sions. The language used is admirably factual tral Alps, The Eastern Alps, The Balkans, and and eschews emotive comments. The Carpathians. Biodiversity: taxonomy, genetics and ecology of Long-term ecological change in British Wood­ sub-arctic willow scrub. Scottish Montane lands (1971-2001). A re-survey and analysis Willow Research Group. 2005. Pp32. RBG ofchange based on the 103 sites in the Nature Edinburgh. Pbk. Availability and price un­ Conservancy "Bunce 1971" woodland sur­ known. vey. K.J. Kirby et al. 2005. Pp139. English This is an excellent little summary of the Nature Research Reports, no 653. Available work done by the group on this habitat which free of charge from EN Enquiry Service, Pe­ is extremely threatened in Britain. The aim terborough. was provide the underpinning scientific re­ As the title suggests, this is a major dataset, search in order to determine the most appro­ and the results seem to be significant. They priate management strategies for recovery suggest a considerable decline in the richness programmes.

Botanical Cornwall 13 (2005) DAVID PEARMAN,Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA; Tel: 01872 863388 Though I live here, I have nothing to do with bryological meetings held in 2004 and 2005.28 this excellent publication, but please excuse any pages of notable records made from 2003 to parochialism! This issue, edited by Rose Mur­ 2005 have been collated, and for the first time phy and lan Bennallick, has 112 pages, packed there is a list of plant notes and records from the with items that will be of interest to botanists in Isles of Scilly by Rosemary Parslow. most other counties. The progress report in­ Botanical Cornwall No. 13 is published by cludes notes about new species and the rarer and available from: Environmental Records plants found in Cornwall, such as Lavatera Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Five cretica and Festuca longifolia. Also included Acres, Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ, UK. are a summary of the BSBI Local Change sur­ Price £8.00 (if collected from the address vey for all tetrads chosen for the survey; infor­ above) plus £1.50 postage & packaging if sent mation concerning arable plants; a progress (cash or cheques - payable to 'Cornwall Wild­ report from ongoing recording effort; hybrids in life Trust' - acceptable). Back issues (1-12) also Cornwall; notes about the Cornwall Rare Plant available - Please contact lan Bennallick on Register; the new JNCC Red List for Vascular 01872 240777 ext. 244 or email Plants in relation to species found in Cornwall, [email protected] for more details. with a list of species affected; and a summary of 62 Book Notes - Teesdale rarities / Buckinghamshire checklist / Obituary notes

The Teesdale rarities DR MARGARET E. BRADSHAW, Lady's Mantle, Hill Top, Eggleston, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, DL12 OA U A very important paper on the original discov­ established the roles actually played by the erer of many ofthe rare species of the 'Teesdale various participants, and has demonstrated Assemblage' has been published in the Teesdale that William Oliver (ba. 1761 - 1816), Record Society Journal by Dr F. Horsman. The surgeon apothecary of Middleton in Introduction to this paper is reproduced below. Teesdale, 3 discovered most of the "Teesdale 'The credit for the discovery of most of the rarities". To all intents and purposes Oliver rare plants of Upper Teesdale. the "Teesdale is unknown. This article seeks to redress this rarities", has variously been accorded to the ignorance. ' Quaker Backhouses, James Backhouse If any member would like to obtain a copy of Senior (1794-1869) and James Backhouse 'The Teesdale Record Society Journal 2005' Junior (1825-1890), the lead miner John Third series, Volume 13, they should send a Binks (bur. 1817 aged 51 years), and The cheque for £5 inc!. p&p. (made payable to 'The Rev. John Harriman (1760-1831), curate of Teesdale Record Society' to Dr W.F. Heyes, Eggleston, or a combination of two or more High Dyke House, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Bar­ of these individuals. Horsman (1998) has nard Castle, Co. Durham, DLl2 ORR.

A checklist of the plants of Buckinghamshire (including Milton Keynes & Slough) Roy MAYCOCK, 17, Osborne Street, Bletchley, Milton Keynes. MK22LU

G.C. Druce published his Flora ofBuckingham­ short introductory text, map, gazetteer (of place shire in 1926, The Vice-County Census Cata­ names not on the map), lists of erroneous or logue (published by the BSBI in 2003) has dubious taxa and coloured photographs. We many records for the County but they are listed have been generously sponsored to cover the amongst all other records for each taxon. An cost of publishing the book by several Local updated list of plants for the County has now Authorities, the Chilterns Conservation Board been compiled by Roy Maycock and Aaron and others. This means that we are able to offer Woods and published by Milton Keynes Natural the 48 page book for the low price of £2.50 History Society. As well as the list (with Latin (including package and postage) - available name, English name, national and local status from me at the address given above or from and brief notes) for over 2000 entries, there is a Summerfield Books.

