April 1980 B.S.B.I.NTWS No.24 Editedby EDGAR D. WIGGINS CowpastureFarm, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP119RD

Tragopogonhybridus (seep. I 8) O del.J. Smythies1979 ADMINISTRATION Addresses HON.GEN. SEC.(General Enquiries) Mrs. M. Briggs,White Cottage, Slinfold. HORSHAM.West Sussex. RHl3 7RG.

HON.TREASURER.( Payment of Subscriptionsand change of address). Mr. M. Walpole,68Outwoods Road, LOUGHBOROUGH,Leics LEll 3LY. HON. FIELD SEC. (lnformationon RarePlants, Field Meetings etc.) MissL. Fanell, N.C.C.PO Box 6, Godwin House,George Street, HUNTINGDONPEI8 6BU.

N.B. The Membership Office addressin frontispiece of the 1979 List of Members ancl Subscibers is no longer applicable all membershiprecords have been transJened Jrom Readingto Loughborough.

COMMITTEEFOR WALES I8th ANNUAL GENERALMEETING, 1980. to be heldat CartrefleCollege, WREXHAM, Clwyd, on Septemberl3th, 1980.

PROGRAMME

Scpt. l3th i0.00 am. Visit to University of Livcrpool Botanic Gardens,Ness, led by Mr. H. McAllister and Mr- D.M, Parker. 1.30pm. Meetingof (lommittcefbrWales. 2.30 pm. Arctic-alpine speciesin Northern Snowdonia; their relationship to thc environment Dr. R.Fl.Hughes. 3.30pm. A.G.M. 4.00 pm- Tea 4.30 pm- Conservationof SaxiliogaLespitosa L. in North Wales- Mr. D.M. Parker. 7.00 pm. Dinner 8.00 pm. E,xhibitionand l)iscussion. N{embersare invited to bring along a selectionof their colour slidesor any other in terestinetbotanical exhibits. Sept.14th Recordingforthe'[iloraof l'lints'invariouspartsof Flintshire. Ar'commodation is availableat (lartrelle ColJegeat approximately f7.00 per night, including meals. AII B.S.B.l. members and thcir guests are welcome and further details can be obtained from the Secrctary to the Clonlmittee tbr Wales Mr. R.G. Ellis, Dept. of Botany, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, CI' I 3NP. I'lcasenpply beforc August I st, 1980- Nominations for mcmbcrship of thc (lommittoe or for the post of Hon. Secretaryshould be matle in writing rvith the signaturoof thu nomrnee,belbre the end of June to the Hon. Secretaryat the above address-

2 B.S.B.I.REGION VII - SCOTLAND(v.c. 72-112.) ln 1980the quadrennialappoint- ment by the Committeefbr Scotlandof a Representativeto B.S.B.I.Council falls due. Membersresident in Scotlandwho elect the Committeefor Scotlandwill elect three newmembers to that Committeeon November1st. 1980 as set out below. MaryBriggs. Hon. Gen. Sec.

B.S.B.I.Committee for SCOTLAND. At the A.G.M.on I st November1980, three members will beelected to theCommittee. The retiringmembers are R.J.O.McBeath, P. Macphersonand A.Mc.G.Stirling and all areeligible for re-election. Nominations,signed by two nrembersof the Societynormaliy residentin Scotland or who are recordersfor a vice-countyin Scotland though not resident,and with the written consentof the carrdidatewho must alsoqualify asabove, should reach the under- signedat 15, LubnaigRoad. Glasgow. G43 3RY.,by 4th October,1980. PeterMacpherson, Hon. Sec.Committee for Scotland.

SUBSCRIPTIONS 'l'he transl-er of membership records liom Reading and the collection of subscriptions for 1980 has gone smoothly, though a few problems have arisen. Pleaseread the following notes to seeif you are affected. Bankers Orders All nrembers who, according to the old Reading records, paid by standing order were asked to cancel their bankers orders. Over 600 subscriptions were still received by this method, ntainly at the old rate of !5. By the time this issue of News appears such mcmbers wiil have received a reminder and hopefully they havc now paid the batance, but PLEASE CANCEL your standing order for future years. The reason for changing our system is to streamline subscription collection, it takes many hours to reconcile the often imprecise details provided by your bankers with oar membership records. As usual we have rect:ived many subscriptions by standing order which we have not yet been able to idcntily on the membership list. This incurs extra postage and causesinconvenience to the members concerncd,but you will appreciatewe must be certain (for example) which Jonesor Smith haspaid when no initials are given by the bank. Invoices A number of members paid against thc subscription invoices sent out at the end of December and also paid by standing order. We believe that the majority of those who did so will by now havc received a refund but it is possible that trecauseof the insufficient detail refcrred to above some overpayments lie in our suspenseaccount. Ii on reading this you realisc you have overpaid and have not been contactedby us, pleaselet us know as soon aspossible. Direct Debiting System I hopc detailsof this will tre sentwith the next issueof Nr:ws-Many membershave urged us to take up this system as it providcsan ertremely cfficient mcthod of collectionand alsoenables us to update our recordsspeedily and correctly- lt doesof coursealso saveus much postageand labour thus helping me to defer I'urthcr subscription increases.We are awarc that in the past other Societiesusing the Direct Debiting System havc had problcms, but the system is now well cstablishedand I am conii- dent we can use it rvithout inconvenicnccor worry to our members.I hopc you will adopt this method of payntent when details arc erplaincd to you, if not,an invoicc will bc sent eachyear to enablepay- ment to be made by chequc. Currency May I remind our overseasand lrish mombcrs that subscriptionsarc payable in Sterling or the Sterling equivalent and duc account should be taken of any diftbrcnce in exeltangcrates. A number of foreign members pay by b:rnk transl'er,plclsc note thilt our account is now held by Ilarclaysllank Limited, Market Place,[,oughborough and NOT the Nalional WcstnrinsterBank, Oxford. Finally may I remind you that in thc intcrcsts oi economy, rnailingswill not be sent out after rlre lst May to mcmbers who havc not paid their subsciptionsand should yours be in arrcarstltis 'I'reasurer will probably be tltc lasl rn.rilingyou will rcccive M- Walpolc,Ilon.

D ADMINISTRATION / Continued) PROGRAMMES The Programmesof Annual GeneralMeeting and no lessthan threeSymposia this year, areon offer to memberswith thismailing. BookingProcedure reminders :- 1. Climate and Plants Saturday, April 26th 1980. Joint Meetingwith the Royal MeteorologicalSociety at UniversityCollege. L,ondon. 10.30 1700. Programmeand Booking form enclosedwith this mailing;(They will be acceptedup to April 19th). 2. The A.G.M., Cambridge.May lOth andBrecklantl Excursion May llth bookingsto: Mrs. Ailsa lee,3 RoslistonRoad, Stapenhill, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DEl5 9RJ before May lst. (For informationon overnightaccommodation in Cambridgeapply to: The Tourist Information Office, Guildhall,Cambridge). 3. BiologicalAspects of RarePlant Conservation. July 13th - l9th, 1980,King's College, Cambridge.(See BSBI News23, p.l9). Programrnesavailable now from N{rs.Hilary Birks, CambridgeConservation Conference, Universlty Botanic Garden, 1 Brookside,Cambridge CB2IJF. 4. Fern Conference.Joint meetingwith BritishPteridological Soceity, September 26th 28th, 1980, Brathay, Anrbleside,cunrbria. Programmeand booking instructionson page8. My I remind you that compliancewith the booking instructionsgreatly assists the organisers.Of 36 A.G.M. bookingssent, only three membershad rememberedthe re- quest to sends.a.e. This s.a.e.not only contributesto the organisingexpenses but it is alsoa considerabletinte saverfor the organiser.The requestfor Field meetingbookings to be sent on postcards(perhaps surprisingly also accompanied by a s.a.e.)again helps the leadersto deal with adrninistrationin the minimum time - the cardsare neatand easilyfiled.

HON. GEN. SECRETARY'SNOTES

From Councilfor Natureto CoEnCo. Many nremberswill alreadyknow that the Councilfor Naturewas dissolved on 31st December.lc)79. On its formationthis Councilprovided vital links betweenmany societies,but witlr changesin patternsof policy in recentyears it wasdecided to pro- vide this essentialliaison through an alternativeorganisation. Two particularlyuseful servicesprovided by Councilfor Naturethrough the years:a) the productionofHobitat andb) informationleallets, have now been transferred to the COUNCILFORENVIRON- MENTAL coNSERvATloN (coEnco) at 29 GrevilleSrreet, London, BCI SAX. The 'c lor N.'leatletsare still available, i.e. 2. Pollution3. Careers4. EducationalAids 5. Wildliie Projectsartd RecordingSchenres 6. Conservationof WilclCreatures & Wild PlantsAct 1975,are now tiblainablefrom CLTENCoat the aboveaddress: up to -5copies are free of chargeon receiptol'a Neu,ssize s.a.e.

4 MEMBERSHIPADMINISTRATION Sincethe B.S.B.Imembership record cards and stencils were moved to Loughborough, we haveheard that there wasa fire at HarvestHouse in Readingwhich gutted the room in which B.S.B.l.membership work wascarried out until 31st December,1919,and all the recordsand stocksof journalsthere (belonging to other societies)were destroyed. Our sympathy goes to the Society of GeneralMicrobiology and all the Societiesaffected. How narrowiy the B.S.B.I.escaped this disaster!On an earlieroccasion, as John Dony hasreminded me, the B.S.B.I.was not so fortunateas in April 1941,Francis Druce who was then Hon. Treasurerand alsoActing Secretaryof B.S.B.I.was killed duringan air raid by a bomb which burst outside his shelterafter passingthrough his flat. In the ragingfire which followedthe blast,all the Society'sdocuments were lost. Three quarters of a centuryearlier when the Society'spapers were in Thirsk,a fire theredestroyed the recordsof the BotanicalSociety and ExchangeClub; aller both thesedisasters the accountsand lists of membershad to be reconstructedwith the assistanceof the members themselvesat the time. Now we have an arrangementfor membershiprecords to be kept in duplicateas a safeguard. Each membernow has a number you may havenoticed this aboveyour nameon the addresslabel of your recentmailings. It is very helpful to Mr. & Mrs.Walpoleif you quote this numberin any correspondenceon subscriptionsor membership.Your number will providethe Treasurerwith Instant Identification enablinghim to "key" you out from othermembers with the sameor sirnilarname/address etc.l

TOXIC SPRAYS The British Beekeepers'Association is hopingto establishan agreedcode of practice to ensurethat any necessarypoison spraying of cropscould be carriedout with minimum hazardto bees,wild pollinatingagents and wild flowers.They also hope that some products more lethai to honeybeesand wildlil'e could be removedfrom the list of "Approved Productsfor Farmersand Growers" issuedby the Ministry o1'Agriculture, Fisheriesand Food.Price f3 throushbooksellers. The B.B.K.A. is appealingtbr data on the eff'ectsof pesticidesand other polluting chemicalsused and spread.Any memberwho can supply informationon this is asked to sendit to MR. R.O.M.PAGE, (B.B.K.A. Spray Liaison Officer),452 Chickerell Road. WE\a,IOUTH,Dorset, DT3 4DH. Papersrelative to theseproblems are publishedin NaturopaNo. 33 - 1919: this entireissue is devotedto the corrpatibilityof agriculture and fbrestrywith conservationof the environment;including Making a Choiceby Ian Samuel(p.9 - I 1) and Thereis anotherllay by Rudy Rabbingeand R.S.Loomis (p.32 - 34).(Naturopa is obtainablefrcm NaturcConservancy Council at Banbury).

