Species Account
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Flowering plants and ferns SPECIES ACCOUNT LYCOPODIOPSIDA mapped in Scarce Plants in Britain 2 tetrads. Found at 440m. Clubmosses and Quillworts but, judging by the source, may be amongst heath vegetation on an an error. ungrazed ledge just above water level, at Loch Bealach a’Bhuirich, LYCOPODIACEAE by G.P.Rothero, and at 340m. on Lycopodium clavatum L. dry stony ground south of the Allt Lus a’Mhadaidh-ruaidh Mhic Mhurchaidh Gheir, on the Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Stag’s-horn Clubmoss south-eastern slopes of Canisp. It Schrank & Martius was reported in 1981 from NC13. (Lycopodium selago L.) First recorded in 1994 from the Garbhag an t-Slèibhe first of these sites. Fir Clubmoss 3 Diphasiastrum alpinum (L.) Holub 2 (Lycopodium alpinum L.) Garbhag Ailpeach 3 1 Alpine Clubmoss 2 0 1 2 3 3 1 20 tetrads. Found in only a limited number of localities, although often in good stands 2 0 1 2 3 where it does occur. Its prostrate 131 tetrads. Widespread and growth, beneath heath vegetation, 1 common in wet heath, stony means that it is almost certainly flushes and open unshaded under-recorded, although in an habitats, where the vegetation is extensive population the upright 0 1 2 3 thin. It occurs from high on the fertile shoots bearing pale green hills down almost to sea level, but cones may be visible from a 38 tetrads. Found regularly on the is less frequent in limestone considerable distance. Particularly higher hills, where it grows in districts. First recorded in 1767 abundant on the northern slopes of exposed situations receiving little from the Inchnadamph area by Cnoc na Sròine and along the protection from surrounding J.Robertson. margins of forestry rides at vegetation. First recorded during Ledmore. First recorded in 1886 the 1950s survey for the first Atlas. from Elphin by A.Gray. Lycopodiella inundata (L.) Holub (Lycopodium inundatum L). Diphasiastrum issleri (Rouy) Garbhag Lèana Lycopodium annotinum L. Holub Marsh Clubmoss Lus a’Bhalgair (D. complanatum ssp. issleri Interrupted Clubmoss (Rouy) Jermy) Not seen during the present survey. Garbhag Issler This elusive plant was first Yellow Cypress Clubmoss recorded in July 1907 from ‘near the base’ of Canisp by G.C.Druce 3 1 tetrad. The only known locality (the date of 1903 in Anthony for this Red Data Book species is Canisp, where it was first recorded appears to be an error). It has so 2 far defeated the efforts of a number by A.G.Kenneth in 1985. An of botanists to re-find it; some estimate of the extent of the site was made in 1998, during the likely ground is the area of wet 1 peat and pools immediately north present survey. Growing on stony, of Loch Awe, at NC2416. An only lightly vegetated ground, the impressively large population undated record from NC03 is 0 1 2 3 65 Flora of Assynt ISOETACEAE Isoetes echinospora Durieu Luibh Cleite an Earraich 3 Spring Quillwort Isoetes lacustris L. Luibh nan Cleiteagan 2 Quillwort 3 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 1 stretches for 500m. along 2 approximately the 250m. contour, on the botanically dour Cambrian 1 0 1 2 3 quartzite of the south-eastern slopes of Canisp. Its slightly 16 tetrads. Considerably less yellow-green colour makes it 0 1 2 3 common than I. lacustris, but there easily recognisable. It is is no noticeable difference in the interesting that barely a kilometre 43 tetrads. This species has been character of the lochs in which the away on the same hill, is one of found to be widespread in lochs two species occur. I. echinospora Assynt’s two localities for where the bottom is composed of has been found once at an altitude Lycopodium annotinum. sand, gravel or small stones, from of 340m., but that is an isolated near sea level to over 500m. A case and most of the records come characteristic sight is the spiky from lower ground. It has been SELAGINELLACEAE leaves curving upwards from found once in a burn, the same beneath a medium-sized stone, locality that produced the first where a germinating spore had record, made in 1908, from ‘peaty Selaginella selaginoides (L.) presumably been caught. The pools, Unapool Burn’ by P.Beauv. plants were searched for on foot in E.S.Marshall and W.A.Shoolbred. Garbhag Bheag shallow water and, as they may Lesser Clubmoss grow to a depth of 6m., the species may be under-recorded. One EQUISETOPSIDA record is from a burn and a few Horsetails were from drifted material. All 3 determinations of this and the following species were made by EQUISETACEAE microscopic examination of the 2 megaspores. First recorded in 1899 from ‘two lochs on Glas Equisetum hyemale L. 1 Bheinn’ by C.E.Salmon. Biorag Rough Horsetail 0 1 2 3 Isoetes x hickeyi Taylor & Luebke I. lacustris x I. echinospora 129 tetrads. Extremely widely 3 distributed in wet flushes and Specimens taken from Loch an seepage areas, where there is a Leothaid and Loch a’Choire degree of base-richness, even if Dhuibh in 1995 had malformed 2 very localised. It grows in open megaspores, suggesting that the unshaded situations, and where plants may have been of hybrid Pinguicula lusitanica occurs origin. 