OBITUARY NOTES MARY BRlGGS, Hon. Obituaries Editor, 9, Arun Prospect, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 lAL * indicates an obituary will appear in Watsonia. county recorder for H39 Antrim and at the time Sadly we report the deaths of: of his death was preparing a Rare Plant Register *Richard Fitter, an Honorary member who for the county. In the 1980s he was the organiser joined in 1952. of the BSBI's Monitoring Scheme in Northern Many members will have known him through Ireland. He had a strong interest in aliens and the Collins Fitter & McClintock Field guide to urban weed flora and is a co-author of Urban British wild flowers, the very popular field guide Flora of Belfast published in 1997 by Queen's used by a generation of field botanists as an intro­ University, Belfast.' duction to field botany. Richard also came to Michael Hickey, a member since 1965, was many BSBI Conferences and field meetings. known to members mainly through his joint Stan Beesley, a member since 1974 from Car­ authorship with Clive King of books on Fami­ rickfergus, N. Ireland. Paul Hackney writes: lies of Flowering Plants, published by Cam­ 'Stan Beesley was born in Darwen, Lancs in bridge University Press, and also their 1926 and died on 1 August 2005 in Belfast. For Cambridge lllustrated Glossary of Botanical many years until recently, Stan was the BSBI's Terms. Michael was a botanical illustrator who Obituary notes / Notices - BSBI Postcards 63 tutored courses in this subject at the University years, and he was a founder committee member of Birmingham. Sylvia and Dennis Sutton write: of the Sussex Flora Society which co-ordinated The following acknowledges Michael's work the recording for the Sussex Plant Atlas, P.C. in Gloucestershire: Michael organised and Hall (1980). More recently he launched in Sus­ taught botanical illustration from the 1970s until sex the Black Poplar Survey (following on from the beginning ofthe current year. He taught in a E. Milne-Redhead's BSBI Survey and studies) number of locations including the university of which then became a nationwide project. Frank Gloucestershire and his own home. His great will be sadly missed in Sussex. skill in this context was to take total, often We also record the sad loss of Miss K Benson­ unconfident, novices to competence and in Evans of Bridgend, Glamorgan, a member for many cases great skill; several RHS medal win­ over 50 years; Mrs J Congreve of Market ners were members of his classes. A particular Drayton, Shropshire, a member for 25 years; Dr feature of Michael' s teaching was his ability to o L Gilbert of Sheffield, a member for over 50 take his students beyond the art to the back­ years; Mr L S Barris of Cheltenham, Glos., a ground botany. Feeling privileged to be taught member for 5 years; Mr R B Raper of High by a person of such academic distinction, many Wycombe, Bucks., a member for 15 years; Dr of his students became very interested in the D Wise of Keswick, Cumbria, a member for scientific aspects of plants. over 50 years; and Mr C P Watson of Bishop's Michael was instrumental in establishing the Stortford, Herts., a member for 10 years. Gloucestershire Society for Botanical Illustra­ tion. He was founder chairman and chairman for *As we go to press we are saddened to hear of the subsequent ten years. Over the years he the death of S. Max Waiters. Honorary mem­ organised an annual exhibition by the members, ber, Past President, and member since 1944, many excursions to other exhibitions, botanic Max guided BSBI policy through many record­ gardens and other gardens of interest. The sum­ ing schemes and conservation projects - most mer botanical walks Michael organised locally notably the Teesdale Inquiry and, with Franklyn in the Gloucestershire countryside were always Perring, the Atlas of the British Flora (1962). popular. He could talk at length about any plant The colour photograph on the back cover of this we encountered in a language which was acces­ issue of News is included in memory of, and sible to the amateur but also included some new thanksgiving for, both these remarkable men. information for the more experienced. We all The 'Francis Partridge Flora'. Many thanks to leamed more each year about our local flora and BSBI member Rufus Sweetman, who in re­ had enjoyable social contact - in a pub afterwards, sponse to the request for information on this if possible - at the same time. Michael is sadly project in BSBI News 99 & 100, has written missed in Gloucestershire. ' sending a reference to the booklet Lost Causes Frank Penfold, a member since 1954 has died published by the Penguin Collector's Society. at the age of 92. He was an outstanding figure in This includes a chapter on her text for the first 5 the conservation of wildlife in the counties of volumes of the Flora by Francis Partridge; a Sussex. He had a long association with farming chapter by Richard Chopping, the commis­ as a supplier of farm machinery (he introduced sioned artist for the Flora, and a chapter by combine harvesters to Sussex farming). Frank Allan Lane explaining the project as originally was well-known for his active championship of for a Natural History of Britain. Further infor­ high-grade habitats, and for his local knowledge mation on the fate of the cancelled publication of sites of plants of special interest. He was will follow in a future BSBI News. chairman of the Sussex Wildlife Trust for many

NOTICES

BSBI Postcards DAVID PEARMAN, Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA

I forgot to remind members that these are still us by Dr Bob Gibbons. They are on thick card, available. There are 16 different views in a set, are miles better than anything else in the field, both of plants or plants in their habitat, and they publicise the BSBI and are amazingly cheap!! are all from photographs kindly made available to 64 Notices - BSBI Postcards I Developments at British Herbarium (NHM) I Identification Courses

They are available from: Prices: 1 pack £2.90 + 60p p&p = £3.50 Mrs Margot Godfrey, 3 Castleton Avenue, 2 packs £5.60 + 80p p&p = £6.40 Barnehurst, Kent, DA7 6QT, and cheques must 3 packs £8.00 + £1 p&p = £9.00 be made payable to her, NOT BSBI.

Future Developments in the Natural History Museum's (BM) British Herbarium MARK SPENCER, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW75BD

First, I would like to take the opportunity to We also aim to reinvigorate and expand the introduce myself. My name is Mark Spencer collection during this period; our activities will and I have recently been appointed to the post of be concentrated on non-native taxa from urban Curator of the British & European Herbariums environments, and taxa and regions that have at the NHM. There are many challenges and been relatively neglected in recent decades. In­ opportunities ahead in my new role, but a prior­ dividual curatorial projects to be undertaken in ity for me is to ensure that the British herbarium, the near future are: once more, becomes a vibrant focal point for • The reorganisation of the herbarium around British botany. To help me in this task, I am the arrangement of latest BSBI checklist. keen to hear the ideas and opinions of individu­ • A detailed curatorial appraisal of the Aster­ als (particularly recorders and referees) and or­ aceae. ganisations that have an interest in helping • The conservation and curation of the impor­ shape the future development of the herbarium tant Potamogeton collection, much of which and British botany. In particular, we would wel­ remains fire damaged from WWII. come comment on the proposed projects out­ • Expansion of the current project databasing lined below and suggestions for alternative the Museum's v.c. 21 (Middlesex) specimens; priorities. starting this year we aim to include v.c.'s 16 The collection of native and non-native plants (West Kent) and 18 (South Essex). These of the British and Channel Islands currently datasets will be accessible to BSBI members. housed at the NHM is due to undergo major The proposed projects will largely depend upon change over the next decade. The Museum con­ the contribution of voluntary work. The NHM siders British biodiversity and the herbarium to will provide volunteers with the opportunity to be one of its major priorities for the future. By develop skills in herbarium curation, British the end of 2008 the herbarium will move from botany and database management. We need it's current location in the main Waterhouse your support!! If you would like to comment on Building to a new facility within the Darwin the proposed projects or volunteer at the Mu­ Centre (phase two) on the other side of the seum please e-mail: [email protected] or Museum that will highlight British Natural His­ tel. 02079425787. tory. This move to new premises will safeguard the future ofthe collection and improve accessi­ bility for users.