BSBIPublications at privilegeprices One copy t>f Hybritlizotion arul the F-ktraoJ thc Rritish /s/e,sat t8.80 (publishedprice t14.80).Ctrpies (unlimited nurnber) ol'the ('onl'erenceReporl Tltc Ptllination rl ['-lowers by Insectsed. A.J. Riclrardsat 19.50(published pricc t12.60).Applicrtion liirnrs lirr both aboveollers fiom: Mrs. Mary Briggs.White Cottage,Slintirld, Uorsham. West Sussex,Rlll3 7RG.(s.a.e. please). Vice-countyNames ln B.S.B.I.News 23 page4,1 mentionedthat a list of vice-countynamesispublished in Watvnia 13: part 1. To find the nameof the appropriatecounty in the numbered list of v.c. recordersin our List of Membersand Subscribers(p.41 .42), or to locate Countiesfor plant records,members are remindedthat lists of the v.c. namesare also publishedtn Atlas of the British F-loraed. Perring& Walters(p.409 - 410) and in Hybidization and the Flora oJ' the Britislt Isles ed. C.A. Stace(p.95 - 96). tt will be noticed that all 3 lists dilfer slightly(there is no'official'list for thesenames) but the most recentin Watsonia13: I hasbeen amended with the assistanceof the Committees for Wales,Scotland and Ireland,with carefulconsideration given to the choiceof abbrevi- ations for clarity and to avoid confusion e.g.abbreviations which are alsothe name of a town havenot beenused.

Vasculaagain Since David Allen suggestedthat the Society sl.rouldoperate a vasculumpool, "Conservethe Vasculum"(B.S.B.l. News 12, p.23) we havepassed on l9vasculakindly donated by membersno longerusing thern.to other membersof the Societyunder- taking specialstudies for which a vasculumhas beenparticularly helpful. On travels abroad,I havebeen impressed by the mini-vascuiumfor smallspecimens used by Michael Harker of Oswestryi.e. a HenriWinterman 50 Panatellatin. As other wilting specimens were producedfronr plasticbags at eveningidentification sessions, Michael's bits of plants from his 'Winterculum'were pristine.Although not equippedwith independent carrying straps,these slim oval tins (-l6 cm. long) fit neatly into the rucksack;non- smokersmay acquireone by a timelyword with a friendlytobacconist. (New vasculaare availablefrom T. Gerrard& Co., GerrardHouse, Worthing Road, East Preston, BN16 lAS. (Tel: (09062) 12011). Enquirersshould state they are membersof BSBI).

EveningPrimroses (Oerutthera L.) in Wales,by Krzysztof Rostanskiand Gwynn Ellis is publishedin Nature irt llales 16: No.4. September,1979. A paperdealing rvith Oenotherasp. throughout Britain will be publishedin Watsoniain 1981. Meanwhile membersinterested in Oeruttheroinforntation (based on Wales)for the 1980season can purchasethis number of Nature in l,lales,(50p includingpostage) from Mr. Dillwyn Miles,Castle Hill, Haverfordwest,Dyfed. A key only will appearn BSBIAbstracts 10.

Batology All membersmay possiblynot realisethat the lield rneetingon July 2,5th- 28th 1980, advertisedin the 1980 Field MeetingsProgramme as a'specialistnreeting for 'Batologist' Batologists'is tbr the study of branrbles. simply conresfrom two Creek 'brarnble' 'discourse'. wordsmeaning and This meetinghas been planned for experienced workersin thisgroup. 'rare Thosewho haveenquired about the identity of the plant' reportedby the Daily Telegraphon Septernberl2th, may like to know that thishas finally been tracked down. Under the headline "Rare Anemona" and named ";Venalaestellavectensis" found at PaghamHarbour, West Sussex,we find that this is a Sea Anemone,Nematostella vectensiswhich was fbund bv R.L. N{anuelof Oxtbrd.

6 PlantingNative Treesand Shrubs, Ken & Gillian Beckett, JarroldsColour Publications 31.99. The production of this book was planned by the BSBI Working Party set up to in- vestigatethe use and availability of British Native plants for naturalising.A generous grant from N.C.C. enabledBSBI to appoint Ken and Gillian Beckettto researchand write the book. Now publishedas above,it will provideinformation for landscapearchi- tects and othersinterested in conservationplanting of nativewoody species. kgacies The Society most gratefully acknowledgestwo legaciesreceived recently. Gilbert SmithsonAdair a memberfrom 1914 - 1919.was known only to a very few fellow members- even in Cambridgewhere he worked in the Low TemperatureResearch Station for 55 years. He was a pioneerin the physicalchemistry of proteins.An Honorary Fellow of King's College, Cambridge,his obituary in the King's College Annual Report makes us realise sadly what we missedin not being acquaintedwith this long supporterof our Society,who is describedas "A loveablecharacter small and Dickensianin appearancewith a twinkling smile and a fund of quaint stclriesand instances."We are also told that "The collectionsof pressedflowers and grasses. . . . madewith his father,Harold Adair, who wasmanager of a coppermine in WestCumber- land,. .. .. arenow in themuseums of Carlisleand York respectively." His notebookson the subjectswill alsobe sent to thoseMuseums. We are indeed gratefulthat he rememberedthe Societyby hisbequest. Wilf Wanen (1933 1976) had by contrastmany friendsin the Society.He madehis €ienerousbequest to the B.S.B.I.in thesewords . . . . . "For the generalpurpose of the saidSociety" but with the requestthat it be usedfor the promotionof FieldBotany as lif'elongpleasure interest a and by aidingattendance at field meetings'1 and advancing the productionof local floras.Ilis obituarywas published inlilatsonia l: (4);420 21.

Once again I have to thank Kathleen l-awson, who, returning after a wcck's abscncc from home, typcd and despatchedthe Ilon- Gen. Sec'snotes in one day. MaryBriggs, Hon. Gen. Sec.

WALTHAMSTOWMARSHES This 88-acrerelic of pre-Londonwater-meadow on terracegravel where 340 species o{'floweringplants, ll0 birds,hundreds of mothsand 17butterflies have been recorded, is situatedonly five miles from Westminster.The Nature ConservancyCouncil have recognizedits very specialvalue and interestquite outside their normalSSSI definitions. It is part of Britain'sfirst ever"Regional Park" and therefore surprising that the owners, the Lea Valley RegionalPark Authority should make applicationto the G.L.C. for permissionto extractover one million cubicyards of gravel,thereby ruining the areaas a wild-life santuary.And this, is in completecontradiction to the Authority'sdeclared prornisesmade in theAct whichcreated it, andrepeated in popularbrochures. Fortunately an extremely vigorous canrpaignled by Mr. Brian Wurzell of Tottenhamhas resulted in theproject being unanimously rejected by theG.L.C. Minerals Sub-Committee. The lessonis clear.Nol evenAuthorities professing to promotewild-life conservation can be guaranteednol to abrogatepromises when commercialconsiderations are in- volved.The price of conservationwould seem lo be eternalvigilance. NOTICES OFFICIALBSBI NOTICES

FERN MEETINGAT AMBLESIDE26th - 28th SEPTEMBER,I980. A joint weekendmeeting with the British PteridologicalSociety is beingorganised by Clive Jermy and Lynne Farrell on the abovedates at BrathayHall Field Centre.The meeting will conveneon the Friday eveningfor dinner, followed by an identification seminarwhen participantscan bring specimensdifficult to identify in front of a panelof specialists. On the mornings of Saturdayand Sundaythere will be papersillustrating aspects of taxonomy and ecology of the larger fern generawith particular referenceto current researches in Lycopodium (Diphasiastntm), Polypodium, Equisetum, Dryopteis, Asplenium and Cystoptens.There will also be a paper on the significanceof cytology in fern taxonomy.Speakers will includeDrs. M. Gibby, C.N.Page, A. Sleep,B. Croxall and A.C. Jermy.It is alsohoped that pteridologistsiiom Paris(M.F. Badre)and Zihrich (Dr. J. Schneller)will attend the meetingto talk on their researchesinto aspectsof our f'ern1'lora. Saturday afternoon will be a visit to the Borrowdale area for Asplenium and Dryopteis led by M. Gibby and F. Jackson.On Sunday, field work will be confined to the woods around the Centrewhere a numberctf Dryopteris hybrids can be demon- strated.The cost of the weekendwill be 123.00,booking forms and programmesfor thoseinterested are obtainable from: LYNNE FARRELL, N.C.C.,Godwin House,George Street, HLINTINGDON, PEl8 6BU.

IRISHREGION Taxonomicmeeting to Lough Carra,Co. Mayo.July, 1980. The Irish RegionalCommittee is organizinga taxonomicmeeting centred at l-ough Carra,Co. Mayo betweenJuly 25th - 27th. The areais rich floristicallyand groups which could be studied include Carex, Potamogeton,Rosa, Salix, Dacrylorhiza and Quercus.The aim of this meetingis to familiarisemembers with the more criticalplant taxa and consequentlylaboratory facilities are being secured close to the lake at which field collectionscan be studiedat leisure. SeveralBritish experts have already agreed to attendthis meeting, and it is the hopeof the cornmitteethat this short note will stirnulateother Britishmembers to come too. The venueis closeto Connemarato which an excursionis planned.Those interested in obtainingfurther details should contact me at the addressbelow. TOM CURTIS,School of Botany.Trinity College, DUBLIN 2.

BSBI RUBI}ER STAMP 'Please Featuringthe BSBI bluebelland the message leavewild flowersfor othersto enjoy' this rubberstarnp is now availablelronr Oundlekrdge, price .t2.50 (incl. p. & p.). It is hoped that more BSBI memberswill obtainone of theseand join the growing numberwho havebegun to useit on their outgoingletters.

