BSBI Yearbook 2024

BSBI

YEARBOOK2024

The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland is a learned society of professional and amateur botanists dedicated to the study of and interest in the British and Irish vascular plant and charophyte flora

Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (known as BSBI) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (8553976) and a charity registered in England and Wales (1152954) and in Scotland (SC038675). Registered office: 4 Beaconsfield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3RD

Halliday, Geoffrey

Leslie, Alan McCosh, David

Pilkington, Sharon

Rutherford, Alison Sankey, Ann Sharkey, Gerry

Smith, Ros

Whild, Sarah Wynne, Goronwy

7

esheehy@gmail.com

Field and Indoor Meetings Programme 2024

BSBI Field Meetings are both social and educational events, making them a great experience. In 2024 there are meetings specifically to help beginners and new members to see and to learn how to identify a wide range of species We encourage beginners to start to learn the Latin names of plants and for this reason we use the form Latin name (Common Name). For some species, the currently accepted Latin name is different to that given in field guides, and where this is the case the old name is given as [Latin name]. There are recording meetings, both to record “nice” sites and for local Floras. There are several “specialised” meetings that concentrate on particular groups of plants, though these aren’t necessarily just for specialists. We do encourage members and guests to take part. Unless stated otherwise, one day meetings are a full day and you will probably need to bring your own lunch.

The BSBI Field meetings and indoor events web page gives the current status of the planned field meetings and is “the place to go”. There you can select meetings of particular interest to you and there is a “mailto” link for booking or asking for further information. Most residential meetings have on-line booking and payment, and you can access this from the listing for that meeting. The deadline for the Yearbook means that there may be alterations or additions to the programme listed in the Yearbook, and these will be shown on the web page, which is regularly updated. In the future we hope to include local group meetings in the web page listing, but for now you will need to hunt through the vice-county web pages to find them.

The entries for the field meetings give an indication of their type to help members choose the most appropriate ones for them.

Beginners: these meetings are specifically for beginners or new members, or have a large component that is suitable for beginners.

General: these meetings will usually explore the whole flora of an area, often with some recording. Beginners and experts are equally welcome.

Specialised: the meeting will concentrate on one species or a particular group.

Recording: these meetings are often in support of a recording project or a local Flora and will involve all participants helping to log the flora. They are often less suitable for complete beginners, but beginners often find the most interesting plants.

Training: there will be a tutor (who may or may not be the leader) to help with basic or technical identification skills. Some training meetings are aimed at increasing the skills of improvers or widening the skills of experts, but others are aimed at complete beginners.

In addition, some meetings are given a “colour code” to give an indication of the terrain or amount of walking required. Green is easy going, yellow some steeper ascents or longer distances and red for mountainous terrain or long walks.

Whenbooking your place at a Field or Indoor Meeting, booking by email or online from the meeting page is strongly encouraged Please book with the given contact in advance for each meeting that you would like to attend so that the leaders can finalise meeting plans and let you know of any changes. A “mailto” link is shown on the BSBI Field meetings and indoor events web page, and also in the pdf version of the Yearbook in the Members’ area

Please let the organiser know if you

are unable to attend as there may be a waiting list. Should you need to ask for further details before deciding to book, please confirm your booking with the organiser after making your decision. Phone bookings can be made by those without access to the internet, however this may put you at a disadvantage if there are unexpected changes of plan or last minute vacancies. If no phone number is given and you don’t use email or the internet then please call our Fundraising Manager on the number given on the front page of the Yearbook. Whenyoubook(whetherbyemailorphone), clearlystatethat you are booking for the BSBI meeting at [venue in yearbook] on [date in yearbook] for [your name(s)] at [your address if booking by phone and need postal confirmation] with [your telephone no.] and [Email address].

It is also very helpful to indicate if you are coming by car and, if so, the number of spare seats available should you be willing to car share. It also helps if you can give an indication of your level of experience in plant identification. If a specific charge is not mentioned, there may be a small charge to cover expenses.

Please Note: Members, their guests and non-members attend meetings at their own risk. This risk includes the payment of any registration fee and for accommodation and meals at residential meetings, which cannot always be refunded if participants withdraw at short notice.

The leader has the right to refuse participation to those who are not adequately shod, clothed, or properly equipped. In difficult terrain numbers will be restricted; this applies also to sensitive habitats where numbers must be limited, and leaders have the right to reject bookings beyond the number agreed as the maximum for any particular site. On mountain meetings it is essential that all those attending exactly follow the leader’s instructions. If you fail to follow health & safety instructions, including any medical guidance, at any meeting, you will be asked to leave the meeting.

Whilst some meetings are residential, at others members will need to arrange their own accommodation, which they will have to cancel if they are unable to attend the meeting or if the meeting itself is cancelled.

Guests of members, and non-members are welcome to participate in meetings if there is space, and they are expected to observe the same conditions as members. Where applicable, they must pay a registration fee, which may be set higher for nonmembers

The BSBI Field meetings and indoor events web page has a link to general guidance for participants at field meetings. This page also includes links to Safety in the Field and to the BSBI Code of Conduct for picking, collecting, photographing and enjoying wild plants. On field meetings no specimens should be picked, except when sanctioned by the leader. You can also see the BSBI’s Safeguarding Policies for adults and for children & young people and the BSBI Privacy Policy on this page.

As soon as possible after the meeting, would leaders (or a nominated participant) please send a report as electronic copy, either as text or in Word, ideally with a couple of images, to Jonathan Shanklin, who will collate the reports for the 2025 Yearbook. Copy for day meetings should generally be up to 500 words and pro-rata for weekend or residential meetings. Please use Stace 4 names in the format Latin name (Common Name) in your reports. Guidance on style is in ‘Organising and Leading BSBI meetings’ on the BSBI meetings web page and reports will be edited if necessary.

Wednesdays: 10 January, 7 February and 6 March (General)

Winter talks

A programme of winter evening talks is being planned. Details will be circulated in the monthly eNews and they will also be on the web page. The meetings will take place via Zoom and you will be able to book via the BSBI web pages

Sunday 25 February (General)

England Annual Meeting and AGM

The fifth England Annual Meeting and AGM will be an afternoon Zoom meeting. In addition to a short AGM, there will be a mix of short talks, a keynote talk by Daisuke Kurose (CABI) on the biological control of invasive plant species and the Chair’s address on “Where and what do I record?” – which will cover more than plants Further details will be on the England Annual Meeting web page and an email invitation will be extended to members.

Saturday 2 March (Beginners, Training)

An Introduction to Conifer Identification workshop, Nesscliffe, near Shrewsbury (v.c.40)

A joint meeting with The Wildflower Society

Fancy getting to grips with Conifers, can't tell your Spruce from your Firs, or would like to separate the 'Cypresses'? Then join Mark Duffell on a BSBI/WFS field-based training workshop on Nesscliffe Hill. A range of different keys and other resources will be used to show the beginner and intermediate how to accurately identify a variety of conifer species. There will be a charge of £2 to cover the cost of printed resources including a mini-booklet. The number of participants will be capped at 15. Priority will be given to those booked for 2023 when the workshop was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

Leader: Mark Duffell

Contact: Mark Duffell for further details and to book.

Saturday 9 March (Beginners, General, Recording)

Islington streets (v.c.21)

Joint with the London Natural History Society

This is an opportunity for attendees to familiarise themselves with some of the rapidly increasing community of Mediterranean ecosystem plants that are establishing in our cities. Species such as Sisymbrium irio (London-rocket), Polycarpon tetraphyllum (Four-leaved Allseed), Urtica membranacea (Mediterranean Nettle) and Laphangium [Gnaphalium] luteoalbum (Jersey Cudweed) are locally frequent. Other, more unusual species such as Genista aetenensis (Mount Aeta Broom), Eriobotrya japonica (Loquat), Calocedrus decurrens (Californian Incense-cedar) and Persea americana (Avocado) will also be seen. This meeting is suitable for beginners and for more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. outside the entrance of Farringdon Underground, Cowcross Street, Clerkenwell (TQ31598183).

Leader: Dr Mark Spencer

Contact: Mark Spencer to book a space.

Saturday 23 March (Training)

Training for Trainers, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (v.c.83)

This is a new one-day workshop for anyone engaged in or considering working on a training event. This could be running or assisting with a beginners’ or specialist workshop, leading a field meeting at local or national level, giving a talk to nonbotanists, acting as an Identiplant tutor, and so on. As well as an introduction to the psychology of learning, there will be plenty of opportunities for participants to assess different styles of teaching, try their hand at planning workshop programmes, hone their communication skills, and find out how their own voice comes across in real-life training situations. No charge, but places are limited, so booking is essential.

Leader: Faith Anstey

Contact: Faith Anstey

Saturday 6 April (Beginners, General, Recording)

Ruislip Woods (v.c.21)

Joint with the London Natural History Society

We will be aiming to record regional rarities in this important, but increasingly degraded, series of ancient woodlands. Several of our target species, such as Melampyrum pratense (Common Cow-wheat), Achillea ptarmica (Sneezewort), Carex pulicaris (Flea Sedge), Eleocharis acicularis (Needle Spike-rush), Genista anglica (Petty Whin) and Pedicularis sylvatica (Lousewort) are now restricted to a very small number of highly fragmented populations and may become regionally extinct in the near future. This meeting is suitable for beginners and for more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. outside the Water's Edge Pub, Reservoir Road, Ruislip Common (TQ08648919).

Leader: Dr Mark Spencer

Contact: Mark Spencer to book a space.

Friday 19 April to Monday 22 April (Specialised)

Taraxacum training and recording weekend, Devizes (v.cc.7,8)

This is the tenth long weekend dedicated to the genus Taraxacum. Compared to surrounding counties, the dandelions of Wiltshire are poorly studied, and v.c.8 (S Wilts.) in particular has only 20 records of 14 species. Nevertheless, some interesting species are known from v.c.7 (N. Wilts.) including T. anglicum and T. cherwellense. Our centre will be Devizes, close to the boundary between the v.cc. and handy for distinguished calcareous grasslands and flood meadows which we hope to visit. A full program including details of a room for evening meetings will be sent to participants.

Leaders: John Richards assisted locally by Richard Aisbitt.

Contact: John if interested or for further details.

Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April (Recording, Green)

Recording Meeting, Preston Montford, Shropshire (v.c.40)

This residential meeting is aimed at all members who would like to progress to making botanical records, and to existing recorders, VCRs and referees who will support them. There will be a mix of talks, walks and workshops, with plenty of time for general discussion.

Contact: Jonathan Shanklin for enquiries. There is an online booking page.

Saturday 20 April (General)

Irish Spring Conference, Glasnevin, Dublin (v.c.H21)

The Irish Spring Conference will be held at the National Botanical Gardens, Glasnevin. Further details will be on the Irish Conferences web page.

Saturday 11 May (General)

Ballyteige Burrow, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford (v.c.H12)

This will be a walk to see the spring flora of this extensive area of dunes which stretch for over 8 km. There is a good mixture of tiny annuals to see such as Cerastium semidecandrum (Little Mouse-ear) and Myosotis ramosissima (Early Forget-menot). Small perennials include Viola canina (Heath Dog-violet), and the endemic Rumex acetosa subsp. hibernicus (Irish Sorrel). These dunes hold the largest population of Asparagus prostratus (Wild Asparagus) in Ireland. We should also see Erodium lebelii (Sticky Stork's-bill).

Leader: Paul Green.

Meet: at 10:00 a.m. at the public car park on the sea front at Kilmore Quay (S965031).

Contact: Paul Green to book and for more information.

Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May (General)

Correl Glen and Lough Navar Forest, Co. Fermanagh (v.c.H33)

Following the talks on bryophytes at the Irish Autumn Conference, this is a joint meeting of the BSBI and the British Bryological Society (BBS) to enable BSBI members to learn more about bryophytes in the field. The Correl Glen and Lough Navar Forest are among the richest areas for bryophytes in Northern Ireland. Apart from mosses and liverworts there will be an opportunity to see some of the specialities of the north facing scarps and woodland: both filmy ferns (Hymenophyllum spp.), Dryopteris aemula (Hay-scented Buckler-fern), Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort), Orthilia secunda (Serrated Wintergreen) and Saxifraga aizoides (Yellow Saxifrage) are possibilities.

Leaders: Robert Northbridge, Joanne Denyer and Rory Hodd.

Meet: At the car park at the entrance to Lough Navar Forest Park (H074547) at 10:30 a.m. on both days. Bring packed lunches and be prepared for some rough ground.

Contact: Please phone Robert Northridge on 0044 (0) 7734390289 or email him to book and for more information. Booking essential.

Sunday 12 May (General)

Tramore Dunes, Co. Waterford (v.c.H6)

Tramore dunes are located on a long spit reaching across the bay between Brownstown Head to the east side and the Metalman to the west. They are some of the tallest fixed dunes in Ireland and are backed by saltmarsh to the north. We plan on walking the dunes in the hope of seeing some rarities including Vicia lathyroides (Spring Vetch), Viola canina (Heath Dog-violet) and Vulpia fasciculata (Dune Fescue). Other species we are likely to see include Ononis repens (Common Restharrow), Cakile maritima (Sea Rocket), Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid) and Salsola kali (Saltwort)

This may be a long walk as the dunes are 3 km long from the parking spot to the tip of the spit. Please bring sturdy boots, a packed lunch, water, suitable clothing (hat, waterproofs etc.) and a hand lens.

Leader: Julie Larkin.

Meet: 10:30 a m at car park at Tramore Beach, on the spit (S5949601021).

Contact: Julie on 086 6012307. Booking essential.

Saturday 18 May (Beginners, Training)

Plant Families Workshop, Townhill Community Centre, Dunfermline (v.c.85)

The Plant Families workshops are suitable for anyone who can tell a buttercup from a daisy but wants to learn more about plant identification within a structured framework. There will be a mix of classwork, small groups with expert tutors, and fieldwork, following the principle of 'finding the family first'. This is a tried and tested way of getting to grips with ID instead of just playing 'snap' with a field guide or wading through incomprehensible keys. A copy of the booklet on which the course is based – Pocket Guide to Wildflower Families by Faith Anstey – will be included in the charge for the workshop: £40 (50% discount for BSBI members and full-time students). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leader: Aileen Meek

Contact: Aileen Meek

Saturday 18 May (General)

Abbeyleix Estate Woods, Co. Laois (v.c.H14)

This trip will explore Abbeyleix Estate Oak wood. These woods have been described as the finest and largest remnant of lowland old Oak woods left in Ireland and the display of bluebells will be spectacular! We will get the opportunity to visit the oldest Oak tree in Ireland, reputably 700 years old and see many other veteran Oaks. We will also investigate some patches of Hazel woodland and wetter woodland areas where the River Nore flows through the estate.

Leaders: Fiona MacGowan and Mark McCorry

Meeting: This is a private estate but we have been granted permission to arrange a visit. There will be some additional details needed to gain entry into the estate, so booking is essential. Dress for the weather. Bring a packed lunch.

Contact: Mark or phone on 353-87-7530718. Booking essential.

Monday 20 to Friday 24 May (Beginners, General, Recording, Training)

Annual Spring Meeting, Guernsey (v.c.113)

Guernsey is famous for its orchid meadows, shaded hedge banks, cliff tops and coastal heaths. There will be a mix of excursions to interesting sites, recording trips and evening talks or workshops. Excursions and recording visits will cover the island and species that we might see include Anacamptis laxiflora (Loose-flowered Orchid), Asplenium x microdon (Moore's Spleenwort or Guernsey Fern), Hypericum linariifolium (Toadflax-leaved St John's-wort), Isoetes histrix (Land Quillwort), Ophioglossum lusitanicum (Least Adder's-tongue) and Ophioglossum azoricum (Small Adder's-tongue). Further information is available on the ASM page, where you can register and book accommodation and evening meals. Please register by May

3. B&B accommodation at the Premier Inn, St Peter Port is £430 (single or double) for the week and you can book this through the BSBI up to March 31 or through the hotel. There are nearby campsites, or you can book your accommodation elsewhere. There is a weekend meeting in Jersey immediately after the ASM (see below), but you will need to make your own arrangements for travel and accommodation and to book. Contact: Jonathan Shanklin (general) or Helen Litchfield (local) for further information.

Saturday 25 May (Beginners, General, Recording)

Hounslow Heath (v.c.21)

Joint with the London Natural History Society

Historically, Hounslow Heath was one of the most species rich lowland heaths in England. Species such as Damasonium alisma (Starwort) and Mentha pulegium (Pennyroyal) are long extinct. Recent habitat restoration work has saved the remaining species from extinction but they remain highly threatened. We will be aiming to record species such as Betonica officinalis (Betony), Calluna vulgaris (Heather), Danthonia decumbens (Heath-grass), Logfia [Filago] minima and Filago germanica [vulgaris] (Small and Common Cudweed), Genista tinctoria and G. anglica (Dyer's Greenweed and Petty Whin), Trifolium subterraneaum (Subterranean Clover) and Ulex minor (Dwarf Gorse), most of which are restricted to fewer than 5 sites across Greater London. This meeting is suitable for beginners and for more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. on the corner of Simpson Road and Hanworth Road, Hounslow Heath Open Space, Hounslow (TQ12927400).

Leader: Dr Mark Spencer

Contact: Mark Spencer to book a space.

Saturday 25 May (General)

Green Groad, Fanmore, Co. Clare (v.c.H9)

This meeting will explore some Burren flora found in this area including Helianthemum oelandicum (Hoary Rock-rose), Gentiana verna (Spring Gentian), Arenaria norvegica (Arctic Sandwort) and other Burren specialities.

Leaders: Phoebe O’Brien, Hannah Mulcahy and Donncha Ó Catháin Meet: at 11:00 a.m. at Fanore (near campsite) (M142208).

Contact: Phoebe O’Brien. Booking is essential as numbers will be limited.

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May (General) Jersey (v.c.113)

Jersey Buttercup [Rob Still/Chris Gibson]

On Saturday 25th May we shall meet at Le Charriere car park in St Ouen and head off into the sand dunes. There we should find Bupleurum baldense (Small Hare’s-ear), Anacamptis morio (Green-winged Orchid), Silene nutans (Nottingham Catchfly) and Viola kitaibeliana (Dwarf Pansy). After having lunch at Le Braye café we will move to another sandy area nearby where we hope to find Taraxacum platyglossum (Tongue-leaved Dandelion), Crassula pubescens (Jersey Pigmyweed) and Crassula tillaea (Mossy Stonecrop).

On Sunday 26th May we will meet at the car park at Beauport and go on a hunt for Ranunculus paludosus (Jersey Buttercup) and Orobanche rapum-genistae (Greater Broomrape). Other plants we might find include Juncus capitatus (Dwarf Rush), Silene gallica (Small-flowered Catchfly) and Ornithopus perpusillus (Bird’s-foot). In the afternoon we will visit Jersey’s best known site for Anacamptis laxiflora (Jersey Orchid). We should also see many wet meadow plants such as Parentucellia viscosa (Yellow Bartsia), Cuscuta epithymum (Dodder), Cyperus longus (Galingale) and possibly Oenanthe fistulosa (Tubular Water-dropwort)

Monday 27 May to Monday 3 June (General, Training, Green/Amber)

Glynhir Recording Week (Residential), Carmarthenshire (v.c.44)

The week-long annual Carmarthenshire Recording and Monitoring Meeting will include visits to sites around the county. The meeting will cater for both experienced and less proficient botanists and will provide an opportunity for the informal development of identification skills. Arrangements will be flexible, some days the group may stay as one body, other days smaller groups will visit different sites to monitor rare or scarce species or update grid squares not visited recently. Day outings will be tailored to individual needs to cover all fitness abilities.

Glynhir Mansion is located about 2 km east of Llandybie on the western flank of Mynydd Du (the Black Mountain) at SN640151. The River Llwchwr runs through the estate and at one point plunges over a 10 m waterfall into a humid, rocky gorge where Dryopteris aemula (Hay-scented Buckler-fern), Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (Tunbridge Filmy-fern) and Asplenium trichomanes subsp. trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort) are among the ferns growing on the cliffs. There will be ample opportunity in the timetable to visit the site. Large parkland trees provide the setting to the mansion, including Tilia cordata (Small-leaved Lime), and there remains much scope for further discoveries to be made in the vicinity.

The cost of the week from lunchtime on 27 May to breakfast on 3 June, including bed, breakfast, packed lunches and evening meals, will be approximately £600 and will be limited to about 15 participants. Accommodation for part of the week will be charged pro rata. A limited number of en suite rooms are available on a firstcome first-served basis. Participants not requiring accommodation will also be welcome on a day to day basis. A 35% deposit will be required by Glynhir on booking.

Leaders: Kath and Richard Pryce

Contact: Initial bookings, preferably by the end of January, to Kath and Richard Pryce Mobile phone no. 07900 241371. There is further information on the Carmarthenshire web page.

Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June (Beginners, General) Isle of Wight (v.c.10)

The Isle of Wight has a diverse and spectacular flora that includes an impressive assemblage of scarce and rare native plants as well as interesting aliens. During this weekend meeting we hope to see an exciting range of the Island’s flora across different habitats.

Helminthotheca echioides (Bristly Oxtongue), Isle of Wight [Judy Brachi]

Our first day will focus on the west side of the Island, where we will explore the flora of unimproved chalk downland and chalk costal cliffs around Freshwater Bay. The meeting is timed to enable us to see many of the Island’s specialities associated with these habitats such as Gentianella anglica subsp. anglica (Early Gentian), Lobularia maritima (Sweet Alison), Matthiola incana (Hoary Stock), Orobanche picridis (Oxtongue Broomrape) and Pilosella peleteriana subsp. peleteriana (Shaggy Mouse-ear-hawkweed). The second day will concentrate on sites in the east of the Island. We intend to visit the rich dune grassland of St Helen’s Duver where, if the season is conducive, we shall see a rich array of Trifolium species including Trifolium suffocatum (Suffocated Clover) and a good selection of dune grasses. In addition, we will explore the coastal cliff top grasslands around Sandown that are home to specialities such as Phelipanche purpurea (Yarrow Broomrape) and Silene nutans (Nottingham Catchfly). There may be opportunities to see other rarities for which the Island’s flora is famous, such as Melampyrum arvense (Field Cow-wheat) and Fumaria reuteri (Martin’s Rampingfumitory). However, please note, we will be too early in the season to visit the site for Clinopodium menthifolium (Wood Calamint).

Meet: On Saturday in the (free) National Trust carpark on Afton Down, east of Freshwater (SZ351856) at 11:00 a.m.

Leaders: Colin Pope and Nick Aston

Contact: Colin or Nick for further details and to book. Booking is essential and numbers are limited to 20. Participants will need to organise their own accommodation but there is plenty of accommodation available on the Island, although early booking is probably worthwhile. Red Funnel, who sail from Southampton, do car ferry/accommodation deals. Car sharing should be possible and is encouraged where parking is limited.

Saturday 8 June (General, Recording)

Joan’s Hill Farm Plantlife Nature Reserve, Checkley, Herefordshire (v.c.36)

Joint with Plantlife

At Joan’s Hill Farm there are around 40 acres of neutral hay meadow to explore, as well as traditional orchards and a small area of broadleaved woodland. Species of note include Silaum silaus (Pepper-saxifrage), Genista tinctoria (Dyer’s Greenweed) and Orchids Anacamptis morio (Greenwinged), Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common Spotted) and Platanthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly). We will also look out for Dactylorhiza maculata (Heath Spottedorchid) and the hybrid Dactylorhiza x transiens. A single spike of Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid) appeared for the first time in 2022 and we hope to re-find it. This meeting is suitable for beginners and more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch. Numbers may be limited. Meet: at 11:00 a.m. at Forestry England’s Haugh Woods Car Park (SO59233657) where it is free to park. From the car park, there is a 1 km walk on forest tracks to reach the reserve.

Leaders: Jonathan Stone and Sarah Shuttleworth

Contact: Jonathan Stone, Nature Reserves Manager for Plantlife, to book and for further information.

Saturday 8 June (Specialised, Training) Sedges at Tarn Moor and Orton (v.c.69)

Tarn Moor is a rich botanical site on the Orton limestones of Westmorland and is a mosaic of base-rich and acidic areas. More than 25 different species of Carex have been recorded here with Carex capillaris (Hair Sedge), C. diandra (Lesser Tussocksedge), C dioica (Dioecious Sedge), C elata (Tufted Sedge) and C hostiana (Tawny Sedge) probably the pick of the bunch. There are also numerous non-Carex sedges and records for 3 Carex hybrids, two of which we should certainly see. Many other attractive species, including Primula farinosa (Bird’s-eye Primrose) and a fine array of orchids, are frequent and should be at their best in early June. If time allows we will also look at some drier limestone grassland near the village of Orton where C ornithopoda (Bird‘s-foot Sedge) grows.

All sedge enthusiasts are welcome, whether experienced or not, but numbers will be limited to 15 to minimise damage to fragile habitats. This is a repeat of the overbooked 2023 meeting and priority will be given to those who could not be accommodated last time. Please book

This will be a full day meeting so please bring packed lunch. The distance covered will not be great, 5 or 6 kilometres, but parts will be very wet so wellies or waterproof boots are essential. Although Tarn Moor can be idyllic at this time of year please come prepared for less clement conditions. There are no facilities at Tarn Moor but later in the day we will visit Orton which has a shop, cafes and toilets.

Contact: Mike Porter, preferably by email, or by phone 016973 43086, mobile 07803 349 861 to book a place or request more details.

Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June (General, Recording)

SHARPP recording along the Banffshire coast, Portgordon to Portsoy (v.c.94)

Everyone is very welcome for a weekend of botanical recording in and around the coastal towns of Banffshire, looking for notable Scottish plants not seen since 2000. With over thirty species of interest, there will be treasures to refind for all experience levels, ranging from mulleins and mintsto pondweedsand rushes. Eyebrights optional! We will explore a variety of habitats, from beaches to coastal grassland and fringes of arable fields. There will also be opportunities to update inventories in monads not visited for the past ten years. Please note descents to beaches can be steep; easier terrain options will be available (but inland).

Leader: Flora Donald

Contact: Please contact Flora Donald to register interest.

Saturday 15 June (Specialised, Training, Amber)

Poaceae walk on Northeast Yorkshire’s coastal path, Northeast Yorkshire (v.c.62)

The aim of this botany walk will be to identify as many different species of grasses (Poaceae) as possible, taking advantage of the variety of habitats encountered on the way. This is an ideal day to practice knowledge of grass identification and observe a variety of floral and vegetative characters.

The walk will follow the coastal path on rights of way and there will be full consideration of the conservation value of the habitats visited. Last year we observed nearly 50 taxa of Poaceae, including a range of common grasses, seaside species and rarer taxa such as Koeleria macrantha (Crested Hair-grass), Bromopsis inermis (Hungarian Brome), and Anisantha madritensis (Compact Brome).