Rare Plants Group of the Ashmolean Natural History Society: Basic and Advanced Identification Courses SUE HELM, [email protected]; Tel.: 01993 851842

Following the success and popularity in recent The main aim of the identification courses is years of the identification courses run by the to teach the use of plant ID keys, using Stace's Rare Plants Group of the Ashmolean Natural New Flora o/the British Isles as the core refer­ History Society of Oxfordshire, the range of ence. The Basic course has been highly ac­ courses continues to develop and the pro­ claimed by past students, who have appreciated gramme for 2006 is now available. the high tutor Istudent ratio and friendly class. Notices - Identification Courses / 'Cherishing Churchyards' / Offers - BSBI News 65

Tbis course, split into six Saturday morning ses­ sessions, and to discuss with tutors any difficul­ sions from April to September, is suitable for stu­ ties they may have had. dents of any ability or background. Individuals can Two advanced courses, each of one session, progress at a comfortable pace and discuss prob­ on sedges and on ferns, will be open to alumni lems with tutors as they encounter them. or those with equivalent experience. Using binocular microscopes (available in the For 2006 there will be an exciting new course classroom)and hand lenses the course begins on digital photography for botanical purposes. with families of plants that are easy to identify, This two session course is open to those with and progresses to more difficult groups through­ some basic understanding of computers and of out the summer. To gain most from the course photography. students are expected to do some work between For more information contact Sue Helm by email or phone as shown above.

'Cherishing Churchyards' 2 day National Conference on 23rd and 24th May 2006 Organised by 'Caring for God's Acre' YOLANDE HESLOP-HARRSION (Trustee CFGA) and SUE COOPER (Project Manager CFGA) This is just a reminder of a conference to be held discussions are being organised, and posters and this year, based in and around Ludlow, displays are welcomed. For further information Shropshire. All those interested in the please see the website: www.caringforgodsacre. conservation and management of flora and co.uk or register for an application pack at associated fauna in a churchyard or burial CFUA 6 West Street, Leominster, ground are invited to attend. This is only one of Herefordshire, HR6 8ES Tel: 01568 611154. the many topics to be discussed, but workshops with feedback and chances for plenary

OFFERS

BSBI News - Much in Demand RAYMOND SKERRETT, 364 Rocky Lane Great Barr Birmingham, B42 INH

You kindly published for me, in the September obtain back numbers. Can I, therefore, through issue of BSBI News, an offer of back numbers of News, make this appeal: if you have, over the BSBI publications. An hour after receiving my years, accumulated shelves of BSBI publica­ copy of the News through the post, I was grati­ tions, and your husband/wife/cat has made it fied to have received a phone call and agreed a clear that it's them or the Watsonias, consider handover (is this a record?). In the following helping a keen young botanist or worthy institu­ days, however, I received phone calls, letters tion by handing on your collection. There's and e-mails from an appreciable number of somebody out there who wants them! people and institutions, keen, even desperate, to

I have heard recently from two long-standing Miss P.C.J. Primmer, 16 Lea Road, Otterton, members who, for various reasons, have re­ Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 7JH wishes to signed their membership and have back num­ dispose of Watsonia 15(1) (Jan. 1984) to date, bers of various BSBI journals that they wish to and BSBI News 36-100. dispose of and their details are given below. As a matter of interest, I can still supply back Dr P.M. Gough, 39 Whitford Road, numbers of all issues of BSBI News (some as Bromsgrove, Worcs., B61 7ED wishes to dis­ photocopies) for £1 per issue incl. p&p. I also pose of copies of Watsonia and BSBI Abstracts have some copies of more recent issues (from from 1975 to date; 'free to anyone who could about 80 onwards which are available for the collect or pay carriage'. cost of postage only. GENERAL EDITOR (RGE) 66 Offers - Gofynne seed list 2006 / Seeds from Ware 2005

Gofynne seed list 2006 ANDREW SHAW, Gojjmne, Llanynis, Builth Wells, Powys. LD2 3HN; [email protected] A small quantity of seed from any ofthe follow­ Melittis melissophyllum ing species is sent free upon receipt of a SAE. Petrorhagia nanteuilii Actaea spicata Pilosella flagellaris subsp. bicapitata Adonis annua Pilularia globulifera (sporocarps) Apium repens Polygonum maritimum Artemisia campestris Polygonum oxyspermum Campanula patula Potentilla rupestris Carex depauperata Primula scotica Carum verticil/atum Rumex rupestris Damasonium alisma Saxifraga cernua (bulbils) Eleocharis parvula Silene noctiflora Euphorbia serrulata Sonchus palustris Isatis tinctoria Trifolium incarnatum subsp. molinerii

Seeds from Ware 2005 GORDON HANSON, 1 Coltsfoot Road, Ware, Herts., SH12 7NW; [email protected] Please send labelled packets or small envelopes Hieracium sabaudum (ex N. Wales) and a S.A.E. Hieracium scullyi (cultivated) Hymenocarpus procumbens (Cyprus) Achillea distans (Italy) Hyparrhenia hirta (Cyprus) Adenocarpus foliosus (Tenerife) Inula magnifica (cultivated) Allium ampeloprasum var. babingtonii (ex Dor- Ipomoea hederacea (Soya bean alien) set Knautia macedonica (cultivated) Amaranthus hybridus (wool alien) Kundmannia sicula (ex Madrid) Arabis caucasica (Turkey) Lavatera tauricensis (cultivated) Arabis glabra (ex Herts.) Leontodon crispus - pink form (Turkey) Arthraxon quartinianus (Costa Rica) Lepidium perfoliatum (Turkey) Bidens pilosa (La Gomera) Morinia afghanica (cultivated) Bupleurum heldreichii (cultivated) Nicandra physalodes (Herts.) Centaurea africana (cultivated) Petrorhagia nanteuilii (Italy) Chaerophyllum azoricum (cultivated) Phlomis lanata (Crete) Chenopodiumfoliosum (ex Turkey) Phytolacca americana (Italy) Clinopodium vulgare (Turkey) Picnomon acarna (Turkey) Coronilla varia (Turkey) Pimpinella major (Italy) Cynoglossum creticum (Turkey) Potentilla intermedia (ex Hants.) Cyperus fitscus (ex Middx.) Potentilla recta (Turkey) Eleusine indica (Tenerife) Pterocephalus plumosus (Turkey) Emex spinosa (Cyprus) Salvia transsylvanica (cultivated) Erodium chium (Cyprus) Salvia viridis (ex Turkey) Erodium cygnorum (Cyprus) Scabiosa rotata (Turkey) Erodium gruinum (N. Cyprus) Seseli montana (cultivated) Erodium malacoides (Cyprus) Sigesbeckia serrata (wool alien) Eryngium giganteum (cultivated) Silene noctiflora (cultivated) Ferula communis (cultivated) Sphaeralcea grossulariaefolia Helianthemum salicifolium (Cyprus) Xanthium echinatum (Turkey) Herniaria scabrida (cultivated) Ziziphora capitata (Turkey) Wild Flower Society advert 67

Beginners Botany in 2006!

