2022 County Report for Co. Down

Graham Day

2022 Report for Co. Down

About 4400 plant records were made in County Down in 2022. During the winter an update to the Co. Down rare plant register was begun. I spent much of the recording season trying to relocate plants for the Irish Rare Plant Project. Only one find was made, Crambe maritima (Sea-kale) by South Bay on the Ards peninsula. This seems to be the same location where it was seen in 1913 by S.A. Bennett.

 

Jake Dalzell, a student at Cambridge, has been recording on some of the western islands of Strangford Lough. There are no botanical records for many of these as access is difficult, so his work is definitely covering new ground. Jake presented a poster of the project at the BSBI AGM in London. His report is in preparation, but will contain about 1900 records covering at least 160 taxa.

Vaccinium oxycoccos (Cranberry)

 In flower on the saddle between Butter and Spaltha Mountains in the western Mournes. This is the first record for this species from the high Mournes.

  Luzula multiflora ssp. hibernica (Heath Wood-rush)

The first VC record at Tollymore Forest Park in June.

Oenothera biennis (Common Evening-primrose)

The first record for Co. Down at Ballyquintin Point.

Salicornia emerici (Shiny Glasswort)

 The first record for Co. Down from Horse Island near Kircubbin, Strangford Lough.

  Ervum tetraspermum (Smooth Tare)

Jake Dalzell sent this first record for Co. Down from the derelict site of the Sirocco Works in Belfast in late August.