All grass enthusiasts welcome, however complete beginners at grass identification should expect a steep learning curve. Numbers limited to 20. All participants come at their own risk. The distance is about 3.5 miles but expect to walk more including some steep coastal slopes. Meeting 10:00 a.m. on Marske-by-the-Sea main square by the roundabout (Marske-by-the-Sea TS11 7LD, NZ63472228) with a chance to use the public toilets, shops and cafes, for a prompt departure at 10:15 a.m Please bring packed lunch and drinking water as we will not be arriving into Saltburnby-the-Sea until later in the afternoon. Saltburn has public toilets, shops, etc. as well as trains and bus services to get you back to Marske.

Leader: Ambroise Baker

Contact: Ambroise Baker for bookings and enquiries.

Sunday 16 June (General, Training)

Training Field Meeting, Tentsmuir, Fife (v.c.85)

Primarily this is to see dune succession and the related flora which occurs as the dunes change from the beach to the land. Also, to see the unique Great Slack and

how it is formed, an area stretching behind the dunes which is freshwater in winter and dry in summer. This meeting is ideal for beginners using the Pocket Wildflower Guides to Wildflowers and to Grasses and to improvers as there is a rich dune and saltmarsh flora. There are also some very rare and scarce species to be seen for some more detailed identification. There is no difficult terrain, just sand dunesand grassland. Entry to carpark is £2. There are good toilets, picnic benches and a snack shack.

Leader: Sandy Edwards

Contact: Sandy Edwards

Sunday 16 June (General, Training) Grasslands, Co. Limerick (v.c.H8)

This grasslands-focused event will explore some of the variety of flora that occurs in Limerick's grasslands. On the day, there will be an opportunity for training to focus on the identification of specific plant groups such as Carex spp (Sedges) and grasses, for example, as well as general plant recording. Bring notebooks, any keys you may have, and a hand lens. There will be a limited supply of these available on the day also. Throughout the day, there will be discussions on grassland ecology, and management from grassland ecologists.

Appropriate footwear and clothing should be worn to cover any eventualities of difficult terrain and weather.

Leaders: Olly Lynch, Maria Long and Phoebe O'Brien

Meet: Meeting point to be arranged. The location is to be decided, but is expected to be held approximately 30 minutes from Limerick city.

Contact: Please contact Olly to express interest. Booking essential.

Tuesday 18 to Sunday 23 June (General, Recording) Tiree (v.c.103)

The purpose of this meeting is to record an NPMS square, visit different habitats on the island, record SHARP species, and enjoy the island, especially on midsummer's eve. The group is staying at the self-catering Millhouse hostel, which has room for 1012 people, but is already fully booked Additional people can join the meeting, but they will need to arrange their own accommodation. We will eat at the hostel on some evenings, but the organiser is hoping to arrange some evening meals at local cafes and fish & chip van one night! There may be an opportunity to share travel on the ferry to reduce costs.

Contact: Lynne Farrell for more information and to book.

Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June (Beginners, General) North Norfolk coast (v.cc. 27, 28)

We will visit a mixture of habitats including the heath and mire at Beeston Regis Common SSSI, as well as dunes, coastal woodland and saltmarsh at Holkham and Burnham Overy. Further details will be available on the meetings page of the web site.

Botanists of all levels are welcome from beginners to specialists.

Leaders: Bob Ellis, Jo Parmenter and Francis Farrow

Contact: Bob Ellis for further information.

Saturday 22 June (Beginners, General, Recording)

Syon Park (v.c.21)

Joint with the London Natural History Society

This is a return visit to cover the remaining areas of this large site that we were unable to see last year. Syon Park has the last remaining extensive stretch of semi-natural and un-embanked landscape adjoining the Thames in Greater London. We aim to record the flora in this important landscape and rediscover, hopefully, some lost treasures such as Sium latifolium (Greater Water-parsnip), Cyperus longus (Galingale), Mentha pulegium (Pennyroyal) and Persicaria mitis (Tasteless Waterpepper). Please note, the terrain is unlikely to be easy going and may be flooded depending upon the tide. If this the case, we will focus on exploring other areas of the park. This meeting is suitable for beginners and for more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. in front of All Saint's Church, Church Street, Isleworth (TQ16787605) on the Thames Path route.

Leader: Dr Mark Spencer

Contact: Mark Spencer to book a space.

Saturday 22 June (Training)

Start to Identify Grasses Workshop, SWT Classroom, Falls of Clyde, New Lanark (v.c.77)

This workshop aims to introduce identification of common grasses to beginners and improvers who already have a basic grasp of plant ID. There will be a mix of classroom study and fieldwork, much of it in small groups with expert tutors. The programme will be based on Start to Identify Grasses by Faith Anstey, a copy of which will be included in the cost of the workshop: £40 (50% discount for BSBI members and full-time students). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leader: Michael Philip

Contact: Michael Philip

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June (General)

Lough Talt, Co. Sligo (v.c.H28)

We will explore the Lough Talt area where several uncommon species occur in lakeside fen and on the slopes of Crummus mountain. Target species will include Marsh and Butterfly Orchids, Eriophorum latifolium (Broad-leaved Cottongrass) and some aquatics. It will be flat walking across marshy ground in places. Please bring a packed lunch and appropriate gear.

Leader: Eamonn Gaughan

Meet: on both days at 10:30 a.m. to start at 11:00 a.m. at the parking area at the south east end of Lough Talt G402145 (signed off the Ballina to Tubercurry road R294).

Contact: Eamon Gaughan or phone 0860590323. Booking essential.

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June (Recording, Specialist, Training)

Rubus weekend, Okehampton, Devon (v.c.4)

Joint with the Devonshire Association's Botany Section

Saturday will be spent investigating the Belstone/Sticklepath area on the Dartmoor fringe, which includes a variety of bramble-friendly habitats and should provide an introduction to brambles for those botanists wishing to expand their knowledge of Rubus species. Sunday will be spent exploring other localities in the vicinity to improve coverage of this critical group, for which there are very few recent records.

Leader: Rob Randall

Contact: Bob Kirby to book

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June (Specialist, Training)

Progress in Bramble Identification Dumfriesshire (v.c.72)

This meeting offers an opportunity to develop skills in bramble identification for anyone who has started to explore this neglected group. A brief indoor session on Saturday morning will show us specimens of some species we are likely to encounter and characters helpful for their identification. We will then try out our skills in places nearby. On Sunday we will quickly refresh the id characters and visit other areas to extend the range of brambles seen and contribute to a better understanding of the groups presence in Dumfriesshire.Angus Hannah, Bramble Referee for Scotland will lead the sessions.

Leaders: Chris Miles and Angus Hannah.

Contact: Chris for further information; booking is essential.

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June (General, Amber)

Filmy ferns and old Oak woods, Slieve Aughty Mountains, South-east Galway (v.cc.H9,H15)

This will be a two day event. We will be exploring some sites in the Slieve Aughty Mountains and will be looking for new records or re-locating old records of filmy ferns and other species by following clues in old geological maps. Along the way we will look at fens with Eriophorum gracile (Slender Cottongrass), rock outcrops with filmy ferns and old Oak woods.

Leaders: Cilian Roden and Micheline Sheehy Skeffington

Meet: location to be arranged.

Contact: Cilian Roden for more information. Booking is essential as participant numbers will be limited to 10.

Date TBC June (Beginners, Training)

Plant Families

Wildflower Walk, River Dee at Kincardine O'Neil, Aboyne (v.c.92)

This Wildflower Walk is a structured field meeting suitable for anyone from complete beginners upwards. We will be walking alongside the River Dee, looking at the plants we come across and learning how to identify them by 'finding the family first'. A copy of the booklet explaining the strategy we use – Pocket Guide to Wildflower Families

by Faith Anstey – will be provided to use on the walk and will be available to buy on the day. Places are limited, booking essential.

Leader: Aileen Meek

Contact: Aileen Meek

Friday 5 to Sunday 7 July (General)

Wales Annual Meeting, Glamorgan (v.c.41)

The 2024 Wales Annual Meeting exhibition and AGM will be in Glamorgan, South Wales and will be based at one of the universities (which one is TBC). The theme will be brown field and coal spoil habitats, otherwise known as open mosaic habitat on previously developed land. In the old days and perhaps less generously this was called ‘wasteland’, but is currently some of the most diverse habitat, and not just for flowering plants – invertebrate and fungi diversity is often high at many sites. A preliminary programme will include:

• Field visits to Baglan and Port Talbot. A vast area of currently undeveloped brownfield with some amazing juxtapositions of species from wet and dry habitats with a sprinkling of dune species. Expect to see some of the largest amounts of Clinopodium acinos (Basil Thyme), you will ever see and other species such as Trifolium arvense (Hare’s foot Clover), Galium parisiense (Wall Bedstraw) etc. We will also take a look at some dune habitat next door.

• On other days we will visit some of the most diverse coal spoil sites in the Valleys where we should see Logfia [Filago] minima (Small Cudweed), Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting), Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh Orchid) and hybrids. Also, possibly some oddities like Sisyrinchium bermudiana (Blue-eyed-grass) and Pyrola rotundifolia (Roundleaved Wintergreen).

• Evening talks

• The BSBI Wales AGM

• Exhibits and posters prepared by members.

Booking and online Payment will be possible via the Wales Annual Meeting & AGM web page in due course. Accommodation will be reserved at one of the South Wales universities (tbc), booking deadline 30 April. Further details will be available on the website in due course and will be e-mailed to participants prior to the event.

Organiser: Julian Woodman (VCR v.c.41 (east)).

Contact: Julian Woodman

Saturday 6 July (General)

North Connemara coast, West Galway (v.c.H16)

This field meeting will explore areas of coastal habitat in the Glassilaun/Lettergesh areas of north Connemara. The main habitats occurring are sand dune, coastal heath and acid grassland which combine to produce a species-rich flora. Among the more unusual plant species which have been recorded from the area in the past include Erica erigena (Irish Heath), Anacamptis morio (Green-winged Orchid) and Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort).

Leader: John Conaghan

Meet: location to be arranged.

Contact: John Conaghan or phone 353-87-2239858 for more information. Booking is essential.

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 July (Specialist, Red)

Hawkweed hunt - Fionn Gleann and Clach Leathad, Glen Coe (v.c.98)

The aim of this meeting is to look for the Fionn Gleann hawkweed Hieracium basicrinum, a rare species of mountain ledges and screes. It has only ever been recorded in 1889, 1897 and 1953 from Fionn Gleann and Clach Leathad in the mountains above Glen Coe and no precise locations are known. Hieracium basicrinum is a relatively distinct hawkweed in having toothed, spotted leaves and thus no specialist knowledge is required (identification guidance will be given!). Whilst the meeting will focus on H. basicrinum, other hawkweeds and mountain species will also be recorded. We will access the mountains via the chairlift in Glencoe Mountain Resort on both days (c.£15/trip), and the terrain will be challenging with cliffs, screes, steep ground and possibly wading the River Etive. As the practicality of survey is very dependent on weather, we will take a cautious approach for safe access in the mountains, perhaps even abandoning the high ground for the safer areas near the chair lift. Even if we do not find H. basicrinum we should see a good range of other species.

Leader: Tim Rich

Contact: Tim

Sunday 7 July (Beginners, General)

Priddy Mineries and Stockhill, Mendip Hills (v.c.6)

In contrast to the meeting on Mendip in 2022, which focused on species-rich limestone grassland, this will be a visit to acidic habitats largely on Old Red Sandstone, which outcrops at the highest points of the Mendip Hills. This is also an area of centuries of lead mining and smelting industries, the complex geology and disturbance resulting in a mosaic of habitats.

At Priddy Mineries we will see species typical of Calaminarian Grassland: Sabulina [Minuartia] verna (Spring Sandwort), Noccaea caerulescens (Alpine Pennycress), Silene uniflora (Sea Campion) and the diminutive fern Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort). Mire and heath communities include Eriophorum angustifolium and E. vaginatum (Cottongrasses), Juncus squarrosus (Heath Rush), Carex paniculata (Greater Tussock-sedge), Narthecium ossifragum (Bog Asphodel) and Trichophorum germanicum (Common Deer-grass). Typha angustifolia (Lesser Bullrush) and Carex rostrata (Bottle Sedge) grow by the pool. Limestone outcrops and grassland support calcicoles such as Polygala vulgaris (Milkwort) and Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rock-cress). The remains of stonework support

a variety of ferns, including Cystopteris fragilis (Brittle Bladder-fern). Four Asplenium spp. (Spleenworts) grow on one wall!

Stockhill is a large Forest England plantation, also on “gruffy” ground. The wide rides have a diverse flora and there is an abundance of ferns, with 26 taxa recorded across the two sites. We will see several of the Dryopteris affinis group (Scaly Maleferns), found here on visits by members of the British Pteridological Society.

Beginners welcome. Please bring a packed lunch, wear appropriate footwear for rough ground and bring waterproofs and sun cream.

Leader: Helena Crouch

Contact: Helena for bookings and further information.

Saturday 13 July (Beginners, General, Recording)

Trent Country Park (v.c.21)

Joint with the London Natural History Society

Trent Country Park is part of the former, much larger, Enfield Chase. The site has extensive areas of woodland, grassland and some aquatic habitats but has been poorly recorded in recent years. As well as general recording, we will also be aiming to refind regional rarities such as Campanula rotundifolia (Harebell), Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid), Dryopteris carthusiana (Narrow Bucklerfern) and Hypericum humifusum (Trailing St John's-wort). The site also has a number of veteran Malus sylvestris (Crab Apple), a regionally scarce but often overrecorded plant, that need verifying. This meeting is suitable for beginners and for more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. outside the entrance of Cockfosters Underground station on Cockfosters Road, Cockfosters (TQ28099637).

Leader: Dr Mark Spencer

Contact: Mark Spencer to book a space.

Saturday 13 July (General, Recording)

Craig y Nos and Craig y Rhiwarth, Brecknockshire (v.c.42)

Recording and general meeting to explore the scree, limestone outcrops and (for the less adventurous) other nearby habitats around Craig y Rhiwarth and Allt Rhongyr. A great range of possible species, including Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting), Carex montana (Soft-leaved Sedge), Sorbus leptophylla (Thin-leaved Whitebeam), Geranium robertianum subsp. celticum (Herb-Robert), Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) and many more.

Leader: Steph Coates

Saturday 13 July (Training)

Sedges & Rushes, Dumfriesshire (v.c.72)

This workshop aims to introduce identification of common sedges and rushes to beginners and improvers who already have a basic grasp of plant ID. There will be a mix of classroom study and fieldwork, much of it in small groups with expert tutors. The programme will be based on the booklet Start to Identify Sedges & Rushes, a

copy of which will be included in the cost of the workshop: £40 (50% discount for BSBI members and full-time students). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leader: Chris Miles

Contact: Chris Miles

Saturday 13 July (General, Amber)

Annaghmore Lough Fen, Cos. Laois & Offaly (v.cc.H14, H18)

This trip will explore Annaghmore Fen, which is divided between Cos. Laois and Offaly. This site is one of the largest fens in Cos. Laois and Offaly and many typical fen species have been recorded at this site. Other habitats include some Birch woodland, wet woodland and raised bog. We will explore part of the wetland area in both counties.

Leaders: Mark McCorry, Fiona MacGowan and Fiona Devery.

Meet: at Clonalslee (N320211). The terrain will be rough and wet in parts. Dress for the weather. Bring a packed lunch.

Contact: Mark or phone 353-87-7530718. Booking essential.

Sunday 14 July, Scotland

Arable weeds

Details of this meeting will be on the meetings web page.

Contact: Luke Gaskell

Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 July (General)

Wildflower Society Meeting, Cos. Galway and Clare (v.cc.H9, H16)

The Wildflower Society are planning visit to Cos. Galway and Clare in July. They would like to invite members of the BSBI to attend.

Contact: The Wildflower Society for more information.

Saturday 20 July (General, Recording)

Ystrad Fflur and Llyn Gynon, Cardiganshire (v.c.46)

Recording and general meeting to explore the Afon Mwyro valley mires, where there is Cirsium dissectum (Meadow Thistle) and Wahlenbergia hederacea (Ivy-leaved Bellflower) etc. For more energetic members of the party, Llyn Gynon has Luronium natans (Floating Water-plantain), Nitella gracilis (Slender Stonewort) and historical Pilularia globulifera (Pillwort) etc.

Leaders: Steve Chambers and Andy Jones

Contact: Andy Jones

Saturday 20 July (Training)

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes, Ben Lawers (v.c.88)

Joint with National Trust for Scotland and Perthshire Society of Natural Science

This meeting will provide field training in the identification of grasses, sedges and rushes and repeats by popular request the training event held for several consecutive

years at Ben Lawers. Copies of the booklets Start to Identify Grasses and Start to Identify Sedges & Rushes are recommended and will be available for purchase on the day. The meeting is open to all members of BSBI, NTS, PSNS and anyone else interested, whatever level they are at. After some revision on what to look for, we will split into those who want to go on up the hill (perhaps those with more experience of grasses etc ) and those preferring to stay on lower ground (and/or perhaps needing more ID guidance). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leaders: Dan Watson and Faith Anstey

Contact: Faith Anstey

Saturday 20 July (General)

Ballyhoge, Co. Wexford (v.c.H12)

A walk along the River Slaney to look at aquatic species such as Callitriche truncata (Short-leaved Water-starwort) and Ruppia maritima var. brevirostris (Beaked Tasselweed), and a variety of Potamogetons (Pondweeds). There is a marsh to explore which has a good mixture of species including Oenanthe fistulosa (Tubular Water-dropwort) if the area hasn’t been grazed. There will also be areas of woodland and semi-natural grassland to look at. Fairly easy walking, but can be muddy in places.

Leader: Paul Green

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. in the Ballyhoge church car park (S982294)

Contact: Paul to book a place and for joining details.

Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July (Specialist)

Alchemilla weekend, Glenshee ski centre, East Perthshire (v.c.89)

This two-day meeting will be a great opportunity to get familiar with a number of Alchemilla (Lady’s-mantle) species which will hopefully include A. glomerulans, A wichurae and the recently described A. sciura, along with various flavours of A. filicaulis and some other more widespread taxa. Day 1 will focus on various sites either side of the road down from the ski centre at Glenshee Subject to the necessary permissions from the landowner, day 2 will be spent on the Fealar estate where we know there are good populations of extremely typical A. wichurae. The meeting will involve some walking over rough terrain. There will also be an opportunity to get specimens identified (ideally over tea and cake in the ski centre café). Places are limited and booking is essential. Participants will need to arrange their own accommodation.

Leader: Mark Lynes

Contact: Mark for more information and to book.

Tuesday 23 July (General, Amber)

Kilclooney, Comeragh Mountains, Co. Waterford (v.c.H6)

A joint meeting with the Wild Flower Society

The aim of the meeting is to show Minuartia recurva (Recurved Sandwort) found in 2006 new for Co. Waterford. While there we will do a population count of the Sandwort. This is a harsh walk; a good level of fitness is required. Strong footwear is a must. This is a joint meeting with the Wild Flower Society.

Leader: Paul Green

Meet: Meeting point will be the forest car park at 11:00 a.m. on the side of the R676, the Lemybrien to Carrick-on-Siur road (S341102).

Contact: Paul Green to book and for more information.

Saturday 27 July (Training)

Plant Families Workshop, Fort William (v.c.97)

The Plant Families workshops are suitable for anyone who can tell a buttercup from a daisy but wants to learn more about plant identification within a structured framework. There will be a mix of classwork, small groups with expert tutors, and fieldwork, following the principle of 'finding the family first'. This is a tried and tested way of getting to grips with ID instead of just playing 'snap' with a field guide or wading through incomprehensible keys. A copy of the booklet on which the course is based – Pocket Guide to Wildflower Families by Faith Anstey – will be included in the charge for the workshop: £40 (50% discount for BSBI members and full-time students). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leaders: Aileen Meek and Faith Anstey

Contact: Aileen Meek

Saturday 27 July (Beginners, General)

Carrigtwohill, Co Cork (v.c.H5)

We will focus on urban plants and explore various habitats and areas around Carrigtwohill. Please bring suitable clothing and footwear for all weather conditions, sun protection, a packed lunch and hand lens and ID book if you have them

Leaders: Edwina Cole and Finbarr Wallace

Meet: at 10:00 a.m. at the train station carpark in Carrigtwohill (W81897380)

Contact: Please contact Edwina Cole to book and for more information. Booking is essential.

Sunday 28 July (Training)

Field Meeting, Fort William (v.c.97)

This meeting is particularly aimed at beginners/improvers and would be an ideal follow-up for anyone who attended the Plant Families Workshop on Saturday. Beginners will be helped to identify the commonest species using the Pocket Guide to Wildflower Families – and hopefully some of the more unusual ones too. A copy of the

booklet explaining the principle of ‘finding the family first’ will be provided to use on the walk and will be available to buy on the day. Places are limited, booking essential.

Leaders: Aileen Meek and Faith Anstey

Contact: Aileen Meek

Saturday 3 August (Recording, Amber)

Campsie Fells above Queenzieburn, Stirlingshire (v.c.86)

Much of the Campsie Fells has been poorly recorded in recent years, despite supporting a range of interesting upland habitats and species. This meeting will explore the south slopes of the Campsies above Queenzieburn, taking in a range of habitats including narrow stream gorges, outcrops and waterbodies, and aims to record across a number of previously unexplored monads. There are small areas of limestone bedrock here, potentially holding interesting calcareous species, and old records of unusual plants such as Sedum villosum (Hairy Stonecrop) and Cryptogramma crispa (Parsley Fern) suggest the area may repay further investigation.

This area has some access tracks, but much of the day will be spent on rough, untracked ground, exposed to the elements. Parking will be available nearby, with the meeting location to be confirmed depending on the number of attendees. Everyone from beginners to experts are welcome to join us, but places are limited so booking is essential.

Leaders: Matt Harding and Lyn Jones

Contact: Matt Harding

Saturday 10 August (Training)

Identifying Composites, Kirkhill Community Centre, Inverness (v.c.96)

This workshop is one of the series of ID workshops for beginners and improvers.There will be a mix of classroom training and hands-on study in small groups, including fieldwork. The course will be structured around the booklet Start to identify Composite Flowers which is based – as are all these workshops – on the concept of homing in to ID via a dedicated flowchart, rather than by exhaustive keys, and by using field characters that avoid the need for microscopic examination. The booklet will be included in the cost of the workshop. £40 (50% discount for BSBI members and fulltime students). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leader: Faith Anstey

Contact: Faith Anstey

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August (General)

Legnaboe and Killard Point NNR, Co. Down (v.c.H38)

An opportunity to examine the flora of Killard Point NNR including the recently discovered colony of Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady’s-tresses) at its only site in Northern Ireland and record along the coast at Legnaboe including a visit to the colony of Limonium procerum subsp. procerum (Tall Sea-lavender).

Leaders: Graham Day and Jake Dalzell

Meet: Meeting point to be arranged.

Contact: Graham Day for more information. Booking is essential.

Saturday 17 August (Training)

Ferns for Complete & Utter Beginners Workshop, Three Villages Hall, Arrochar (v.c.99)

This workshop aims to introduce the identification of some common ferns and is for complete and utter beginners in fern identification. Ferns are often thought of as difficult, so participants will gain some foundational knowledge which may then be confidently built upon through outings, field meetings and workshops elsewhere. Introductory work in the classroom with experienced tutors will be followed by fieldwork along the wooded shore of Loch Lomond. The programme will be tailored carefully, assuming no previous knowledge. All course materials will be provided and included in the cost of the workshop: £40 (50% discount for BSBI members and full-time students). Places are limited, booking essential.

Leader: Michael Philip

Contact: Michael Philip

Saturday 17 August (General, Recording)

Carrowmore, Doonbeg, Co. Clare (v.c.H9)

Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid) Melmore area, Donegal [Patrick Marks]

This meeting will explore the southern part of Carrowmore coastal dune complex. Habitats we will record in will include strandline vegetation, mobile & fixed dunes, and dune slacks. There hasn't been any recent recording in this site, and a couple of monads at the south end of the dunes have no records at all, so it should be interesting to see what's there. There are old records of locally rare species including Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid), Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder's-tongue) and interestingly Viola lutea (Mountain Pansy).

Leaders: Donncha Ó Catháin, Phoebe O’Brien and Hannah Mulcahy.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. at public car park at south end of Doughmore Beach (Q984670)

Contact: Donncha Ó Catháin Booking is essential as numbers will be limited.

Saturday 24 August (Beginners, General, Recording)

Yiewsley and Cowley Peachey (v.c.21)

Joint with the London Natural History Society

The LNHS visited this area in 2018 and made several significant records of aquatic plants for the county, particularly Potamogeton spp. (Pondweeds); we will be aiming to re-record some of these species as well as explore of parts of this complex area of

waterways with the aim of finding other regionally scare wetland and aquatic plants such as Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Frog-bit), Cardamine amara (Large Bittercress) and Thalictrum flavum (Common Meadow-rue) This meeting is suitable for beginners and for more experienced botanists. Please bring a packed lunch.

Meet: at 11:00 a.m. outside West Drayton Overground station, Station Approach, West Drayton (TQ06108013).

Leader: Dr Mark Spencer

Contact: Mark Spencer to book a space.

Sunday 25 August (General, Recording)

Chobham Common NNR, Surrey (v.c.17)

Joint with Surrey Botanical Society and Surrey Wildlife Trust

Join us on a walk around part of Chobham Common lowland heathland that is managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) We will be checking on Surrey rare species such as Gentiana pneumonanthe (Marsh Gentian) and other heathland specialist plants, whilst meeting new people and having a lovely day out. All standards of botanists are welcome, including beginners.

Meet and park in the SWT Staple Hill car park at SU97356487. Please arrive by 10:15 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. start. Terrain will be mostly flat with some slopes, it may be damp underfoot so wellies would be useful or stout shoes. Remember to bring your own lunch. Numbers will be limited.

Leaders: Isobel Girvan and SWT

Contact: Please book your place by contacting Isobel Girvan via email. On the day she can be contacted on 07811 440892.

Saturday 31 August (Training)

Plant Identification for Habitat Surveys, Dumyat (v.c.87)

This meeting aims to introduce participants to the main indicator species which assist in habitat classifications, touching on several Phase 1 habitats and NVC plant communities. The workshop is not suitable for complete beginners but is more aimed at those who have some basic or intermediate plant identification skills who are also interested in understanding the relationships between plant species and the habitats in which they grow. (Please note this is not a training course on Phase 1 habitat or NVC surveys but rather a workshop to assist participants in identifying key plant species in different habitats).