1 Selaginella is often nearby. First recorded in 1767 from the 0 1 2 3 Inchnadamph area by J.Robertson. 7 tetrads. Rare. Found in four instances in limestone flushes, but the other three records appear to be associated with basic or ultrabasic dykes cutting through the gneiss. 66 Flowering plants and ferns The largest population extends for a’Chalda Beag. Five of the small quarries. Also along rivers 20m., growing in the riffle of a records are from limestone and one and burns, on bare ground at the small burn. First recorded in 1886 from the foot of Beinn Gharbh, water’s edge. First recorded in at ‘Achumore’ by A.Gray. A small where an ultrabasic dyke cuts Anthony. stand is still present on what we through the gneiss. First recorded judge to be that site. in 1887 ‘by the Traligill, Inchna- damph’ by E.S.Marshall. An inter- Equisetum pratense Ehrh. esting later record is from ‘a road- Earball an Eich Dubharach Equisetum x trachyodon A.Braun side bog south of Creag Mhór’, on Shade Horsetail E. hyemale x E. variegatum the south side of Quinag, where it Mackay’s Horsetail was found in 1943 by M.S.Campbell. This locality was probably on the gneiss. 3 3 Equisetum fluviatile L. 2 Clois 2 Water Horsetail 1 1 0 1 2 3 3 0 1 2 3 4 tetrads. Rare. On the upper 2 reaches of the River Traligill it has 2 tetrads. This hybrid was first colonised a slope of earthy scree recorded by R.E.C.Ferreira, created by a landslip, with a much A.Scott and W.Henderson in 1984, 1 smaller group close at hand, on growing in a basic flush near the shingle at the water’s edge. A very Abhainn a’Chnocain, with E. good population grows on the variegatum nearby. Subsequently 0 1 2 3 Fucoid Beds on a rocky shelf it was noted by I.A.Macdonald in a above the Allt a’Bhealaich. In limestone flush at Lairig Unapool, 101 tetrads. The commonest considerably smaller quantity it at a site which also contains E. horsetail in the area. Found was found in dry heath on the edge hyemale. abundantly in lochs and on the of a burn, on the lower western margins of rivers and burns where slopes of Beinn an Fhuarain, in the there is slow-moving water. Also vicinity of limestone bands. First Equisetum variegatum Schleich. ex occurs frequently in bog and wet recorded in 1955 on the north side F.Weber & D.Mohr heath where there is no open of Quinag by M.E.D.Poore; found Earball an Eich Caol water. First recorded in 1894 ‘near in 1969 on the River Traligill by Variegated Horsetail Elphin and Ledbeg’ by M.G.Coulson and in 1983 by G.C.Druce. R.E.C.Ferreira in flushed grassland associated with ultra-basic rocks in the gneiss east of Achadh Mór. 3 Equisetum arvense L. We cannot find the source of a Earball an Eich record from Drumbeg given in Field Horsetail 2 Anthony. 1 Equisetum sylvaticum L. 3 Cuiridin Coille Wood Horsetail 0 1 2 3 2 92 tetrads. A misnomer in 6 tetrads. Rare, but may be quite Assynt, where we have not seen it prolific where it does occur. A 1 in woodland. The species is very characteristic habitat is the widespread, presumably able to fringe of vegetation jutting out thrive in the open on wet and dry over the water, at the edge of a 0 1 2 3 heath because of the high burn running through limestone atmospheric moisture. grassland, as for example the Allt 46 tetrads. On dry, disturbed ground along roadsides and in 67 Flora of Assynt Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw. Lus nam Mìos 3 3 Moonwort 2 2 3 1 1 2 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 1 It was first recorded in 1943, in a grassland, sometimes under light ‘rocky gulley north-east of bracken cover. In the hills, such Inverkirkaig’ by A.J.Wilmott and areas of grass with bracken are 0 1 2 3 M.S.Campbell. often indicative of earlier grazings or cultivation which, being sited on 20 tetrads. The greatest the better soils, support a richer concentration of records is in the Equisetum palustre L. flora than the surrounding hill limestone areas, but the plant is Cuiridin ground.