Why not make a date for a special weekend away to see some wild flowers?

We have some exciting Early Stagers fielding meetings, ideal for beginners and improvers and located in botanical hot-spots around the country.

These field meetings are about learning to identify familiar flowers as well as seeing new plants and include some teaching sessions.

nd Alpines in Snowdonia 2 - 4th June

Grasses, Sedges & Rushes plus Fell Flora in the Lake District 22- 23 rd July

Wetland, Coastal & Dune Plants in Somerset 26 - 27th August

Further details of these meetings are on the WFS web site: www.rbge.org.ukldata/wfsoc WFS field meetings are free to members. To join, call 01223 830665. See WFS Spring 2006 magazine for details of how to book. If a field meeting is over-subscribed, participants are selected by ballot. 68 Recorders and Recording/ Referees / V.c. Recorders / Flora Hibernica

RECORDERS AND RECORDING

Panel of Referees and Specialists MARY CLARE SHEAHAN, 61 Westmoreland Road, Barnes, London SW13 9RZ

As usual there have been a number of changes could Referees let me know of address changes, of address in the Referees Section, and more and I would be glad to know if others would like Referees now have email addresses. Please their email addresses included.

Panel of Vice-county recorders DAVID PEARMAN, Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA; Tel: 01872 863388

Recent changes since Year Book 2005. These retired after 44 years as recorder of this are mostly reflected in the new Year Book, but extremely large and remote vice-county, and are listed below for ease of reference. we are very grateful for all his work here. Changes of recorders VcH28 (Co. Sligo) Dr D.C.F. Cotton, Rathrowan Vc 31 (Hunts.) Mr K.J. Walker to be joint House, Rathabema, Co. Sligo, Ireland and Mr M. recorder (all correspondence to Mr T.C.E. Archer (all correspondence to Dr Cotton). Dr S. Wells) Parr steps down. Vc 47 (Monts.) Dr A.K. Thorne to be joint Change of address recorder (all correspondence to Mrs M Vcc 5 (S. Somerset), H6 (Co Waterford) & Hl2 Wainwright) (Co Wexford) Mr P.R. Green. New Vc 71 (Man) Ms L. Moore, 38, Market address: 46 Bewley Street, New Ross, Co. Street, Peel, Isle of Man, !MS lAB Wexford, Ireland Vc 75 (Ayrs.) Mr D.A. Lang, Flat 3/3, 6 Vc H2 (N. Kerry) Dr P.S. Wyse Jackson. New Windsor Street, Woodside, Glasgow, G20 address: clo National Botanic Gardens 7NA (Dublin), Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland. Dr Vc 105 (W. Ross) Dr J.H.C. Fenton, Wester M.B. Wyse Jackson. New address: 14 Lairgs, Farr, Inverness, IV2 6XH to be the Armstrong St, Harold's Cross, Dublin 6, sole recorder. Prof D.M. Henderson has Ireland.

Flora Hibernica DA YID PRICE, 43 Wonastow Road, Monmouth, Mons., NP25 5DG

On a recent visit to Connemara I collected Sor­ mend this procedure as preserving specimens in bus hibernica from three sites on the shores of vivo (or maybe in morte) for a week or so. I can Lough Mask (Co.s Mayo & Galway, v.cc. 17 & also heartily recommend the smoked salmon 26) for Dr Tim Rich at the National Museum of and beef-steaks from these excellent providers Wales (c.f. Watsonia 25(4) August 2005). of good Irish food. Wanting to bring home fresh material I had Moreover, the shores of Loughs Mask & Gor­ them vacuum packed (and I express my grati­ rib are abundant with Spiranthes romanzofJi­ tnde to Connemara Fisheries of Cornamona and ana (c.f. Horsman, Irish Naturalists '. Journal Tom Ryan, butcher, of Gong) and can recom- 28(2) 2005, et hic pers. comm.). Notes from the Officers - Hon. General Secretary 69

NOTES FROM THE OFFICERS

From the Hon. General Secretary - David Pearman Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA; Te1: 01872 863388; [email protected].

Minuting Secretary In fact I felt this was the most successful for Peter Thomson filled this post for 10 years and sometime, thanks to their organisation and the I find it difficult to report to Council and take facilities kindly made available by the Univer­ the minutes. This is a chance for an interested sity of Birmingham and the Field Studies Coun­ member to attend Council meetings and feel at cil. The progrannne concentrated on the the heart of the Society! There are only two preliminary results of the Local Change project proper meetings a year, in March and Novem­ (more on this on p. 71) and the properlaunch of ber, and they always take place at the Linnean the Hybrid project with some really excellent Society in Piccadilly, at 2.00pm midweek. It talks on problem groups. would also be nice to meet a new face, so please I was able to attend the Scottish Exhibition contact me if you might be prepared to help. Meeting at Perth (and won the prize for the Hybrid project longest journey!) which was a really successful This autumn has seen real progress made. Clive day. About 70 members came, including v.c. Stace and Chris Preston have produced a model recorders representing 36 of the 41 Scottish vice-counties. Whether because it was held in a spec~es layout, and shown how the maps of hybnds plotted against the distribution of their smaller venue than the excellent facilities in parents might look. Alan Forrest at Edinburgh Edinburgh and Glasgow, there was a real sense has started to write to selected Herbaria for the of occasion and we are very grateful to Alistair Godfrey and the Perthshire Natural History So­ genera w~ want to see, and Alex Lockton, aided by Quentm Groom, has collated the records in ciety for organising a really good day. the BRC database, those in the Vice-county The Annual Exhibition Meeting in London, at Census Catalogue, and begun to circulate v.c. Baden Powell House was another success with recorders with queries, asking for additions at over 170 members coming and going thr~ugh­ the saI?-e time. The initial results are very en­ out the day. This is less of an inclusive event couragmg - the maps and species accounts are than the Scottish and Welsh Meetings, and more clear and both the Herbaria and the v.c. record­ of a chance to meet and talk to colleagues. ers are producing plenty of extra records. Publications Data extractor at The Natural History Mu­ Atlantic Arc conference report, This is now at seum the printers, and we hope to have it out early In connection with this we urgently need some­ February. body to extract data at the Natural History Mu­ Sorry for any delay. seum. We are collecting herbarium specimens New Cyperaceae Handbook. If there is not a ofEpilobium and Rumex for Geoffrey Kitchener flier in this issue (I am writing this in mid-De­ to agree or redetermine, and the details of these cember) it will definitely come in the April need either to be entered onto recording cards, News, ready for the summer's fieldwork. or, better, but not essentially, straight onto a Insects, plants and set-aside. This was the report computer. There are too many for Geoffrey to that arose out of an interesting conference held jointly with the Royal Entomological Society in determi~e and enter, and it would be really he.lpful If a member could volunteer to help in April 1994 (see Watsonia 21(2): 211 (1996) for thIS way. Apply to me or direct to the new a review). We would like to dispose of our Curator of the British & European Herbariums, stocks and can offer these for £2 to cover p&p Dr Mark Spencer, NHM, Cromwell Road, Lon­ only. Please order from Sunnnerfield Books don SW7 SBD, email [email protected]. (address on page 76), who have kindly offered to handle this for us. Autumn meetings A Recorders (and other interested members) Conference was organised by Alex Lockton and Sarah Whild at Shrewsbury in mid September. 70 Notes from the Officers - Director of Development