The meeting is open to all members of BSBI and Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS) or anyone else who may have an interest (priority will be given to BSBI and BSS members in the first instance). It is likely that the workshop will involve some rough walking over the open hill in places. Come prepared for a day in the hills! Places are limited, booking essential. £40 (50% discount for BSBI and BSS members and fulltime students).

Leader: Lindsay Mackinlay

Contact: Lindsay

(Recording, Specialist, Training) Training the Trainers

This meeting will not take place in 2024. A meeting for members in England will be organised for 2025, with a theme to be arranged.

Saturday mid October (TBC) (General)

Irish Autumn Meeting and AGM, Lough Neagh (v.c.H37)

When available there will be more information on the meeting web page.

Saturday 2 November (TBC) (General)

Scottish Botanists’ Conference, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (v.c.83)

When available there will be more information on the Conference web page.

Thursday 21 November (General)

BSBI AGM

Further details will be on the AGM web page.

Saturday November (TBC) (General)

BSBI British & Irish Botany Conference

Further details will be on the Conference web page

Wednesday 4 December (General) Winter talks

A programme of winter evening talks is being planned. Details will be circulated in the monthly eNews and they will also be on the web page. The meetings will take place via Zoom and you will be able to book via the BSBI web pages

Field Meeting Reports: 2023

This section of the Yearbook gives an account of many of the meetings held in 2023 and you will find a few others described in the pages of the country newsletters. We have tried to make sure that the reports are of general interest and for this reason use the format Latin name (Common Name) on first occurrence, so that beginners can begin to learn the Latin names of plants. On further mentions of the species in the same piece only the Latin name is given. We hope that members will be inspired to join one or more of the meetings being held in 2024.

Taraxacum training and recording weekend, Orton, Peterborough (v.c.32), 21 – 24 April

The ninth study weekend dedicated to the genus Taraxacum (Dandelions) was based at Orton Hall Hotel, Peterborough. Northamptonshire (v.c.32) is particularly underworked part of the country for Taraxacum, and the field meeting sought to remedy this.

A small group of attendees gathered on Friday afternoon at Thorpe Meadows to explore a semi-urban area of habitat alongside the River Nene. Disturbed ground and improved grassland provided a good range of species for later study. John Richards and other group members, totalling 18, joined us in the late afternoon and reviewed our finds outside the hotel in the sunshine. Good discoveries included several scarce ‘weedy’ dandelions (sect. Taraxacum) such as T. latens, its relative T. edmondsonianum, T. pachylobum and the distinctive and now rarely-seen T. pectinatiforme. In the evening we convened at Orton Waterville Village Hall, where we went through the key features for Taraxacum identification such as petiole colour; form of involucral bracts; colour of ligule stripes and teeth; presence or absence of pollen; and degree of heterophylly. We also practised using the keys in John’s Field Handbook to British and Irish Dandelions and viewed interesting specimens, some cultivated, brought from other parts of the country.

On Saturday morning we headed to nearby Barnack Hills and Holes NNR, species-rich calcareous grassland developed on a medieval limestone quarry. Despite the recent heavy sheep-grazing we managed to find a good range of section Erythrosperma species characteristic of nutrient-poor, well-drained soils including T. argutum with its quill-like ligules, T. rubicundum with its glabrous reddish scapes and its rarer relative T. parnassicum. The splendid display of Pulsatilla vulgaris (Pasqueflower) provided a distraction from Taraxacum hunting! Later, an adjacent ungrazed footpath provided several interesting sect. Taraxacum species such as T. chrysophaenum, T. leptodon and T. multicolorans.

The afternoon was spent at Castor Flood Meadows SSSI, an area of floodplain grassland where we found several ‘mead’ specialities in sect. Celtica including T. akteum and T. haematicum. However, the highlight of this part of the field trip was only revealed later, when T. intermedium was confirmed as new to Britain!

We had been unable to book the Village Hall for Saturday night, but after dinner the group decamped to Sarah Lambert’s house, where we reviewed the day’s findings and examined beautifully prepared herbarium specimens brought along by Simon

Leach. The two pet Guinea Pigs enjoyed eating the discarded specimens (not Simon’s!).

On Sunday morning we travelled west to visit Sudborough Green Lodge Meadow SSSI, an unimproved species-rich calcareous clay meadow with extensive late medieval ridge and furrow. This produced more quality meadow species including the blotched-leaved species T. berthae, T. richardsianum and the Celtica species T. oellgaardii, named for the Danish dandelion ‘guru’. Other species which captured our eye included abundant Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s-tongue), the first flowering Anacamptis morio (Green-winged Orchid) of the year and some very fine flowering Pyrus communis (Wild Pear) in the boundary hedge.

We returned to the Peterborough area on Sunday afternoon, spending a couple of hours at Castor Hanglands NNR, mostly on the North Heath, which includes areas of wet grassland fed by limestone seepages (still partly underwater) as well as drier limestone grassland. Particular highlights were T. tamesense at one of its most northerly locations, T. melanthoides, a predominantly upland species which has declined significantly in the lowlands, and the Erythrosperma species T. glauciniforme.

On Monday morning we visited Swaddywell Pit, a more recent limestone quarry, with characteristic brownfield habitats. The presence of a large population of the only spotted-leaved member of sect. Erythrosperma, T. inopinatum, caused some excitement, shortly followed by more excitement at discovering T. scoticum, a species of well-drained humid sites, found growing in a spring-fed seepage area that dries out in summer.

Over the course of the long weekend, the workshop yielded a total of 90 Taraxacum species, doubling the number recorded for v.c.32, one of which is new to Britain. The weekend was an opportunity for relatively novice students of Taraxacum to immerse themselves in the subject with gentle guidance from more experienced botanists, and provided the skills and confidence to continue recording Taraxacum in their own areas. All of us went away being able to identify some of the more characteristic species such as T. boekmanii with its bright purple midrib and beetroot-like leaf veining and T. pachymerum with its broadly winged petioles and overlapping leaf lobes.

The Annual Summer Meeting, Killarney (v.cc. H1, H2), 19 – 22 May

Jonathan Shanklin

Planning for the 2023 BSBI Annual Summer Meeting started the previous October, giving plenty of time to get everything into place. Local organisers made the task much easier for me as Hon. Field Meetings Secretary and a big thanks are due to them. With a bigger meeting than in recent years there was much to do: find a base, get sponsorships in place, invite guests, find evening speakers, plan outings, arrange transport and much more. Mostly all I had to do was offer advice, though I did prepare a few maps, organise excursion booking and copy recording cards. It proved a very popular event, particularly with Irish members and we had around 90 participants to look after.

The plan was to offer a choice of excursions to interesting local sites each day and participants were asked to give three preferences as each visit was limited to around 30 participants. Amazingly all were more or less equally popular and so it only required a little sorting to make sure that everyone got their first or second preference. Some were particularly aimed at beginners, giving plenty of opportunity for tuition and to see unusual plants.

The event was centred on the Castelrosse Hotel, just west of Killarney and near the shore of Lough Leane. Some people arrived the day before and made the most of the opportunity to see some of the Irish plants. I was one of them, stopping at an un-recorded monad (termed a “Shanklin” on account of my predilection for visiting them), where I found Pinguicula grandiflora (Large-flowered Butterwort) – a plant that I particularly wanted to see as I had recorded it from the Gap of Dunloe when aged eight! I also found the native Euphorbia hyberna (Irish Spurge) a plant that is similar in appearance to Euphorbia oblongata (Balkan Spurge), which is rapidly spreading in England.

On the Friday morning I went for another solitary walk to record in the local area, then returned to the hotel to help welcome arrivals in the early afternoon. When enough people had arrived a group was sent out on a local walk, with a second group heading off later. The following accounts give a perspective from a participant on each of the excursions.

Day 1, Friday 19 May, Woodland and lakeshore

Some of the famous early Irish botanists were known for their robustness; Praeger swam across lakes to reach botanical sites whilst Barrington and Hart, on a particularly wet day, competed for hardiness by walking through the longest grass and briars close to the edge of the water and sitting down on submerged stones to eat their lunch! There were no such antics from the BSBI members attending the BSBI Summer Meeting in Killarney in May 2023, nor indeed was there any rain to speak of, the weather was generally glorious, but there was still plenty of botanical enthusiasm and expertise from the participants. Day 1 was arrival day and included a local walk from the hotel to familiarise ourselves with the locality and set the scene for this long botanical weekend. We were a fairly large group with a wide age and expertise range and the first stretch alongside some wet woodland provided learning opportunities to distinguish the common sedges: Carex divulsa (Grey Sedge), C. remota (Remote Sedge), and C. sylvatica (Wood-sedge) Our resident fern experts Fred Rumsey and Helena Crouch then gave us an overview of the complexities of the Dryopteris affinis (Scaly Male-fern) group of ferns, complete with putative D. kerryensis We then mused on Poaceae as we walked up a grassy track which opened out to a magnificent mountain view ideal for a first

group photo. From thence we walked down a wide grassy slope, complete with a discussion of the complexities of Ulmus ID, into a marshy area with dominant Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Iris) and accompanying botanicals such as Carex vesicaria (Bladder-sedge), Juncus effusus (Soft-rush), J. conglomeratus (Compact Rush), Scutellaria galericulata (Skullcap) and Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet), not all of these were flowering so highlighting the importance of vegetative ID. With one or two wet feet casualties along the way, we crossed a fence and walked along a track into wet woodland of Quercus robur (Pedunculate Oak), Fraxinus excelsior (Ash) and Betula pubescens (Downy Birch) with epiphytes of Polypodium sp and luxuriant bryophytes and on to the lakeside with Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-rush) and then on through the golf course and back to the hotel bearing plastic bags of specimens for the after dinner ID spot. All in all a great welcome to Killarney and a varied and enjoyable first walk setting the scene for even more botanical delights to come in the following days. – Jonathan Mitchley (Dr M).

The second outing, setting off later, focused on the wet woodland dominated by Quercus robur, merging into a tangle mostly of Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia (Rusty Willow) as we approached the lake. Sedges were a highlight, including the less common Carex pallescens (Pale Sedge), C. laevigata (Smooth-stalked Sedge) and C. vesicaria (Bladder-sedge) coming into its own at the lake edge. – Micheline Sheehy Skeffington

After the evening dinner, Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan launched the meeting and we were then treated to talks on the Flora of County Kerry from the VCR, Rory Hudd and from Mary Sheehan on the Killarney National Park. The talks were recorded and are now on the meeting web page although the audio quality was poor.

Day 2, Saturday 20 May, Muckross Peninsula, Glencar Valley or Lough Leane

Muckross Peninsula

A group of 19 joined the leaders Clare Heardman and Paul Green to take a coach to Muckross House. This nineteenth century Victorian mansion is set against the stunning beauty of Killarney National Park. The house stands close to the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney's three lakes, famed worldwide for their splendour and beauty. Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the water-colourist Mary Balfour Herbert. This was the fourth house that successive generations of the Herbert family had occupied at Muckross over a period of almost two hundred years. William Burn, the well-known Scottish architect, was responsible for its design. Building commenced in 1839 and was completed in 1843.

Following the path along the lakeshore we found Allium scorodoprasum (Sand Leek) on the edge of the scrub, and some wonderful large specimens of Arbutus unedo (Strawberry-tree) overhanging the path. Lathyrus linifolius (Bitter-vetch) adorned the banks. The path eventually left the shore making its way up through the rocky woodland. Rubus saxatilis (Stone Bramble) was flowering well in places. We even found wild bees living in a hollow tree. A few clumps of Euphorbia hyberna (Irish Spurge) were found at the junction of paths. At a view point we could enjoy the

spectacular scenery, while keying out a Whitebeam which we eventually named as Sorbus anglica (English Whitebeam).

Our lunch stop was taken on the shore of an inlet, where a few brave climbers scrambled up to look at Hieracium anglicum (English Hawkweed), identified by Tim Rich. Several large marshy areas were dominated by Thelypteris palustris (Marsh Fern), and on the verge of the track here there was much Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder's-tongue), along with a few Neottia ovata (Common Twayblade) and Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common Spotted-orchid).

We slowly made our way back to Muckross House, where we admired Hieracium scotostictum (Dappled Hawkweed) on a wall top, a new species for County Kerry, before enjoying afternoon tea at the restaurant. – Paul Green

Lough Leane

On Saturday we piled into boats and went first to Rough Island where, almost as soon as we stepped ashore, Tim Rich found Hieracium umbellatum subsp. bichlorophyllum (Umbellate Hawkweed) and we saw Betonica officinalis (Betony). Despite evidence of fire damage on the island, among huge specimens of Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree), were Sorbus rupicola (Rock Whitebeam) clinging to the edges of the island and Euphorbia hyberna, growing in small patches throughout.

After a stop for lunch in full sunshine on Inisfallen Island, we had a quick look at some aquatic plants collected from the lake by Nick Stewart including Utricularia minor (Lesser Bladderwort) and Juncus bulbosus (Bulbous Rush).

Onwards to Ross Island where we saw a specimen of Sorbus scannelliana (Scannell's Whitebeam) described by Tim Rich and named in honour of the Irish botanist, Maura Scannell. Further along the track were the remains of some of the oldest chalcolithic copper mines in Northern Europe. The origins of Arbutus unedo in Ireland were then discussed; genetic testing matched Irish specimens with stock from San Sebastián, supporting the theory that Strawberry Tree plants were originally brought by humans from the Iberian peninsula. A great day finished on a high note with another local Killarney plant, Sorbus anglica (English Whitebeam), in full flower. – Sara Dunny-Fox

In the evening Daniel Kelly gave us a talk on the Woodlands of the Killarney Region, followed by Tim Rich telling us about the genus Sorbus in Kerry.

Day 3, Sunday 21 May, Derrycunihy, East Dingle Peninsula & Banna Strand or Torc Mountain & Old Kenmare Road

Derrycunihy Leaders: Daniel Kelly & Clare Heardman

For many of the 30 participants on the Derrycunihy tour, while it may not have supplied the most botanical treats (although it provided many!), it delivered the highlight experience and the most abiding memory of this wonderful meeting.

As we queued on the Ross Island pier several of us hadn’t realised the scale of the nautical venture awaiting us; a voyage that would take us the length of the Killarney lakes, negotiating tortuous channels, shallows with tricky currents, all the while providing epic views. To pass through the shallowest connecting section we all had to disembark from our flotilla of boats, onto rocks with glorious stands of Viola canina (Heath Dog-violet), for some of us a rare and declining species. While the boatmen contended with slippery rocks, we had the opportunity to admire Isoetes echinospora

(Spring Quillwort) and more excitingly Pilularia globulifera (Pillwort) in the shallow water. Back in the boats and soon our leader Clare demonstrated her “eagle eye” spotting a white-tailed sea-eagle perched on a prominent rock face. Our obliging boatmen circled to give us a better if still distant view. Following a close transit of the appropriately named Arbutus Island there were more faunal excitements shortly after our arrival at Lord Brandon’s Cottage. A Kerry Slug was found and admired, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, although this did allow us to see its unique fright response as it tumbled into the hand which had scared it so. The nearby rock face supported the first of many sheets of filmy-fern which would become such a feature of the woodland sections of the walk. In this case Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (Tunbridge Filmy-fern), the distinguishing features of its toothed indusium demonstrated. Sustained by coffee and cake the group gathered to admire a plant of Trocdaris verticillata [Carum verticillatum] (Whorled Caraway), somewhat incongruously in the lawn by the track. Further along, asthe track started to cross wet heath and bog we found Sisyrinchium bermudiana (Blue-eyedgrass), difficult to spot amongst the grass as its flowers were all closed. A far less bashful treat dotted the boggy areas just off the track, Pinguicula grandiflora, definitely living up to its name; surely Scully was right when he suggested it may be the most beautiful member of the Irish flora? At least two species of Sundew also graced this cut-over area, where Sphagna of many hues and sizes and a rather attractive moth caught many people’s attention. It was interesting to see both subspecies of Pedicularis sylvatica (Lousewort), here growing together; on the blanket bog visited on the previous day only the hairier, near endemic subsp. hibernica was present.

Reaching the woodlands of Derrycunihy, Daniel Kelly gave us a masterful summary of its history and ecology, demonstrating some of the features mentioned in his earlier conference lecture. It is always a privilege to be able to share special places with people who know and love them. Many of the group were surprised to see Neottia cordata (Lesser Twayblade) flowering on the roadside woodland bank, being obliged elsewhere to delve into old Calluna (Heather) bushes on moorland to find it. Everywhere surfaces were covered with sheets of Hymenophyllum, in several places the two species intermixed, H. wilsonii (Wilson's Filmy-fern) occupying the more exposed areas typically further up the trunks of the splendid mature trees. Other pteridophytic delights were shared with the group, perhaps most unexpectedly several plants of Oreopteris limbosperma (Lemon-scented Fern), curiously rare in Ireland although most frequent here in the south-west. These were encountered as we headed across to a bank to pay our respects to a small, struggling patch of Wahlenbergia hederacea (Ivy-leaved Bellflower). We climbed up and out of the woodland to meet our coaches, the roadside once again with Sisyrinchium, still resolutely refusing to open its little blue stars.

A wonderful day which all enjoyed. Thanks to our leaders and to NPWS for their support which made the memorable boat trip possible. – Fred Rumsey

Torc Mountain

Under the guidance of our leaders Rory Hodd and Mary Sheehan, our group of eleven gathered at the Torc Waterfall car park. Before starting the ascent, a mandatory pit stop was required – a quick investigation of Trichomanes speciosum (Killarney Fern) gametophyte and developing sporophyte, inconspicuously nestled behind the toilet block.

As we started our ascent alongside the thundering Owengarriff river, we spotted a mischievous Mink, darting along the riverbanks. While manoeuvring around a few tourists, Rory introduced us to the fascinating liverwort Jubula hutchinsiae, and we discussed the features and fragrances of Dryopteris aemula (Hay-scented Bucklerfern), comparing it to D. dilatata (Broad Buckler-fern)

Further venturing upwards, we stumbled upon a captivating spectacle – the elegant Hymenophyllum tunbridgense, adorning the trees, distinguished by its frilly indusia. As we continued, our keen eyes spotted the elusive H. wilsonii, completing our triumvirate of filmy ferns. And as we basked in our achievement, the obliging Pinguicula grandiflora struck a pose for our cameras, normally a difficult feat as the flower refuses to stay still.

As we climbed, Rory's eagle eyes caught sight of the tiny Neottia cordata At this point we were interrupted by an unwelcome swarm of midges, so pressed on along the Old Kenmare Road, leaving behind Torc woodland. Con Breen and his son, with impeccable timing, arrived and joined our crew just in time for lunch. In the boggy ditches beside the path we found the Bog beacon fungus, Potamogeton polygonifolius (Bog Pondweed) and Pinguicula lusitanica (Pale Butterwort), alongside Ranunculus omiophyllus (Round-leaved Crowfoot)

Con Breen enlightened us with the wiry wonders of Carex pilulifera (Pill Sedge) This sedge bends over slightly with small bracts, and has a bright green hue enhanced by its pilule hair.

Finally, we arrived at Cores Bog, where we compared two sundews – Drosera anglica (Great Sundew) and D. intermedia (Oblong-leaved Sundew) Peering into the bog pools, we found Rhynchospora fusca (Brown Beak-sedge) and a myriad of Sphagnum species, including the rare and beautiful S. pulchrum We spotted the velvety moss Campylopus atrovirens, its dark black leaves evoking the essence of a bear's coat.

Our journey led us lastly to Esknamucky woodland, slightly less acid woodland with Hazel and Oak. Rory, in typical fashion, found a new record for the Trichomanes speciosum gametophyte in a damp crevice, while Mary Sheehan showed us a new location for Lathraea squamaria (Toothwort) that she had recently come across, parasitising a Hazel tree right next to the path.

At this point we turned back, with a quick stop to admire the only Acer campestre (Field Maple) in Killarney National Park. – Hannah Mulcahy

In the evening Jessica Hamilton gave us talk on the Flora of North Kerry.

Day 4, Monday 22 May, Gap of Dunloe, Tomies Wood, Muckross Abbey or the RoughCrew.

Gap of Dunloe

A group of 12-13 botanists visited the Gap of Dunloe accompanied by the two leaders of the trip: Jonathan Shanklin and Nick Stewart. The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow glacial

valley located between MacGillycuddy Reeks and the Purple Mountain in Co. Kerry. It gets its name from the River Loe that runs through the gap. The weather was excellent with a bit of rain in the morning and becoming sunny in the afternoon.

Top: Euphrasia sp.

Bottom: Salix x multinervis

We began our walk from the car park at Kate Kearneys Cottage. Our aim was to record around 300 plant species that day, therefore we started recording the plants growing along the ditches and the road verges. We recorded two strawberries: Fragaria vesca (Wild Strawberry) and Potentilla sterilis (Barren Strawberry) The two species look very similar but can be differentiated by looking at the terminal tooth on the leaflet; the tooth is shorter on Barren Strawberry but larger on Wild Strawberry. There were a large number of Dryopteris affinis ferns growing on the road verge too and we had a chat on how to tell D. affinis and the very similar looking D. borreri apart A good way to tell the two species apart is by looking at the veins on the pinna - on D. affinis the veins run all the way to the end of the pinna margins but on D. borreri they fade away somewhere around the middle of the pinna. Some other plants we found along the road verge were the hybrid between Salix cinerea and S. aurita: S. x multinervis and some beautiful purple eyebrights (Euphrasia sp ).

Several sedge species were recorded, including Carex flacca (Glaucous Sedge), C. panicea (Carnation Sedge) and C. laevigata. The key differences between the similar species C. flacca and C. panicea were discussed, for example as a vegetative diagnostic, the leaf veins of C. flacca are tighter and closer together and more regularly spaced than that of C. panicea, which are spread a bit further apart and are irregularly spaced. In addition, the leaves of C. flacca taper gradually, while those of C. panicea taper abruptly and have a longer trigonous tip. C. flacca leaves are usually more glaucous in colour on their underside compared to the upper side.

Several stems of Trocdaris verticillata were found within a flushed area within wet grassland adjacent to the road, amongst sedges including Carex demissa (Common Yellow-sedge) and the bryophytes Scorpidium cossonii and Campylium stellatum. The species was also recorded within another damp area adjacent to the road amongst a carpet of Sphagnum denticulatum.

We later split into two groups: one group went out looking for aquatic plants while the other explored the heathy and wet grassland areas along the road verge. We recorded two native species of gorse, Ulex europaeus (Gorse) and the locally abundant U. gallii (Western Gorse). The two species can be differentiated by looking at bracteoles at the base of the flower; they are larger, 1.5-4 mm wide and at least twice the width of the flower stalk on Gorse and much smaller at 0.6-0.8 mm wide and less than twice the width of the flower stalk on Western Gorse. Gorse produces flowers that

Top: Ulex europaeus

Bottom: Ulex gallii

smell of coconut throughout the year but in large numbers in spring while Western Gorse produces unscented flowers from August to September.

Other species we recorded were Pinguicula grandiflora which is an insectivorous plant belonging to the Lusitanian Flora (a group of wildflowers native to Ireland, Spain and Portugal but not occurring in Britain). The leaves are covered in tiny glandular hairs & the insects get trapped within these hairs. The leaves later consume the trapped insect by rolling their leaf margins inwards & releasing digestive enzymes.

The plant is abundant in Kerry and Cork but very rare in other parts of Ireland. Another interesting species found in this area was Hypericum tetrapterum (Square-stalked St John's-wort) which can be distinguished from H. perforatum (Perforate St John'swort) by it having a square stem with 4 winged edges as opposed to a stem with two stem wings.

At the Black Lake, the team of botanists led by Nick Stewart had recorded some interesting aquatic plants along the lake margin like Subularia aquatica (Awlwort) which is a rare member of the cabbage family: Brassicaceae that grows on freshwater lake margins, especially on stony ground. It is a small plant that spreads via long underwater runners & produces tiny white flowers (approx. 5 mm in size) with 4 petals in summer.

Two aquatic plants that were recorded in the nearby lakes and ponds were Isoetes lacustris (Quillwort) and I. echinospora (Spring Quillwort) which are members of a group of plants known as 'Fern-allies' & are found on lake shores, stone and peat. Like ferns, they produce spores, in expanded sacs at the base and their leaves have four tubes/air chambers inside. A good way to tell the two quillworts apart is by looking at the leaves and spores: Leaves on Spring Quillwort are thinner and less rigid than those on Quillwort, while spores on Spring Quillwort are covered in short spines while spores on Quillwort are covered in low ridges. Other aquatic plants that we recorded included: Baldellia ranunculoides (Lesser Water-plantain) a plant with linear lanceolate leaves that smell of coriander when crushed, Lobelia dortmanna (Water Lobelia) a plant formed in a rosette and having two tubes in the cross section of leaf, Nitella flexilis (Smooth Stonewort) and N. translucens (Translucent Stonewort) which are both charophytes; a group of plants that can form deep water communities as they are able to photosynthesize at low light levels, Sparganium angustifolium (Floating Bur-reed), Littorella uniflora (Shoreweed), Apium inundatum (Lesser Marshwort), Lythrum portula (Water-purslane) and Eleocharis multicaulis (Many-stalked Spike-rush). –Rudraksh Gupta, Rachel Walsh and Aran von der Geest Moroney

Top:

Muckross Abbey

A group of us headed off with Mary Sheehan to Muckross Abbey to measure the Yew tree in the centre of the cloister within the abbey grounds. The exact age of the tree is unknown with sources citing between 350 and 400 years old. Prof. Daniel Kelly assessed the circumference at breast height on the day to be 3.28 m. Allium

scorodoprasum (Sand Leek) was observed on the walk up to the abbey, a possible introduction as a food source, by the monks. Afterwards, we received a very interesting talk from Sean Forde, the NPWS ranger for Killarney Park, about the holistic grazing regime in practice within the Park, which is home to approximately 100 Kerry cows. The farmed area of the Park is divided into large plots which are grazed all year round. The stocking rate of the plots is relatively high with each plot on an approximate 100day rotation. With this regime, the cattle selectively graze resulting in varying sward height across the plot which retains moisture in the soil with no plot grazed lower than “a coke can on its side”. Additionally, no chemical wormer (e.g. ivermectin etc.) is used within the herd and it was discovered that the cows are self-medicating, choosing plants they know to have de-worming or medicinal properties. This has also resulted in minotaur beetles being discovered in the cattle dung. Following Sean’s talk we moved on to the lake shore where we observed a number of plants typical for this habitat including Baldellia ranunculoides (Lesser Water-plantain), Caltha palustris (Marsh-marigold), Littorella uniflora (Shoreweed) and Eleocharis palustris. Galium boreale (Northern Bedstraw) was also observed close to the lake shore, one of the only two hectads for this species pretty much south of the M7 i.e. the line connecting Dublin and Limerick. – Julie Larkin

Rough Crew

The ‘Rough Crew’, led by Rory Hodd, headed for Coimín na gCaorach, a north-east facing glen on the north side of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. There had been no recording in this glen for around 20 years and the aim was to re-find some of the rarer upland plants previously recorded there. As we set off it was damp and misty, but that was perfect weather for the Kerry Slug (Geomalacus maculosus), a species almost entirely confined to southwest Ireland and parts of the Iberian Peninsula, and we soon spotted several grazing on lichen-covered boulders. As we trekked across the sloped towards Coimín na gCaorach we also saw Pinguicula grandiflora which has a similar distribution to the Kerry Slug, both being so-called Lusitanian species. At one location P. vulgaris (Common Butterwort) was seen growing side-by-side with P. grandiflora We were also happy to find some tiny Neottia cordata peeking out from amongst the heather.