8 OTHERNOTICES

ORCHIDPROBLEMS A ghostly tale. Again I have to report that severalspecimens of Epipogium aphyllum havebeen removed. The sellingprice for our specimensabroad has been quoted at f,300 eachl Anyone with informationconcerning the destructionof the GhostOrchid, please notify me. Nearly a slip-up. Visitor pressureon the Lady's Slipper, Cypripediumcalceolus,is in- creasing.This has causederosion in the immediatearea, whicli may affectthe survival of the plant. In the interestsof conservationand research,PLEASE DO NOT VISIT THE PLANT IN 1980. LYNNEFARRELL, N.C.C., P.O. Box 6, GodwinHouse, George Street, IIUNTINGDON,PE18 6BU.

KEYS FROM THE BRITISHMUSEUM Severalkeys to British plant groupsfrom the British Herbariumof the British Museun.r are now available.Each consists of a pack of punchedcards and instructionson how to usethem. Keys currently available are : l) TaraxacumPrepared jointly with Dr. A.J. Richards,and includes180 species,some 50 of which are additionalto the monographof 1972.Descriptions of thesespecies are provided.The key includesthe distributionof all speciesby vice-counties(up to Sept.I 978). Noteson Taraxacumcharacters are provided. 2) EuphrasiaPrepared iointlv with Dr. P.F.Yeo. and up-to-datewith his recentaccount trf Europeanspecies (Botonir:al Journal of theLinnean Societv Yol.77 ,(4, Dec. 1978,) pp 223 - 334, availablefrom AcademicPress at L6.25). 3) A key by vegetativecharacters to speciesof eitherbasic, neutral or acid grasslands, or all three.About 70 speciesare included. Prepared with the helpof MissJ. Martin (NCC)and the FieldStudies Council. Eachof the abovekeys has been checked and tested,but correctionsand comments front userswould be welcomed.A chargeof f.l .50 per key is madeto covercosts. Cheques etc.,payable to BritishMuseum (Natural History). R.J.PANKIIURST, British Museum (Nat. Hist.),LONDON, SW7 5BD.

CONSERVATIONOF BRITISHBRYOPHYTES The British Bryological Society has prepareda Code of Conduct which is concerned with the conservationo1' m<>sses and liverworts.As a resultof increasingenvironnrental and human pressures,many speciesare in dangereither throughdirect collecticln(for privateherbariaorhorticulture)orthroughlossof suitablehabitatsthrough,forexample, drainageor changein landuse. The Codehas been distributed fhirly widelybut if any BSBImernber would like a copy. pleasecontacl the BBS ConservationOfficer at the addressbelow, who would also be inleresledto hear of any aclual or polentialthreats to siteswhich might have bryologicalinterest. A stamped,addressed envelope would be appreciated. DR. P.D.COKER, School of BiologicalSciences, Tharnes Polylechnic, Wellington Street, LONDON.SEl86PF. THE BOTANICAL RESEARCHFUND This small private Trust Fund existsto aid irrdividualresearch workers in botany. Grants,usually not iri excessof f,l00, are awardedfor specificitems of expenditure connectedwith their work and aregenerally made to thosewho arenot in receiptof any officiallunding to supporttheir research. Applications,accompanied by the nameof an appropriatereferee, should be sentto the Secretary,(address below), from whom further informationmay alsobe obtained. DR. K.L. ALVIN,2 LittleGaynes Lane, UPMINSTER, Essex, RM14 2JP.

A NEWCOUNTY TRUST On lst January.1980, the Avon WildlifeTrust cameinto being.This Trust, which coversthe County of Avon, incorporatesthose areas in SouthGloucestershire and North Somersetwhich were formerly in the territory of the Gloucestershireand Strnrerset Trusts lbr Nature Conservationrespectively. The headquartersis expectedto he irr Bristol. A fbrmal launchingof the Trust will take placeon 3rd May. Anyone who is interestcdshiluld contact : AVON WILDLIFtsPROJECT. 17 WhiteladiesRoad. BRISTOL.8. Tel: tlristol361322.

COURSEON WATERPLANTS A short residentialcourse entitled "Water Plants"will be held on 27th July - 2nr,l August,1980. lt is basedon field studiesto selectfreshwater sites in the North kicester- shire/Charnwooddistrict, and includesthe identiflcation,ecology, educational value and managernentof water plants, for natureconservation. No previousknowledge is required.Further detailsfrom : DR. MAX WADE, c/o Centrefor ExtensionStudies, Universityof Technology,LOTJGHBOROUGH, Leics. LE1 I 3TU.

FIELD STUDIES The F-iclclStudies Council has issuedits seriesof programmesdetailing the courses at its ten centres.Regretfully the t'eeshave risen steeply from 356 in 1919 to f70 this year,reflecting the drasticincreases of V.A.T.,inflation and other costs. But, considering the facilitiesprovided, they still representrenrarkable value. Besidestht: general and beginners'courses to be found at each centre, the following somcwhat more specialiscdsubjects offered at particular lor:alities,are often dcterminedby thc resourcesof tlrc area concerned. l-xarnplcs of thc spccialisedgroups oi plants cateredtbr are: Orchids,'frees, [ierns, Grasses,Sedgcs and Rushcs.Mosses and Liverworts, Lichens. Seaweeds,Fungi and what arc grouped undcr "Uselll" plants,and "Difficult" plants- For thosc interested in ecology, Scashorc,Woodlands, Limestonc, Bogs, Fens and [rreshwatcr habitats havc scvcralcourses devoted to thcm. Courscsconcerned with specificareas, in which ecology plays a big p:rrt, includo: N. & S. Downs, S. Devon, l)artmoor, Pembrokeshire,N.W. \Vales,Snowdonia, Atlanlic lslantls.River Severn.Suftblk (loast and YorkshireDales. For lurtherdetails. write lirr the classitledlist of coursesentitled "1980 Coursesfor All", obtainablein returnfor a s.a.e.(l/ews size) from F.S.C.lnformation Office, Preston Montford,Monttbrd Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 lDX. In addition to these there arc courses fealurrng tcchniques in florver painting, photography. rveatlter,mini errlironments and statistics. An innt>valirrnal Slapton l-cy is thc soriesol' l -l shcrt 3-day coursesin countrysjdc erploration for residcntsantl holiday makers stayinglocally, wrth such trtles as Moor 1o Sea, l-rt-shrvatcr and ('trastal.L ife in I'>ondsantl Strcarns. EDW

10 EXCURSIONTO LUNDY ISLAND Onceagaitr the Lundy Field Societyhas organised a specialday trip to the island,giving both rnembersand the generaipubiic the chanceto spend4 - 5 hoursashore, with the opportunityto join toursled by variousLFS specialists. To encouragethe widestpossible support we areagain keeping our chargesas low as possible,and the return fare, 36, givesunrivalled value. As a non profit-makingCharity, the Societydevotes all profitsfrom thisExcursion to conservationand scientific work on the islandand to the publicationof scientificreports. The MiV Balmoral,will sail from llfracombeat 10.30 am. on Sattrrday,June 7th, and should anchor off Lundy at about 12.15.During the long stay ashoreSociety specialistswill lead partieson Ornithological,Botanical, Archaeological and General tours. It is likely that the excursionwill be over-subscribed,so we recommendan early response.Further information from : PETERCOLE,2 Beaufbrt Close, REIGATE, Surrey, RH2 9DG.

IBRA PUBLIC--ATIONS The InternationalBee ResearchAssociation announce two nerv Reprintsfrom 1979 issuesof Bee llorld. Theseare: M100 HONI|YB|:I; POISONING BY CHEMICATS: SlGl/S,CONTRIBUT- ING FACTORS, CURRENT PROBLEMS AND PREVENTION by Dr. C.A.Johansen. M101 THE HONEYBEECOLONY IN WINTERby T.S.K.and Mrs. M.P. Johansscln The Reprints are availabledirect liorn IBRA. Hill House.GERRARD'S CROSS, Bucks.SL9 0NR. Price 75o each oosl free.

NATURAL HISTORYARTICLES IN 1977and 1978 DR. RICHARD GULLIVER sendsus copiesof the abovewl.rich appeared in the Springand Winter 1979issues ol NaturalScit'nce in Schools(pp l3 - 24, anrl8l - 88). He explainsthey are an index of' all articlesappearing in 8 rnagazinesdevoted to natural historyand thecountryside in 1977and 1978.A similarindex for 1979is in preparation. Offprints of the l91l and 1978indexes are available from him at 60p per copy from: 1I MinsterAvenue, Huntington, YORK, YO3 9DJ.

BANC We note thc f'orrrtltittnlast year o1'tlre [-]ritish Association ol NatureConservatitlnists (BANC).lts prospectusslys it "is concerrtedwith planningthe lirturecountryside, and is an independcntvoicc lilr conscrvation".'l'herncnrhership includes planners, naturalists, natureconservalionisls, environmental educationalists together with earth, lil'e,and socialscierrtists. It publishesa quarterly.journal, L.'COS, and the subscriptionis t5. Furtherin lirrmat ion l'rrrnr: N.J.Pf NDF.R, -57 Carnbridge Streel, NORWICII, Norlirlk.

11 Profile

R.W.DAVID cambridge botany has always been distinguishedby a very strong link between amateur and professionalexpressed in the enjoyment of field studiesand excursions in the vicinity of the University city, a tradition which can be tracedin a virtually un- broken line right back to John Ray's famous'CambridgeCatalogue'of 1660.lndeed, a reading of the history of botany in Cambridgereveals that the distinction between amateur and professionalis, so far as the University is concerned,a relatively recent development.We find the third Professorof Botany, Thomas Martyn, who held the Chair from 1162 to his death in 1825, is actuallyon recordas saying'beingthen en- gagedin academicalstudies and afterwardsin those of the professionI had determined to adopt,Botany was rather the amusementof my leisurehours, than anyseriouspursuit.' Dick David, our President,sits very firmly in that tradition. With a distinguished career as Publisher to the University behind him, as a Fellow of Clare Collegeand resident(at leastin the winter!) in the City, he is a perfectexample of the gifted field botanistwhose quiet enthusiasmshave endeared him to amateurand professionalalike. Dick was trainedby his mother to help colourin the Benthamand Hookerillustrations, and it is rumoured that he had contributed both Daisy and Dandelionto this exercise before the age of five. In his school days at Winchesterhis natural history interests broadenedto cover birds, and particularlybird photography,but botany, his first love, seemedto remainthe dominantpassion, to which he turnedwhenever spare time came his way in a busy working life. His botanizing shows that familiar pattern: he knows that Cambridgeis a marvellousplace to operatefrom, but is under no illusion where the really stimulating and exciting countryside is - in the north and west of Britain! As Recorderfor EastCornwall v.c.2 from 1955 - 1967, andfor both Eastand West Cornwall,v.c.l and 2, from 1961 - 1961, Dick has servedhis apprenticestrip admirablyto the Societyin what is probablyscientifically the most important permanent activity which membersreadily undertake. Thus it is particularlyfortunate at the present time, when importantnegotiations are in train betweenthe Societyand the Government bodies involved (Nature ConservancyCouncil and lnstitute of TerrestrialEcology) about the future of the BioiogicalRecords Centre, that we haveas Presidentsomeone who knows in his own experienceboth the complexityand the valueof botanicalre- cordingin Britain. For yearsalso, Dick has servedon the Society'sPublications Com- mittee, where his professionalopinion, alwaysvery courteouslyand willingly made available,has beenespecially valuable to a groupwhich wasoften deficientin precisely thoseareas of knowledgein which he excelled.