From the Director of Development - Gabriel Hemery BSBI Director of Development, clo Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OXFORD, OXl 3RB; Tel: 01865275050; [email protected]. New look BSBI volunteer! I would go as far as to argue strongly I am sure no reader will have failed to notice the that the nature conservation 'industry' would fIrst use of our new logo on the front cover of collapse without volunteer input. Are BSBI this issue of BSBI News. It is based on the members fully aware of how their data are used colours and form of the bluebell Hyacinthoides and their importance for nature conservation? I non-scripta. This maintains a link with our past believe that the Society needs to promote these logo and recognises the bluebell as the nation's points more strongly to its members. favourite flower. The design is modem and, in The subject of relationships in the conserva­ its abstract form, expresses our interests in tion sector was recently addressed by social plants of every size and description. scientists at Lancaster University, in partnership You will recall that I wrote a piece in Septem­ with the Natural History Museum and English ber News and asked for members' views on an Nature, culminating in a report 'Nature: who early version of our logo. I received 25 written knows?' In November, I attended a workshop responses and had numerous discussions with with some other BSBI members, alongside members over a number of weeks. I was sad­ those from a wide cross section of voluntary dened by letters from two members who felt organisations, academics and Government. The moved to offer their resignation given that the report and workshop provoked some interesting Society was even considering a new logo. I discussions and highlighted the culture gap be­ sincerely hope that these members, and those of tween different players in the nature conserva­ you who did not get around to writing, approve tion sector. It also stressed that there are many of the fInal version and appreciate the need for public servants who also volunteer, and indeed the Society to modernise and operate with we are lucky in BSBI to have members in all the higher profIle. The fInal design was taken conservation agencies. Principally, it has raised through nine operating committees, Executive the need for us to continue to collaborate to­ and fInally Council, and unanimously approved! gether but we must ensure we receive due rec­ I am delighted by the excellent work of our ognition and support. I hope that English Nature News editors, Gwynn Ellis and Leander Wol­ under its new guise Natural England, will con­ stenholme, in producing our new look News and sider some of the issues raised by this project I congratulate them. Plans for this transforma­ and work closely with us and other voluntary tion were underway before my appointment and Societies in the future, or to use the appropriate I have since worked closely with them in incor­ speak: 'define a road map to fulfilling participa­ porating our new logo and colours. tory unity' . Volunteers in Nature Conservation Sharing our data and expertise During my work to forge closer relationships Following on from this, I have reported previ­ with those who rely on the Society's data, the ously on my work to build close relationships role of our volunteers and their connection with with key Government organisations. The Soci­ the 'centre' of BSBI is foremost in my mind. ety wants its data to influence conservation What motivates our volunteers to collect infor­ action. I believe we will reap rewards by taking mation, what does the Society offer in return, an open stance to sharing our data even more how can we maintain the 'spirit' ofBSBI while readily, and in return gain a higher standing by making our data and expertise better available to informing nature conservation action and prior­ our partners? ities, and receive support for our core work. I am The work of the members of this Society and currently holding discussions with executives in other natural history and wildlife voluntary or­ the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, seek­ ganisations not only forms the bedrock for na­ ing support for our own efforts to improve our ture conservation policy and strategies but also data management capabilities, and to undertake provides the majority of the workforce required new surveillance activities - more on this in the to implement these various strategies and action next issue of News. Our challenge is to fulfIl plans. If I thought our readers could stomach a these ambitions whilst meeting the needs of our flow chart, I would present this as a progression members. It is a delicate balancing act. of effort from volunteer, paid, paid, paid, to Notes from the Officers - Director of Development / Volunteers Officer 71

The future BSBI To date I have concentrated on the Society's We should celebrate the huge array of our cur­ scientific activities and needs. I intend to start rent activities, still undertaken largely by volun­ work on our training and education activities in teers on a shoe string budget, which deliver a the New Year, working closely with the Train­ social function, botanical training, scientific ing and Education committee and key volun­ publications and important biodiversity data. A teers. quick glance through this issue of News or our In the last issue of News I expressed my intent website is testament enough. to conduct a membership survey. Unfortunately The Society's Council and Executive ap­ I have not been able to implement this but hope pointed me to deliver on a number of areas to soon. Our membership needs are the third key within an agreed development plan. Their pre­ area in the Society's development plan. If you ferred approach now that I am in post is to have an opinion on any of the issues I have observe my actions, assess their outcomes, and raised here I would like to hear from you. I want to periodically review - or in modem parlance BSBI members to have a strong voice in the take an 'organic' approach. future development of the Society.