As we reached the mouth of the gully, the sun broke through the mist and we were rewarded with views of the dramatic rocky landscape ahead of us and panoramic views northward to the Dingle Peninsula. As we explored gullies, rock faces and rivulets, our list of interesting species soon grew, including Rhodiola [Sedum] rosea (Roseroot), Saxifraga stellaris (Starry Saxifrage), S. rosacea (Irish Saxifrage), Oxyria digyna (Mountain Sorrel) and Cystopteris fragilis (Brittle Bladder-fern). It was also interesting to see the usually coastal Cochlearia officinalis (Common Scurvygrass) growing abundantly in a rocky flush.

Not particularly rare, but also nice to see were species such as Hymenophyllum wilsonii, Huperzia selago (Fir Clubmoss), Saxifraga hirsuta (Kidney Saxifrage), S. spathularis (St Patrick's-cabbage) and their hybrid S x polita

After a full day on the hill, on the fourth day of a 4-day meeting, everyone’s legs were getting pretty weary by the time we returned to Lisleibane Car Park. It was therefore an absolute delight to find the Carrauntoohil Coffee Hut open and serving

hot drinks and homemade cakes. We sat at the picnic tables in the sun feeling like we fully deserved our rest and treats! – Clare Heardman

Conclusion

The local organisers did a brilliant job to ensure that everything ran smoothly in what was a very enjoyable meeting. As the accounts show, we visited many interesting sites and made new records from many of them. In addition, there was plenty of time for socialising and to learn the identification features of less frequently encountered plants. Overall, the meeting logged 2380 records of 533 species, with some of these being made by individuals on their way to or from the event. I’m looking forward to the 2024 Summer Meeting, which is being held in Guernsey, where I’m sure to see many species new to me. – Jonathan Shanklin

Scabbacombe Head, South Devon (v.c.3), 21 May

Trifolium subterraneum (Subterranean Clover)

This joint meeting with Devonshire Association attracted twelve botanists. Setting off from the car park a small area of thin soil around exposed rock produced Trifolium striatum (Knotted Clover) and both T. dubium (Lesser Trefoil) and T. micranthum (Slender Trefoil) for comparison. Botanically it improved a bit after that. Thin cliffedge soils held flowing Lepidium heterophyllum (Smith’s Pepperwort) and Linum bienne (Pale Flax) with a nice clover site before going down to the beach, which included a new location for Trifolium glomeratum (Clustered Clover) together with T. subterraneum (Subterranean Clover) and T. ornithopodioides (Bird’s-foot Clover).

The beach wasn’t particularly productive, no sign of Isolepis cernua (Slender Club-rush), but we had lunch there before heading over Scabbacombe Head when we started to see Melittis melissophyllum (Bastard Balm) in full flower here and there before reaching the big population, thousand of flowering stems, in the rich pasture either side of the coast path which also held Serratula tinctoria (Saw-wort) and Betonica officinalis (Betony) Pea-flowers continued to feature on the way down to Ivy Cove, where we added Lathyrus sylvestris (Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea), lots of Lotus subbiflorus (Hairy Bird’s-foot-trefoil) and Ornithopus perpusillus (Bird’s-foot). A small rocky outcrop by the coast path featured Festuca longifolia (Blue Fescue).

At Ivy Cove a small area of rocky coastal heath was dominated by Scilla verna (Spring Squill) but we did locate a single small plant of Hypochaeris glabra (Smooth Cat’s-ear) at its only known Devon location other than Dawlish Warren. Erodium moschatum (Musk Stork’s-bill) and E. maritimum (Sea Stork’s-bill) were both abundant on the cliff slope track leading back to the carpark. Hyacinthoides nonscripta (Bluebell), in full flower, were a feature of the day on both the cliff slopes and the pastures inland, sometimes mixed and contrasting with Conopodium majus (Pignut) or in one case big patches of Rumex acetosella (Sheep’s Sorrel). It was a very tiring walk for some of us but the sun shone all day long and the coastal scenery looked wonderful.

Tain, Easter Ross (v.c.106), 25 May

On a pleasantly warm and sunny day, twelve people participated in this joint meeting between the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), the Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS) and the Inverness Botany Group. We were pleased to be joined by members of the Tain and District Field Club. It was partly devoted to the BSS Urban Flora Project and also to BSBI recording and general botanical and biodiversity interests. We were delighted that Matt Harding, Scottish Officer, was able to come along. We started with the gravelly track alongside the coastal car park and soon found some of the small, common spring annuals and also the scarce Crassula tillaea (Mossy Stonecrop), now frequent locally and noticeable due to its red leaves. The tide was out so we ventured onto the rather muddy beach to see both Zostera marina (Eelgrass) and Z. noltei (Dwarf Eelgrass), not yet in flower so separated using vegetative characters.

We continued in the Tain Links Park and spotted many Ranunculus bulbosus (Bulbous Buttercup) plants, a new buttercup to some of the group. We made our way over to the pond, originally a saltwater pond, which was cut off from the sea some years ago and is now a freshwater home to mallard and other waterfowl. Although the water appears less clean than it was and some plants may have disappeared, still present was Ceratophyllum demersum (Rigid Hornwort).

A visit to the old cemetery was planned to see Saxifraga granulata (Meadow Saxifrage) in full flower, unfortunately only a few plants had escaped the mowing regime. Myosotis discolor (Changing Forget-me-not) was plentiful in the shallow substrate at edges of paths.

Venturing across the wobbly footbridge we visited the saltmarsh to see some species just beginning to flower: Armeria maritima (Thrift), Plantago maritima (Sea Plantain) and Triglochin maritima (Sea Arrowgrass), then below the sea wall we saw Ligusticum scoticum (Scots Lovage) not yet in flower. Starting on our route back we were delighted to see plentiful Cerastium arvense (Field Mouse-ear) along the edges of a meadow. This species has few recent records in the vice county. The sides of the track across the golf course yielded a few more records before we ended the day at the station café for a well-earned tea and cake. We remained in one monad and noted a total of 125 species in all.

Hobson’s Park, Cambridge (v.c.29), 27 May

Jonathan Shanklin

This meeting was arranged specifically for beginners and new members of the BSBI. It was located so as to be easily reachable by public transport, however this didn’t go to plan, with replacement buses on one line into Cambridge and no buses on the

guided busway. Nevertheless a group of eight keen botanists met up with Jonathan Shanklin on a beautiful spring day with not a cloud in the sky and a pleasant cooling breeze. After a safety brief and introductions the group headed towards Hobson’s Park, a new country park towards the outskirts of Cambridge. Although many species have been introduced to it, others have made their own way, sometimes helped by visitors.

Almost immediately we made a detour into a patch of scrub by the Guided Busway to see Cephalanthera damasonium (White Helleborine) growing under what had been reported to be Fagus sylvatica (Beech). It turned out on closer inspection that in this case it was actually growing under Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) a rather less frequent associate. From here we went on to the Clay Farm Community Garden and progress stalled! We first inspected the Garden pond, finding species such as Hippuris vulgaris (Mare's-tail), which were planted, but others such as Ranunculus sceleratus (Celery-leaved Buttercup) which might have come in with ducks. Longer grass at the edge of a swale allowed us to identify a variety of grasses and we then moved on to some of the yellow composites and a suite of Geranium species. Towards the end of the swale we found some Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchids), which were nearly in flower.

We eventually moved across into Hobson’s Park proper and started looking at an area where some plants had been introduced and with them some accidental additions. We’d hoped to find Cuscuta epithymum (Dodder), and perhaps Trifolium striatum (Knotted Clover) which had been seen here in 2019. We didn’t spot either, but Jo spotted a small pink flowered clover which we keyed out as T. ornithopodioides (Bird's-foot Clover). This was only the third county record of a plant more usually found close to the sea. This took us to lunch time, so we moved closer to a lake that supports a good population of water birds, where there was some convenient seating.

After lunch we started a circuit of the allotments first finding Amsinckia micrantha (Common Fiddleneck) and getting confused by some very small plants of Phacelia tanacetifolia (Phacelia). Next was an unfamiliar yellow-flowered crucifer with quite long pods. Looking like a Winter-cress, the long pods confirmed it as Barbarea verna (American Winter-cress), a rare plant in the county. Moving on we found a patch of soil with Chaenorhinum minus (Small Toadflax), an arable plant indicator species. We then found some Trifolium incarnatum subsp. incarnatum (Crimson Clover), living up to its English name and clearly self-sowing from a small planted bed. Some time later we emerged from the allotments and started a circuit of a boundary ditch that runs around them.

This produced quite a few surprises. We found two plants of Oenanthe crocata (Hemlock Water-dropwort) a scarce plant in the county although one small plant had been reported here in 2019. A little further on a tussocked sedge just coming into flower keyed out to Carex elata (Tufted-sedge), which does have a few sites in the city area. The final surprise was a plant of C. paniculata (Greater Tussock-sedge) another county scarce plant, at its only site in the City. Although we were near the nominal finishing time we decided we should have a quick look at the ditch surround the lake and were duly rewarded with some Eriophorum angustifolium (Common

Cottongrass) at its only extant station in the county. It was introduced here, but probably accidentally with other water plants. Our final surprise on the way back to our starting point, walking along the chalk stream of Hobson’s Brook, was a patch of Ranunculus lingua (Greater Spearwort), which may have seeded in from a source further upstream, but never seen here previously. The day provided a great introduction to botany, with common and rare plants on view and all within easy reach of the city centre. Although for some this was their first BSBI outing, there was enthusiasm to take part in future excursions.

Chalk downland on Salisbury Plain (v.c.8), 29 May

Richard Aisbitt

Visiting the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is always a little chancy because it may suddenly be closed by the army for training exercises. Weekends are generally free but, for extra safety, we arranged to meet on a bank holiday Monday.

In the event, all went well. After the required safety briefing, eighteen BSBI visitors piled into cars and set off along dusty tracks. There is a chance of unexploded ordnance on the SPTA, so the ruling is “whatever it is, don’t touch”. Also, we are required to stay together as a group, not easy for independently-minded botanists. Visitors need to be accompanied by red card holders who must have range safety training every three years. A card holder can escort five visitors, so our seven card holders were ample. Our first stop was the Cross Country Driving Area where army vehicles churn up the tracks leaving a suitable habitat for early annuals. Our target was the tiny and inconspicuous Filago pyramidata (Broad-leaved Cudweed), found by John Moon in 2013 and a new addition to the SPTA (and Wiltshire) flora. We saw plenty, but also Minuartia hybrida (Fine-leaved Sandwort), Poa compressa (Flattened Meadow-grass), Vulpia unilateralis (Matgrass Fescue), and Cerastium semidecandrum (Little Mouseear). Next, a crustacean, not a plant: Chirocephalus diaphanus (Fairy Shrimp). These hatch from eggs when hollows made by tank traffic fill with water. We found these 3-centimetre monsters in a pool cloudy with chalk dust, marked only by surface disturbance and the occasional appearance of an orange tail.

Then on to Sidbury Hill, an ancient hill fort with swathes of Polygala calcarea (Chalk Milkwort), vibrant blue amongst the yellow of Lotus corniculatus (Bird’s-foot Trefoil). Another delight was Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s-tongue Fern), a surprise to some on the dry chalk turf.

We moved several kilometres to Silk Hill, which is within the Bulford Danger Area and so less often visited. Here was abundant Astragalus danicus (Purple Milkvetch) and a scattering of Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rock-cress). Moving on to a group of burial mounds, we found other specialists that grow on short chalk turf: Tephroseris

integrifolius (Field Fleawort) and Neotinea ustulata (Burnt Orchid). The latter surprised us with a plant that had lost its burnt tip and was entirely white-flowered.

Salisbury Plain is a haven for special plants. It is the largest area of unimproved chalk grassland in northern Europe, with much of the area designated as SSSI. More than a century of occupation by the army has protected it from agricultural improvement, with most of it managed just by grazing. This wide-open grassland is unlike the usual patchwork of farm fields and is a remarkable and stirring sight.

Thanks go to John Moon for arranging and guiding the visit and to Sharon Pilkington and Kat Newbert for botanical expertise.

Glen Fender (v.c.88), 3 June, joint with the Perthshire Society of Natural Science Faith Anstey, Matt Harding and Marion Moir

Fifteen of us met at the unexpected large new – and to be paid for! – car park at the top of the Monzie road by Loch Moraig. Also unexpected were the miles of electric fencing that weren't there last year, so that we had to detour back to the road in order to proceed from one field on to the next. However, there was so much to see that we were in fact never far from the car park all day.

We divided into two groups: those who had come principally for the training aspect were assisted and encouraged by Faith and Marion, while those whose interest was more in the rarities and special plants of the Glen were expertly led by Matt. However, both groups covered more or less the same ground one way or another. The sun shone all day, but there was a gentle breeze that made for very pleasant weather. The preceding dry weather made it fairly stable underfoot, too, in contrast with the usual squelchy boot-sucking bog.

Glen Fender is a mosaic of acid, neutral and calcareous soils, wetter and drier areas, peat bog and spring-fed fen, with upland heath, scrub and semi-improved grassland all within a small compass. Thus it is botanically extremely rich and varied. The area we concentrated on is an alkaline mire of the Carex dioica – Pinguicula vulgaris type, and indeed those were among the very first plants that we found. Our final species count was 127, all in a single monad NN9067.

We soon came across Tofieldia pusilla (Scottish Asphodel), a tiny Arctic-Alpine plant confined to the Scottish Highlands (with an outlier in Teesdale). Close by was Carex capillaris (Hair Sedge) – another small and delicate specialist of upland calcareous grassland. Thalictrum alpinum (Alpine Meadow-rue) is another denizen of similar habitats, one of the few seen by Matt's group but not the others. Alas, the rarest species Carex simpliciuscula (False Sedge), formerly known as Kobresia (and I can't be the only person who regrets the change of name, which was so easy to remember – and to spell!) and Schoenus ferrugineus (Brown Bog-rush), known only from this v.c. and the neighbouring v.c.89, eluded us.

Scottish Asphodel

Other plants of interest were Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) (5 or 6 tiny specimens within a few inches of each other), Bistorta vivipara (Alpine Bistort), Neottia ovata (Common Twayblade) and Parnassia palustris (Grass of Parnassus) – neither of the latter flowering yet – with Dactylorhiza maculata, D. incarnata and D. purpurella (Heath Spotted, Early Marsh and Northern Marsh Orchids), with a possible hybrid between the last two. Altogether 13 Carex species were found, and the area we were in had abundant Eriophorum latifolium (Broad-leaved Cottongrass), as well as the more usual – and extremely similar – E. angustifolium (Common Cottongrass).

So rich was this small part of the Glen, with something fresh turning up every few minutes, that I think there might have been a group-wide wish that we had been spending the whole weekend there. Perhaps next year.

Sedges at Tarn Moor and Orton (v.c.69), 10 June

Unusually for Cumbria our weather concerns were not about strong winds or heavy rain, but rather with our ability to cope with the high temperatures – the forecast temperature being up to 30°C. with no shade of any sort for the main part of the day. In the event, temperatures did not exceed 28°C and by moving slowly (always necessary when looking for sedges!) we avoided overheating.

Our group of 15 sedge enthusiasts included Margaret Bradshaw of Teesdale fame who, despite her 97 years, accompanied the group for most of the day and was still going strong at the end. Her experience and wisdom were much appreciated by the group.

We met amongst the abundant Primula farinosa (Bird’s-eye Primrose) which occurs along the minor road over Tarn Moor and our first sedge of the day was Carex rostrata (Bottle Sedge) growing by Tarn Sike. C. rostrata is always a good sedge to start with as the stomata which are so useful for distinguishing sedges are relatively easy to see – once you have your eye in. On C. rostrata the stomata occur on the upper surface of the leaf, a character shared only with C nigra (Common Sedge) of the common sedges, most other sedges having their stomata on the under surface of the leaf. Having examined these two sedges which are both widespread here, we moved on to another distinctive species, characteristic of base-rich habitats, C hostiana (Tawny Sedge) with its yellow-green leaves which taper abruptly at the tips and its glumes with broad, silvery, hyaline margins. Nearby was C lepidocarpa (Longstalked Yellow-sedge), easily recognised as a Yellow Sedge but not always readily distinguished from C. demissa (Common Yellow-sedge). In this case the leaves, only about a third as long as the stem, were a useful guide, while the long beaked utricles provided further support. The shallow valley of Tarn Sike, through which we were making our way is flower-rich and holds Dactylorhiza purpurella (Northern Marsh Orchid) and D incarnata (Early Marsh Orchid), though these were less common than on previous visits, very likely a consequence of the hot dry spring. A further probable result of the weather was the almost total absence of Menyanthes trifoliata (Bog Bean) flowers which usually look superb at this time of the year. However, we were consoled for this disappointment by the sighting of several flowering spikes of C. pulicaris (Flea Sedge) with their reddish utricles almost ready to jump off in a flea-like manner. Another very small sedge, C. dioica (Dioecious Sedge), was also spotted –male plants with their slender spikes and female plants with their shorter, fatter spikes.

A little further along we came upon possibly the most attractive non-Carex sedge of the day Eriophorum latifolium (Broad-leaved Cottongrass) with its broad yellowgreen leaves and its startlingly white flowers. Here, being a plant of base-rich soils, it grows in large quantities and contrasts beautifully with the rather more humdrum E. angustifolium (Common Cottongrass) which is also nearby. The close presence of these two plants with very different edaphic needs shows the mosaic-like quality of this area with acid and calcareous soils in close proximity. This quality was shown again by the occasional presence of the acid-loving C echinata (Star Sedge) with its stellate spikes. Also in this area is the dark-spiked Schoenus nigricans (Black Bogrush), a rather uncommon plant in Cumbria and confined to calcareous soils.

With some regret we left this beautiful spot and headed up towards the road, almost immediately moving on to acid soil where two further sedges C. binervis (Green-ribbed Sedge), a tall sedge with well separated spikes, its base often surrounded with orange-brown dead leaves, and the very much smaller C pilulifera (Pill Sedge) were quickly found. This latter needs to be distinguished from C caryophyllea (Spring-sedge) which, as here, sometimes grows nearby. C. caryophyllea is a sedge of “wide ecological tolerance” and is best distinguished by its large, club-shaped male spike and its distinctive sheathing bract. In contrast, C pilulifera has a small male spike, a nonsheathing bract and very wiry stems which often flop over to lie along the ground.

The next stage of our day involved a short road walk to Sunbiggin Tarn where C. elata (Tufted-sedge) occurs. This is a sedge in the nigra group with a strongly tussocky habit, sharply trigonous stems, glaucous leaves, a rather dense inflorescence and short bracts. On the marshy edges of Sunbiggin Tarn this sedge grows close to C. nigra and the two hybridise to produce C. x turfosa. This hybrid is quite variable but the best character for distinguishing it in the field is the occurrence of stomata on both leaf surfaces. As with most sedges, C elata has stomata on the under surface of the leaf while, as mentioned earlier, C. nigra has them on the upper surface. Sunbiggin Tarn also holds a large colony of Cladium mariscus (Great Fensedge) with its savagely toothed leaves, one of only three sites still to be found in the county.

Back along the road by the parking spot we were able to examine another hybrid, that between Carex hostiana and a Yellow Sedge. Both C. demissa and C. lepidocarpa grow here so it’s rather difficult to be certain which of the two is involved. This hybrid is readily distinguished by the tapered female spikes which, because the utricles are empty, are easily compressible and the unemerged anthers, found by peeling back the male glumes.

After a relaxing lunch we set off across Tarn Moor, quickly finding C. canescens (White Sedge) with its conspicuously neat whitish flower spikes and its pale green leaves which (unusually for a non-hybrid sedge) have stomata on both surfaces, though mainly on the lower surface. This rather wet area of Tarn Moor is noted for its frequent C diandra (Lesser Tussock-sedge), a somewhat unobtrusive sedge particularly here where the flower spikes are often scattered or only very loosely

clustered. Its rather small, compact inflorescences are a dark brownish colour and the leaves grey green making it very easy to miss. However, sharp-eyed members of the group were quick to spot it! We were now heading for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserve, Tarn Sike, but we took a brief detour to see Limosella aquatica (Mudwort) on the edges of a shallow pool nearby. Tarn Sike is another attractive spot, with many of the species we had already seen, but it also holds another difficult-to-find sedge, C capillaris (Hair Sedge) with its delicate, clustered spikes on hair-like peduncles. It was pleasing to find several plants in addition to those already known.

The last stage of the day involved a drive to Orton with its “chocolate factory” and delicious ice-cream, much enjoyed by various members of the group, and then a short walk to a spot known to local botanists at least as Ray’s Bridge, the Ray in question being John Ray who in the 17th century found Bartsia alpina (Alpine Bartsia) and other notable plants in this area. Our main aim here was to see C ornithopoda (Bird’s-foot Sedge) which we found, although, not surprisingly for an early flowering sedge, it was well past its best. The walk to and from Ray’s Bridge is full of attractive plants and gave us further sedges, notably C disticha (Brown Sedge) with its scattered rather than clustered shoots and its dark-coloured inflorescence which is narrowed in the middle and C hirta (the aptly named Hairy Sedge), the non-Carex sedge Blysmus compressus (Flat-sedge) as well as Geranium sylvaticum (Wood Crane’s-bill), one of the glories of the Orton limestones and, of course, Primula farinosa

My thanks to all participants whose interest, enthusiasm (and sharp eyes!) made the meeting a pleasure to lead.

Rammey Marsh, Middlesex (v.c.21), 17 June

Jon Agar

Twenty of us met at Enfield Lock station to explore the meadows and canals of the Lea Valley in North London. This was a joint field meeting of the London Natural History Society and the BSBI. This meeting was the second of four such joint meetings led by Mark Spencer in the summer of 2023. In typical botanical style, we started observing interesting plants even before the station where an unusual form of Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica var. quinquepartita) was observed. The Lea Valley stretches from the Thames into Hertfordshire, and forms a corridor of parks, playing fields, industrial sites, reservoirs and water meadows, including several Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Notably, one of which, Walthamstow Marshes, is home to Helosciadium repens (Creeping Marshwort). Our first target was Rammey Marsh, in the Middlesex vice-county, and we were hoping for a species-rich meadow with the chance of species relatively rare in the London area, such as such as Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid), Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common Spotted-orchid), Lathyrus aphaca (Yellow Vetchling) and Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid). What we found was a large tract of Conium maculatum (Hemlock), Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow-parsley), tall grasses and encroaching bramble scrub, with a few patches of more interesting ground. The marsh

had been damaged by fire in 2022, and we saw the burnt ground in places, but the current state was more due to lack of management. Current funding only allowed one cut of the meadow, very late in the season, and, when combined with ready nitrogen sources from pollution, the result was rank vegetation. Mark was much dispirited.

Nevertheless, even at Rammey Marsh, Markguided us through identification tips and showed us some notable plants. Artemesia was a case in point. While we didn’t see A. x wurzellii, the hybrid between A. vulgaris (Mugwort) and A. verlotiorum (Chinese Mugwort), discovered in the area in the 1980s by Brian Wurzell, we did see A. absinthium (Wormwood). Another new one (for me) was the hybrid between Galium verum (Lady’s Bedstraw) and G. album (Hedge Bedstraw): the flowers of the hybrid, G. x. pomeranicum, are a straw, pale yellow, midway between the yellow and the white of the parents, the foliage is also intermediate in form.

We cheered up after lunch, examining the river plants of the Lea Navigation. It was a hot dayand Mark seemed quite keen to wade into the water – a good job since none of us had brought grapples – and gather samples. The rest of us watched the crayfish. The plants included Stuckenia pectinata [Potamogeton pectinatus] (Fennel-leaved Pondweed), with its distinctively thread-like leaves that emerge from sheaths; Potamogeton berchtoldii (Small Pondweed); and the more familiar Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s Waterweed); Mark also provisionally identified a small plant of Vallisneria spiralis (Tapegrass) which he later confirmed. The Lea catchment is the UK stronghold for this non-native species. Once dry, Mark led us down the canal-path, avoiding the bikes, and trying to make sense of the poplars, which we eventually did, thanks to Sven Wair; the majority of the trees being, in this stretch of the river at least, P. x canadensis c.v. ‘Robusta’ (Hybrid Blackpoplar).

A detour to the Pike and Swan Pool, a small pond set between and connecting to strands of the Lea, contained ferns on the walls and was overlooked by Ulmus glabra (Wych Elm) and a sizable Ficus carica (Fig) tree. Circling back to our starting point, we explored what turned out to be the best area of the day: a patch of meadow that had received sympathetic management, and, it has to be said, some seeding, including Rhinanthus minor (Yellow Rattle) to parasitise and keep back the plant bullies. Here was a rich assemblage of meadow flowers, including Centaurea debeauxii (Chalk Knapweed), Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy), Lathyrus pratensis (Meadow Vetchling), as well as Carex acutiformis (Lesser Pond-sedge) and Briza media (Quaking-grass) – the latter is regionally rare but this patch was apparently planted. Patches of water in the meadow revealed Lemna trisulca (Ivy-leaved Duckweed) and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (Grey Club-rush) with distinctive spotty sepals, while the little stream known as Turkey Brook possessed the diminutive Nymphoides peltata (Fringed Water-lily) – not a water-lily at all but a relative of the Bogbean. I returned with a list of 83 species, several of which were new to me.

Following our walk, a healthy colony of Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid) and an Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchid) were found on part of the site. Sadly, only eight days later, another fire broke out and damaged approximately 2 hectaresas yet the ecological damage is unclear.

Holyrood Park Education Centre, Edinburgh (v.c.83), 18 June

Dulnain Bridge (v.c.95), 1 July

Identifying Wildflower Families Workshops

This year two workshops were organised with the aim of explaining the strategy of “find the family first” to budding botanists keen to learn ID skills for work or leisure.

