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Rare Plants Group 2008 Newsletter

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Rare Plants Group 2008 Newsletter Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire Rare Plants Group 2008 Newsletter Meadow Clary, Salvia pratensis Photo: Phil Cutt INTRODUCTION 2008 was a busy but damp year for plant recording. The wet weather had a particularly strong effect in the flood-plains where high water levels continued without a break from the exceptional floods of July 2007. Photo 1: 10 September 2008. Concern for plants on Port Meadow or just doubt about the weather - Phil Cutt watching the Thames from Binsey as the river burst its banks again, re- submerging the main area for Creeping Marshwort which is straight across the picture towards Oxford. Photo: Camilla Lambrick Some species, such as Grass-poly, True Fox-sedge and Pasqueflower loved the wet year, but some had to move on, like Creeping Marshwort, while others still have reduced to low numbers, like Fen Violet. Work on the Rare Plants Register was also often damp or chilly or both this year. Our results were, however, most useful at a workshop in Peterborough with the JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) where the extent of species declines and what we have been able to do were among the discussions. The workshop tried to assess the proposed actions for each priority species. The UKBAP (UK Biodiversity Action Plan) priority list has been expanded to include species which have suffered substantial recent declines. As a result we are now being asked to add to our search list a number of species, which although still quite common have declined severely, often for no apparent reason. Special thanks to Natural England for not only continuing to fund our endeavours, but also getting us involved in the ongoing conservation at two of the major biodiversity hotspots of the county – the acid grasslands of Frilford and the wet meadows of Otmoor. Camilla Lambrick THE PLANTS WE MONITOR Apium repens, Creeping Marshwort The continued flood water on Port Meadow had already stimulated us to discuss the impact on Creeping Marshwort in December 2007, and after the water remained high throughout the spring Anthony Roberts of the City Council called us to meet again (photo 2). - 2 - We heard that the persistent water was perhaps not mainly the result of trapped rainwater, but of water coming up through the gravel, possibly from a leak in channels further north. As a result the high water might be difficult to remove just by surface drainage. Summer brought more water which slowly retreated in August exposing mud on which the vegetation had died (photo 3). A week later (see photo in Introduction on page 2) this was under water again as Photo 2 (above): Anthony Roberts examines an old silted-up autumn rain arrived. ditch which carries water off the main Creeping Marshwort area at the southern end of Port Meadow on 13 June 2008. Some Creeping Marshwort plants were found around the edge of its former areas, and a few were flowering quite high up against the track along the east side of the meadow. Further north by the entrance to Burgess Field more plants were found, but all etiolated from sitting in water, and none flowering. One consolation as we retreated in a rainstorm was Alison McDonald re-finding the rare Slender Spike-rush, Eleocharis uniglumis – truly finding a needle in a haystack. Photo 3: Port Meadow looking north west on 1 September At the introduction site at North 2008 – the main area for Creeping Marshwort now a sheet of Hinksey the high water has been mud with Duckweed and Water-mint at the edge. beneficial with the Creeping Marshwort now covering an area some 50 x 15 m along a shallow depression seen in photo 4. Photo 4 (right): Kathy Warden talks to one of the ponies which have been maintaining the short sward necessary for Creeping Marshwort which she introduced here on Oxford Preservation Trust land at North Hinksey in 1996. The introduction area is in the foreground; this picture taken on 17 September 2008. Photos 2-4: Camilla Lambrick - 3 - We were delighted to see two plants actually doing the vegetative spread. Previous experimental work has indicated this happens because the roots are killed by the anoxic conditions when water logged. Floating on the flood-water such plants can be distributed to new areas, perhaps a nice mud bank somewhere downstream. However the wet conditions also make grazing difficult and at Binsey Green, the only other Oxfordshire site for Creeping Marshwort, a dense growth of grass has made the sward very thick. Sadly Creeping Marshwort was not seen at Binsey Green this year, though it will probably come back as it did before. However we were pleased to find other