2021 County Report for South Lincolnshire

Sarah Lambert and Malcolm Pool

Covid-19 and the end of recording for Atlas 2020 depressed recording activity in VC53. Nevertheless, the South Lincolnshire Flora Group (SLFG) has continued to thrive with 84 members of the Facebook group, a 35% increase since 2019.

Five SLFG meetings were held in 2021 with a focus on updating records for the Rare Plant Register, started in 2020.

Sites visited were:

  • Skellingthorpe Old Wood in May
  • Ancaster Valley and Moor Closes SSSIs in June, where work by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has boosted the population of Armeria maritima elongata (Tall Thrift)
  • Stapleford Wood where several local Hieracium species were recorded
  • Frampton Marsh in August, where a change in management by RSPB has boosted the population of Bupleurum tenuissimum (Slender-leaved Hare’s-ear)
  • The non SSSI part of Swinstead Valley in September where a new population of Genista tinctoria (Dyer’s Greenweed) was found.

Monad recording towards a new ‘Flora of Lincolnshire’ has continued in a rather ad hoc manner. Malcolm Pool and Richard O’Connor have visited 22 monads and updated records for many rare and local species. Jeremy Fraser and Jon Graham have also provided additional records for a number of fen drains.

Lathyrus linifolius (Bitter-vetch)

Recorded from Skellingthorpe Old Wood in May 2021 (its only VC53 site), the first record since 2008.

Taraxacum duplidentifrons (Double-toothed Dandelion)

Recorded from Morkery Wood by Sarah Lambert in April 2021, first record since 1980. Conf. A.J. Richards

Tulipa turkestanica (Turkestan Tulip)

Malcolm Pool  and Richard O’Connor found an established population of in Folkingham churchyard on 31st March 2021, new to VC53.