The first workshop was held at Holyrood Park Education Centre in Edinburgh. Thirteen enthusiastic participants attended. It’s a great ‘city’ location, accessible by car and public transport; the classroom allowed us to work in comfort, and of course, very importantly, we had a good selection of wildflowers nearby. The second Workshop was held in Dulnain Bridge, Speyside. Eight equally enthusiastic students attended in the Village Hall at this comfortable but more rural venue.

Feedback from workshop participants was positive. Most commonly, students responded that the most useful aspects of the course were: identifying structural features and learning the vocabulary; learning to use a key; practising new skills with support when help was needed; gaining tips and hints from knowledgeable tutors; collaborative learning; and coping strategies for when the key isn’t working out! Some practice in the field with tutors is much appreciated and asking any question at all is encouraged for everyone – tutors included.

The workshops are always fun. Everyone seems to connect very quickly, probably due to the small numbers and working in groups. Most participants become so engrossed in their work that they don’t stop for lunch, continuing with furrowed brows and a hand lens focused on some small determining feature. Lots of questions are raised and everyone learns, which is always encouraging for beginners, to know that the tutors learn new things too.

The Holyrood workshop had an unexpected spin-off! We were invited to give the same programme there to the Historic Scotland Rangers, at commercial rates, which we did a bit later in the year.

Plantlife Deep Dale Nature Reserve, Derbyshire (v.c.57), 24 June

Andrew Kearsey

Plantlife invited members of the BSBI to visit their Deep Dale Nature Reserve, part of the Wye Valley in the southern Peak District. The primary interest feature of the reserve is the calcareous grassland on the steep sided dale.

Fifteen members joined Plantlife staff Andy Kearsey and Elizabeth Cooke for a tour around the reserve. Several species of note were identified, not least 8 individuals of Epipactis atrorubens (Dark-red Helleborine) growing amongst limestone scree high up on the valley side. This was the first time the species had been re-found at the reserve in several years. The area around the Helleborine was productive;

Gymnocarpium robertianum (Limestone Fern), Convallaria majalis (Lily-of-thevalley) and Rubus saxatilis (Stone Bramble) were all identified.

As we headed up the dale Andy took us through some of the management challenges that he faces in maintaining the diverse flora on the reserve; some within his control, others external such as the deposition of atmospheric nitrogen. The main management of the reserve is through grazing with cattle. As far as Plantlife are aware, the reserve has not had any livestock other than cattle on it for at least 60 years. This has contributed towards the botanical diversity of Deep Dale.

Less experienced members appreciated working through the identification of various species along with more experienced botanists. There was much discussion on whether a thistle was Carduus nutans (Musk Thistle) or C. crispus (Welted Thistle) with the general consensus being that it was C. nutans. This species is common across the Deep Dale area, in particular around the dew pond at the bottom of the dale, where the soil is deeper and more neutral. While at the well vegetated stone-lined dew pond we were treated to aerial displays from two species of dragonfly: male and female Broad-bodied Chasers (Libellula depressa) and an Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator).

John Muir Country Park, West Barns, Dunbar (v.c.82), 24 June

Marion Moir, Caspian Richards and Sue Jury

The meeting had perfect weather for an outing and about 30 people divided into groups with 3 leaders. The route was a circuit through the saltmarsh, along the dunes and over to the plantation for lunch, then a look at the marshy area in the woods for a different habitat. Caspian had printed a list of plants, so everyone saw the same plants, and we had stick markers on the dunes.

The saltmarsh is a large area in the hinterland of the dunes where there is a great variety of salt-loving plants. We looked at Juncus gerardii (Saltmarsh Rush) growing in lines with their black seeds and Blysmus rufus (Saltmarsh Flat-sedge), shorter, and with flat black seeds. Two more members of the Sedge family (Cyperaceae) here were – Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (Grey Club-rush) with grey round stems growing on the saltmarsh flats and Bolboschoenus maritimus (Sea Club-rush) with triangular stems in a brackish marsh under a bridge. The unusual Trifolium fragiferum (Strawberry Clover) grows on trodden ground with Lysimachia [Glaux] maritima (Sea Milkwort) and nearby Carex otrubae (False Fox-sedge). Our groups were sprawled looking closely at the two saltmarsh sedges: C. distans (Distant Sedge) with spaced female spikelets and C. extensa (Long-bracted Sedge) with a long bract and female spikelets clustered at the top.

On the boardwalk across the saltmarsh, we looked at Suaeda maritima (Annual Sea-blite), Salicornia (Glasswort or Samphire), Spergularia media (Greater Seaspurrey) with petals longer than sepals, comparing it to S. marina (Lesser Seaspurrey) with petals shorter than sepals, and Artemisia maritima (Sea Wormwood). Puccinellia maritima (Common Saltmarsh-grass) with its one-sided toothbrush look was compared to P. distans found on road verges, upright and like a Christmas tree.

The dunes are covered with Ammophila arenaria (Marram) and Leymus arenarius (Lyme-grass) which protect a surprising number of plants, some possibly planted such as Eryngium maritimum (Sea-holly) and some from bird-dropped seed, such as Clematis tangutica (Orange-peel Clematis) which is thriving. Elymus [Elytrigia] junceiformis (Sand Couch) grows on the seaward side of the dunes and the

characteristics of this in comparison to Elymus [Elytrigia] athericus (Sea Couch) were discussed – the Sand Couch spikelet breaks up easily, has bluish leaves and grows on the sand dunes, whilst the Sea Couch has stiff double upright leaves rolled inwards and overlapping spikelets with awns/hairs and grows on a muddy sand habitat; some has recently been found near Edinburgh at Seafield, new for Midlothian (v.c.83).

The Marram protects small plants such as Erigeron acris (Blue Fleabane), Trifolium arvense (Hare’s-foot Clover), Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rock-cress) flowering earlier, Centaurium erythraea (Common Centaury), and tall Poa angustifolia (Narrow-leaved Meadow-grass), frequent on the dunes. In one place is found Calystegia soldanella (Sea Bindweed) with its succulent kidney-shaped leaves and flowers of pink/white stripes. Festuca arenaria (Rush-leaved Fescue) is one of the important grasses of the dunes on the East Lothian coast, its spikelet is hairy and it has inrolled leaves, growing right in the midst of the Marram and often on a hillock. The grass Parapholis strigosa (Hard-grass) has been previously found on the saltmarsh but not found this time as we crossed the saltmarsh to the Plantation.

The lunch area under the pine trees revealed a different habitat of acid marsh on top of the calcareous sand with Thalictrum minus (Lesser Meadow-rue), Carex arenaria (Sand Sedge), Echium vulgare (Viper’s Bugloss), Neottia ovata (Common Twayblade), Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Marsh Pennywort), various sedges, Juncus inflexus (Hard Rush) which doesn’t grow much further north of the middle belt of Scotland, and Eleocharis quinqueflora (Few-flowered Spike-rush). Dactylorhiza fuchsia (Common Spotted-orchid) and D. purpurella (Northern Marsh-orchid) were nearly past flowering but it was interesting to see the characteristics of both in the hybrid D. x venusta Parnassia palustris (Grass-of-Parnassus) also grows in the marsh. Brachypodium pinnatum (Heath False-Brome) covers an area under the pine trees of about 10 m2 and is also found on the limestone opposite Blair Atholl near the A9, but is mostly found in England. B. sylvaticum (False Brome) grows in the dunes.

After a long walk out to the Tyne Estuary and down a forest track, we came to the rare Corynephorus canescens (Grey Hair-grass) which grows along the side of a sandy path.

On our return journey, we crossed a bridge with the Sea Club-rush mentioned earlier, and below was growing Ranunculus sceleratus (Celery-leaved Buttercup), Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet), Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-rush) and Ceratophyllum demersum (Rigid Hornwort). Then returning via the toilet blocks, we noted Lepidium draba (Hoary Cress) on the bank and Anthriscus caucalis (Bur Chervil) growing under the trees.

Everyone seemed to have survived the exposure to the exceptional heat of June and I would like to thank Caspian and Sue for helping in preparation and on the day.

Herts and Middlesex Rubus Meeting (v.cc. 20, 21), 30 June – 2 July

Astrid Biddle and Robert Randall

A wonderful weekend was led by BSBI Bramble referee Rob Randall and expert batologist John Norton who guided us through the Bramble diversity of the area. Thirteen participants explored the delights of over forty Bramble species which is sometimes a significant component in the vegetation of these two counties. Each species brings slightly different characteristics: there are different flowering and fruiting

times, different structural characteristics and winter-green persistence, and different levels of vigour and invasiveness.

An “Introduction to Brambles” on Friday afternoon eased us into the weekend, taking newcomers through the identification process. Starting at Heartwood Forest (v.c.20), we investigated the pathways which bordered the ancient Langley and Wells and Puddlers Woodlands. The track approaching the wood passed through heavy clay and Rubus ulmifolius (Discolores), the common hedgerow bramble was dominant. R. flexuosus (Radula) and R. leucostachys (Vestiti) were encountered on the edge of the wood and R. echinatus (Radula) and R. vestitus (Vestiti) nearby. The last two had also begun colonising the recently planted hedges and scrub surrounding young trees in the forest.

We moved swiftly onto Nomansland (v.c.20), a nearby heathland, which was more rewarding but due to the thin soil and heavy rabbit grazing, many plants were poorly grown. Additional species included R. dasyphyllus (Hystrix), R. laciniatus (Sylvatici), R. subinermoides (Rhamnifolii) and R. euryanthemus (Radula). Members of sect. Corylifolii included R. hindii, frequent in East Anglia, and plants that were probably the Kent form of R. halsteadensis, which is quite frequent in SE England. Day 2 saw us travelling along the top of the ridge at Ashridge. This is Chilterns dip-slope clay, forced upwards in the landscape with a long chalky escarpment before it drops to the flat Bedfordshire plateau below. The chalky escarpment gives rise to a band of Ash trees, and this is one of the rare occasions where the name of the area fits perfectly with the native interpretation of the landscape. In only a few tens of metres, travelling to the top of the ridge, the clay insulates the soil from the calcareous influence of the chalk bedrock and a distinctly acidic profile emerges. At Steps Hill (v.c.30) other Corylifolian brambles were encountered, R. cantabrigiensis, also from East Anglia, and the widespread R. tuberculatus. Hystrix was represented by R. murrayi and R. watsonii and Radula by R. echinatoides.

On Ivinghoe Common (v.c.30) series Micantes was represented by R. trichodes, which turned out to be common along the ridge, and R. moylei, not the typical form of SE England, but one with narrower petals and panicle found in the West Country. As currently mapped, this is an aggregate of at least three taxa. The very distinctive R. sprengelii (Sprengeliani) was seen for the first time, as was the 'Dockey Wood bramble', an unidentified member of series Glandulosi. It also was encountered at various points along the ridge, as well as likely hybrids with R. trichodes. Finally, at Aldbury Common (v.c.20), R. infestior (Hystrix) was added to the list.

A quick look at Whippendell Woods (v.c.20) revealed higher soil fertility which meant that the interesting species would be trickier to find. The car park furnished R. conspersus (Vestiti) and R. britannicus (Corylifolii) and in the wood, R. echinatus and R. echinatoides were seen growing in close proximity, allowing a comparison of their features. R. conspersus was a first for the county.

In the afternoon we visited Ruislip Woods, Middlesex. At Mad Bess Wood, Ruislip (v.c.21), R. phaeocarpus (Hystrix) was the dominant species and R. rufescens (Radula), R. scaber (Glandulosi) and R. armipotens (Discolores) were encountered for the first time. We then proceeded to Poor's Field, Ruislip Common, which was rich

in brambles. The heathland was being actively managed and had mosaics of scrub and grassland. The Bramble was mown/ strimmed short to keep it in check, which occasionally posed problems in finding the primocanes required for identification.

Species found included R. cardiophyllus and R. polyanthemus (Rhamnifolii), R. asperidens (Hystrix) and R. macrophyllus (Sylvatici).

Day 3 took us to Bricket Wood Common (v.c.20), the largest remaining area of wet heathland in Herts and the last home of Erica cinerea and E. tetralix in the county. As with much of this type of habitat in Herts and the surrounding counties, it has suffered both with the decline of grazing, and the effects of a drying landscape. R. leyanus (Anisacanthi), a very aggressive species, was quite frequent, and the widespread R. lindleianus (Sylvatici) was seen for the first time. A distinctive but unidentified plant was nicknamed the 'Bricket Wood bramble'. It was apparently the same as a species encountered in v.c.24 by Tim Harrison. We then proceeded to Stanmore Common (v.c.21) to visit another area of heathland which had gained more secondary woodland. Because of the smaller area of open ground there were fewer opportunities for Brambles to express their characteristic features for identification, but there was an attractive addition to our list with R. platyacanthus (Sylvatici).

Sherrardspark Wood (v.c.20) was a very large woodland, and it became apparent very quickly that to cover this sufficiently, there would have to be at least a day’s work. This was managed as plantation, and this type of management made the Brambles more difficult to see. By the car park at Sherrardspark Wood (v.c.20) there was a patch of R. leptadenes (Glandulosi) and by a forestry ride, R. cantianus (Radula) and a plant that resembled R. anglofuscus (Anisacanthi) but which may have been a related unnamed plant from v.c.23, usually called 'Wolford fuscus'. Mardley Heath (v.c.20), was our last stop and described on the visitor information board as “one of the finest sites for Brambles in Hertfordshire”, so it had much to live up to. Many records were made in the first scrubby clearing with another of the fuscus group, R. fuscicaulis (Radula) and the first encounter with R. pyramidalis (Sylvatici). A very distinctive plant in series Radula was studied and it was eventually realised that it was the plant in W.C.R. Watson's 1958 monograph, which he called R. acidophyllus and mentioned as growing at Mardley Heath and Sherrardspark Wood. Our thanks extend to all who came for their unfailing enthusiasm and good spirits which made for a very enjoyable and informative weekend. Further resources on brambles, can be found on John Norton’s website

Bramble meetings, Maybole (v.c.75), 1 and 7 – 9 July

Angus Hannah

A day advertised for beginners in brambles was held at Maybole on July 1, based at the hall of St Oswald’s Episcopal Church. A total of 10 including 2 members of the local congregation and some more experienced batologists took part in the morning

session, which was a practical workshop teaching the characters used in bramble identification. Everyone was given specimens of the same species which I had gathered earlier, and we worked together through a list of characters and possible states, selecting what we judged to be the most apposite state in each case, following discussion when (as often) there was some divergence of views. This occupied us until lunch time, and after the break we were able to use the decisions reached earlier to quickly key out our species as Rubus polyanthemus, using the leader’s Scottish key. The bulk of the afternoon was devoted to a walk around parts of the town, where we made the acquaintance of a good mix of species, illustrating the wide extent of variation found in many of the characters we had been learning about.

Next Friday afternoon Carol Crawford and I were joined by Michael Philip and Anne Middleton, and we inspected some specimens Michael had collected. Carol then took us to Bellisle in Ayr, stopping in an interesting lay-by en route, but we decided it was not the best place to take the whole party.

On Saturday some of last week’s group reconvened, joined by others unable to attend previously, to explore the bramble flora of north Carrick. We decided in the morning to repeat the town walk, since this gave everyone an opportunity to get familiar with 10 species, most of which were likely to be locally frequent. Among these we confirmed R. boudiccae and R. pictorum, both further south than previously known in Ayrshire, and R. errabundus to the north of its Galloway stronghold. In the afternoon we drove to the shore at Croy to see R. ulmifolius, new to most of the group, flowering spectacularly along the coastal scarp. Returning over Brown Carrick hill we were in acidic territory and saw only R. polyanthemus and R. nemoralis. A selection of specimens which had been brought to the hall were studied and photographed, and afterwards those staying over had a pleasant social meal.

On Sunday we drove to Dailly, a village by the Girvan water 6 miles south of Maybole. A rough strip between the playing field and the river had a good range of species, one of which baffled us. It had some features of R. vestitus and some of R. pyramidalis, combined with the long spreading sepals of R. sprengelii, but was evidently none of these. We walked around the two Dalquharran castles without finding anything further of note and returned to the hall to study some specimens of a pink Corylifolian that Caspian had collected that morning near Bennane Head on his way up from Stranraer (probably R. hebridensis), and others gathered by Matt from around his campsite near Turnberry. Though not quite typical, it was felt that these fell within the broadly defined R. conjungens, for the present at least, though further investigation is needed. The following morning I realised that our mystery plant from Dailly matched the description of R. lanaticaulis, a species unknown to me, and great was my surprise on looking in DDb to find it was one of very few brambles recorded from v c 75 with a detailed location, and had been seen 40 years earlier in the same monad where we found it. Its only other Scottish record was in the adjacent hectad, but not localised.

We wish to thank Petko and the congregation of St Oswald’s for use of their excellent hall and facilities and for their interest in the project. My personal thanks to all who attended for their enthusiasm and contributions of specimens, etc., and in particular to Carol Crawford for her diligent recces and for putting me up over both weekends and to Anne Middleton for taking me back to the ferry. The numbers of bramble photos I have received since is evidence that the meeting stimulated or revived enthusiasm among those attending, much needed among the recently depleted ranks of Scottish batologists. It is hoped to hold a similar meeting next year, probably in the Dumfries area.

Glynhir recording meeting, Carmarthenshire (v.c.44), 10 – 16 July

Richard and Kath Pryce

Monday 10 July

In the afternoon, the group drove the short distance to the disused Glan Gwenlais Carboniferous Limestone quarry to examine Pant-y-Llyn turlough which is situated at the eastern end of the Cernydd Carmel SSSI/SAC and Carmel Woods National Nature Reserve. Nigel Stringer explained how the turlough fills and empties as the water-table rises and falls and described how the site had finally been protected from quarrying, largely due to the efforts of Dic Davies, himself and others during the 1980s. Nigel's descriptions of the prolonged fight were almost unbelievable, most interesting and were very entertaining the way he told them! The banks are generallyshaded by dense willow scrub which restricts water’s-edge access to the north-eastern corner where plants of Ranunculus repens that fit the description of the rather delicate, very dissected-leaved var tenuisectus were pointed out. This variety is described in Sell & Murrell as being characteristic of ‘Irish loughs and Breckland meres’ which have comparable hydrological characteristics to Pant-y-Llyn and is the first record for Carmarthenshire

It was possible to walk through the southern section of the turlough which is dominated by an extensive bed of Carex vesicaria (Bladder-sedge) with locally abundant Equisetum fluviatile (Water Horsetail) and occasional Menyanthes trifoliata (Bogbean) and Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-rush). Open water remained in the deeper northern part which concealed the submerged estavelle (the water inlet and outlet) and samples of Potamogeton berchtoldii (Small Pondweed) were dredged from the water. Earlier in the year there was a spectacular flowering of rafts of Ranunculus peltatus (Pond Water-crowfoot) over this deeper part of the lake

The party followed the footpath through the woodland around the west side of the turlough where Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sphondylium var. angustifolium (the narrow, cut-leaved variety of Hogweed) was seen together with calcicoles such as Sanicula europaea (Sanicle) and Bromopsis ramosa (Hairy-brome). Martyn Stead collected samples of the Polypodium (Polypody) plants as we passed and confirmed their identities later during the evening. Also, Polystichum setiferum (Soft Shield-fern) and P. aculeatum (Hard Shield-fern) were noted growing close to one another prompting discussion as to whether some of the plants were the hybrid P. x bicknellii. Dropping down into the disused quarry and then re-entering the woodland, the party was taken to a small area where five dead spikes of Neottia nidus-avis (Bird's-nest Orchid) were still visible: eleven plants had flowered earlier in the year. The quarry floor yielded a community of calcareous grassland species such as Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rock-cress), Linum catharticum (Fairy Flax), Briza media (Common Quaking-grass) and Iris foetidissima (Stinking Iris).

Tuesday 11 July

Most of the group travelled to The National Botanic Garden of Wales. Although the North Trawscoed hay meadow was past its flowering best, the bank dominated by the slightly later-flowering Pimpinella saxifraga (Burnet Saxifrage) was spectacular! After being shown the recently restored lakes created for Middleton Hall’s owner William Paxton in the early nineteenth century, the party visited Cae Gwair, the field where two years previously, green hay from North Trawscoed had been spread and, by 2023,

numerous Platanthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly-orchid) had appeared and flowered. Continuing to Llyn Canol, Kevin explained that the water level had been lowered by about 1.5 m to facilitate engineering work to the dam. Here the artificial draw-down zone was colonised with fen species and species of bare ground forming discrete zones dominated by Phalaris arundinacea (Reed Canary-grass), Alisma plantago-aquatica (Water-plantain), Persicaria hydropiper (Water-pepper), Rorippa islandica (Northern Yellow-cress) and Carex vesicaria (Bladder-sedge) together with occasional self-established clumps of Butomus umbellatus (Flowering Rush) but most surprising were the locally frequent stands of Persicaria minor (Small Waterpepper). The water level in the next lake in the series, Llyn Uchaf, had also been lowered and the lush zonal vegetation also included abundant P. lapathifolia (Pale Persicaria), Bidens cernua (Nodding Bur-marigold), B. tripartita (Trifid Burmarigold) and Typha latifolia (Bulrush). Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater Duckweed) was also seen on remaining areas of open water. The garden is large and provided much of interest for the whole day although only a small part had been explored.

Wednesday 12 July

Wednesday brought some showers and also sun. One group went to Sylen Fishing Lakes. The lakes had been excavated in a very diverse wetland area at the head of the Afon Lliedi in the 1980s but the lake margins were mainly well-manicured. However, in parts, the wetter areas remained uncut where Scutellaria minor (Lesser Skullcap) was seen, as well as several plants of Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern). Nearby damp, often flushed, meadows had species such as Equisetum sylvaticum (Wood Horsetail), Lycopus europaeus (Gipsywort), Trocdaris verticillata [Carum verticillatum] (Whorled Caraway), Viola palustris (Bog Violet) and Succisa pratensis (Devil’s-bit Scabious). After lunch, which was taken sitting on some old farm machinery where a Common Lizard came to keep us company, several unmanaged scrubby rush-dominated fields again yielded Trocdaris with occasional Veronica scutellata (Marsh Speedwell). Two conservation ponds in this area, where there were numerous toadlets hopping-about in the grass, had been sited in what must have been a very nice acid bog. Remnants of this habitat generally dominated by Molinia caerulea (Purple Moor-grass) had Calluna vulgaris (Heather) and Erica tetralix (Bell Heather) and a few plants each of Narthecium ossifragum (Bog Asphodel) and Drosera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Sundew). Beyond was an extensive damp hay meadow where a large population of locally abundant Trocdaris was good to see.

The other group visited the Llanerch-hindda – Bryn Nicol area in a quest to refind two populations of Viola lutea (Mountain Pansy) first recorded by George Hutchinson and Richard Pryce in 1993. After the 3 km walk-in, rising to 380 m, the group discovered that recent forestry planting had radically changed the habitat with only tiny boggy areas still existing where newly-planted trees had not survived and where a few plants of, for instance, Narthecium, Erica tetralix, Carex pulicaris (Flea Sedge), Trocdaris and Succisa were extant. Needless to say no Viola lutea was found, some of the most interesting species being confined to the forestry tracks such as Spergularia rubra (Sand Spurrey), Hypericum humifusum (Trailing St.John’s-wort), Veronica officinalis (Heath Speedwell), Senecio sylvaticus (Heath Groundsel) and Logfia [Filago] minima (Small Cudweed).

Thursday 13 July

On Thursday, despite the forecast earlier in the week, the weather turned-out to be mainly wet or, at best, damp. However, undeterred, the main group met at the car park

below Llyn-y-fan Fach with the view principally of refinding Euphrasia rivularis (Snowdon Eyebright) in order to collect seed for the Welsh National Seedbank at NBGW. Small populations were soon found and Kevin McGinn made comprehensive notes so he could return at a later date when the seeds were ready. The party continued up towards the lake making note of additional E. rivularis populations in the flushes on the way but due to the very wetting rain, the walk proved quite tiring. When the party finally arrived at the lake they found that the water level had been considerably lowered in connection with ongoing dam repairs. However, Littorella uniflora (Shoreweed), Montia fontana (Blinks) and Callitriche hamulata (Intermediate Water-starwort) had grown to form large patches exploiting the expanses of exposed mud and gravel. The weather did not encourage any members of the party to climb the cliffs.

Friday 14 July

As it was very wet, only a small group drove to Bishop's Pond, Abergwili, Carmarthen. Access to the pond took us through the Bishop’s Palace Garden, recently restored, where several large specimen trees grow including Tilia x europaea (Lime), Quercus ilex (Evergreen Oak), Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ (Copper Beech), Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo), Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle) and Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut). Walking through the tall vegetation around the pond was very wetting! New species recorded included abundant Glyceria maxima (Reed Sweetgrass), Sparganium emersum (Unbranched Bur-reed), Persicaria amphibia (Amphibious Bistort) and Nuphar lutea (Yellow Water-lily). Chris Preston demonstrated the characteristic ‘hatched’ pattern on the underside of the leaves of Lemna gibba (Fat Duckweed), which separates it from L. minor (Common Duckweed) even if the L. gibba leaves are not inflated. The footpath was followed onto the road by the church and then along the line of the now-overgrown Bishop’s Canal where, in addition to dense, tall Glyceria maxima, Phalaris arundinacea and Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan Balsam), Lemna gibba was again found together with Spirodela polyrhiza. Continuing along the footpath at the edges of the reseeded fields, a small overgrown pond had Rorippa islandica growing at its edge and putative Calystegia x lucana (a hybrid bindweed) in a nearby hedge. We ate our packed lunch in the rain sitting on the top of a river cliff by the Afon Tywi which provided few plants of interest – just Bidens tripartita, Rorippa islandica, R. sylvestris (Creeping Yellowcress) and Spergula arvensis. On returning to the Bishop’s Palace, in order to have a break from the rain, we took a short look inside the County Museum followed by a visit to the café to warm-up with coffee and cake!

On the way back to Glynhir, a short stop was made at Ffairfach where a short walk down to the Afon Cennen was disappointing as no sign could be found of the Saxifraga granulata (Meadow Saxifrage) last seen here in 2009, the river banks having become colonised with scrub.

Saturday 15 July

Saturday brought some very heavy and windy showers. A group went to record by the Afon Tywi downstream of Llandovery. The first farm at which we stopped proved to be unoccupied so it was not possible to ask access permission so we drove to the nextdoor farm, Penybanc, where the owner was somewhat bemused as to our intentions but nevertheless allowed us to drive down a track across a couple of fields to the riverbank. Extensive shingle shoals skirted the water, often densely clothed with scrub, mainly of Ulex europaeus (Gorse) and Rubus fruticosus (Bramble) but winter-

washed, open areas had populations of Spergula arvensis, Rorippa palustris (Marsh Yellow-cress), R. islandica, Logfia minima and Lepidium heterophyllum (Smith’s Pepperwort). Ranunculus penicillatus (Stream Water-crowfoot) was seen below the water’s surface in several places. A damp area at the edge of the grassy flood-plane yielded a small population of Wahlenbergia hederacea (Ivy-leaved Bellflower).

