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A Review of June-December 2011
Threatened Plants Project activity in the second half of the year concerned Baldellia ranunculoides (Lesser Water-plantain). Good populations were recorded at known sites including about 1000 plants in Loch a’ Ghlinne. All plants appear to be subspecies ranunculoides but the description of the population structure for this subspecies as “scattered, detached individuals” doesn’t do justice to the large numbers in close proximity seen in Loch a’ Ghlinne. At one site selected by the TPP, Loch Meàchdannach, Baldellia had only been recorded once, in 1989 by the NCC Loch Survey and it was not found this year.
Specimens of Ligusticum scoticum (Scots Lovage) from Raasay and Eriocaulon aquaticum (Pipewort) from Skye were provided for the plant bar-coding project.
Skye
Seventeen folk took part in part or all of the three-day Field Meeting based in Dunvegan in July. The weather was kind so we completed the task of covering tetrads in the 10 km square NG15 and managed some in NG14 as well.
Highlights included lots of Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) and Orobanche alba (Thyme Broomrape) plus Anagallis tenella (Bog Pimpernel), Carlina vulgaris (Carline Thistle), Draba incana (Hoary Whitlowgrass), Hammarbya paludosa (Bog Orchid), Ribes spicatum (Downy Currant), Saxifraga oppositifolia (Purple Saxifrage), Vicia orobus (Wood Bitter-vetch), and Vulpia bromoides (Squirreltail Fescue). Other interesting finds included Scrophularia auriculata (Water Figwort) and Potentilla reptans (Creeping Cinquefoil), both common plants in other parts of the British Isles, but rare here.
A return visit to Dunvegan Head in September yielded Dryas octopetala (Mountain Avens) an old record that we had not re-found during the field meeting.
Nitella translucens (Translucent Stonewort) was found by Richard Lansdown on Skye. Previously known on Raasay (2002) and Soay (2010), this is only the third record for the vice-county and the first for mainland Skye.
Gentianella amarella subsp. amarella (Autumn Gentian) was re-found at Torrin and Jackie Parry sent details of Mycelis muralis (Wall Lettuce) at Luib. Known in the Broadford area for at least 50 years, other records on Skye are very few and far between.
Terry Swainbank recorded X Dactylodenia vollmannii (Gymnadenia borealis x Dactylorhiza incarnata) from Ard Dorch again this year and James Merryweather found Dactylorhiza x venusta (D. fuchsii x D. purpurella) at Ashaig. Dactylorhiza x formosa (D. maculata x purpurella) often causes astonishment as it can be very tall. Morag Henriksen reported a specimen from Edinbane and Alison MacLennan one from Roag.
In Sleat, I found an excellent bog with Carex paniculata (Greater Tussock-sedge) – only the second Skye record since 1990 – and Cladium mariscus (Great Fen-sedge), a first record for Skye, though known on Raasay, Rona and Soay. The bog also contained Carex limosa (Bog-sedge) and Utricularia minor (Lesser Bladderwort).
Three hybrid willows sent to Desmond Meikle and Jeanne Webb were determined as:
- Salix caprea x myrsinifolia = S. x latifolia from Glen Drynoch, the second record for VC104.
- Salix cinerea x myrsinifolia = S. x strepida from Glen Ose, a first record for VC104.
- Probably a very rare hybrid indeed, Salix aurita x herbacea x repens = S. x grahamii from the Loch Meàchdannach area but catkins are needed for final confirmation.
Soay
Sarah Longrigg re-found a previous record for Cladium mariscus (Great Fen-sedge) at Lochan na Teanga Riabhaich. Cladium is well known from Loch Doire an Lochain on Soay but Lochan na Teanga Riabhaich is less accessible and had not been checked recently. She also found Pinguicula lusitanica (Pale Butterwort) which had not been recorded on Soay since before 2000 and Drosera x obovata (Drosera rotundifolia x anglica), a first for Soay.
Raasay
Further strangers to these parts emerged from grass seed near the new ferry terminal: Parentucellia viscosa (Yellow Bartsia) and Anthemis cotula (Stinking Chamomile).
The unusual form of Carex x fulva mentioned in the First Half report turns out to be just that. Some of the C. hostiana nearby shows the same conical spikes.
Muck
Michael Usher found several plants on Muck that had not been recorded since before 2000 including Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. pulchella (Early Marsh-orchid), Dryopteris carthusiana (Narrow Buckler-Fern), Isolepis setacea (Bristle Club-rush), Myosotis scorpioides (Water Forget-me-not), Pinguicula lusitanica (Pale Butterwort) and Polypodium interjectum (Intermediate Polypody).
He also found Atriplex praecox (Early Orache), Festuca ovina subsp. ophioliticola (Sheep’s-fescue) and Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. raii (Ray’s Knotgrass) and added two species to the island list I provided: Malva moschata (Musk-mallow) growing associated with the hotel gardens and more pleasingly, the native Gentianella campestris (Field Gentian) – though I have since located an anonymous record for the northwest of Muck for the latter.
Eigg
Sarah Longrigg returned to Eigg in September and provided some useful late-season records including many new sites for Gentianella campestris (Field Gentian).
Stephen J Bungard
19th December 2011
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