In recent years Dick has narrowedhis sightsuntil only the genusCarex is visible. He hasbeen systematically visiting all recordedBritish sites of the rarerspecies to assess their presentstatus, and the fruits of this devotedand energeticsurvey can be seen summarizedfor the rarestof our sedgesin the British Red Data Book. In additionhe has tackled the notoriouscritical groupsin the genus,with a particularlyclose look at Ihe muicata sedges,where he haseven dealt with, in the pagesof Watsonia(11: 59 - 65, 1916),one of the most complicatednomenclature problems" A specialistwho can range from turgid nomenclatureto field populationassessment in his chosencritical groupis alwaysto be welcomed!

I2 It is not only in expert knowledge,however, that Dick's help hasbeen for so long usefulto the Society.As inanyof his friendsand colleagues would agree,his quietcharm and willingnessto help, which at times may evenhave disguised to casualacquaintances how much he knew of the subjectin hand, arequalities for which the Societyin par- ticular oweshim much. Outsidethe 'charmedcircle' of his botanicaltiiends these same qualities,of course,are a souroeof pleasureand admiration.A glanceat Who'sWho will indicatethat two other hobbies,namely rnusic and fly-fishing,play an important part in Dick's life, and we botanist fiiends of his rejoice to think that other people benefitas well. It is conventional at this point to close with a referenceto wife and lamily. The fact that this presentsdifficulties must not inhibit us -- the difficulties are simply that BaronessDavid should clearly havea profile in her own right! Perhapsit would suffice to say that Dick and Nora area very happycouple, with a grown-upfamily and grand- children. Each is obviously happy with their very different 'hobbies' - if Nora will forgive the use of that term to cover a lifetime of devotedpolitical service- and each vicariouslyenjoys the other's happiness. What, indeed, could be betterthan that? S.M.W.

THE TED LOUSLEYMEMORIAL TABLET This was duly unveiledand dedicatedby the Rector of St. Olave's,Hart Street, London,Rev. L.E.M.Claxton. (See BSBIA'ews 22,p.25). Prof. W. Stearngave a splendid memorial addresswhich will appearin the BiologicalJournal of the Linnean Society.

In memoryof JOBEDWARD LOUSLEY 1907- 1976 Botanistand Banker "The rangeof themountains is his pasture and he scarchethafter every green thing" JOB39:8

The menti

13 ALIENS andADVENTIVES ADVENTIVENEWS I6 Compiledbv EricJ. Clement MIXED BAG Amaranthus hybridus L. : "Pick your own fruit" nursery, Hersham(Surrey), Oct. 1979.J.M. Montgomery."A fantasticoutbreak (literaliy in thousands)."See drawing in BSBI News 22,p.18. I predictthat it will persisthere for at leasta few years,as it has donein arableground near Chilworth (Surrey), comm. A.C. Leslie. Berberis wilsoniae Hemsl.& Wils. : Sand-dunes,Braunton Burrows(N. Devon),July 1979. Mrs. B.E.M.Garratt. Hb. EJC.One good-sizedbush, overtopped by marramgrass and so not easilyspotted. Presumably bird-sown here it is much grown in gardens. Ceratoniasiliqua L. : lndustrialdump, Greenhithe (W. Kent),Sept. 1979. J.R. Palmer. A scoreof seedlings,which were up to 10 ins. tall. SeeGorteria 5(l): 5 (1970) ior a drawingof thesebaby Carobtrees, when they germinatedon a railwayyard in Rotter- dam harbourin 1966 and along the river Zaan (N. Holland)in 1961. They werealso very plentiful at the Greenhithesite in 1978, Hb. EJC(see London Naturalist58:63). The l,ocust Bean Gum is extractedand used "to thicken sauces!ice-creams, etc." (G. Usher,1974), as well as for sundryother uses.It is not valuelessin modernBr, as suggestedin the latterref. Chenopodiumambrosioides L. : Disusedrubbish-tip, Brislington, Bristol (W. Gios.), Oct. 1979.T.G. Evans& A.L. Grenfell.Conf. EJC.A solitaryplant had germinatedon a warm, smoulderingpart of the tip: it is stronglyaromatic, an annualto short-lived perennial,variably pubescent, and coveredwith sessilegolden glands (x l0 lens).Quite unlike any of our familiarspeciesl TGE hasbravely depicted details of the plant lor us the flowers were variableand not easilyinterpreted: hence the three enlargements. l. showsthe earliestflowers that arealways clearly female only; 2. showsa later stage; 3. shclwsthe final, larger,hermaphrodite (or nrale?)flowers. The long stigmasvaried from 2 5 (constantly2 in all CTIUspp), and the stamens4 - 5. A polymorphicweed, occurringthroughout the more tropical parts of the world, and ratherrarely reported from Br. Coronillaements L. : In hedge,Bryants Avenue, Gidea Park (S. Essex),1979.8.L. Coombes,comm. R.M. Burton. Conf. Dr. K.J. Adants.The road is usedfor overnight parkingof lorriestieshly arrivedfrom the continent,and BLC suggeststhat thesehave introduced this plant, Cenlattrea calcitrapa and Silybum marianum. The shrubby Coronillahas, I would add, long beengrown in gardensand has escaped into a hedgerow in Lincs.- seeWild Flower Magazine364:28 (1912). Cotoneasteralfinis Lindl. : Bargate-stonequarry, Godalming(Surrey), Oct. 1971. LNIIS excursion,led by A.C. Leslie& Mrs.J.F. Leslie.tlb. EJC.Many saplings,presum- ably bird-sown,on the steep,overgrown quarry face,but with no evidenceol l1s/frs. J.R. Palmergrew on one root in his gardenand by 1978the virtuallyblack fruits con- tirmed his provisional det.

'tr=.=----.- .*-\

L.ls \- /z

' Clretutpotliunt arrtbntsir t itl t's dcl.T.G.F.varrs. 1979 O

15 Elaeagnusumbellata Thunb. : Dartford Heath(W. Kent), Oct. 1978. J.R. Palmer. Hb. EJC. One bird-sownsapling, about 18 ins. high, in the gun club areaof the heath. In JRP'sown South Darenthgarden the edible,speckled-silver orange-red, one-seeded drupes are freely produced in the autumn. It is an essentiallydeciduous shrub with leavesgreen above, shining and silvery beneath,and is often used horticulturally as a grafting rootstock (seeHb. EJC) for the more popular evergreenspecies. It is a variable species(incl. E-.pantifolia Royle), hence the conflicting book descriptions:"yellowish- brciwn shoots" of Hilliers' Manual versus"densely white-scaly branchlets" of J. Ohwi's I"lora of Japan. Our young shootswere silvery,hence it keys out wrongly in RHS Dicr. Gardening2:737 . The erringcouplets, 3 - 5, couldbe replacedmore reliably by: Lvs oval,ovate or obovate Fls I - 7+ in axils,pedicels 3 - 12 mm;fr orange-red, subglobose,6-8mm ... E. umbellalaThunb. Fls 1 3 in axils,pedicels 15 - 50 mm; fr deeporange, oblong,c, 15 mm . . . E. multiflora Thunb. Lvs narrowly oblongto lanceolate Fls I - 3( 5) in axils,pedicels 1 5 mm;fr yellow, ellipsoid,l0 - 20 mm . .. E. angustifoliaL. (incl. E. orientalisL.) In spite of claims to the contrary, the two related spp. aboveare not (yet) on our list of Br. aliens.Indeed , E. umbellatahas only the one previousrecord which is detailed aboveunder Coto neast e r. Hypeicum xylosteifolium (Spach)N. Robson: On ledgeon a steeprail embankment (now disusedrailtrack), near Monkton Moor, near Ripon (Mid W. York), Sept. 1979. Mrs. F. Houseman.BM. Det. Dr. N.K.B. Robson,as "a nativeof the westernCaucasus and adjacentTurkey, and it has not been recordedas an escapein Britain before. It is widely,though not commonlycultivated here." The one, smallbush was c. 1 mile from the nearesthabitation (a farm), on Permianlimestone bed-rock. Better known by gardenersas H. inodorum Wrlld., non Miller. Our plant does resembleH. inodorum Miller (1L elatum Aiton), a well-known Br. alien,but the Ripon plant hassmaller leaves, stems compressedor slightly two-winged above, solitary or very few-flowered,tight clustersof small, terminal flowers with narrower.petalsand sepals,and with yellow marginalglands to the sepals(the glandsare absentin somewild and garden? popu- lations). Nuphar advena(Ait.) Ait. f. : Pain'sHill Park lake, Cobham(Surrey), 1979. Mrs. J.E. Smith. Conf. Ken Page.Previously recorded as N. lutea, which is absentfrom the lake. Perhapsplanted here in the 1Sth century,when the gardenswere made: other naturalised plants include sheets of Convallaria maialis, Tellima grandiflora, Prunus laurocerasus,P. lusitanicus,Philadelphus coronaius, etc. This N. American species aggregateis probably overlookedelsewhere: the form here has "very red stamensand nectaries",which indicatedsomething exotic. Crassulahelmsii: Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserv, near Colchester(N. Essex), August1976.Dr. KJ. Adams. RiverEast Yar, nearSandown (lsle of Wight),Oct. 1979.B. Shepard. These two records, comm. A.H. Vaughan escapedmy summaryin the last News, pp. 12 - 13. Dr. J.L. Mason and myself also saw it, dominatinga gardenpond in Newton (I. of W.) back in Sept. 1966, and floweringprofusely (Hb. EJC),but I have yet to find ripe seedon any Br. material.