As there was still time before we needed to return to Glynhir, we drove to Llandovery to examine the banks of the Afon Brȃn from a footpath near the CoOp. The river was disappointing but street-weeds had some interest and, as well as numerous garden escapes, included Veronica agrestis (Green Field-speedwell) and Cerastium diffusum (Sea Mouse-ear).

Another group also recorded on the banks of the Afon Tywi and they were given access at Glanrhydsaeson where Stellaria aquatica [Myosoton aquaticum] (Water Chickweed), Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine), Luzula sylvatica (Great Wood-rush), Erythranthe guttata [Mimulus guttatus] (Monkeyflower) and Salix x smithiana (Silky-leaved Osier) were present. Having crossed the river using the footpath adjacent to the railway bridge, they then found Carex muricata subsp. pairii (Small-fruited Prickly-sedge) in a hedgerow at Devannah Farm.

The third group visited Mynydd Mawr/Tumble Woodland Park where they revisited the numerous sites where Pyrola minor (Common Wintergreen) and P. rotundifolia (Round-leaved Wintergreen) had been recorded in the past. They found no P. minor and only one area where P. rotundifolia was still present.

The final group drove to Abergwilli where they spent the afternoon recording the species along the verges of the old A40 road now used as a cycleway to the east of the Carmarthen Museum. They commented on the abundance of Impatiens glandulifera which choked all the nearby ditches in this vicinity.

Sunday 16 July

After breakfast on Sunday, the Glynhir residents travelled to the MoD Test Ranges at Pendine where they were met by Matt Sutton who was to lead. After the security procedures we went in the cars to the C9 test track where Matt showed us numerous plants of Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s-tongue) and a single large specimen of Senecio inaequidens (Narrow-leaved Ragwort), the second vice-county record, both of which he had discovered the previous month whilst acting as ecological clerk-ofworks attached to the contractors refurbishing the track. In a nearby, rather rank slack dominated by Carex nigra (Common Sedge) were C. disticha (Brown Sedge), Rumex hydrolapathum (Water Dock) and putative R. hydrolapathum x R. crispus (a hybrid dock). The party then walked across the extensive tall fen where Gymnadenia densiflora (Marsh Fragrant-orchid) is relatively frequent and areas are dominated by Carex nigra, eventually reaching the Witchett Pill where Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (Grey Club-rush) is frequent and a new site was found for Carex pseudocyperus (Cyperus Sedge). Ceratophyllum submersum (Soft Hornwort) and Lemna trisulca (Ivy-leaved Duckweed) were found in the pill. Following lunch, the group drove to the East 4 Range to search for Liparis loeselii (Fen Orchid) but no plants were found, a disappointment as it had reappeared here in 2022 after an absence of 19 years. Driving back along the track over the dunes, the party made a short stop at the East 3 Range where Carex punctata (Dotted Sedge) and more C. pseudocyperus were noted.

The week had again been successful despite visiting fewer sites than would have been possible had there not been the almost constant rain. It was also disappointing,

particularly as Liparis had not been found and, again this year, the sites to where species monitoring had been directed had invariably lost the species that were being sought. However, all agreed that they had enjoyed the week and look forward to next year’s Glynhir meeting.

Mar Lodge NNR recording trip (v.c.92), 10 – 14 July

Encompassing over 29,000 hectares in the Cairngorms, the National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge NNR was the venue for a week’s botanising by BSBI members and NTS staff in mid-July. There was a deliberate intention to mix a wide age range of keen mountain botanists, which led to a great dynamic within the group. We were based in the comfortable bunkhouse in the stable block next to the lodge. At the start of the week, we had twelve participants split into three groups, declining gradually over the following days, with seven stalwarts split into two groups by Friday. Throughout the week we had pick-up trucks allowing us to use the tracks into Glens Dee, Lui and Quoich. This gave us the opportunity to visit many remote areas within the NNR, including the high corries of Braeriach and Beinn Macdhuibh. In total just under 2,700 records were made from 52 different monads extending from the floodplain of the River Dee to the summit of Beinn Macduibh.

The group at the start of the week: Jack Ravenscroft, Beth Lightburn, Jim McIntosh, Georgia Hancock, Sarah Watts, Dan Watson, Lewis Donaghy, Ian Moir, Mike Dilger, Shaila Rao and Gus Routledge. [David Elston]

On the first day, full of energy, most of us decided to get out into remote corners of the estate. Two groups walked in up the Lairig Ghru from Derry Lodge, pausing to admire Diphasiastrum x issleri (Issler's Clubmoss) on the north-eastern slopes of Cairn Toul. Shortly afterwards we split, with one group making for Garbh Coire Dhàidh and the other ascending Sgòr an Lochain Uaine by the straightforward but fine scramble up its northeast ridge. The first group worked anti-clockwise round the corrie, covering ground not visited in a previous NTS/BSBI trip in 2019. Unfortunately, we found the north side of the corrie to be less botanically interesting than the side looked at four years earlier. Highlights included numerous patches of Veronica alpina (Alpine Speedwell) and a few patches of Alchemilla glomerulans (Clustered Lady’s-mantle) This has been recorded not too far away around Cairn Toul, but not previously in this corrie. Further round the corrie, closer to where we were previously, we found a nice colony of Carex lachenalii (Hare’s-foot Sedge) in a flush and close by a good display of Phleum alpinum (Alpine Cat’s-tail), with the count of 34 flowering heads being much higher than I am used to seeing in the more heavily grazed Breadalbane hills. Both species are well known in this corrie. We had been looking out for Dryas octopetala (Mountain Avens), last recorded in the 1970s, but with no luck. Later I discovered that the grid reference was retrospectively applied to the centre of the corrie, whereas the recorder had seen it on the descent from the plateau, so almost certainly on the ridge between Garbh Coire Dhàidh and Garbh Coire Mòr.

Over on Sgòr an Lochain Uaine, the party there had been looking out for Cerastium alpinum (Alpine Mouse-ear), last recorded on the northeast ridge in 1999, but without success. This beautiful flower is far less common in the Cairngorms than are the other two montane mouse-ears, C. nigrescens and C. cerastoides (Arctic and Starwort). Apart from this 1999 record, there are no records of C. alpinum for Mar Lodge NNR since the 1950s. A surprising find was of a vigorous patch of Silene dioica (Red Campion) at 1103 m. It was looking rather splendid in full flower and appears to be marching up hill, having been found nearby at 1055 m in 2021 by Lewis Donaghy.

There was a long walk back to the vehicles at Derry Lodge, and much comparing of step counts which were all well over 40,000 for the day’s exertions.

The third group had a shorter day (and evening meal preparation duties) up Glen Lui, where the main target was Melampyrum sylvaticum (Small Cow-wheat), known from a single burn-side which is a tributary of the Lui. The last count of this plant was in 2011, when 125 plants were present. It was disappointing, therefore, that only 17 plants could be found in two separate populations. The cause of this decline is currently unknown. An interesting hawkweed was found by Glas Allt Mor, which was examined by Brian Burrows, the hawkweed referee, and placed in the Cerinthoidea section. However, although close to Hieracium iricum it didn’t quite fit, but “we cannot do anything about naming it unless a stable population exists, or several sites occur.”

The following day all three groups headed for the southeastern hills of the NNR, with one making for Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach, one along the Allt Connie to Coire Bhearnaist and the other along the Allt Bhron. Coire Bhearnaist has some basic rock outcropping and records were made of some plants otherwise rare at Mar Lodge NNR, including Carex capillaris (Hair Sedge), Equisetum variegatum (Variegated Horsetail) and Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) A new location for Salix myrsinites (Whortle-leaved Willow) was also found here.

Wednesday saw one group making their way up the River Dee from White Bridge, then into Glen Geusachan and up onto Beinn Bhrotain. Things started well with a new record for Omalotheca sylvatica [Gnaphalium sylvaticum] (Heath Cudweed) near White Bridge, but it was its close relative O. norvegica [G. norvegicum] (Highland Cudweed), which was the target, there being an old record for it in one of the gullies leading up from Glen Geusachan to Beinn Bhrotain. Despite ascending by one gully and descending by another, the search was unsuccessful, although in this kind of terrain there is every chance a population could have been missed. This is another species which has not been seen for some time, despite searches in 2019 as well as this year. The last record was made in 1999 from Devil’s Point Burn, with previous records being from 1980 or earlier. We did find numerous locations for Salix lapponum (Downy Willow) and S. myrsinites, some of which were previously unknown. For those, like me, more used to seeing S. myrsinites in rich habitats such as on limestone and the Ben Lawers mica-schist, it was odd to see it on granite, with a paucity of interesting associates. Out of the gully on Beinn Bhrotain a candidate for Carex x helvola, the hybrid between C. lachenalii and C. canescens (White Sedge) was spotted and later confirmed by Mike Porter. This rare sedge has

previously been recorded from Cairn Toul, but not since 1998, and this is the first record for Beinn Bhrotain.

A second group travelled north up Glen Quoich to Beinn Bhreac and made good lists from five remote monads. Two interesting records were of Epilobium ciliatum (American Willowherb) and Scrophularia nodosa (Common Figwort) in the Poll Bhàt monad, both of which have only previously been found around the inhabited parts of the NNR. A record of Salix lapponum was a first for this locality. Also in the area a record was made of Betula x intermedia, the hybrid between B. pubescens (Downy Birch) and B. nana (Dwarf Birch). This is the third record of this taxon for the NNR. Cytisus scoparius (Broom) was found growing in a bizarre Krummholz form at 679 m, another altitudinal record.

The third group stuck to lower ground along the River Dee between the lodge and Braemar. Interesting records included Nasturtium microphyllum (Narrow-fruited Watercress), the second record for the NNR with the previous one being from 1956 and Carex vesicaria (Bladder-sedge), the third record with the last one being from 1996. Trifolium medium (Zigzag Clover), was found for the first time since 1961. Thursday saw the ten remaining botanists heading for Beinn Macduibh, with one group heading for the summit while the other explored its eastern corries. Diphasiastrum x issleri, was found on Sròn Riach in 2022 by Shaila Rao, so we made some effort in establishing the size of the population. The first sign of it came when plants were seen straddling the path up Beinn MacDuibh, with the population size roughly measured as 50 m x 35 m. Around into the east facing slopes the population was found to stretch over 500 metres of hillside. There were many very dense patches, with the clubmoss disappearing where the heather got leggy and Molinia crept in, reappearing almost anywhere that the ground was drier and stonier and the vegetation shorter. Further on in Coire Sputan Dearg the best find was probably of a clump of Poa flexuosa (Wavy Meadow-grass). The only other record from this corrie was in 2006 by Theo Loizou. Elsewhere on the NNR there are older records from Cairn Toul, but recent searches have failed to re-find it there. High in a gully we found Taraxacum craspedotum (Pale-leaved Dandelion), determined by John Richards, the third record for the NNR. Topping out from this gully onto the plateau, a population of Luzula arcuata (Curved Wood-rush) gave a life tick for some several members of the group. Meanwhile the summit bagging group had been targeting altitudinal records, armed with a state-of-the-art GPS. Many of the current records on Beinn MacDuibh were made during a BSBI field meeting in 2010, but notable additions this time included a single tuft of Carex canescens in the summit shelter at 1308 m, beating the previous record of 1100 m from Ben Alder; Empetrum nigrum (Crowberry), also at the summit (previously 1250 m on Beinn MacDuibh); and Erica tetralix (Cross-leaved Heath) at 904 m (previously 880 m in Coire Etchachan). A Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) was found at 1160 m and had a brief reign as Britain’s highest native tree, although it has since been surpassed by both birch and willow on Ben Nevis.

On the final day we went for squares close to the track up Glen Lui, allowing an earlier finish so that the remaining seven botanists could get to their respective homes

(or a tent for two of them) at a reasonable hour. One group went to the end of the track and botanised around Derry Lodge. The main target was Hammarbya paludosa (Bog Orchid), for which there is a single previous record within the NNR, by Viv Halcrow in 1996. The leggy heather confronting us didn’t look promising, but we found some gravelly runnels within it, and following these led to a single stem of the orchid being spotted, growing from a dense Sphagnum cushion. No other plants could be found, but it was nice to know that it is still hanging on at Mar Lodge. The other group recorded further down the glen. One of the main target species was Dryas octopetala, which was recorded near Meall nan Uan in 2010 on the BSBI field meeting held that year. Despite there being an eight-figure grid reference, it could not be found. This is an area with some good calcicoles, including Helianthemum nummularium (Common Rock-rose) and Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw). Although it seems likely to no longer be present there, it may be that a search when the Dryas is flowering would be worth pursuing. It has not yet been relocated at older recorded sites by the Lochan Uaine waterfall, searched in 2021 or Garbh Coire Dhàidh, searched in 2019 and 2021 (but see above for more detail). This puts it in a small group, along with Omalotheca norvegica, Cerastium alpinum and Saxifraga cespitosa (Tufted Saxifrage), which have not been seen for some time and would be great to re-find within the NNR. So, there is still plenty to look for; no doubt we’ll be back!

Darlington Rubus Meeting (v.cc.62,66), 14 – 16 July

The meeting was held jointly with the Darlington & Teesdale Naturalists Field Club and began at Paradise, Witton Park where we attempted to refind species recorded in the past by the late Rev. Graham. By the railway embankment we examined the distinguishing features of three species of section Corylifolii Rubus eboracensis, R. latifolius and R. tuberculatus as well as two widely established introduced species R. armeniacus (series Discolores) and R. elegantispinosus (series Rhamnifolii). Nearby were R. dasyphyllus (series Hystrices) and a clump of R. echinatoides (series Radulae). Down by the River Wear were R. anisacanthos (series Anisacanthi), R. adenanthoides (series Radulae) and what is thought to be R. x pseudoidaeus var. pseudocaesius rather than the previously recorded R. caesius and members of section Corylifolii which may have been recorded as R. pruinosus in the past.

In the afternoon we moved on to Sunderland Bridge area and by the river examined once again several of the brambles seen during the morning session R adenanthoides, R. anisacanthos, R. armeniacus, R. dasyphyllus, R. eboracensis, R. tuberculatus and R. x pseudoidaeus var. pseudocaesius. Walking by the woodland plantation westwards to Holywell a major surprise was the discovery of a species to be named in honour of an artisan botanist 'Samuel Gibson's Bramble' at a considerable distance from the south-west Yorkshire strongholds. This bramble is particularly abundant in the wooded valleys to the west of Halifax. Onward through the plantation a few plants of another to be described species known as the Catterick Bramble were found with a clump of R. polyanthemus (series Rhamnifolii) at the western edge of the plantation.

On the Saturday the meeting began at Urlay Nook where R. radula was found to be frequent together with a member of section Corylifolii resembling that which is perhaps within the range of variation of R. conjungens. Other species included R.

armeniacus, R. dasyphyllus, R. elegantispinosus and localised plants of R. anisacanthos and R. latifolius.

During the afternoon session, within v.c.66 at Egglescliffe, additional species found were R. vestitus (series Vestiti), R. eboracensis and R. tuberculatus. On the south side of the River Tees at Yarm within v.c.62 were R. armeniacus, R. dasyphyllus, R. elegantispinosus, R. radula, R. tuberculatus, R. vestitus and R. x pseudoidaeus var. pseudocaesius.

On the Sunday morning the meeting began at The Marshes country park above the Tees Barrage. With the Tees having been canalised David Barlow evaluated vice county boundaries and for v.c.66 we recorded R. armeniacus, R. dasyphyllus, R. eboracensis, R. elegantispinosus, R. latifolius, R. tuberculatus, R. vestitus and the R. conjungens. The same species were found in v.c.62 plus R. radula, R. tricolor (Chinese Bramble) and what appeared to be R. polyanthemus

During the afternoon we ventured south of the modern-day River Tees and made some notable discoveries including R. cissburiensis (series Rhamnifolii), R. errabundus (series Sylvatici) and a member of the series Hystrices which might be R. atrebatum. On the return walk a few bushes of R. newbouldii were found amongst shrubs by the barrage just within v.c.66.

After the weekend Joyce and David Earl ventured to Blackhall Colliery finding well established populations of R. cissburiensis and a member of section Corylifolii with leaves and stems resembling R. polyanthemus indicating the need for the cautious recording of R. polyanthemus along the coastal areas of v.c.66 and perhaps beyond.

Rufford Colliery, Nottinghamshire (v.c.56), 15 July Mark Woods

A party of 17 people attended the field meeting on a bright and windy day, which was interrupted by a few heavy showers later in the day. A route was planned across a representative part of the former colliery which occupies several square kilometres. This included cleared colliery yards with pioneer and ruderal vegetation, grasslands, scrub, young woodland, created heathland and wetlands. Following clearance of the colliery infrastructure the yards have been left to colonise naturally, but the spoil tips have been subject to a phased heathland creation scheme, which has proved to be, for the most part, successful.

The route was started on the former colliery road where the characteristics of Rosa vosagiaca (Glaucous Dog-rose), a scarce plant in Nottinghamshire, were discussed and compared with typical R. canina (Dog-rose) type specimens nearby. A wide range of other species were then identified without moving more than 20 m. Examples include Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea-buckthorn), Salix x reichardtii, Inula conyzae (Ploughman's-spikenard), Ilex x altaclerensis, and Carlina vulgaris (Carline Thistle).

The party were then shown a population of Agrostis castellana (Highland Bent) growing on a sandy substrate in close proximity to A. stolonifera (Creeping Bent) and A. capillaris (Common Bent) so that the differences could be compared. A. castellana was then routinely observed across the site. It was probably introduced as a contaminant of a grass seed mix.

The next area to be visited was an area of heathland creation, which was described by Janice Bradley from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. When the site was

being prepared pools developed unexpectedly and these were left to natural colonisation. On drier areas heather brash from local sources was applied to a sandy substrate. The site now has an open heathland community with Calluna vulgaris (Heather), Erica cinerea (Bell Heather) and Ulex europaeus (Gorse). Nardus stricta (Mat-grass), an uncommon species in Nottinghamshire is abundant between the shrubs and a range of other heathland species including Luzula multiflora (Heath Wood-rush), Juncus squarrosus (Heath Rush), Spergula rubra (Sand Spurrey) and Parentucellia viscosa (Yellow Bartsia) were also recorded. The wetland component of this area has developed significant botanical interest, but the presence of Crassula helmsii (New ZealandPigmyweed) is unwelcome. Species of county interest included Lythrum portula (Water-purslane), Juncus bulbosus (Bulbous Rush), Isolepis setacea (Bristle Club-rush), and the upright form of Mentha pulegium (Pennyroyal). Of particular note in this area is a population of Juncus marginatus (Grass-leaved Rush) a taxon that is believed to be new to the UK having been recently confirmed by North American experts. The party were introduced to the taxon and Dave Wood (Joint VC Recorder) described the distinctive features particularly the grass-like leaves.

The party then proceeded to the ‘Desert’ a former sand quarry that has been subjected to sustained disturbance from off-road vehicles. The sandy substrate supports a very large population of Logfia [Filago] minima (Small Cudweed) and other plants of interest that were recorded included Echium vulgare (Viper's-bugloss), Carlina vulgaris, Hypochaeris glabra (Smooth Cat's-ear) and a possible H. x intermedia. Of particular note was the populations of Persicaria mitis (Tasteless Water-pepper) in sandy, seasonal pools. This species is typically associated with the margins of the River Trent, which is more than 12 miles away.

The day finished with a search for Omalotheca sylvatica [Gnaphalium sylvaticum] (Heath Cudweed) on an area of acid grassland that had been burned in the previous summer. No plants were found, but a population of Teesdalia nudicaulis (Shepherd's Cress) last seen in 2006 was re-found. It was not immediately recognised on site because of the timing of the survey, discussions considering the taxon to be possibly a Lepidium, but the ‘jizz’ was wrong. Dave Wood collected a sample and resolved the issue at home.

At the end of the day a total of 305 records were collected of 207 taxa, confirming the considerable botanical interest of the site.

Northern Fannichs, West Ross (v.c.105), 15 – 16 July

Duncan Donald

Apart from near Loch a' Mhadaidh – recorded by some attending the 1997 BSBI Field Meeting, later by Ian Green in 2016 – the plants in this area had hitherto been surprisingly poorly reported, despite it having been visited by a steady stream of botanists (and many hill-walkers) over the years [including Druce c.1902, MacKechnie & Wallace in 1948, McVean & Ratcliffe in the 1950s, Kenneth between 1966 and 1984, and McBeath in 1972]. So our aim was to put this right and map its flora more assiduously.

You need luck on a Field Meeting: I certainly had that when eleven kind volunteers came forward to assist me, enabling us to split into three groups on the 15th … but then the weather didn’t help. A spectacular but slow-moving thunderstorm with “stair-rod” rain made it unsafe to dally on the tops, and thereby prevented searches for a number of the arctic-alpines awaiting rediscovery (as well as critical

analysis of the current boundary with v.c.106, which in places fails to follow the watershed as per Watson’s original definition). However, this perhaps meant that more time was spent on the lower slopes, resulting in a new vice-county record for the Eyebright hybrid Euphrasia × eurycarpa (E. frigida × E. ostenfeldii), found by Matt Harding’s party on Druim Reidh [and later determined by Chris Metherell]; Trichophorum cespitosum s.s. (Northern Deergrass) in its fourth-only West Ross site [found by Simon Thomas and later confirmed by Jeremy Roberts], Salix lapponum (Downy Willow) being re-found in three places, and S. phylicifolia (Tea-leaved Willow) newly recorded for NH17, by Jim McIntosh’s party on Sgurr Breac; and a significant list of updates (this time with good grid references) for the likes of Athyrium distentifolium (Alpine Lady-fern), Caltha palustris var. radicans (the upland variety of Marsh-marigold), several Hieracia (Hawkweeds) [kindly later determined by Brian Burrows], [widespread], Saussurea alpina (Alpine Saw-wort), Sibbaldia procumbens (Sibbaldia) – and, not reported from NH17 since the 1950s, Cryptogramma crispa (Parsley-fern), Euphrasia frigida (Upland Eyebright), and Rubus saxatilis (Stone Bramble). The sobering fact is that, once again, it became obvious that so many of the occasional plants we found were of just a few individuals, often surviving on largely inaccessible ledges, some of those perhaps showing mineral enrichment: small refugia from which one wonders, with current grazing pressures, whether they can ever escape or are simply doomed inevitably to dwindle away.

The forecast for the following day was for even heavier rain, making low-ground excursions seem the more sensible option – though, greatly to his credit, Matt persevered with my intended target of Meall a’ Chrasgaidh and single-handedly recorded 11 monads across two hectads, noting multiple localities for Carex saxatilis (Russet Sedge) and Athyrium distentifolium (Alpine Lady-fern) [in what seems to be its West Ross stronghold] … though getting seriously wet in the process. Jim led a group to the more sheltered, but spectacular, Corrieshalloch Gorge NNR – sharing the plant finds with the reserve rangers, including Rubus saxatilis not reported from there recently; a number of other calcicoles reported from there in 1982 or before still continue to elude re-discovery however. I led a group to search Cadha Buidhe near Dundonnell – where Lightfoot & Pennant first reported Goodyera repens (Creeping Lady's-tresses), Orthilia secunda (Serrated Wintergreen) and Pyrola minor (Common Wintergreen) in 1772, and Slack found Polystichum lonchitis (Holly-fern) in 1959; on the way there we visited Aristavena [Deschampsia] setacea (Bog Hairgrass) near Fain Bridge, where Marion Moir discovered it in 2017; unfortunately, it was only once when we had climbed through the steep conifer plantation at Airigh Ghoirid that the cloud descended and the real deluge began – to the point that we became separated by mist and I deemed it unsafe to continue … but not before we had found limestone crags bearing a number of calcicoles, enough to show that this area certainly deserves a further excursion under more clement conditions.

Altogether another very successful two-day Field Meeting, with records from 24 monads/14 tetrads across 4 hectads. I am once more very grateful to all my companions for their good-humoured and knowledgeable company, despite the inclement weather. Insofar as we were able, the Northern Fannichs have at last been well surveyed … though searches for some notable past finds – such as Alchemilla glomerulans (Clustered Lady's-mantle), Carex vaginata (Sheathed Sedge) [despite several attendees having just got their eye into this on Mar Lodge Estate!], Cerastium cerastoides (Starwort Mouse-ear), Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. alpina (Alpine Hair-grass), and Juncus castaneus (Chestnut Rush) – will all need greater luck, and better weather, another time.

Monken Hadley Common, Middlesex (v.c.21), 22 July

Nineteen of us met at St Mary the Virgin Church at the edge of Hadley Common for an increasingly damp botanising walk lead by Dr. Mark Spencer. The focus of the walk was to explore the acid heathland, looking to re-discover scarce county records. Our first stop was a large group of Cirsium arvense (Creeping Thistle), which we used to highlight the key characters separating our two genera of true thistles: Cirsium, with a compound pappus, and Carduus, with a simple pappus. We then found the acid grassland indicator Rumex acetosella (Sheep’s Sorrel), and the low nutrient indicator Agrostis capillaris (Common Bent). To round off the axiophytes, we noted the presence of gone over stems of Conopodium majus (Pignut) throughout the sward indicating the age of the landscape. Other notable (for London) species were Stellaria graminea (Lesser Stitchwort) and Ervum tetraspermum [Vicia tetrasperma] (Smooth Tare).

From the grassland we moved on to a pond not far from our starting point with a mix of invasives: Egeria densa (Large-flowered Waterweed), Crassula helmsii (New Zealand Pigmyweed) and Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot’s-feather) and other species persisting from the old, pre-urbanised landscape. We noted ‘survivors’ such as Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-rush), Mentha aquatica (Water Mint) and its hybrid with M. arvensis (M. × verticillata) (Whorled Mint), Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Iris), and Lycopus europaeus (Gypsywort). We also saw the likely introduced, but native, Ranunculus lingua (Greater Spearwort), the large, cultivated form of Caltha palustris (Marsh-marigold) (which is usually referred to as var. polypetala but probably should be referred to as var. barthei (a native of China, Japan and the Far-East of Russia), and white and pink hybrid Nymphaea × marliacea (Coloured Water-lily). Upon leaving the pond we made our way towards the woodland, sighting Potentilla erecta (Tormentil) and re-recording Galium saxatile (Heath Bedstraw) (both of which are now scarce in Middlesex). In the grassland was Nardus stricta (Mat-grass), a common grazing-resistant grass of uplands, which is at risk of extinction in Middlesex, and re-recorded Danthonia decumbens (Heath-grass), confirming its identification by checking the ligule for its characteristic hairs. [NOTE: Danthonia is now only known from small populations at 10 locations in Middlesex, and Nardus is even rarer, with only 5 known sites. Both were formerly considered ‘locally plentiful’ (Kent’s Flora of Middlesex, 1975) in the county].