From the Volunteers Officer - Bob Ellis BSBI Volunteers Officer, 11 Havelock Road, Norwich, NR2 3HQ; 01603 662260; [email protected] Local Change - facts and figures A total of 768 tetrads were visited (of a possible While the rest of the world has moved on, I have 811). Approximately 3,850 field visits were seem to have spent most of my time getting undertaken. The average number of visits per intimate with the Local Change data. Work on tetrad was 5 but distribution of visit numbers the report is approaching the closing stages and was skewed because a few tetrads were visited publication is planned for April 2006. It would on a large number of occasions, so the median be premature to discuss the results here, but 1 on visits per tetrad is probably a better statistic. thought I'd run off a few statistics - not in The top 10 tetrads in terms of the number of anticipation of a special edition of Trivial Pur- taxa recorded were: suit, but to emphasise again the immense contri­ bution that BSBI members made to the project. Tetrad V.c. Taxa Some 740 individuals took part in the field­ SU89A 24 653 work. This is an underestimate because records S098A 37 648 were also received from 24 recording groups S098W 37 618 where the data was not attributed to individuals. The fmal tally of field records received was S095J 37 561 324,007. Again, this is an underestimate as a SU89J 24 551 number of tetrads were merged onto master cards T046W 16 548 before being entered onto the computer. When SU89W 24 546 consolidated, these records produced 196,792 T016A 17 542 'map dots' (i.e. unique tetrad/taxon records). SU56W 12 &22 540 The top 10 taxa recorded, probably unsurpris­ SU86J 22 539 ingly, were as follows: The average number of taxa per tetrad was 259 Taxon Tetrads compared to 219 in the 1987-88 Monitoring Planta[!;o lanceolata 724 Scheme. Of course, the Local Change figures Trifolium repens 719 include some crop plants and planted trees and Taraxacum agg. 717 some increased recording of introduced species. Cerastium fontanum 716 I don't think I'll be giving anything away if I mention that the taxon with the largest absolute Ranunculus repens 714 net gain was Narcissus aggregate! Holcus lanatus 709 Thanks once again to all who took part and I Bellis perennis 695 hope the report, which will be entitled Changes Poaannua 692 in the British Flora 1987-2004, will do justice Rumex acetosa 692 all the hard work you put in gathering and entering the data. Urtica dioica 686 72 Notes from the Officers - Scottish Officer

From the Scottish Officer - Jim Mclntosh BSBI Scottish Officer, cia Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR; Tel: 0131 2482876; [email protected] Working with VCRs particularly useful for VCRs who are working In the September BSBI News, I mentioned that I on Rare Plant Registers. had applied to Scottish Natural Heritage for fund­ Declining species ing to help computerise the paper records of four Last year I helped to co-ordinate a small project Scottish Vice-counties. I am pleased to report that to understand the apparent dramatic decline of the application was successful, and that SNH has Carex maritima (Curved Sedge) populations kindly offered a grant of £15,000 to help compu­ between the two Atlas recording periods. Initial terise records from Roxburghshire (v.c. 80), West results of this work were reported at the Scottish Lothian (v.c. 84), Mid-Ebudes (v.c. 103) and Annual Meeting. During summer 2006, instead North Ebudes (v.c. 104). I say 'help' computerise of the Site Condition Monitoring work, I intend as the Vice-county recorders (VCRs) have agreed to extend this type of project to a short list of to prepare their record cards making everything other species which are or were relatively wide­ absolutely clear, prior to data entry by the contrac­ spread in Scotland but which have also experi­ tor, and will check the records once computerised enced dramatic declines. I am currently drafting against the original cards. Both ofwhich are vitally a shortlist of species and will be looking for important steps in the project. In September I in­ volunteers in the spring. This is the type of small vited applications from BSBI members for the project in which BSBI excels and one which I MapMate data entry work, and four contractors think will appeal to VCRs and members alike. I have now been appointed; one for each dataset. will keep you posted! They are Ian Green, Malcolm Ogilvie, Andy Am­ phlett and Carl Farmer (respectively). A condition Scottish BSBI Webpages of the publicly funded grant is that the records Thanks to the help of Jane Squirrell, an RBGE should be made accessible and this will be done colleague and BSBI member, we are hoping to via the NBN Gateway website: launch the Scottish pages of the BSBI website www.searchnbn.net. SNH will also have access to in January. There will be a Scottish News page the data in their day to day work to protect and and pages on the various BSBI Scottish conserve important plant populations. I should like projects, the Scottish Officer, Scottish meetings to thank to all those involved in the project, but and workshops. I recently produced a 'glossy' particularly J ennifer Davidson of SNH (and recent Annual Report covering my first year's activi­ BSBI recruit) for her support and help with this ties in some detail, which will also be available project, and I wish her well in her new post. on the website. Look out for the link to the new My advert in BSBI News in September for a Scottish webpages on the BSBI web site home new VCR for Easterness, was partially success­ page! fuL I now have a volunteer who would be happy Educational Field Meetings to take it on a joint basis only, due to other In the Year Book, you may notice that I have commitments. I am therefore looking for one organised a small programme of educational half of a joint VCR. If you might be interested­ field meetings. Members who are keen to learn, please get in touch. and who have perhaps not been on a BSBI field Rare plant surveys meeting before, would be particularly welcome During 2005, the BSBI in Scotland was in­ on these meetings: volved with an ambitious program of rare plant Friday 9th - Monday June 2006 survey work (Site Condition Monitoring) on 20 Gairloch, Wester Ross (v.c. 105) Scottish SSSls. The fieldwork is complete and Sunday 18th June 2006 the volunteers have now filed their reports. Keltneyburn, Mid-Perthshire (v.c. 88) These have been checked, queried if required, Sunday 2nd July 2006 and recently forwarded to SNH. One final but Birks 0' Aberfeldy, Mid-Perthshire (v.c. 88) crncially important task remains to be complet­ ed: SNH have promised to provide copies of For further details please see the individual Site Condition Monitoring reports for all 150 entries in the BSBI Year Book 2006. vascular plant sites for dissemination to the relevant VCRs. The records they contain will be Notes from the Officers - Grants from the BSB! 73