16 Ricinus communis L. : Industrialdump, Greenhithe(W. Kent), Sept. 1979. J.R. Palmer.Some 30 plants up to 4 ft. tall, flowering well, and with a few, well-developed fruits. Florence Gravestockhas kindly provided a drawing for us of a cultivatedplant which shows up well its exotic appearance,with leavesup to 2 ft. across.The Castor Oil Plant is a variable shrub (usually grown as an annual) that keepsthe "splitters" happy, but not me! Presumablyintroduced here by the oil/food processingindustry, aswas the accompanyingCeratonia siliqua (see above).

w^"ruA \ \\ \\ ?.-" .S \

,/' I I ---' | l--/ .:-\"/ *--'-^, ;l.-1;='"''"$i ' *\ * W '/ t *Y','"'",/' \{ 4d/ "ilf'\l i'!i \\ // \rr\ \or\i,' \\J.".1-i*,r*^/ li f''',-( l K"iieV r\d Ricinuscommunis del.I.F. Gravestock @

t7 Pachyphragmamacrophyllum (Hoffm.) Busch: Grounds of Broncroft Castle, near CravenArms (Salop),June 1979. MissM.S. Fuller. Hb. EJC. Presumablyonce intro- duced,in a partly-shadedarea lefi quite wild; closeby is DentariabulbiJera in similar habitat,but not intermingling.A rhizomatouscrucifer with white flowersin the spring, originatingfrom the Caucasusand E. Asia Minor;describedin Fl. Turkey l:341 and RHS D,c/. Gardening4:2101. Known also as Thlaspi macrophyllum Hoffm. and ln latiJitliumBieb., the only previousBr. recordis from a wood nearFailand(N. Somerset) seeWild F'bwer Magazine349'.21 (1967). Many other specieshave also naturalizedin this locality: a shadedwall wasclothed with the tiny Arenaria baleaica (det. EJC); Soxifraga cymbalaria and Cordamineraphanifolia ("spread into many damp areas")were alsonoteworthy. Rubuspergratus Blanchard: Margin of MerristWood, nearGuildford (Surrey), Aug. 1979.G.R. 963.535.Dr. A.C. t-eslie& Mrs.J.F. lrslie. FIb.ACL. Det.A. Newton.At leasttwo populations,perhaps introduced by the nearbyAgricultural College nursery. Stemsc. 3 m., erect,with almostno armatureand grooved.See Watsonia l1(4):38 I. Sonchusmnritimus L. : Gatton, near Reigate(Surrey), Sept. 1857. John Linnell. BM. Det. L. Boulos, 1961, the world authority on the genusas "new to the British Flora". It is nativein Europeup to N.W. France,but I presume(no proof!) that this plant was in marshyground by a stream("Relicts of an old bog garden",quoting J.E. Lousley) in Gatton Park, where Cirsium olersceum (L.) Scop. still persistsin plenty 1955 - 1970+ (comm. Mrs. J.E. Smith). The Sonchusmay also be still therel but mostof the introductionshave now diedout. Tragopogonhybridus L. : Regularly (but rather rarely) occurs about gardensas a singletonintroduced with wild-birdfood. Two samplerecords follow: Gardencasual, Swaffham (W. Norfolk), July 1977. E.L. Swann.Det. EJC. Gardencasual, Swanland (S.8. York), July 1978.R. Essex-Crosby.Hb. F.E.Crackles. Det. EJC. "It had pink flowers, appearedto be Tragopogon-l|ke,but with very few flowersin onehead." (FEC). Jill Smythieshas provided us with the superb,botanical drawing on our cover,drawn from a Spanishspecimen (Casares turning, prov. M-ala*ga, May 1979).Noteworthy are the dimorphicfruits: the outer achenesare crownedwith (3 ) 5 (--7) aristatescales, the inner with a pappus of long plumose hairs this separatesit from other Tragopogon spp. and puts it into a monotypic genusas ()eropogonhybridus (L.) SchultzBip. (G. glaber L.) for many botanists e.g. I;kra'l'urkey 5:668 (1975). Such dimorphic cypselasoccur in other Compositae:it is an'advanced'mechanismfbr utilisingmore than one mode of seeddispersal. Current thought suggests that it is not, in itself,worthy of recognitionat genericlevel (witnessthe "sunk" generaof Thincia, Spitzelia,etc.). The ligulateflorets of this annualare f'ew,pinkishJilac in colourand much shorter than the phyllaries- seecoloured photograph (no. 292) in lJuxley& Taylor'sFlower of Greeceand the Aegean, wrongly caplioncd as ,St:rtrzonerapurpurea (in which the florets exceedthe phyllaries).It is frequentthroughout the Mediterraneanregion and the NearEast, on both rocky slopesand in cultivatcdground. Pleasedrop me a line if you spoterrors in lhcscnoles: I light longand hard, and I often lose,trying to sort out which book is corrccl whcn two or more contraryfacts are expressed!... .. And don't forgetto kecpscnding to me all your excitingrecords or bewilderingfinds, even the old ones(Ihe Srtru:husahovc was an 1857record). ERIC J. CLEMENT, l3 Shelford, Burritt l{oad, KINGSTON-ON-TIIAMES, Surrey,KT1 3HR.

18 BEEORCHID SURVEY

vtc E COUNTY AOUNOAR Ii5

lfji

i .J "-/"

We now have l4 recordersscattered througihout England and the Channellsles, but rvewould welcomemore participants, particularly in theblank areas. So l'ar we haveobservations on the percentageof floweringplants in eachcolony, the mean height of the inllorescenceand lhe numberof flowers,in addition to the numbero1'vegetative plants. lt is alreadyclear that considerabledifferences exist in the numberof' plantswhich llower at any site in the sameyear, even at siteswhich are close together.Mr. R. Day,who hasnow recordedtbr two years,has had dramatic changes in his populationnear Cambridge. tn 1978,39 out of'58 plantswere flowering, whereas in 1979only 3 planlswere lbund, all of whichwere in flower. lfyou areinlerested in tlrisinvestigation please contact. LYNNEFARRELL,, NCC. Godwin Housc, HIJNTINGDON, PEl8 6BU. TERRYWELLS. ITE, MonksWood, Abbots Ripton, HLINTINGDON PE 172LS.

19 BLACK NIGHTSHADE SURVEY - SECONDINTERIM REPORT The Black NightshadeSurvey has continued to generatean enthusiasticresponse from BSBI members.I receiveda further 178 completedcards in 1979,making a grand total of 278 recordsto date. Many membersrequested additional cards, and enquired whether the surveywas to be continuedtbr a furtheryear. In view of the interestthat the surveyhas provoked, I think that it will be well worth continuingwith it for 1980. The completed record cards again representeda good spreadof the vice-counties, thoughI havestill not receivedany at all from vice-counties2,30,36,39,42-44,46, 4l'49,52,53,56 and63. Moreover, onlyonerecordhassofarbeenreceivedfromeach of thevice-counties4,5,7,10, 12,13,23-25,34,37,38,40,50,54,5i,61,62and64. I shouldtherefore be most gratefulif mernbersin all thesevice-counties would recordany BlackNightshades that they cameacross this season. As a resultof the explanatorynotes given in the first interimreport (BSBI News,2l'. pp. l2-13 (1919)), most of the scoringdifficulties encountered

20 However,seven new recordsof the glandular-hairedcasual S. sarrachoidesSendtn. were received,making a total of 11 to date(fromvice-counties 14,16,17, 18,20,24,29,34, 3l and 40). Two of these recordswere of the form with the completelyaccrescent calyx which enclosesthe entire berry. Again, this speciesis probably more widespread in the south-eastthan previouslysupposed, and more positiverecords of it would prove invaluablein solvingthe taxonomicproblems associated with this species(referred to by A.C. Leslie in BSBI News, 12: p.l3 (1976)).Whereany identificatorydifficulties arisewith this species,I should be most grateful for a good pressedspecimen of part of the plant concerned,and particularly any specimenwhere the calyx is completely accrescent.In addition.where populations of S. sarrachofulesare foundgrowing next to, or near,populations of S. nigrum, membersshould especially be on the look out for possiblehybrids (i.e. Solanum x procurrens Leslie).These are usually large,vigorous plantscovered with flowersand small,purple, seedlessberries. Such hybrids are again thought to be rnore colrunon than previouslysupposed, and, where hybridisationis suspected,I would very muchlike to seea branchof the appropriateplant. Memberscontinued to sendin usefulnotes on the morphologicalvariation apparent in the plantsbeing scored,and on the habitatsfrom which they werecollected. These are providinginrportant information on the nrorphologicalvariation exhibited by both S. nigrum and S. sarrachoidesn Britain, and on their preferredhabitats. When scoring difTicultieswere encountered,members often sentme samplespecimens, which usually resolvedthe relevantproblem. I am most grateful to all memberswho haveso far helped in the survey,either by scoringplants, by sendingme specimens,or by kindly answering my queriesover scoringproblems. I havetried to write to everyrecorder acknowledging their record and confirming their identification.If I haveoverlooked anyone, please acceptmy apologiesand be assuredthat your recordwas most gratefullyreceived. This year, pleasekeep a speciallook out for S. nigrum subsp.sclzal/esii and lor S. sarrachotles, and also for the missingcasuals S. scabntm,S. americanumand S. chenopodioides.I shall look forward to receivingyour new records,and will be pleasedto sendmore blankcards to anymember requesting them. iENNIFERM. EDI,IONDS,Botany School, Downing Street, CAMBRIDGE, CB2 3EA. SOLANUM NIGRUM L. subsp. SCHULTESII (Opiz) Wessely in Britain This alienrace of the BlackNightshade conres from the drierparts of central,southern and easternEurope and apparentlyhas not beenrecognised before in Britain,although it was first collectedover 30 yearsago. It is distinguishedfrom subsp.rrrgrura by its hairier stems,with at leastsome hairs ascending or spreadingand most of them with a small apicalgland. In subsp.nigrum the stem is lesshairy, the hairsare all appressed and long (multicellular)glandular hairs are absent.The illustration(reproduced from FlrtraNeerlandica 4:156 (1966) by kind perrnissionol the Royal NetherlandsBotanical Society),clearly shows the two extremecases. Not all plantsof ssp.schultesii however havequite suchunifbrmly spreading hairs. The followingare all the knownBritish records

Stcm hairs of Solanum nigrum (a) subsp.nrgram (h) subsp.sc ltu I t t'sii

(u) (b)