At lunch we escaped the rain at the woodland edge under the canopy of the hybrid oak Quercus × rosacea with characters intermediate between the parents Q. robur (Pedunculate Oak) and Q. petraea (Sessile Oak). To round off our walk we made our way to a small stream to look at ferns, where we recorded Polystichum setiferum (Soft Shield-fern) (a probable garden escape), Dryopteris filix-mas (Malefern), D. dilatata (Broad Buckler-fern) and Athyrium filix-femina (Lady-fern) (the latter two are rather uncommon in Middlesex). Leaving the stream, we came upon a small population of Veronica montana (Wood Speedwell) identified by its distinctive long hairy petioles.

At this point it had been raining consistently for some time and we decided to leave through a different part of the common. On our way out we spotted an odd looking Jacobaea that looked rather like, J. erucifolia (Hoary Ragwort), but without the usually obvious webbing on the leaves. Mark mused on the possible hybrid status

of this plant (possibly J. × liechtensteinensis (J. erucifolia × J. vulgaris); however this hybrid combination has not been recorded in the UK, but may be overlooked.

In total we recorded just under 80 species. The area retains some interesting acid grassland species but is deteriorating due to lack of grazing and nitrogen pollution. We failed to re-record Achillea ptarmica (Sneezewort) (scarce in the county but over-recorded for the garden escape ‘The Pearl’), Blitum [Chenopodium] bonushenricus (Good-King-Henry) (previously recorded from nearby allotments that we did not visit) and Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Marsh Pennywort) (now rare and at risk of extinction in the county).

Grasses, Sedges & Rushes, Ben Lawers (v.c.88), 22 July

Dan Watson, Faith Anstey and Martin Robinson

This year's meeting was the third in what seems to be becoming an annual event at this Scottish mecca for botanists, such is its popularity with both leaders and visitors, and for all levels of expertise. It is held jointly with the National Trust for Scotland and the Perthshire Society of Natural Science.

As usual, we were divided into two groups. I report first on the lowland group, for participants especially wanting to learn more about graminoids and to improve their ID skills. Dan Watson's report on the upland group for more experienced botanists follows.

Lowland group

Martin Robinson and Faith Anstey met eleven other keen (and mostly young) ecologists and other enthusiastic novices at Kiltyrie. We spent the whole morning in the car park area, which is furnished with a great variety of graminoid species. Using the Start to Identify… booklets and various other field guides, we were able to pinpoint the differences between the three graminoid groups and then to study the finer points of ID for each individual species we found.

While we were studying these earthbound specimens, suddenly someone pointed to the sky and there was an awed hush for a minute or two as we watched a pair of ospreys circling high above.

After lunch we went on to the lower slopes of the hill, which was much less water-logged than in previous years, so made for easy walking. The weather was pleasant too – little sun, but no rain either. In total we identified 20 species of grasses, 8 rushes and 16 sedges. In one particularly rich patch, we counted 15 different graminoid species in an area about 30 cm x 100 cm.

As far as the sedges were concerned, we were again pleased to find Carex rostrata (Bottle Sedge) and C. vesicaria (Bladder-sedge) in close proximity for comparison, Eriophorum angustifolium (Common Cottongrass) and E. latifolium (Broad-leaved Cottongrass) similarly together, and both sexes of C. dioica (Dioecious Sedge). As in previous years, we examined a good many rather tall yellow sedges and found them all to be C. demissa (Common Yellow-sedge); none were C. lepidocarpa (Long-stalked Yellow-sedge) as formerly recorded.

As we walked back to the car park – on an interesting old drove road that must once have gone up the hill, but now disappears into a mire – everyone agreed that it had been a most enjoyable day and one on which we had all added to our knowledge of grasses, sedges and rushes.

Upland group

A smaller group of eight visited the high ground at the east end of the Ben Lawers range. After some worries that we could be in for a wet day testing our waterproofs, it turned out to be dry, although overcast. Those who had travelled from the south were happy to miss the rain that afflicted lower latitudes on the same day.

Participants had intermediate to good skills in graminoid identification, and it was clear that most had come to see montane species at the best location for them in Scotland. We ascended the southern slopes of Meall Garbh, soon finding Carex capillaris (Hair Sedge), C. saxatilis (Russet Sedge), C. vaginata (Sheathed Sedge), Eriophorum latifolium and Juncus triglumis (Three-flowered Rush) along with a few spikes of C. [Kobresia] simpliciuscula (False Sedge) and J. castaneus (Chestnut Rush). Many more common species were picked up as we ascended the slope, soon getting into the high altitudes where C. bigelowii (Stiff Sedge) and Luzula spicata (Spiked Wood-rush) become common, although we failed to find any Juncus trifidus (Three-leaved Rush).

After lunch at the summit, we dropped down to the single location where Carex norvegica (Close-headed Alpine-Sedge) is found on the Ben Lawers range, before heading towards the flushes in the bealach between Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh where other highlights included C. atrofusca (Scorched Alpine-sedge), C. microglochin (Bristle Sedge), vegetative C. rupestris (Rock Sedge), Juncus biglumis (Two-flowered Rush) and J. alpinoarticulatus (Alpine Rush). We also came across more Eriophorum latifolium at 946 m, a new altitudinal record for this species.

Mugdock Country Park field meeting for beginners, Stirlingshire (v.c.86), 23 July

Thanks to the threat of mildly apocalyptic weather, it was a reduced group of nine botanists that gathered at Mugdock Country Park to explore the species-rich grasslands and aquatic habitats hereabouts. These hardy souls were rewarded with a terrific day’s botanising, with nary a drop of rain and an impressive list of 228 species!

Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine) provided a nice start to the day, and a short hop across the road took us into the SSSI, with Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common Spotted-orchid) and Neottia ovata (Common Twayblade) frequent. Some Platanthera chlorantha (Greater Butterfly-orchid) spikes were still flowering, but Gymnadenia borealis (Heath Fragrant-orchid) was long past, its fruiting heads still distinctive. A search for Dactylorhiza viridis [Coeloglossum viride] (Frog Orchid) was unfortunately unsuccessful – numbers have dwindled from 266 plants in 1998 to single figures or zero from 2013 onwards.

Other charismatic grassland species such as Pimpinella saxifraga (Burnetsaxifrage), were admired, and Mentha arvensis (Corn Mint) was a pleasant surprise growing in damper places. A highlight for me was Hieracium sparsifolium (Sparseleaved Hawkweed), a distinctive species (as far as Hawkweeds go!) last recorded in Stirlingshire in 1896 – my thanks to Brian Burrow for his determination.

A small acidic pool by Dumbrock Loch supported the fascinating carnivorous aquatic Utricularia minor (Lesser Bladderwort), one of only a handful of sites for this species locally. At Craigend Loch, we were able to compare Nuphar pumila (Least Water-lily) and the commoner N. lutea (Yellow Water-lily). We also dipped a toe into grass-leaved pondweed identification, with Potamogeton obtusifolius (Broad-leaved Pondweed) and P. berchtoldii (Small Pondweed) examined.

The escaped Geum macrophyllum (Large-flowered Wood Avens) was found spreading along track margins on route to the ruined Mugdock Castle, where interesting plants included Campanula trachelium (Nettle-leaved Bellflower) and Parietaria judaica (Pellitory-of-the-wall). The Bellflower may have originated from the old walled garden here, but Pellitory-of-the-wall was used by mediaeval herbalists as a remedy, and could indicate an older association with the castle. I am grateful to Krisztián Nemeth for correctly identifying a large, yellow-flowered clover here as Trifolium aureum (Large Trefoil), a second record for Stirlingshire! Very satisfied with our efforts, we returned to the café and enjoyed the first rain of the day from a dry spot underneath the picnic table canopy.

Grasses Workshop, Birnam (v.c.88), 29 July

Martin Robinson, Faith Anstey, Sandy Edwards, Robin Payne and Neale Taylor

We met in the Guide Hall, which was perfect for our needs. Sixteen people attended and it was immediately striking how low the average age was. Twelve were in the 20-39 age bracket and eleven worked for ecological consultancies and four in other environmental sectors. It felt very satisfying to be giving them something they needed and couldn’t get elsewhere, as we explored the identification of grasses from the very beginning. The course was based on Faith’s booklet ‘Start to Identify Grasses’, which features twenty common species of neutral grassland. The attenders worked in four groups, each with a tutor.

After a basic introduction to the subject, nailing down what a grass is, how it differs from a sedge and a rush, we then used handouts to look at the parts and different forms of inflorescence and the whole structure of a grass. The tutors had all brought in freshly-gathered material of a range of species, which helped with demonstrating the use of the flow-chart in the booklet.

In the afternoon we started with an identification session, using all the material that had been brought in and then we walked a circuit from the hall to look at live plants. Just down the road was a wide unmown verge, where many of the twenty species could be found in flower or fruit. The route then returned along the riverside where some additional woodland species were added. Feedback afterwards indicated that we had got it just about right and the objectives of the course had been well met.

Barra Islands (v.c.110), 5 – 11 August

An intrepid and varied team of botanists joined the MV Cuma at Lochmaddy, and motored south, stopping off the first night on the east of South Uist under a complete rainbow, then continuing to the islands south of Barra. We took advantage of calm seas to put teams on Flodaigh, Greanamul and Lingeigh, only the first of which had any previous records. Greanamul had a mere 17 species spread over two monads, including a dwarf coastal form of Silene flos-cuculi (Ragged-Robin) with short stems and clustered inflorescences. Flodaigh was covered with a layer of maritime peat topped with a sand dune, so had a different flora, with a patch of Scilla verna (Spring Squill), a species we encountered frequently on most of the islands. Lingeigh had a much larger species list including Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s-tongue) and Juniperus communis subsp. nana (Common Juniper). As the tide dropped it was a more interesting challenge to get back off the islands, but we succeeded. With most of the outliers covered, we turned our attentions to larger bits of land, landing the next day on Sanndraigh, which lived up to its translation of ‘sand isle’ with large dunes, mostly rough going over tussocky Ammophila arenaria (Marram) as they are no longer grazed. Three teams aimed to cover quite a large island and found that taxing. The first team focused on the sandy areas nearer our landing place and found several interesting species including Hypericum elodes (Marsh St John’s-wort), Scutellaria minor (Lesser Skullcap) and Isolepis cernua (Slender Club-rush). The second team covered the west side and hilly centre, finding Ruppia maritima (Beaked Tasselweed) in the only appreciable loch on any of our islands, and more Isolepis cernua. Near the highest point was Sagina subulata var. glabrata (Heath Pearlwort), which caused some comment… how do you key out something where the key feature is having glandular hairs when there is a variety without glandular hairs? But at least it looked like S. subulata with nice white petals; it would prove to be present on most of the islands. The third team did the north of the island, with nice machair with S. nodosa (Knotted Pearlwort) and Gentianella campestris (Field Gentian), and finding both Rosa sherardii (Sherard’s Downy-rose) and a Rubus (Bramble) on different coastal cliffs. The landing beach turned up Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. maritimus (Sea Radish) and Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. raii (Ray’s Knotgrass) as we returned for pick-up.

The next day two teams tackled Pabaigh, a slightly smaller island, the first looking at the dunes and a huge sandy slope on the east side. The beach area had Cakile maritima (Sea Rocket), Carex otrubae (False Fox-sedge) and some large stands of Bolboschoenus maritimus (Sea Club-rush). Away from the beach the vegetation was very deep and hard walking, but with surprisingly extensive patches of tall Ophioglossum vulgatum. Some areas with rock or higher water table underneath had nicer, lower vegetation. The second team went to the rocky west side, which was less species rich and (of course) much less well botanised previously.

They found lovely hairy Euphrasia ostenfeldii (Ostenfeld’s Eyebright) in the northern scrap of land. Meanwhile the leader went with the boat to Heisgeir a’ Muigh, some isolated rocks (in a tetrad of their own) to the west. It proved impossible to land, as they had steep cliffs on all sides, so a very short binocular-based list was obtained

instead (the total flora for the rocks was likely to be not much longer, even if a landing had been possible!). He returned to look at the tidal peninsula of Roisinis, with Ligusticum scoticum (Scot’s Lovage) and more Ophioglossum vulgatum, then met up with the sandy side team. By coincidence almost everyone converged on a nice marsh nestled in the hills to end the day with Pinguicula lusitanica (Pale Butterwort) and then Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern) in the burn to the village. We moored overnight off Mingulay, and an impending change in the weather imparted some urgency, so we put out four teams. One team covered the village on Mingulay, where all the sand makes the vegetation rich, and they had a long list including more Pinguicula lusitanica, and Tussilago farfara (Colt’s-foot). A second team had a more strenuous day covering three monads on the west and north of the island and were particularly impressed with large stands of Triglochin palustre (Marsh Arrowgrass) (in some cases right alongside T. maritimum (Sea Arrowgrass)), and the ‘forest’ of Angelica sylvestris (Wild Angelica). They found one small patch of Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern) on Cnoc Mhic a’ Phi. On Berneraigh one team at the east end managed to almost double the species list for NL57, and produced Isolepis setacea (Bristle Club-rush) as well as more I. cernua, enabling us to directly compare the seed characters (the bract length does not always work, as I. setacea can have short bracts). They were also surprised by Eleogiton fluitans (Floating Club-rush) – though it is common in v.c.110, it is a western species and was not familiar to all. The final team tackled the higher western end of the island round the lighthouse, looking to refind an old (and suspicious) record of Silene acaulis (Moss Campion), but reporting that the habitat was completely unsuitable through seabird eutrophication (it is common at sea level on the west coast of Lewis, so at face value would not be an impossible record). But they did find real Plantago major (Greater Plantain) on the track to the lighthouse, an interesting contrast with some very broad-leaved P. lanceolata (Ribwort Plantain) from the sandy islands. We steamed back to anchor off Vatersay, accompanied into the harbour by bottle-nosed dolphins riding the bow wave. On the final full day we were encouraged by the skipper to steam back to Lochmaddy, a wise decision as we made it just ahead of a change to strong winds from the east which made it a challenge to get on to the mooring in the east-facing bay. A hardy team took up the challenge of a largely unrecorded square just outside Lochmaddy, where they were impressed with Dryopteris aemula (Hay-scented Buckler-fern) – abundant in the Uists in contrast to many other places. Most of the remainder of the group went on a little botanical tour at the north end of Benbecula as a reward for all the hard work during the week, taking in Mertensia maritima (Oysterplant), Samolus valerandi (Brookweed) and Oenanthe lachenalii (Parsley Water-dropwort) at Aird, and Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Irish Ladies-tresses), Najas flexilis (Slender Naiad) and Potamogeton rutilus (Shetland Pondweed) at Loch Dùn Murchaidh. A nice treat to round off a very successful and varied week in perfect conditions. We extend a huge thanks to Murdo, Barnaby and Helena – the crew of the Cuma – for looking after us so well (and allowing us to strew specimens all over the cabin in the evenings!).

Syon Park, Middlesex (v.c.21), 19 August

Many regulars, and some first timers, met for a joint LNHS and BSBI general recording meeting at Syon Park in West London and opposite the river from Kew Gardens. A record turnout of 43 people! The group, led by Dr. Mark Spencer, set out to explore the extensive grounds of the Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown landscape. The site includes a wetland notable for being the last remaining extensive stretch of semi-natural and un-embanked landscape adjoining the Thames in Greater London, it is also a SSSI. We aimed to record the flora in this important landscape and rediscover some lost treasures. It was a rare opportunity to explore the flood plain as much of the site, aside from rights of way, has no public access.

The group was let in through the historic Lion Gate by the head gardener, Topher Martyn, who kindly agreed to be our host, before walking over the bridge spanning Brown’s mock river and past Syon House. Before the bridge a non-flowering plant of the locally scarce Rumex pulcher (Fiddle Dock) was found persisting in the grassland. At this point the group was split into three to explore different blocks of the estate.

Our group walked towards the Thames over the ha-ha to the flood meadow. Fortunately, the tide was out so we were able to fully explore the somewhat treacherous landscape, which was criss-crossed with deep (up to 2 metre) gullies hidden in the vegetation. At spring tides, the entire site is submerged twice daily. Some distance away from the river we recorded extensive patches of Persicaria hydropiper (Water-pepper), confirmed by its spicy taste. We also aimed to re-record the rare P. mitis (Tasteless Water-pepper) though no plants were found. The next stop, in a small area of wet woodland, was a veteran Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia (Black Poplar) a nationally scarce species often referred to as Britain rarest tree, undoubtedly though, many apomictic species are far scarcer. Between the Poplars and Salix fragilis agg. (Crack Willows), we recorded 2 invasive Balsams: Impatiens capensis (Orange Balsam) and I. glandulifera (Himalayan Balsam) which, unusually, were growing together. Mark highlighted the scarcity of wet woodland habitat in the London area.

Leaving the Poplar grove, the group walked towards the river noting an abundance of Jacobaea aquatica (Marsh Ragwort), a species that is now highly localized and declining in London. In more open areas Veronica catenata (Pink Water-speedwell) was recorded alongside the generally under-recorded hybrid V. × lackschewitzii (V. catenata × V. anagallisaquatica). Travelling further into the swamp to an area with shallow standing water, several species of interest were observed including Alisma plantago-aquatica (Water-plantain). Interspersed among the Alisma was Bidens tripartita (Trifid Bur-marigold) and most excitingly another scarce Middlesex record of B. cernua (Nodding Bur-marigold). After a good recording session, the group found a dry spot to take lunch. After lunch, feeling ambitious, we walked back into the meadow stopping to identify some of the marsh species of Myosotis. Our group identified M. secunda (Creeping Forget-me-

not), a very scarce plant in Greater London and Middlesex, and M. laxa (Tufted Forget-me-not), to add to this Dr. Daniel Cahen found M. scorpioides (Water Forgetme-not) in another part of the flood meadow; hybrids were not recorded but probably occur! Also recorded was Urtica dioica subsp. galeopsifolia (Fen Nettle) with long willowy leaves and a distinctive soft fuzzy stem with few stinging hairs. Several of us have observed, with frustration, that the lines between Common Nettle and Fen Nettle are particularly blurred in plants growing on the Thames floodplains.

Leaving the meadow after over 2 hours of recording we had created a good list of both common and more notable species, helpfully compiled by Laura Jennings. On the edge of a nearby small piece of woodland, a single Phytolacca acinosa (Indian Pokeweed) plant in full flower was immediately obvious, contrasting starkly with the surrounding natural vegetation. A native of temperate East Asia this plant is occasionally cultivated and is known to be naturalised directly across the river in the grounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Common sense suggests that its fleshy fruits may have been carried by birds across the river to this site.

Several of our target species for the visit were not re-recorded including Sium latifolium (Greater Water-parsnip), Mentha pulegium (Pennyroyal), and Persicaria mitis. As we were leaving, after thanking Topher for hosting us and agreeing we would like to return in 2024 to survey the remaining areas of this large site, a single plant of Atropa belladonna (Deadly Nightshade), another regional scarcity was found.

Plant Identification for Habitat Surveys, Dumyat (v.c.87), 20 August

Once again, weather was kind to this workshop as we were treated to sun and largely dry conditions during the day! Despite a few late call-offs, ten keen botanists met up at the back of Dumyat, behind Stirling, and we proceeded to wander across several habitats, discussing indicators on the way.

First up, there was some classic wet heath, which had the full range of indicator species, from Erica tetralix (Cross-leaved Heath) through to Trichophorum germanicum (Deergrass) The peat probe came out at this point to show that the peat was only around 10 cm deep here. A walk across some nice marshy grassland below provided plenty more indicators, including Achillea ptarmica (Sneezewort), Galium palustre (Marsh-bedstraw) and the ubiquitous Juncus acutiflorus (Sharp-flowered Rush). Discussions here also covered the rush-covered acid flush, some of which was on the boundary between the wet heath and marshy grassland, as well as elsewhere, with Viola palustris (Marsh Violet) a common presence alongside the Sphagnum and Polytrichum mosses.

A small area of blanket bog gave attendees the great opportunity to compare the differences between bog and wet heath, with Drosera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Sundew) making an appearance alongside abundant Eriophorum vaginatum (Hare’stail Cottongrass) and Sphagnum mosses. The peat probe sank up to its limit!

We then walked slowly over the other side of the glen in order to look more closely at acid grassland and, in particular, some strips of base-rich flushing classically slivering down the hillside, which brought much discussion given the presence of both acid and base-loving plants (after more thought, it was close to neutral sedge mire). Species seen here included the beautiful, flowering Parnassia palustris (Grass-ofParnassus), the delicate Linum catharticum (Fairy Flax) and everyone’s favourite, Briza media (Quaking-grass).

The day ended in lovely sunshine and a big thanks to everyone for making it a very enjoyable day, and as ever, a constant learning experience for all!

Workshop: ‘Ferns for Complete and Utter Beginners’, New Lanark (v.c.77), 2 September

Michael Philip, Liza Downie, Grahame Jarvis and Matt Harding

Our venue was the classroom within The Scottish Wildlife Trust premises at the Falls of Clyde – just the right kind of place for this event. Fifteen people attended, from as far afield as Aberdeen and Newcastle-uponTyne, and several were working ecologists. This demonstrates the demand for, and value of, our Workshops programme.

Everyone was relaxed, engaged and keen to learn, since this day assumed they knew nothing at all about Ferns. The morning classroom-based sessions were a mixture of teaching and group work, using material developed by Michael Philip and Faith Anstey, and examination of lots of fresh plant material. The FSC fold-out ‘Key to Common Ferns’ was handed out for everyone to keep. Thirteen species of common Ferns were covered in detail and a few others exhibited as well.

After lunch the groups went out into the marvellous Falls of Clyde Reserve and were able to find, and identify together, twelve of the species covered in the classroom. A final pull-together in the classroom completed the day.

The feedback was very positive and thanks are due to the tutors who did so well in leading their groups past the barrier of “ferns are difficult”!

Fern workshop, Edenvale Woods and Waterfall, Castlebridge, Co. Wexford (v.c.H12), 2 September Paul Green

A group of 11 joined the leaders Alison Evans, Roger Golding and myself to learn about ferns. The day started with a terminology lesson on all the parts of a fern. We were told the stalk of a fern is called a stipe, etc, etc.

We did a 2.5 km circular walk along well-maintained paths with high banks which were covered in ferns from the very large robust Dryopteris affinis (Scaly Malefern) to the other extreme the tiny Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (Black Spleenwort). In places Dryopteris aemula (Hay-scented Buckler-fern) adorned the banks, along with D. dilatata (Broad Buckler-fern). It was good to see these two growing side by side to be able to compare the differences between them.

Our lunch stop was taken by the river by the first waterfall. At the start I handed out a list of the 20 members of the fern family that had been recorded from the monad. We found 15 of these. At the very bottom of the list was the gametophyte form of Trichomanes speciosum (Killarney Fern) which surprised participants that I had included it. After much searching two populations of the gametophyte were found on damp shaded rocks between the two waterfalls. On an old bridge over the river, we had Polypodium cambricum (Southern Polypody), P. interjectum (Intermediate Polypody) and Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort).

Back at the starting point Alison and Roger went through samples they had collected during the day of Scaly Male-fern and Dryopteris borreri (Borrer’s Scaly Male-fern) to make sure everybody was clear on the differences between these two. A great day was had, and we all went away overloaded with information.

Wallasea Island, Essex (v.c.18), 9 September

This meeting was an opportunity for BSBI members to visit a rather special site in Essex. There is a strong biological recording community in the county, but maybe the county is not so well appreciated from further afield (indeed there have been few BSBI field meetings in Essex in recent years). Wallasea Island sits more or less at sea level, and is protected by seawalls. Until a few years ago, it was subject to intensive arable farming, but more recently it has been developed into a fascinating combination of habitats under the management of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and with the donation for landscaping purposes of massive volumes of substrates extracted by the tunnelling of London’s Crossrail system. The landscape was designed to be dynamic (whereas much nature conservation over the years has attempted to keep habitats in a kind of stasis). This is possible because of the sheer size of the site, which will accommodate habitat succession better than a small site would. As part of the management, the seawalls have been breached in places, and extensive intertidal zones are developing, this in a region where, historically, the intertidal zone is squeezed between saltmarsh and seawalls. This visit gave us an opportunity to see how the developments of these new habitats is reflected in the flora to be found.

We met in the middle of a heatwave on what was to be (up till that date) the hottest day of the year. Our group had been reduced in number to eight, which was probably a good number under the circumstances. We were met by a member of the local RSPB staff, who kindly provided site orientation and an introduction to the history and habitats of the site. The RSPB also kept in touch with us throughout the day, which was much appreciated given conditions and the great size of the site.

Our group included both local botanists and some from further afield. Most were quite experienced, although we had one person who was relatively new to botany (and to whom everyone else was most helpful). The group maintained its enthusiasm throughout the day, even when energy levels flagged, and we covered quite a bit of ground to reach some interesting areas. We recorded in three separate monads.

We began by looking at some of the borrow-dykes and scrapes (respectively some of the oldest and newest features of the site). We found large amounts of the nationally rare Ruppia spiralis (Spiral Tasselweed) in the scrapes. Although we did not taste or test the waters, we assumed that they were brackish, because there were populations of crabs and shrimps evident. Halophyte plants were colonising the banks of scrapes, even well away from the coast of the island. We found a number of Glassworts – Salicornia ramosissima (Purple Glasswort) and S. europaea (Common Glasswort) – at these sites, and later in the intertidal zones we found S. dolichostachya (Long-spiked Glasswort) and Sarcocornia perennis (Perennial Glasswort). We identified two varieties of Suaeda maritima (Annual Sea-blite) in the scrapes, S. maritima var. bacciformis and var. jacquinii. The different varieties of S. maritima are understood to be distributed according to location across the profile of saltmarshes and similar habitats. No doubt, if we had concentrated on these plants we could have identified a couple more varieties, particularly when we reached the intertidal areas. The varieties of S. maritima are not covered by the various editions of Stace’s New Flora of the British Isles and are not included in MapMate, so I don’t think that much recording of them takes place. Whether there is much value in recording their distribution I do not know, but potentially they are of more than passing interest to some botanists. Its relative, the nationally rare but locally frequent S. vera (Shrubby Sea-blite) was later found on the outside of the island’s seawalls.

The paths on the site were well populated with Brassica nigra (Black Mustard) and, to a lesser extent, by another coastal brassica, Lepidium ruderale (Narrowleaved Pepperwort) which is very scarce in the region. Another localplant is Hordeum marinum (Sea Barley) and this was found in occasional large drifts in the dried-up remains of ephemeral brackish pools.