Grants from the BSBI: advice on how to prepare an application DR PETE HOLLINGSWORTH, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR Scope of the scheme • Describe the background to the study. The Science and Research Committee of the • Clearly state the problem or reason for the BSB! run a small grants scheme to support study. research to enhance knowledge of the flora of • Describe what you are going to do, giving an the British Isles. The topics that can be funded idea of the size of the job where relevant are: (e.g. sample sizes, etc.) • If not already obvious, describe the signifi­ • Floristic and distributional surveys (e.g. cance and outputs of the work, i.e. what new what grows where); things we willleam from the study, or what • Taxonomy, systematics and evolution; the benefits to the botanical community will • History of botany in the British Isles; be. • Population biology; • Provide a budget showing exactly what you • Ecological genetics; want to use the funding for. • Conservation biology; .... and all on one side of A4! • Ecology, including autecological, physio­ If this approach is not followed, the resulting logical and phenological studies; application may suffer from lack of focus or • Plant/animal interactions, including plant contain ambiguities or omissions which will biochemistry. lower its chances of getting funding. If you are Floristic studies are an important part of the in any doubt about how to go about the task, the remit of the BSB! and fall within the remit of SRC plans to host an advice desk at forthcoming this scheme. However, we will only fund rou­ Exhibition Meetings for anyone who is planning tine recording or herbarium computerisation to prepare a proposal. where it can be demonstrated that they relate to Application procedure a clearly stated line of enquiry (see Tips ... Approximately eight grants per year will be below). awarded, typically around £500 each (max Activities eligible for funding include: travel £1000). From 2006 onwards there will be one and subsistence for field-work, visits to closing date per year (6th Feb). Awards will be herbaria, botanic gardens and other scientific announced within 10 weeks of the closing date. institutions; specimen preparation; scientific A completed application form (available from equipment, consumables and laboratory www.bsbi.org.uk) together with one side of A4 services; purchase of hardware and software for detailing the project aims, background, method­ data handling; publication costs (preparing ology, planned outputs and budget breakdown, camera-ready copy, preparation of illustrations, should be sent to [email protected], printing). or as hard-copy to Dr Pete Hollingsworth, Royal Activities not eligible for funding include: Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, Ed­ attendance at conferences/scientific meetings; inburgh, EH3 5LR. Successful applicants will direct contributions to student grants/salaries. be expected to produce a final report outlining Tips on preparing an application the outcomes of their research and to acknowl­ All applications should be set in the context of a edge the BSB! in any publications stemming research question, viz. a clear statement of what from the grant. Applicants need not be members the problem is and how the applicant plans to of the BSB!; details on joining the BSB! are tackle it. This does not necessarily require a available on the society's web-page, formal hypothesis and does not exclude e.g. www.bsbi.org.uk. floristic studies, or recording, or herbarium Projects funded in 2005 were: computerisation. For example, the latter could • David Cann, Status of Sorbus devoniensis in reveal interesting things about the collecting Ireland habits, itineraries or whatever of important bot­ • Darach Lupton, Biogeography and conser­ anists in the past. But this should be a clearly vation biology of Spiranthes romanzoffiana stated line of enquiry, with an indication pro­ • Melvin Smith, Diversity and adaptations of vided as to why it is important to lmow about Mediterranean crucifer, Hirschfeldia incana, such things. that promotes invasibility and spread in the UK 74 Notes from the Officers - Grants from the BSBI / Guide to contributors

• Mary Dean, The distribution and origins of • Marian Yallop, The effect of sediment char­ Carex salina Wahlenb. (Saltmarsh sedge) in acteristics and lake-bed morphology on mainland Britain Charophyte persistence in flooded gravel • Rachel Hacking, The plant communities of pits disused railway ballast in Britain

Guide to contributors DR LEANDER WOLSTENHOLME (Receiving Editor) GWYNN ELLIS (General Editor) BSBI News appears three times a year, in the mid­ • Where emphasis is required, mark the words dle of January, April and September. Copy for to be in italic, bold or underlined fonts in the inclusion in any issue should be sent to the editor normal way or print them using the correct at least 6 weeks before that issue is due to appear. fonts. There is no need to put Latin names in PAPERS italics but it would be a help. • Latin names must conform to Stace's New The success of a journal like BSBI News depends Flora ofthe British Isles edn 2, Kent's List of on the editor receiving many relatively short con­ Vascular Plants ofthe British Isles & supple­ tributions of topical interest. There must be lots ments, Clement & Foster's Alien Plants ofthe of members who have something interesting, British Isles or Ryves, Clement & Foster's informative or just plain amusing that they would Alien Grasses ofthe British Isles. No author­ like to share with others and this journal is meant ities are needed for names in these books but to be the place for the 'ordinary' member to if the taxon is not included in any ofthe above express her or his opinions. So please do continue then an authority should be given. to send in your notes or letters and we will do my • English names should also conform to best to publish them. We am prepared to accept Stace, Clement & Foster or Ryves, Clement copy in any form but it is so much easier for us if & Foster and if available must be given this can be sent typed or printed and by email. when a species is first mentioned in the text The following recommendations will, if fol­ except sometimes in long lists of species. lowed, make the editor's job that much easier. • Titles of papers and author's names should • Keep it short! Preferably to less than two be in upper and lower case, NOT capitals pages of finished print. Longer articles can • Keep formatting to a minimum. be accepted but it may be more difficult to PLEASE NOTE: to save postage, contribu­ fit them in quickly. As you will see by tions will not be acknowledged when first re­ looking through any issue, many contribu­ ceived, unless accompanied by an S.A.E. tions are half a page or less. All contributors will receive, if time allows, a • It is nice to have typed copy but if you don't proof for checking, so that you will be able to have access to a typewriter or computer, just see what your note looks like before it is printed write it out making sure that your handwrit­ and will have the opportunity to alter anything ing is legible, especially for names of persons at that stage. Any contributions received, which and places which cannot easily be checked. appear to be more suitable for inclusion in • The Editors would prefer to have computer Watsonia as a 'Short Note' will be passed on to produced copy as a printed page and on disc. the editor of that journal. • If you have access to the Internet, save your copy as a Word document (either .doc or Suitable illustrations accompanying notes, in .rtt) and send to Leander.Wolstenholme@ the form of line drawings, black and white or Manchester.ac.uk colour negatives, prints, slides, or especially • When typing or printing, please use double colour digital photos are also welcomed. These (or 1y,) line spacing and ensure that the may be sent as 'hard copy' or as digital images image is dark. on disk, CD-Rom or over the Internet but, • To make it easier to scan accurately, any PLEASE, always send a separate copy of the corrections to a typed or printed page are illustration (in bitmap, jpeg, or tiff format), best confined to the margins using a pale­ especially if you have embedded it in your blue pencil, but do ensure that the instruc­ Word document. tions are clear. If necessary, send two cop­ A Guide to Illustrators will appear in a future ies, one with, the other without corrections. issue. Diary I Colour Section I Deadline for News 102 75

DIARY N.B. These dates are often supplementary to those in the 2006 Calendar in BSBI Year Book 2006 and include provisional dates of the BSBI's Permanent Working Committees. Pennanent Working Committees 2006 25 Jan Records Committee, London 19-26 March Excursion to Western Portugal 1 Feb Meetings Committee, London (see p. 50 last issue) 9 Feb Publications Committee, London 23-24 May Cherishing Churchyards' 18 Feb Committee for Wales, Aberystwyth (see p. 65) 22 Feb Executive Committee, London 20-26 May Excursion to Jersey (see p. 50 11 Mar Scottish Committee last issue) 16 Mar Council Meeting, London (note change of date) See also pages 64 and 67 for further dates