2l The following are all the known British recordsfbr ssp.schultesii: v.c.1I SouthHants. Southampton Docks. J.E. Lousley.12th October 1958. BM,K. Det.J.M. Edmonds. 1973. v.c.l6 West Kent. Refusetip, Greenhithe,GR5 1/589.746. E.I . Clement andJ.R. Palmer. 28th October1979. Herb.ACL. Det. EJC. v.c.17 Suney. Near ThamesLock, Weybridge.Mrs. J. Mclean.29th July 1971. Herb.ACL.Det. EJC ( 1979). v.c.l8 South Essex.(a) Near Rainham Station. N.Y. Sandwith. 1946. K. Det. JME. 1973.First Britishrecord. (b) Waste ground on the former Hornchurch Marsheseast of the Ford Motor Works,Dagenham, GR52/505.819, 508.820 and 504. 816.A.C. Leslie.30th October 1979. Herb.ACL. Conf. JME. v.c.28 West Norfolk. Sand dune, Thornham Harbour, Holme Nature Reserve,GR531723.447. D. M. Donald.20th August 1979. Re-visitingthe last locality a few weeks later DMD and I could only find plants of subsp.nigrum, unfortunately the specimencollected previously had not beenretained. Howeverits characterswere enteredon a BSBI SolanumSurvey record card and this definitelyshowed that it had spreading,multicellular, glandular hairs. It is interestingthat the Rainham and Dagenhamsites are less than one mile apart and in view of the persistenceof Solanum sanachoidesSendtn. em. Bitter in this area for over 50 years, it seemshighly likely that S. nigrum subsp.scftzltesii has also been about here,un-noticed, since at least 1946. Is it perhapsstill in SouthamptonDocks? If anyonehas specimens or recordsfrom other localitiesor can commentfurther on those given I should be glad to hear from them. It is clearly a plant that is easilymissed and may well be more widespreadon refusetips and on wasteground in big cities.Don't forget that any new recordsof this and any other speciesin the S. nigrum group should also be enteredon a BSBI SolanumSurvey record card and sentto Dr. J.M. Edmonds in Cambridge(see page 2l). I am gratefulto Dr. J.M. Edmonds,Mr. E.J. Clementand Mr. D.M. Donaldfor their help in preparingthis note. A.C. LESLIE,Monksilver, 72 BoxgroveRoad, GUILDFORD, Surrey, GU1 I UD. REQL,TESTS

ROSI MAPPING The Rev. G.G. Graham(see BSBI News23, p.3 l) is particularlyinterested in mapping rosesby tetradsas has been successfully adopted in Leicestershireand Durham.But some degreeof rationalisationis essential. Therefore: (i) he would prefer to see a representativesample of fresh specimens collected in the early fruiting stages,before advisingon procedure. (ii) pressedspecimens should be collected in duplicate and one of each pair of specimenssent to him, the otherbeing retained by the sender. Good speclmensif adequatelylabelled will be placed in the herbarium of the SunderlandMuseum. It is too expensiveof time and postageto return specimensfrom a privateaddress. G.G.GRAHAM, The Vicarage,Hunwick, CROOK, Co. Durham. (Tel: BishopAuckland (0388) 4456).

22 RUMEX CRISPUSL. (CURLED DOCK) ON TIDAL MUD As part of an investigationof variatlonit Rumex crispus,Ihave been studying popu- lations of this speciesfrom tidal mud in rivers.These populations, referable to var. uliginows Le Gall, show a numberof distinctivemorphological and ecologicalfeatures. Comparedwith other populationsof R. crispus,plants l'rom riverine tidal mud have almostuncrisped leaves and a verytall (to l.-Snr) inflorescence,with long.loosebranches. The perianthsegments, in mature fruit, bearthree well-developed corky tubercles.These plantscommence flowering towards the end ol May earlierthan other populationsof R. crisptrs.Their characteristichabitat is near the top of steep,muddy banksin the zone where fresh and salt water interact.Often the plantsare immersed bv hieh tides. Aa4\4 ,,,1", Iiruits of R. crispasviewed from aboveto show irrrangenlentcrf tubercles. 1 - 3 var. crispus (3 ) 4 var. uligittostts

I arn mappingthe distributionof'this variantin Britainand Irelandand wouid there- lbre be very gratefulto receiveany informationfrom B.S.B.l.members about'Docks' growingon tidal mud of rivers.Var. uliginosusis probablymuch overlooked. At present il is known with certainty from the RiversMedway, Taw and Wye (notablyat Tintern Abbey)in Britainand from the Fergus(notably at Clarecastle),Nore and Shannonin Ireland. Any field observationsare of valueto me, especiallyif accompaniedby a herbarium specimen.To conveymaximum infbrmation, herbarium malerial is bestcollected at the time of lloweringor when the plantsare in matureliuit (lateAugust - earlySeptember). Ilasalleaves should be includedif possible,together wilh a note on the heightof the plants in the population.I shouldalso be interestedto know whetherR. crispuswas 'weed'o1'cultivated presentnearby as a ground,waysides etc. I shallgladly refund postageand I shallbe happy to explainmore aboutRumex to tltosewho sendinfornration. I mustadd a word of warning the mud on whichthese plrllts grow is glutinousand snellyl lt can bc hazardous,so pleasedo not takeany unnecessaryrisks. .l.R. AKLROYD.School of Botany,Trinity College, DUBLIN 2, Eire.

I]RISTOLADVENTTVE FLORA l9fil will mark the -50thanniversary of' thepublication of TheAdvcntive l"ktra oJ'the [\trt o.f Bristol, by Cecil l. Sandwith,and, as a tribute to an eminentBristol botanist, it is tny intention to preparea Supplemenlto this work. I shouldtherelbre welcome anypreviously unpublished records of aliensl'rrrnt the Bristol area. l)uring the fbrtlicornirigseason I hope to curnnrencea nrappingschenre for the city coveringthe comntoneralien taxa and offers ol'help from rnemberswould be gratefully acccp ted. Al)ltlAN 1..GRENFELL, 19 StationRoad, Winlerbourne Down, BRISTOL. BSlT lEP.

23 ROADSIDEHALOPHYTES I.h^Y: recently - begun-a.Ph.D. project studying the invadinghalophyte species of N.E. England's trunk roads. These include the British maritime ip.ci.s pttccinelliadistans, P. maitima, spergutaria prantago maina, s. media, maritima, p. coronopus, Aster tripolium, cochlearia officirwlk and,Suaetla maritima. As part of the project I would like to- record any invasionof roads elsewherein Britain. I h.u. unconfirmed reports of at least Puccinellia, clistansgrowing on the Al to London and acrossthe pennines on the M62, presumably spreadingfrom the North East.I hope to visit theseand any other reportedsites and have alreadyvisited the Kent roadsidesites reported by J.S. Badmin (llatsonia 12 (4) 390) which have Puccinellia distans, Spergularia murina, Plantagocoronopus and,Hortleam mainum. This invasionof our roadsideshas much in commonwith the lgth centuryinvasion of our railways, with propagulesbeing swept considerabledistances in the slipstreanrs of passingvehicles. It would be interestingio recordthe presentdistribution of all the speciesinvolved and I hope memberscan help. Invasionby maritimespecies seems to be restricted to roads receiving sufficiently high levelsof winter de-icingsalt to cause smallbare patches on roadsideverges (often refJrredto as.saltUum,y. other invadingspecies - are also of interest.In the last decadein the North Eastwe havehad quite a spectacular invasionby the speciesHordeum jubatum which now lines most of our trunk roads. I hope to find time to work on the roadsideinvasion of this speciesand would be interested to hearreports (particularly first reports)of thisand anf other roadsideinvading alien species.Roadsides are not a particularlypleasant habitat to botanisein and can be a hazardousone. Still I hope rorn. rn"nrt.rs will be s'ffic- iently interestedin this phenomenonto look at theirlocal trunk roads. NICK scorr, Dep't.of plant Biology,university, NEWCASTLE upoN TYNE NE1 7RU SHEPHERD'SPURSE I am currentlyengaged in researchat the New Universityof lllster, Coleraine,involv- ing a study of the variation displayedby the common weed Shepherd'spurse (bapsella bursa'pastoris (L). Medik). A subspecificclassification of the speciesin ireland is being attempted, and I shouldbe extremelygrateful for seedmaterial accompanied by a few general 'rubbish site descriptions,e.g. tip with compactedsandy soil, or a back garden with freshlydisturbed soil'. Grid referencesof the populationsiies and someherbarium specimenswould be an addedbonus. Seed materialto be collectedin paperenvelopes, please, not plasticbags; and only above-groundparts of leafy herbarium specimensare required,postage lefunded if requested.Please send to:

MARTIN BRADLEY, School of Biologicaland EnvironmentalStudies, The New Universityof Ulster,COLERAINE, Co. Londonderrv. DOWNINGIA ELEGANS Further to the note in BSBI News2r, p.l4,and 23, p.r0 aboutDowningia eregans in Milton Keynes,the site at L-oughtonwas destroyedi; iD79 by the constructionof a footpath. Afier a moderatebut by no meansextensive search one plant wasfound at Willenin 1919. JOHNG. KELCEY,Bradwelt Abbey FieldCentre, MILTON KE\NES.

24 LEUCOJUM VERNUM As a resultof the lettersand specimensreceived concerning Leucoium venrum,(.see BSBI News Nov. 1974,p.ll), a few interestingpoints have arisenwhich may help to shedlight on the statusof the plant in this country. The variable factor in this very early floweringLeucoium is the colour of the small mark near the tip of the three outer tepals of each bloom. In those from the Dorset populations and from France the markingsare a true green,and though the shadecan vary in different seasons,they remainof this colour.In the formsusuaily grown in gardens, I.u. 'Wagneri'and L.v. carpaticumthey are much more yellow green,in fact someforms of the latter can be almost yellow. As these tbrms were both originally collected in Eastern Europe, .this appearsto indicate a geographicalvariant, perhapscontinuous acrossEurope from west to east. All naturalisedplants in this country that havebeen examined belong to oneof these two continental forms and have conspicuouslyyellow or yellow-greenmarkings. If, as some authorities state, the Englishcolonies are all introductionstoo, one would expect them to be of the same origin. The fact that one at least of the two coloniesbelieved to be native shows affinities only with the truly wild coloniesof WesternEurope does seemto point to their originbeing a continuationof theirdistribution across the Channel. Obviously befbre anything other than tentative suggestionscould be put forward it would be necessaryto havemore information about the continentaipopuiations, particu- larly those of mid-Europe,but the facts as observeddo seemto havesome significance. KENNETH A. & GILLIAN BECKETT, Bromley Cottage,Stanhoe, KING'S LYNN, Norfolk.PE3l 8QF.

PLANT RECORDSFOR SHROPSHTRE(VC 40) The currentproject for the publicationof a new Floraof Shropshireis due to cor.neto an end in 1980. I would be very gratefulfor any plant recordsfor Shropshirefor the period 1970 1980. I would be particularlygrateful for any recordsfor criticalplant groups. PerhapsI could take this opportunityto thank thosevisitors who havealready sup- pliedgreatly appreciated records for the county, I.C.TRUEMAN, Department of BiologicalSciences, The Polytechnic, WOLVERHAMPTON,WVI I LY.

I am a l-ocalGovernment Parks and Open SpacesOfficer with the LondonBorough of Barnetand am currentlyundertaking a coursein leisure Management,part of which involveswriting a detailedreport. I havechosen as my project the establishmentand nlanagementof a NatureTrail in the ScratchwoodsOpen Space, Mill Hill,LondonN.W.7. Might I ask if any membersliving in the vicinity would be interestedin helpingme, togetherwith others,to carry out a surveyof the flora at this OpenSpace. Would any- onewilling to assistplease contact me at: J.D. REA, 4 Audax. lower Strand.Colindale. LONDON NW9 5tj(.