Perhaps the most interesting area for our group was a large, triangular area, almost completely surrounded by seawalls and banks, that was seemingly flooded in the winter and then gradually dried out throughout the rest of the year. Here we found Oxybasis [Chenopodium] chenopodioides (Saltmarsh Goosefoot), O. rubra var. vulgare and var. pseudoblitoides (varieties of Red Goosefoot), and O. glauca subsp ambigua (Oak-leaved Goosefoot).

We recorded 107 taxa, more or less. This is perhaps a low number for a day’s recording. However, most of these were native plants, and a large majority were coastal specialists. Many coastal plant species reach maturity later in the season than do many inland plants. As a consequence, our visit in early September found many of the plants in full flower and at their best. Our botanists were also at their best, making this a successful and satisfying day under difficult conditions.

Winter talks

BSBI winter talks were held on the first Wednesday evening of each month from December 2022 to February 2023 and resumed again in December 2023 An account of the December 2022 talk appeared in the 2023 Yearbook and all the talks are available for members to view from the members’ section of the BSBI web pages. Do take the time to view them as the talks tell you much more than in the short summaries that are presented here, which are written by Jonathan Shanklin.

January 4: Tulip Taxonomy and its impact in Central Asia

Brett Wilson

Brett has been studying in plant sciences at Cambridge University and had just handed in his PhD thesis. He introduced Tulips by noting that they are common in spring gardens. Cultivation began in the Ottoman Empire in the 12th century and arrived in Europe in the 16th. Holland became a centre of cultivation, leading to tulip mania in 1636-37. There are now over 10,000 cultivars.

Wild tulips range from the western Mediterranean to western Asia, with plants in eastern Asia that are certainly very closely related. There are two main centres of diversity, with one located in Central Asia. Here the landscapes are stunning with high mountain ranges gouged by deep valleys, semi-desert steppe lands, pasture lands and alpine meadows. The wild plants have cultural significance, are likely to be important for horticulture, support other biodiversity and can indicate habitat health.

The definition of a species is not clear – lumping or splitting may be equally viable but can have different consequences. Whilst over 300 tulip species have been described only about 93 species are currently accepted. Periods of increase in species counts correspond to when botanists were working in Central Asia, and we are in such a period. Species were historically defined on the basis of morphology, crossing ability and genome size. Genetic data on tulips had only been used in a limited way and using this formed part of Brett’s thesis. It required samples from the wild, and with the help of partners he sampled about 86% of known species.

The genus is Tulipa and the genetic results show that there are five sub-genera. Some sections needed to be merged. The full tree showed that some species could be re-instated, whilst others should be merged. At least one was a new species Tulipa toktogulica, which is morphologically distinguishable. The research also showed that tulips originated in broader Central Asia and mostly remained there whilst diversifying. There were two migrations westward, via northern (the majority) or southern routes. Brett then took us through how evolutionary history informs conservation. One aspect is developing ex-situ collections, for example at Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Climate change modelling of the impact on wild tulips suggest a significant reduction in suitable habitat, requiring migration to higher altitude. 53 species were assessed for their Red List status and over half were threatened with extinction, thus requiring urgent action. To address the question of whether some species are more worthy of protection than others, the concept of evolutionary uniqueness can be

combined with threat level to aid prioritisation. He finally looked at potential key sites for protection in the region, describing how four countries were working together to select the regional priorities.

There were lots of questions to which Brett responded. Chloroplast DNA was used rather than nuclear as there was more of it and processing was cheaper. The next step would be to use nuclear and there were indications that this gave similar results. There is one species in Spain and a few in Crete and the Balkans. Our Tulipa sylvestris (Wild Tulip) is widely naturalised across Europe and is probably native in north Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. Some funding for the studies came from the Amsterdam Tulip Museum, so commercial partners might be interested in the work.

February 1: Botanical University Challenge

Jonathan Mitchley and John Warren

This was a very different sort of talk, more a double act between the two presenters. The story began in 2015 when a group from the BSBI Training & Education Committee (now Skills & Training) drew on the idea of quizzes linking together isolated groups of botanical students. This grew into the first interuniversity Botanical University Challenge (BUC) in 2016, which had five teams that included institutes and university teams and was chaired by James Wong. The original format was close to that of the TV version. The next round was in 2019 with six teams. There were some quite tough starter questions covering a wide range of botanical knowledge, which could include bryophytes, lichens and fungi.

For 2020 it increased to seven teams and was hosted at Ness Gardens on the Wirral. This allowed some fresh specimens to be used as questions. Then came Covid and BUC had to go online in 2021, but 15 teams were able to take part. The quiz took six hours and required a change of format, with each team getting four questions in turn. Most recently 2022 was also online and had 18 teams involving 87 students over two days. Day 1 was a pub quiz style with all teams answering the questions, whilst day 2 was more traditional. The event had funding from the New Phytologist Foundation (NPF) and prizes from the Field Studies Council. There was a quite sophisticated online scoring system. Winners and runners up received signed copies of Green Planet.

The 2023 competition (see the BUC web page for the results) will have 24 teams and runs over three days. The questions are all intended to be answerable, but can be quite tricky. There are no special T-shirts this year, but this has allowed teams more time to register. The event is sponsored by the Gatsby Foundation, NPF and the British Ecological Society.

There is now a newsletter The Thymes and there will be a student festival of botany during the finals weekend at Nottingham. Free tickets are available for spectators. The planning team is publicising the events through journal articles and there are now competitions abroad, with perhaps a world championship in the future. The organising team would welcome support, for example in writing questions. Producing a botany quiz book is on the “to do” list.

December 6: The Somerset wetlands: a conservation success?

The Somerset wetlands cover a large area of some 650 km2, drained by several rivers that flow into the Severn. It is a farming landscape, grazed by cattle, though with a shift from dairy to beef in more recent years. The land is divided by ditches, which act as wet fences. Some 7000 years ago the area was saltmarsh and it is likely to return to this in a few hundred years’ time.

The botany is more interesting inland on the peat soils, compared to the coastal clays. Dry meadows were often diverse, but many are now ‘improved’. Slower flowing, older drains are more diverse than the rivers. Conium maculatum (Hemlock) and Oenanthe crocata (Hemlock Waterdropwort) are both increasing on river banks. Brassica rapa subsp. campestris (Wild Turnip or Bargeman’s Cabbage) has taken off. Stephen took us through some of the attractive plant species from the ditches, such as Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Frogbit) and Hottonia palustris (Water-violet). Other habitats include wet woodland with Thelypteris palustris (Marsh Fern) and Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern).

There are some invasive species such as Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot'sfeather), Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating Pennywort) and Azolla filiculoides (Water Fern), with the last being controlled by a non-native weevil. Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan Balsam) is not a problem where there is grazing, so it isn’t a major problem on the Levels.

Conservation work was initially targeted at birds, e.g. Redshank and the area became a Special Protection Area and Ramsar site for wintering species. There was an attempt at re-introducing Sium latifolium (Greater Water-parsnip) to some areas where it had been lost, but only three out of some 200 plants have survived after 15 years. In Somerset, Cyperus fuscus (Brown Galingale) is only known from one site in the Gordano valley. It is a small ‘mud annual’, that requires annual maintenance to preserve its habitat. The biggest issue is water quality; turbid run-off from arable fields means that all the wetland SSSIs are now classed as unfavourable, declining.

One success is keeping water on the levels over winter, with many new tilting weirs being installed. Flooding has always been a problem, but 2013/14 saw extended deep flooding. Summer flooding is worse, creating anoxic conditions and killing off much vegetation. Climate change is likely to increase flooding. The local solution is to dredge the rivers, but it doesn’t solve the problem. A new technique is to pressure dredge using water jets to mobilise sediment. Beavers will come back one day, but there will be resistance. There is a view that conservation organisations make flooding worse.

Peat has a thickness of a few to 15 metres and peat cutting was once a major industry; some still goes on. The Somerset Wildlife Trust are restoring old workings to wetland. A few mires are left, which have several species of sphagnum, and peat restoration is being attempted. An attempt was made to introduce some sphagnum species, but this wasn’t successful.

Around 100,000 people a year visit the Avalon Marshes, which now have a visitor centre. Several recording groups are active in the area, though Somerset needs more volunteer recorders.

British & Irish Botany Abstracts

Continuing the practice commenced in the 2021 Yearbook, the following pages contain abstracts of papers published in BSBI’s online scientific journal, British & Irish Botany (B&IB) These abstracts are reproduced from the two issues of Volume 5 published in 2023 in February and June. Contents of new issues of B&IB continue to be provided in BSBI News It is recognised that some members interesting in following up articles of interest lack internet access. If any such member would like to receive an A5, black and white printout of any article they are invited to apply to the Membership Secretary, Gwynn Ellis (see inside front cover for contact details) with the title of the article and enclosing a C5 or larger self-addressed envelope stamped at Large Letter, 2nd class rate. Requests for two or more papers will be charged at 50p per copy (with a similar envelope).

To reduce costs and maximise access, B&IB uses a propriety platform for online publication and, in keeping with the changing face of scientific publishing, it is an open access journal produced free of charge to readers wishing to read, download and/or print articles of interest. B&IB is also free of charge to authors and the editorial team not only welcome completed manuscripts but also enquiries about the suitability of a prospective submission. The full papers can be found on the B&IB website and the editors can be contacted by email

We are hugely grateful to everyone who has assisted with the establishment of the journal and with editing/reviewing articles published so far. Special thanks in this respect are extended to Richard Bateman, Sarah Dalrymple, Sandy Knapp, David Pearman, Tim Rich, Martin Sandford, Jonathan Shanklin, Clive Stace, Pete Stroh and Kevin Walker

Ian Denholm, Editor-in-Chief (2019-2023), British & Irish Botany

Louise Marsh, Editorial Assistant, British & Irish Botany

British & Irish Botany Volume 5(1) 2023 February 14

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 1-29

Phytosociology informs the conservation of species-rich meadows in hydrologically dynamic habitats: an example from British floodplains in a wider European context

Michael V. Prosser1,2, Hilary L. Wallace1 , David J.G. Gowing3

1Ecological Surveys, Bangor, UK; 2Deceased; 3Open University, UK

Abstract:

Nature conservation requires classification of vegetation types for site assessment and assignment. Species-rich floodplain meadows are a declining habitat in Britain and Europe yet their classification in Britain has been based on just a few samples and fails to describe community response to environmental change adequately. European classification, in opposite, has been based on samples from the wide geographical range with no environmental data/analysis supporting the choices.

We propose a revised classification of the lowland meadow Alopecurus pratensisSanguisorba officinalis community of the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) linked to variation in local water-table depth. Data have been collated from 58 British floodplain meadows. Based on botanical and hydrological data, four subcommunities within the Alopecurus-Sanguisorba community have been defined. Assessment of conservation sites at the subcommunity level allows temporal and spatial evaluation of the trends and suggests hydrological management towards desirable vegetation. This approach, developed on data from the British meadows, has much wider geographical applications if compared with European plant communities. Seventy-two British and European plant associations were compared via Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Species ordinations were used to study the coherence of floodplain syntaxonomic alliances across Europe from Ireland to Bulgaria. CCA confirmed the spread of the British subcommunities of the Alopecurus-Sanguisorba community along a strong hydrological gradient and highlighted their lower fertility compared to their Dutch counterparts. The hydrological gradient separating the British subcommunities should help inform site management for the conservation of the species-rich communities, especially where hydrological control is possible.

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 30-62

Changes to the coastal flora of the Wirral, Merseyside (v.c.58)

Eric F. Greenwood [Correspondence to Barbara Greenwood] Wirral, U.K.

Abstract: Changes over more than 200 years in the landscape, vegetation and flora of coastal habitats of the Wirral peninsula in north-western England are described. These include the creation of new salt-marshes, following ongoing accretion of sediments as well as destruction of habitats following urbanisation and industrialisation. These changes led to the development of new Open Mosaic Habitats increasing floral diversity. The role of hybrids and new species to the Wirral coast [Fig. 1] is discussed in relation to changes in floral diversity with losses largely confined to species of totally destroyed and relatively nutrient poor habitats and occurring before 1900.

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 63-68

First record of the pan-tropical Yellow Water Pea Vigna luteola (Fabaceae) seed from a NW European shore

Dan Minchin1,2, Rosemary Hill3, Gwilym Lewis4

1Marine Organism Investigations, Ballina, Co Tipperary, Ireland; 2Marine Research Institute, Klaipėda University, Lithuania; 3Spunkane, Co Kerry, Ireland; 4Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK

Abstract: The first record of a seed of the Yellow Water Pea Vigna luteola (Jacq.) Benth. stranded in Northwest Europe was collected along with other trans-Atlantic disseminules from a south-west facing beach in County Kerry, Ireland (v.c.H1) during March 2022 [Fig. 2].

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 69-87

Achene dispersal in Asteraceae with specific reference to British and Irish Centaurea

Chris A. Skilbeck

Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7.

Abstract: This minireview addresses aspects of achene dispersal in Asteraceae with special reference to the genus Centaurea L. It was motivated by a detailed taxonomic study of Centaurea in the Natural History Museum British & Irish Herbarium (BM) as well as field observations. [Fig. 3]

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 88-92

Edward Lhwyd and the plants listed from Glamorgan in Camden’s Britannia

Christopher D. Preston1; David A. Pearman2 1Cambridge, UK; 2Truro, UK

Abstract: Recent authors have attributed to Edward Lhwyd (c.1660–1709) seven records of plants from Glamorgan first published in the second edition of Richard Gough’s revision of Camden’s Britannia (1806). If correctly attributed, the records of the native Centaurium pulchellum and the alien Antirrhinum majus and Centranthus ruber would be the first from Britain. However, a close examination of the publication history of successive editions of Britannia suggests that the records have no connection to Lhwyd. Although their source is unknown, they very probably date from the period between 1789 and 1806.

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 93-100

Can the distribution patterns of plants used by humans as food give clues as to whether they are native or introduced?

Abstract: The discovery that Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree) was probably introduced to Ireland and Wales by pre-Bronze Age copper miners about 2,400 BC (Sheehy Skeffington & Scott, 2021) has led me to consider whether the distributions of other British and Irish plants might have been extended by the activities of early humans, including hunter-gatherers. Three species have been chosen for study, Blitum bonus-henricus (L.) Rchb. (Good-King-Henry), Bistorta officinalis Delarbre (Common Bistort) and Lathyrus sylvestris L. (Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea) [Fig. 4] These have contrasting distributions. The tetrad distributions of the three species were examined for areas where the distribution is coherent, suggesting native status, or broadly random, suggesting introductions. Individual localities were studied for a sample of vice-counties. Natural dispersal methods were also studied as were the likely uses by humans. It was concluded that the Blitum is an archaeophyte that had been introduced as a vegetable by early farmers in the Neolithic or Bronze Age. The Bistorta is a native species that survived the woodland invasion following the Ice Age in refugia in the north of England and, when woodland cover was reduced by man in the Neolithic and Bronze Age, recolonised only limited areas where it came to be used as a vegetable. It was later widely introduced elsewhere as a medicinal plant. The

Lathyrus is a native species that had probably been harvested as a vegetable by man in the Mesolithic Age, and cultivated from the Neolithic or Bronze Age. Introductions from other sources were also probable.

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 101-108

A botanical name for a well-known Hylotelephium (Crassulaceae) hybrid

Julian M. H. Shaw1, Ray Stephenson2

1Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley, Surrey, U.K; 2Sedum Society, Choppington, Northumberland, U.K.

Abstract: A widespread hybrid of Hylotelephium spectabile (Boreau) H.Ohba × H. telephium subsp. maximum (L.) H.Ohba (Crassulaceae), is commonly referred to by a cultivar name, ‘Herbstfreude’. A binomial, Hylotelephium × mottramianum J.M.H. Shaw & R. Stephenson is provided for the nothospecies. [Fig. 5]

British & Irish Botany 5(1): 109-113

Pedicel colour does not separate Epipactis dunensis (Dune Helleborine) from E. ‘sancta’ (Lindisfarne Helleborine) (Orchidaceae)

Abstract: The characters which supposedly differentiate the narrow endemic Epipactis sancta (Delforge) Delforge on Lindisfarne (north-east England) from ‘Tyne’ and west coast (type) populations of Epipactis dunensis (T. & T.A. Stephenson) Godfery are examined. Lindisfarne plants vary for purple staining of the pedicel, while ‘Tyne’ populations and at least some west coast plants lack this character. There is no significant difference between ‘Tyne’ and Lindisfarne populations for the relative length of the inflorescence (position of uppermost leaf). It is shown that other supposed differences are apparently trivial. It is considered that minor differences in sequence in chloroplast DNA between the populations do not in themselves suggest that E. sancta [Fig. 6] deserves specific rank. It is concluded that the Lindisfarne population is best regarded as E. dunensis

British & Irish Botany Volume 5(2) 2023 June 12

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 114-130

Distribution and ecology of Equisetum variegatum (Variegated Horsetail) on the Sefton Coast sand-dunes, north Merseyside, UK

Philip H. Smith

Formby, Liverpool, UK

Abstract: A 2022 survey of Equisetum variegatum Schleich. Ex F. Weber & D. Mohr (Equisetaceae) (Variegated Horsetail) [Fig. 7] on the Sefton Coast sand-dunes, north Merseyside, found the plant in 19 of 28 known sites for the species. Most extant localities were in relatively young, calcareous dune-slacks and scrapes with short

vegetation close to the shore, having ground-water-gley or peaty-gley soils with a high pH. Quadrats in vegetation supporting E. variegatum had a total of 78 vascular taxa, 20 of them being regionally or nationally notable and 10 Red-listed. There were only four non-native species. TABLEFIT analysis found that five UK National Vegetation Classification (NVC) dune-slack communities were represented, the most frequent being SD15: Salix repens-Calliergon cuspidatum dune-slack, followed by SD16: Salix repens-Holcus lanatus dune-slack. However, statistical fits to recognised NVC vegetation types were often poor. Loss of E. variegatum from nine sites was considered to be due to overgrowth by coarse vegetation and scrub, while 11 sites appeared to be imminently threatened by scrub development. Management practices that could assist conservation of E. variegatum and other notable plants in the Sefton dunes are discussed.

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 131-136

Conservation of Britain’s biodiversity: rediscovery of the extinct Lake District endemic Hieracium fissuricola, Fisherplace Gill Hawkweed (Asteraceae)

T.C.G. Rich Cardiff, UK

Abstract: Hieracium fissuricola P.D. Sell, Fisherplace Gill Hawkweed [Fig. 8], is a rare Lake District endemic. It had not been refound at the original 1954 locality at Fisherplace Gill and was regarded as extinct. A new site was discovered on the nearby Glenridding Estate in 2021 which comprised a tiny colony of six plants. It is IUCN (2001) Threat Status ‘Critically Endangered’. Seed has been deposited in the Millennium Seed Bank.

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 137-166

Constrained by poverty: Richard Relhan’s botanical fieldwork in Cambridgeshire, 1781–1820

Christopher D. Preston

Cambridge, U.K.

Abstract: Most records in the successive editions of the Rev. Richard Relhan’s Flora Cantabrigiensis (1785, 1802, 1820) [Fig. 9] and its supplements (1786, 1788, 1793a) are not attributed to recorders, and consequently the contribution of Relhan himself to these works has never been clear. In this paper I use Relhan’s statements in his surviving correspondence to identify the records that can plausibly be attributed to him. His hitherto neglected records of algae, fungi and lichens add significantly to the information provided by those of vascular plants and bryophytes. Taken together, they indicate that Relhan’s fieldwork was largely restricted to areas he could visit on foot from his home town, Cambridge, with rather few excursions to more distant parts of the county. His repeated references to his poverty show that this was the main constraint on his fieldwork. He visited some favourite sites near Cambridge repeatedly, especially Gogmagog Hills and Madingley. Although his published works make no reference to environmental change in the county, he did react to the enclosure and drainage of the species-rich wetland Hinton Moor by replacing the records in the final edition of his Flora by substitutes from two similar sites, Shelford Moor and Sawston Moor.

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 167-179

High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain

Sarah H. Watts1,2

1School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland.

2Corrour Estate, By Fort William, Inverness-shire, Scotland.

Abstract: In 2022 a project was initiated utilising citizen science to document observations of trees growing in Britain above 900 m. This focused recording effort contributed to eleven new altitudinal records for tree species in this country, including Sorbus aucuparia at 1150 m [Fig. 10] and Picea sitchensis at 1125 m (both East Inverness-shire, v.c.96). Some of these observations involved increases of at least 200 m above previous known altitudinal limits. The new records were a mix of small, stunted plants not expected to reach maturity in these extreme environments, as well as arctic-alpine Salix shrubs adapted to low temperatures and exposed conditions. Although these findings are currently too restricted to draw broad conclusions on the impacts of climate warming and land management on tree colonisation in mountain environments, long-term data collection may allow an analysis of drivers of change in the future. Out of a total of 72 tree records above 900 m collated by the author in 2022, 56% were Picea sitchensis, highlighting the ability of this neophyte to spread into high elevation habitats. The project has been useful for generating public interest in biological recording at and above the altitudinal treeline, and the continuation of such work will assist with mountain woodland restoration projects for a variety of ecologically important taxa and plant communities.

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 180-195

Predicting the current and future distribution of pine woodland specialist plants in the Cairngorms National Park

Joshua Evans1, Andrew Carr2

1Global Wildlife Health and Conservation MSc candidate, University of Bristol

2Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol

Abstract: The Caledonian pine forests of Scotland have declined significantly over the past century largely due to clearance for timber, fuel and grazing land. Approximately 1% of these native pinewoods remain from their historic extent, with a stronghold in the Cairngorms National Park. Goodyera repens (L.) R. Br. (Creeping Lady’sTresses), Moneses uniflora (L.) A. Gray (One-Flowered Wintergreen) and Linnaea borealis L. (Twinflower) favour this habitat, meaning that the clearance of pine woodland has resulted in widespread declines. There are multiple plantation schemes underway in the Cairngorms to reforest the Highlands, such as Cairngorms Connect, partly with the intent of assisting the recovery of pine woodland specialists. This study uses Maximum Entropy modelling (MaxEnt) to create species distribution models (SDMs), firstly to predict the current distribution for these species; thus, enabling land managers in the Cairngorms to target surveys with the hope of finding new populations. Secondly, future distribution models are created using different emissions scenarios to predict the regions of maximum habitat suitability for the study species, with the aim of visualising where pine woodland should be planted to ensure long-term habitat viability. The results showed that there are regions in the north and east of the Cairngorms which have the highest habitat suitability, currently and in the future. The

creation of habitat corridors between these two regions should be a priority to prevent isolation between populations of pine woodland specialists. The high emissions pathway could increase the likelihood of isolation by significantly decreasing the habitat suitability between the most suitable areas.

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 196-208

Hieracium tridentatum (Asteraceae) in Britain

J. Bevan [Correspondence to Ian Denholm]

Oxford, UK

Abstract: The history of the publication of the hawkweed taxon H. tridentatum (Fr.) Fr. [Fig. 11] is given together with early accounts in British literature. The removal of the species in 1958 and its replacement with H. trichochaulon (Dahlst.) Johanss. is then assessed.

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 209-220

The wild Scots Pines (Pinus sylvestris) of Kielderhead

Adrian D. Manning1, Bill Burlton2, Stephen Cavers3, Tom Dearnley4, Graham Gill5 , Graham Hollyoak6, Angus G. Lunn7

1Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; 2Hexham, Northumberland, UK; 3Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK; 4Forestry England, Hexham, Northumberland, UK; 5Thorngrafton, Northumberland, UK; 6Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; 7Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, UK

Abstract: In the British Isles, Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots Pine) is currently considered to be native only in the Scottish Highlands. Once widespread throughout the archipelago, the species is thought to have declined to extinction outside the Scottish Highlands c.4500 cal BP, and c.1550 cal BP in Ireland. However, there have been discussions about whether some naturally occurring populations may have persisted outside the Highlands into modern times, and potentially may still be alive today. One such population is the enigmatic “Kielderhead Pines” in a remote valley just on the English side of the Scottish border at the heart of the c.60,000 ha Kielder Forest in Northumberland [Fig. 12]. Debate about the origins of this small population of apparently wild living pines has been ongoing since the 1950s, which has inspired the creation of the “Kielderhead Wildwood” to support its conservation and restoration. We outline the status, significance and the state-of-play in 2023 of our understanding of the origin of these trees, summarising research on the age of the trees, bioclimatic studies, possible botanical evidence of flora and lichen species typical of the Scottish pinewoods and genetics. We conclude that the explanation for the occurrence of the Kielderhead Pines - that theyare locally native - remains a possibility, but we recognise and recommend that further research is required. We summarise the conservation efforts that have taken place to secure the pines within a landscape of restored, wild native upland woodland and mires i.e. re-creation of a Northumbrian equivalent of the Caledonian Forest. We also reflect on how the Kielderhead Pines support the case for greater consideration of the restoration of W18 pine woodland vegetation in appropriate locations outside the Scottish Highlands. We conclude by reflecting that one day these few pines, discovered in an isolated valley in Kielder Forest in the 1950s, may be seen as the start of something much bigger in the uplands of northern England, southern Scotland and beyond.

Fr.

inflorescence

right). Reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0], Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University

British & Irish Botany 5(2): 221-251

Were the five rare heathers of the west of Ireland introduced through human activity? An ecological, genetic, biogeographical and historical assessment

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington1,2 , Nick Scott2

1Botany & Plant Science, NUI Galway, Ireland; 2 Clarinbridge, Co. Galway, Ireland

Abstract: Five rare Irish heather species have different disjunct ‘Lusitanian’ type distributions in Europe. They are confined in Ireland to the western coastal region and found elsewhere only, or principally, in the Iberian Peninsula. Two also occur in Britain, but only in the extreme southwest. None could have survived the last ice age in Ireland, and migration northwards, leaving hundreds of kilometre gaps en route, appears impossible. We assemble here the growing evidence that Erica ciliaris L. (Dorset Heath), E. erigena R. Ross (Irish Heath), E. mackayana Bab. (Mackay’s Heath), E. vagans L. (Cornish Heath) and Daboecia cantabrica (Huds.) K. Koch (St Dabeoc’s Heath) [Fig. 13] have been introduced inadvertently through human activity, along with another heathland Lusitanian species Simethis

(Kerry

if over a long period. We suggest that the proximity to the coast of extensive heathland habitats in northern Spain and western Ireland along with the cutting of heathland for bedding and packing in Spain is a probable cause of their inadvertent carriage on a direct maritime trade route which dates from prehistorical times. By considering them together, we suggest that until a precise date for the earliest arrival in Ireland of each species is established, they should all now be considered as naturalised archaeophytes.