rare plants flourishing there - especially the tiny Bristle Club-rush, Isolepis setacea. Camilla Lambrick Apium graveolens, Wild Celery Three of us visited the Wild Celery site at Marcham on 15 August 2008. The area was covered by a thick mat of Creeping Bent, Agrostis stolonifera, with some Creeping Buttercup, Ranunculus repens, and occasional plants of Water Figwort, Scrophularia auriculata. We found no Wild Celery plants at all, in spite of a careful search for seedlings beneath the Creeping Bent in a few of the 2 x 2 metre squares. The proposed ploughing of the site in the autumn of 2007 did not take place, partly as a result of the disruption caused by the summer floods, but the ploughing will now be done in the winter of 2008-9 along with the rest of the field. Ann Cole Aristolochia clematitis, Birthwort The site at Godstow was visited on 22 June 2008. The Birthwort plants were clearly visible, and the distribution of shoots was similar to that in previous years. A total number of about 180 shoots was counted; of those in the region of 35 were in flower and several more were about to flower. Most of the shoots counted (c.140 out of c.180) were located towards the eastern end of the ditch, fairly close to the Abbey ruins. Counting shoots was hampered to some extent by the muddy state of the ditch, due to recent rain, and by a dense growth of nettles in the ditch plus low branches of Hawthorn. All of the Birthwort shoots observed looked healthy, and there was no evidence of these shoots having been nibbled by cattle. The site was revisited on 24 August. The distribution of shoots of Birthwort was similar to what had been seen in June, with the greatest concentration towards the eastern end of the ditch. By this time there were no shoots in flower any more, but three small fruiting bodies were observed (about 1-2 cm in length, and shaped like a miniature courgette). It was difficult to make an accurate count of the total number of shoots because of the dense growth of nettles, Hawthorn and Blackthorn. A minimum number of 265 shoots was counted, varying in height from 15 cm to 100 cm. All of the plants appeared to be in a healthy condition. Sheila Ottway Carex vulpina, True Fox-sedge We revisited True Fox-sedge at its two main Oxfordshire sites – a 19th century oak plantation and meadows, both in the river Ray catchment – and it was flourishing at both. At the - 4 - plantation the combination of wet weather and recent felling have allowed a dense growth of many sedges, mostly the Greater Pond-sedge, Carex riparia (photo 5 on page 8). At the BBOWT reserve Asham Meads SSSI the two reinforcement sites were rather dry (photo 6 on page 8), and survival in this their third year, was down to 20%. Four of the new plants were flowering, but had very short stems compared with the established plant which had 75 inflorescences, a record number. Different again was the appearance of True Fox-sedge in its meadow environment (photo 7 on page 8) where it is maintained by traditional hay cutting and aftermath grazing. Camilla Lambrick Cynoglossum germanicum, Green Hound’s-tongue At the Pyrton site, the plants on the west side of the site were not counted as they were as abundant as usual. In 2007 the plants on the east side were found to be few in number and not in a good condition. However, in 2008 they were counted and exceeded 300 flowering plants and 700 non-flowering seedlings. This was thought to be due to better conditions for germination in 2008. The site at Stratford Bridge has benefited from work done by the Blenheim Estate and also by us in removing excess ground vegetation. The number of plants is small - only two were flowering but these plants were taller and healthier than any found before and there were also 45 seedlings. Shirley Leach Filago pyramidata, Broad-leaved Cudweed Broad-leaved Cudweed, like Cotswold Penny-cress, is historically known as a weed of arable fields. There are now only two extant sites in Oxfordshire, neither of which are arable. We thank the landowners at both sites for their support and permission to monitor the plant on their land. At Buckland it flourished when the area was farmland and regularly ploughed. Since the area became part of a golf course the fortunes of the plant have varied. In the years since 1996 when the Rare Plants Group started monitoring here, it did disappear one year. After 2007, when 12 good plants were found I had hoped it was on the increase again, but only six plants were found in 2008. It is not a good competitor and is reliant on rabbits to keep the ground open for germination. The seed does seem to survive for some time, so given good weather conditions, there is still every chance this site will continue to be viable.
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