25 ORCHIDSPECIES AT WALTHAM ABBEY We hear from Dr. C.A. Beck oJ' the Ministry of DeJbnce,Propellants, Explosivesand Rocket Motor Establishment(PERME ) about the interestingstand of Dactylorhiza on this industrial site. The orchids occur on one of the smallerfiring rangesin an areawhich is very little disturbed or visited. The land was formerly a worked-outgravel pit which wasfilled with fly ashfrom an adjacentpower station and left to regeneratenaturally. The watertable is high and the areais frequentlywaterlogged, particularly in winter. Overthe yearsthe area has become heavily overgrown with Salix save for small clearingswhere firing experimentsare carried out. In 1970 the presenceof an orchidpopulation was recognised, and they werevisited and identifledby Dr. Brenanand Mr. Hunt of the Royal BotanicGardens, Kew. They recordedDactylorhiza fuchsii, D. incamata,D. incarnatassp.pttlchellaandD. praetermissa the latterin threecolour forms. They also noted three hybrids, D. x wintoni,D. x grandis. andD. x kernevorum. Until about 1975someone from Kew visitedus annuallyduring the floweringseason to viervand ccluntthem. The orchidpopulation has maintained its numbersup to the lastyear or two, but now appearsto be declining.They survivedthe exceptionalsummer of 1976 when the water table h the soil virtuallyvanished and their decliningnumbers now may be due to the steadilyencroaching undergrowth and to the increasingrabbit population.lt seemsa pity to let what must be the only colony of D. incarnatanear London, fadeinto oblivion and I would welcomeany suggestionsyou ntaymake to preventthis happening. We are anxiousto ensurethe continuedexistence of this interestingorchid colony. and althoughit is proposedto utilisea proportionof the surroundingland at sometime in the future, we havebeen careful to designatethe orchid areafor preservation.lf any memberof BSBI would careto visit the sile andsee these orchids in flowerduring June, I am sure this can be arrangedif adequateprior noticeis given.Applications should be addressedto: THE DIRECTOR, PERME,Powdermill Lane, WALTIIAM ABBEY.Essex ENC lBP.

Editor's note Mr. E. Ntilne Redhcad says he visitcd the sito last ycar and coniirms thc urgcnt necessityof' some conservationwork to majntain this valuablccolony. The full taxonomy, with authors and common namcs kindly supplicd by the Herbarium at Kcw is givcn below for the bcncfit of thosc interestcdin this group. DactylorhizaJircli.sri (Druce) So6 ((lommon Spottcd Orchid) D. incarnata(t..) So5 (FlarlyM:rrsh Orchid) D. incarnala(L.) ssp.pulcht,lla (Heslop ilarrison l'.1Soir (l,urplc l,arly l!!arshOrchid) D. pra(tcrmissa(l)ruce) So6 (SouthernMarsh ()rt:hid) It y brids D. x grandis (Druce) P.F. Hunt D. praclcrmissa x l). .futhsii D. x kernevorun (5o6) So5 D. luchsii x l). iru:arnuta D. x wintoni (Druce) 5o6 D. incarnata x D. Jtrartrrmissu

ForeignBotanical Tours l9{10 Furtherto the note on BSBImembers who arelcading tours this year we shouldadd the namescrf SusanEden (one ol'the Editorso|llutvtniu), and HurnphreyBowen (formerlyMeetings Secretary) who areconducting tours lirr I)eregrineHolidays (40 41 SouthParade, Summertown, Oxlbrd, OX2 7Jl'.

26 ANACAMPTISPYRAMIDALIS (L.) RICH. IN SUSSEX Six yearsago I found an areaon the South Downswith an abundanceof A. pyramidalis someof the plantsbore flowerswith emarginatelabella. I estimatedthat oneplant in ten had emarginatelips. In subsequentyears the numbershave diminisheduntil last year when I wasunable to find a singleplant bearingemarginate lips. Last Autumn I was shown a photographof this emarginateform on anotherpart of the South Downs about 30 miles from the original site. In this caseonly a singlespeci- men was found, althoughit must be addedthat a diligentsearch was not carriedout. Shortly after this I sawa paper-weightfor saleat a gardenopen day. It wasmade from a photographmounted in transparentplastic. To my surpriseit was a fine close-upof the intriguing form of emarginatepyramidalis. Enquiries were made about the manu- facturerin the hope that I may find yet anothersite, but my findhgs werenegative.

c) 3

lorma emarginata typical pyramidalis

I havehad a closelook at both forms and the only perceptibledifference is the shape of the lip. The only other orchid in the immediatearea of the first sitewas Gymnadenia conopsea,with DactylorhizaJuchsii growing about half a mile away. The thoughtsof a bigenerichybrid had passedthrough my mind, but as both theseorchids have trilobed labeliaI doubt verymuch if thisis the reasonfor the enrarginatelip. It would be most interestingto hear from anyonewho has seenthis form or who could give me any intbrmationregardirg habitat and assc'rciatedspecies etc. So far all I havc been able to do is to suggestthe nanreAnacamptis pyramidolis lorma entarginata. Any commentswould be most welcome. A.G.IIOARE, 159 St. Mary's Drive, Pound Hill, CRAWLEY, Sussex. RH10 3BCl.

Giant Hogweed Tlrank you MissHatch Barnwelllor your interestin Giant HogweedBSBI News22, p.l7) and ref'erenceto medicalusage. ln KashmirI visitedthe GovernmentResearch station and saw Heracleumsp. growingthere for experimentalproduction of photo- tropic chemicals.Used in India as covercreams in melanophoricdiseases (which produce palepatches on the skin), this usehas been taken up in the westernworld for browning crearnsto give a sun-tannedappearance. Did I detecta sardonicsmile on the face of crurKashtniri guide at the thoughto1'pale-skinned E,uropeans poying fbr browningagents? Mary Briggs

27 NATURALIZED FUCHSIA POPULATIONSIN IRELAND In coastalareas of lreland,hedges "dripping" with the scarletand purpleflowers of I"uchsiaare a spectacularfeature of the landscape.Early recordsindicate that a cultivar 'Riccartonii' called was usedas a hedgeplant in Kerry but Praeger,at least,considered that F. magellanicavar. macrostema(.syn. F. gracilis)was also used.Until recently seed of Fuchsiawas sold in Kerry, but reports indicate that"Fuchsia does not set viable seed in someareas. A study of variationin Fuchsiapopulations in Irelandis beingundertaken. I request the co-operationof botaniststo obtain cuttingsof Fuchsiafrom asmany areasof lreland as possible.I requireabout 10 cuttingsof Fuchsia,approx.25 cm.long,taken at random from hedgesin widely separatelocalities. Each cutting shouldbe taken after the begin- ning of May so that there is young growth availablefrom different plants,say at 3 metre intervals along a hedge,but cuttingsshould not be taken from aroundpresently in- habited houses.The 10 cuttings from eachseparate hedgerow should be wrappedin slightly damp newspaper,placed in a plasticbag (which must Nor be sealedor tied with stringbut left open,although folded over)and postedto me at the addressbelow; postagewill be refunded.If more than one set of cuttingscan be selected,they should be taken from hedgesseveral kilometres apart, but the cuttingsfrom differenthedges should NOT be mixed. The locality from which the l0 cuttingswere taken shouldbe carefullyrecorded. DR. E. CHARLESNELSON, National Botanic Gardens. Glasnevin. DUBLIN 9.

BOOKNOTES In the July part of llatsonia,Vol. 13 (2), reviewsof the following books will be included: A selective Dictionary of Trees, Plants and Flowers, English-l'-renchlFrench-English, by J. - P. Michaux. Holy Thorn of Glastonbury,by A.R. Vickery. Plant Breedingand Geneticsin Horticulttre,by C. North. TheFlora of Kintyre, by M.H. Cunninghamand A.G. Kenneth. InvestigatingChromosomes, by A.F. Dyer. The Biology and raxonomy of the solanaceae,edited by J.G. Hawkes,R.M. lester andA.D. Skelding. IslandEcology, by M.Gorman. An EcologicalFlora of Breckland,edited by p.J.O.Trist. SecretoryTissues in Plants,by A. Fahn. Botany. A Study in Pure Curiosity,by J.-J. Rousseau. Survivalor Extinctbn, editedby H. Syngeand H. Townsend. A Woodin Ascam,by A. Fitter andC. Smith. Mountain Flower Holidays in Europe, by L. Bacon. Surveyol'Taxonomy in Bitain, A.B.R.C.Review Group on Taronomy. Orchidsof Northem Europe,by S. Nilsson. The following books havebeen receivedrecently. Those that will NOT be reviewed rn Watsoniaare markedby an asterisk. TropicalBr,ttany, edited by K. Larsenand L.B. Holm-Nielsen. VegetationDynamics, by J. Miles.

28 The F'loraol'ltliltshire, by J.D. Grose(reprint). Topics in Plant Pr.tpulationBiologn,, edited by O.T. Solbrig,S. Jain, C.B. Johnsonand P.[{.Raven. The Fbra ol'County Carlov,,by EvelynM. Booth. Iletmoor Nanue Resene.A Guide,edited by G. Hendry. Synoptic Limnologv: the Analysis of British fireshwaterEcosystems, by P.S.Maitland. DiscoveringBotany, by P.F.Hunt. *Httvt GrassesGrow,2nd edition,by R.H.M.Langer. Studies in Biologyno.34. Pp.66, with 28 text-figures.Edward Arnold. lnndon. 1979.Price J1.95. l'his booklet on the structure and grorvth of agriculturalgrasscs was given a qualitied welcornc by I)r. Launert in llatsonia l0: 102 (1974). Thc shortcomingsthat he mentioned narrownessof scope and irnprecise morphology are still in evidcncc, although the tcxt is statctl to have bcen "brought up to date or nrodificd in the light ofreccnt rcsearch". *Photosynthesisand PlantDevelopment, edited by R. Marcelle,H. Clijstersand M. Van Poucke.Pp.376, with frontispieceand numeroustext-figures. Dr. W. Junk. The Hague, Boston& London.l9l9.Prtce not stated. 'I ltis volume includes 32 papers, wliich constitute the proceedingsof a confcrcnce held at the LinrburgsUnivcrsitair Centrurn, Iielgiunr, in July. 1978.'l'he subjcct appearsto be covered in depth, as can be seenfrom a list of thc headingsundcr which the influence of photosynthcsisis discussed: lcaf developmcnt, flowering, mineral nutrition and growth re€ulators,source-sink relations, nitrogcn metabolism,pesticides. pathogen infection. *VegetaceCSSR.A10. Die strasserbegleitendenRasengesellschaJ'ten im GebirgeOrlicki httt1,1rrrr1 seinem Vorlande, by K. Kopecky.Pp.258, with 2l black& white platesand 90 text-figures.Academia Prague, 1978. Price not stated. l he latest volume in this useful and comprehensiveseries on (lzech vegetationdeals in great detail with roadsidcplants and plant comnrunitiesin and around the Orlickd mountajns- *Bktktgy,2ndedition, by J.F. Case.Pp. xii + 672,with nunreroustext-figures. Collier MacmillanPublishers, [-ondon. 1979. Price f,10.95. In this well-illustratedte.\t-book, plants, aninralsand man arc trcated under gencralheadings such as Genctic Biology and Multiccllular l.ife and L,volution. The latter section in particular, will be of intcrest to U.S.B.l.mentbers. Like the rest of thc trook, it containsclear explanationsof modern devclopmcnts in the subject. Indeed, tlrosc who require a gencral tcrl-book of biology should give thisone seriousconsideration- NORN{AN K.B. ROBSON, Dept. of Botany, British Museunr (Nat. llist.), LONDONSW7 5BD.