COLOUR SECTION

The cover of BSBI News from now on will be in As usual, the colour section had to go to the full colour, with a 'stunning' photo on the front. I Printers before the text was finalised so the trust you will agree that the cover photo of blue­ pages to which the photos are linked are given bells in Scotland by Jim McIntosh is a worthy first. below The editors need your help in providing these Inside front cover: Delosperma nubigenum, 'stunning' images. Ideally they should accom­ Petersfield (p. 42) and Illecebrum verticil/atum, pany a short item, and this could just as easily Aldershot (p. 26). Plate 1: Meum athamanti­ be a field meeting report as a paper. Some of the cum, Mow Cop (p. 27); Plant ring, Bath (p. 10); photos on the back cover of this issue are linked Plate 2: Egeria densa, pond (v.c. 17) (p. 39); to some Welsh field meetings and were taken by Putative Erigeron hybrid, Ainsdale dunes (p. Richard Pryce. They have been chosen not just 39); Sisymbrium polyceratium, Birmingham (p. for their quality but also because Richard kindly 45). Plate 3: Trifolium incarnatum susbsp. mo­ provided us with a CD of hundreds of photos linerii, S. Devon (p. 12); Orchis purpurea, Por­ from which to chose. There must be many other ton Down (p. 26). Plate 4: Pollen grains (p. 16). members who take photographs at various field Inside back cover: Silene gallica, Burry Port meetings who could do likewise. You don't (p. 48); Senecio inaequidens, S. Hampshire have to be the leader of the meeting or author of (p. 42); Botrychium lunaria, Pembrey Burrows the report to provide photographs! We look (p. 48). Back cover: Max Walters, Franklyn forward to a bumper crop of photos from which Perring, et al. (p. 2 & 63); Viola tricolor subsp. to chose the next selection. curtisii, Pembrey Burrows (p. 48).

CONTRIBUTIONS INTENDED FOR BSBI NEWS 102 should reach the Receiving Editor before March!"!

The Receiving Editor Dr Leander Wolstenholme can be contacted by phone on 0161 275 2671 or email: [email protected] The General Editor Gwynn Ellis can be contacted by phone or fax on 029-2049-6042 or email: [email protected] All text and illustrations appearing in BSBI News and its Supplements are copyright and no reproduction in any form may be made without written permission from the General Editor. Offers and special terms apply only to members of the Society and copies are not available on an exchange basis. BSBI News (ISSN 0309-930X) is published by the Botanical Society of the British Isles. Enquiries concerning the Society's activities and membership should be addressed to: The Hon. General Secretary, clo Dept. of Botany, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Tel: 0207 942 5002. Camera ready copy produced by Gwynn Ellis and printed by J. & P. Davison, 3 James Place, Treforest, Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan CF37 ISQ (Tel. 01443-400585; email: [email protected]) ADMINISTRATION and IMPORTANT ADDRESSES PRESIDENT Dr Richard Gornall Biology Dept., University of Leicester, Leicester, LEl 7RH Tel. 0116-252-3394; [email protected] HON. GENERAL SECRETARY (General Enquiries) Mr David Pearman Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA Tel.: 01872 863388; [email protected] HON. TREASURER (All financial matters except Subscriptions) Mr Michael Braithwaite 19 Buccleuch Street, Hawick, Roxburghshire, TD9 OHL Tel. 01450-372267. Fax 01450-373591 MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY (Payment of Subs and changes of address) Mr Gwynn Ellis 41 Marlborough Road, Roath, Cardiff, CF23 SBU (Please quote membership number on all correspondence; see address label on post, or Members List in Year Book 2005) Tel. 02920496042; [email protected] .HON. FIELD SECRETARY (Enquiries on Field Meetings) Mrs Jane Croft 12 Spaldwick Road, Stow Longa, Huntingdon, Cambs., PE28 OTL Tel.: 01480 860561;[email protected] BSBI PROJECT MANAGER & Mr David Pearman VICE-COUNTY RECORDERS Algiers, Feock, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6RA (Comments and/or changes of address) Tel.: 01872 863388; [email protected] PANEL OF REFEREES & SPECIALISTS Dr Mary Clare Sheahan (Comments and/or changes of address) 61 Westmoreland Road, Barnes, London, SW13 9RZ Tel.: 020 87484365; [email protected] WATSONIA RECEIVING EDITOR Mr Martin Sanford c/o SBRC, Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IPl 3QH Tel.: 01473 433547; fax: 01473 433558; [email protected] BSBI NEWS RECEIVING EDITOR Dr Leander Wolstenholme The Herbarium, The Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M12 9PL Tel.: 0161 2752671; [email protected] BSBI NEWS GENERAL EDITOR Mr Gwynn Ellis 41 MarIborough Road, Roath, Cardiff, CF23 SBU Tel. & Fax 029-2049-6042; [email protected] BSBI DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Dr Gabriel Hemery c/o Dept of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OXl 3RB Tel. & Fax 01865275050; [email protected] BSBI CO-ORDINATOR Mr Alex Lockton 66 North Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SYl 2JL Tel. & Fax: 01743 343789; Mobile: 0585 700368; [email protected] BSBI VOLUNTEERS OFFICER Mr Bob Ellis 11 Havelock Road, Norwich, NR2 3HQ Tel.: 01603 662260; [email protected] BSBI SCOTTISH OFFICER Mr Jim Mclntosh c/o Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 SLR Tel. 0131248 2876 (w); 01415527322 (h);[email protected] RESEARCH FUND APPLICATIONS Dr Pete Hollingsworth Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, EH3 SLR [email protected]. BSBI PUBLICATIONS Mr & Mrs Jon Atkins c/o Summerfield Books, Main Street, Brough, Cumbria, CA17 4AX Tel.: 017683 41577; Fax: 01768341687; [email protected] BSBI WEB SITE ADDRESS www.bsbi.org.uk Silene gallica at Burry Port (v.c. 44), photo © R.D. & K. Pryce 2005

Senecio inaequidens in South Hampshire, Botrychiurn lunaria on Pembrey Burrows (v.c. 11), photo © Tony Mundell 2004 (v.c. 44), photo © R.D. & K. Pryce 2005 Max WaIters (1920-2005) who sadly died on December 11 (I) with Trevor Dines, Chris Preston, David Pearman and Franldyn Peuing (1927-2003) (r) at the launch of the New Atlas of the British & Irish Flora, photo © R.D. Pryce 2002

Viola tricolor subsp. curtisii on Pembrey Burrows (v.c. 44), photo © R.D. & K. Pryce 2005