2021 County Report for Middlesex

Dr Mark A. Spencer

Unsurprisingly, 2021 was another quiet year for fieldwork - urbanised areas such as Middlesex are particularly problematic to move around in these times. Nevertheless, the joint BSBI and London Natural History Society recording trip to Staines Moor SSSI went ahead in May.

I am hoping to soon start on a duel project with our local biological records centre, Greenspace Information for Greater London (GIGL), Salix Ecology and a volunteer. This project aims to produce a London-wide Rare Plant Register and an axiophyte species list.

 

Nationally, one of 2021’s most interesting botanical discoveries was made on the green roof of a private office block in central London; Serapias parviflora (small-flowered tongue-orchid), was found on the 4th June by Mark Patterson. This is only the 2nd location (the other being in vc 2 – East Cornwall) in Great Britain and Ireland for this largely Mediterranean species. Another notable discovery in the county was the non-native grass panic veldtgrass, Ehrharta erecta which was found by Mario Maculan growing alongside the Grand Union Canal. Mario also found this potentially invasive plant growing in Wimbledon, (vc 17 – Surrey).