D.E.D. but resurrectioncoming Perhapsthe million or so elms did not die in vain,if the attendantpublicity has revived interest in our native trees,both woodlandand hedgerow.Brian Boalerof Pershorereports that his free servicesupplying oak and ashto farmershas reached 2,000 treesin eachof thelast two years. MelindaAppleby, formerly Secretary, Council for Natureis now havingconsiderable successin Suffolk working on one of the four New AgriculturalLandscape projects set up by the CountrysideCommission. She finds the localfarmers co-operate eagerly with the localConservation Corps in plantingOak, Ash, Field Mapte,Smallleafed Lime, llornbearn,Alder, Scots Pine, Dogwood and Hazel.

29 RECENTLY PUBLISHEDWORKS ON LOCAL FLORAS (Available,cash with order)* The Flora of County Carlow'.Evelyn M. Booth 172 pp',5 text figs;f,4.00 (paperback) f,7.00 (hardback);Royal Dublin Society This Flora fills a gap in our knowiedge by covcring an inland, as opposed to a coastal county. It has sectionson the history, climate, geology, soils and distribution, together with short articleson trees and woodland, bryophytes, lichens, fungi and algae,contributed by well-known Irish and British specialists. Paperbackavailable from Oundle Lodge, $4.50 incl. p & p. Hardbackfrom Royal Dublin Society,Thomas Prior House, Bellsbridge, Dublin 4. L1.50.

An EcologicalFlora of Breckland: P.J.O.Trist (Ed). 210 pp including570 distribution maps;{,1 8.50, EP Publishing. This important new work is still availableto members at ths pre-publicationoffer price of {'18.50 (otherwiset22.5O). The Flora as first published lacked an overlay for the distribution maps. The publishers have now agreed to produce an overlay which will be issued free of charge to anyone who would like it on receipt ofa stamped addressedenvelope 9" x 6", sent to Oundle Lodge.

The vegetationof the Outer Hebrides.'Andrew Currie,46 pp. - fl .00 (Reprint). Taken from a Symposium on the area publishedby the Roy. Soc.Edinburgh in 19'79,this givesa conciseaccount of the vegetationof vc.i 10 with an historical introduction, a 200 iteni bibliography, and a provisional check list of the vascularI'lora as a 25 page appendix. ShropshireFlora vergesurvey: Charles Sinker, John Packhamand Ian Trueman. Woodsorrel on the Long Mynd: John Packham. Two OccasionalPapers of the Caradoc& SevernValley Field Club pp.60; text figs; tl .20+ 3 1pp. & p. (paperback). This lirst part of the Shropshire Flora project, analysing results from 78 road verge sites, had 3 'trial objectives: 1) a run'using a large number of amateur botanists: 2) to ascertainthe commonest species of vasculat plants in a widespread habitat: 3) to discover the relation between speciesdistri- bution and environmental factors. The paper on Wood Sorrel demonstrates the effect of aspect on a speciessensitive to low humidity and high light intensity. POSTER .THESE ENDANGEREDPLANTS ARE PROTECTEDBY LAW' Millions of people have still not got the messageour poster conveys. The Society has a large stock which we wish to clear as soon as possible, at a reduced price. Pleasehelp the Society and the conservation of our flora by buying a small quantity - say 10 - 20 and selling these to local schools, colleges, libraries etc., or give them to children as prizes or for oirthdays. They are attractive and eagerly snapped up. (l sold 17 in l0 minutes at a Women's Insti- tute after a talk on endangeredwild flowers, a few weeks ago). The postersare now availableat the cost priceof 25 p eachplus packing and postage, or l0 for f3.00, 20 for f5.50 (p.& p. incl.).All the above,cash with order,from: * F. & M. PERRING,Oundle todge, Oundle, PETERBOROUGH, PE8 5TN.

SCOTTISHNEWSLETTER IssueNo.2 (Spring 1980) will be availableto all BSBI members.Regularly sent to membersresident in Scotlandand recordersfor v.c.in Scotland.memberselsewhere can receivea copyby sendings.a.e. to: DR. P. MACPHERSON15 LubnaieRoad. GLASGOW G43 2Ry.

30 CHANGESOF RECORDERS Tlie following recommendationsfor changesin Recordersmade by the Cornmittee for Scotlandwere approved by the RecordsCommittee at its meetingon 5th February. VC 82 Haddington Vacant 83 Edinburgh D. McKean,Royal BotanicGardens, Edinburgh 84 Linlithgow Vacant 81 Perth,West Dr. R.E.Thomas 89 Perth,East Dr. R.A.H. Smith 90 Forfar A. Ritche 107 Sutherland J.K.Butler The changesin VCs 82 84 follow the resignationof Betty Beattiefrom a task she hasundertaken long and well for the Society.I understandshe is leavingScotland to live further south and I am sure all her friendswill rvislrher a happy bcltanicalfuture in her new terrain. I would like to pay a personaltribute to her work fbr the Distribution MapsScheme, not oniy in the'Lothians'but for Scotlandin general:for about 5 years Betty actedas organiserfbr Scotlandand had it not beenfor herhard work andenthusi- asnt in the field and in administration,the resultsfrom Scotlandwould undoubtedly havebeen far lesscomplete. It is sad also to seeUrsula Duncan relinquishingForf'ar the county she has served so well as Recorderfor so long. I cannotbelieve anyone has ever, or will ever,know as ntuch about the flora of Forfar as she does she coveredthe county almostsingle lrandedfor the Maps Scheme.We must all hope that this depth of knowledgewill be encapsulatedin a pubiicationwhich doesjustice to her yearsof dedicatedenquiry. It is good to know that Dr. Duncanretains E. Rossand that her Floraof that vice-county will beavailable shortly. Not long after moving from Walesto live nearher daughterin Suffolk,Mrs. H.R.t{. Vaughan,M.B.E., was involvedin an unfortunateaccident and contlnedto hospitalfor severalweeks. However, she is up and about againnow and would still be willingto give her expert opinion on the genusRo,ra at her new address:20 St. John's Terrace, WOODBRIDGE,Suffolk.lPl2 lHP.Withtherecentincreaseinpostagemayweremind mernbersto sendreturn postageswith all enquiries.This Societyhas a long traditionof membersgiving voluntary service, including our Referees,but is not fair to leavethem t()pey postage on repliesor retun)of specinrens. F.H.Perring STOPPBESS Field meeting Louth/Monaghan/cavanwill now be held from 3rd - 6th Julv and not 26th - 29th June asshown in "Field Meetings,1980".

1980 EXHIBITION MEETING _ 22nd NOVEMBER (NOT 29th)

BSBI NEI4/S25 Contributionsintended for publicationin this issue must reachthe Editor BEFORElst AUGUST1980

31 CONTENTSLIST ADMINISTRATION Add resses Committee for waies ,q.G.v. i'ioiramrni . . . BSBI RegionVII - Scotland ClouncilRepresentative CommittbeforScotland Nominations. Subscriptio ns Proqrammesof 4 Meetings. HON. GEN. SECRETARY'S NOTES...... 4 From'C.From'C.forN.'toCoEnCo for N.'to CoEnCo .....4 MembershioAdministration -....5 ToxicSpravs...... 5 BSBI Plibliaationsat privilegeprices . . . . .5 Vice-countvnames. --.---.-..6 Vasculaaedin .,...6 EveninsPJirnrosesinWales .....6 Batolo!y-.....:...... 6 PlantineNative Trees& Shrubs ...... 1 I-eeacies ...... 7 WALTHAMSTOWMARSIIES ...... 7 NOTTCES . -.. -8 FernMeetingatAmbleside .....8 IrishRegion-meetingatLoughCarra- ...... 8 BSBlRubberStamp.' ...... 8 OrchidProblem:i...... 9 KcysfromtheB.M...... 9 ConservationofBritishBrvonhvtes...... ,9 TheBotanicalResearchFund.-...... 10 NewCountyTrust- Avon .. ..,...10 CourseonWaterPlants...... 10 FieldStudies...... 10 Excursiontolundylsland...... 11 lBRAPublications ...... 11 NaturalHistoryArticlesindex...... 11 BANC.. -....1t -fedlouslevTabletdcditated..Profile R.W.David ....12 -...... 11 ALIENSANAADVENTIVES-- ...... 14 {dvcntive\ewrl6 ...... 14 BFEORCIIIDSURVEY ...,,,..I9 BLACKNIGH'I'SI]ADDSIJRVF]Y ...... 2O St>lanumnigrunrssp.scltrrlttsii ....2l REQUESTS ...... 22 Rosamapping ...... 22 Rumexcrispisontrdalmud...... 23 BristolAdv'cnlrrcl'lora...... 23 Roadsidehalophvtes ...... 24 Slrepherd'spuise- ...... 24 D.ttt'ninq.ioelt{ans. --...... 24 Jcttcqtimv(rnum...... 25 PllntiecortlrlorShron:ltirc ....25 FlorasurvcyatltillHfll ...... 25 OrchidSpecieratWirltlram{bhey- .. ..26 AnaL'amitisnvrantidalisinSussei ...... 27 Naturali2edl;uchsiapopulationsinlreland ...... 28 BOOK NOTES RECENTLY PUBLISIIBDWORKS ON LO(]AL FLORAS . . . . 30 SCOTTISIINEWST,F]TTER .. . .30 (.HANGESOFRL,CORDERS-.-...... 3I

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"BSBI News" (ISSN0309-930X) is published by the BotanicalSociety of the Britishlsles. Enquiries concerningthe Society'sactivities and membershipshould be addressedto :- The Hon. Gen.Sec., BSBI, c/o Botany Dept, BritishMuseum (Nat. Hist.),Cromwell Road, London SW758D.

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