2021 County Report for Isle of Wight
Colin Pope
We have managed a few field meetings this year. The New Year Plant Hunt was carried out individually but a few of us were able to meet up for the first time on 24th April to survey a small privately owned ancient woodland where the owner was delighted to be shown a single Wild Service Tree which we discovered. Following this meeting, those held in May, June, July, August and September were better attended, we were generally blessed with good weather and we were able to carry out both recording and assisting members with developing their identification skills.
Most recording was carried out by individuals. No outstanding new records were made although quite a few under-recorded hybrids and non-native casual species were recorded. Many people commented on the abundant flowering of a wide range of orchid species and Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) was recorded from several new sites, some of these being scruffy urban and rural sites where the plant must have recently colonised. It was particularly gratifying to record an excellent, previously un-recorded, coastal herb-rich neutral grassland supporting an impressive population of thousands of Adder’s-tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) and a previously un-recorded site for Yarrow Broomrape (Phelipanche purpurea) supporting an estimate of 118 flowering plants.
