2021 County Report for Caernarvonshire

Wendy McCarthy

Once again this year there was no meetings programme and no formal meetings, although three of us met up regularly for some socially-distanced recording. About 5000 records were made and submitted to the national database. 52 new vc or hectad records were compiled for publication in Welsh Plant Records. Exciting finds included Robbie Blackhall-Miles' discovery of Paris quadrifolia (Herb Paris), only the second county record as a native plant. Robbie monitored Saxifraga cespitosa (Tufted Saxifrage) at Cwm Idwal and was pleased to report its continued survival.  He also searched for Hammarbya paludosa (Bog Orchid) and found 42 plants, many in flower. Matt Sutton carried out an NVC survey of Glaslyn Marsh and found Carex × luteola (C. distans × lepidocarpa), confirmed by Mike Porter. It has only a handful of British records. The vc49 portion of Glaslyn Marsh is difficult of access so it was pleasing that Matt also managed to make long-overdue updates for Carum verticillatum (Whorled Caraway), Zannichellia palustris (Horned Pondweed), Eleocharis parvula (Dwarf Spike-rush) and Limosella australis (Welsh Mudwort). Monitoring of other county rare and scarce species included Hypopitys monotropa (Yellow Bird's-nest), Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima (Round-leaved Wintergreen), Hypochaeris maculata (Spotted Cat's-ear), Epipactis atrorubens (Dark-red Helleborine) and Neottia nidus-avis (Bird's-nest Orchid. New or updated hawkweed records include Hieracium gentile, H. triviale, H. holophyllum, H. exotericum and H. argillaceum, thanks to help from Tim Rich and Brian Burrow. New county records were made for Salvia hispanica (Chia), Catananche caerulea (Blue Cupidone), Agapanthus praecox (African Lily) and Cyperus eragrostis (Pale Galingale).

Group visits to the Great Orme were made by The Wildflower Society and Bradford Botany Group and members were led by myself & Ted Phenna. Ted also sent in a long list of records from his adopted square, SH67.

Genista tinctoria (Dyer's Greenweed) has only one known site in the county, on the Great Orme, where it has declined substantially in recent years due to scrub encroachment. After voicing my concerns to the site wardens, they were able to organize some scrub clearance and the plant reappeared and flowered well in two places.