2021 County Report for Denbighshire

Delyth Williams

New Year Plant 2021: snow precluded recording in the village until the 4^th. 35 plants in flower; although 70 were recorded on the 1^st in Ruthin SJ1258.

Due to covid restrictions there were very few formal Denbighshire Group meetings but a few regulars managed to get out earlier Welsh Bulletin 108 July 2021 p22 and later in the season. At least 730 different taxa were recorded, but far fewer records than previous years.

The emphasis is no longer on ‘square-bashing’ but on searching to update records for the Rare Plant Register and to look for aliens in industrial or urban sites.

We led a walk for The Wildflower Society along Pensarn Beach SH9478  and Rhyd-y-foel SH9176. I gave a presentation to COFNOD, our LRC on Atlas 2020. We collaborated with Denbighshire County Council on their wildflower roadside verge surveys.

At my request an undergraduate student from Bangor University began an analysis of apparent populations of Gymnadenia conopsea (Chalk Fragrant-orchid) in Minera Quarry (SJ2551 and SJ2552); there are claims that they are Gymnadenia densiflora (Marsh Fragrant-orchid). BSBI News 148 September 2021 p.69 and BSBI News 140 January 2019 p.6

The 3^rd version of the Rare Plant Register for Denbighshire VC50 is finally complete and on the website at bsbi.org. Hard copies are also available free of charge on application from delyth@siriolbryn.co.uk

Interesting finds:

Polypogon monspeliensis (Annual Beard-grass) 01/01/21 SH9276 near Abergele NJ and S Osley. VC 1^st.

Cerastium pumilum (Dwarf Mouse-ear) The original record of 2004 was re-found on Mynydd Marian SSSI (SH8877), new sites in Rhyd-y-foel SSSI (SH9176)

Jasminum beesianum (Red Jasmine) growing out of a limestone outcrop near Llandegla (SJ2050), its source eventually traced to a nearby cottage.