2022 County Report for Anglesey

Ian Bonner & Nigel Brown

There have been 7 new VC records, 2 of which are likely to be native: Epipactis helleborine subsp. neerlandica (a subspecies of Broad-leaved Helleborine) and Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. montanum (Yellow Archangel). Although L. galebdolon subsp. argentatum (the variegated form) is now widespread there are no historic records of subsp. montanum.

The remaining 5 are all neophytes.

Of the 32 new hectad records 11 are of native taxa. One of the most interesting is of Myriophyllum verticillatum (Whorled Water-milfoil) from the main channel of the Afon Crigyll (SH33.76). Otherwise it is only known from several sites in the catchment of the Afon Cefni. It was included in the early county floras of 1813 & 1895; but then was not identified again until 2008.

The hybrid Orache Atriplex × hulmeana, the hybrid between A. littoralis (Grass-leaved Orache) and A. prostrata (Spear-leaved Orache) was first found in 2014 in the Cefni Estuary (SH39.65); but following publication of a paper by Michael Wilcox (Wilcox 2022)  suggesting that this hybrid backcrosses with its parents forming a range of variation which can be picked out by the range of leaf lobing. It has now been found to be quite widespread - it has been identified from 13 monads across 6 hectads.

The South African ragwort, Senecio inaequidens (Narrow-leaved Ragwort) was first noted near Beaumaris in 2008 and, given its rapid spread elsewhere a spate of records was anticipated. However only the third sighting was reported this year - from a new housing estate at Llangefni (SH46.76).

Anglesey's chosen flower, Tuberaria guttata (Spotted Rock-rose) has been the subject of a detailed re-survey in 2022 of all known populations by Trevor Dines, funded by the Natur am byth! Partnership which unites nine environmental charities and NRW. In total 34,000 Spotted Rock were counted across 11 sites in NW Wales, 10 of which are on Anglesey.

The Anglesey RPR is available on the Anglesey page of the BSBI website.

A full Report on the BSBI's activities on Anglesey will appear in the next Welsh Bulletin.

 

References: for the above and other papers on the Anglesey flora published in 2022.

Blackhall-Miles, R. (2022). Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum – the Wild Leeks of the Cymry? British Wildlife, Vol.33 No.7 (June 2022)

Davies, Hugh. (1813) Welsh Botanology.  London.

Dines, T. (2022) Tuberaria guttata: current status review and future species conservation action. Natural Resources Wales Report

Griffith, J.E. (c.1895) The Flora of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire. Bangor.

Rees, E. Ivor S. (2022) Status of Limonium binervosum agg. segregant in an Anglesey saltmarsh. British and Irish Botany, Vol.4 No.1 (2022)

Rees, E. Ivor S. (2022) Rampant Sea Radish: Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. maritimus around Anglesey and other Welsh Coasts. BSBI News, January 2022, No.149.

Roberts, R.H. (1982) The Flowering Plants and Ferns of Anglesey. National Museum of Wales.

Wilcox, M. (2022) Notes on Atriplex (Amaranthaceae) species and hybrids, particularly A. littoralis and the hybrid A. littoralis × A. prostrata (A. × hulmeana). British and Irish Botany, Vol.4 No.2 (2022).