2024 County Report for North Ebudes

Stephen Bungard, Joanna Walmisley

Over 5,500 records from 2024 have been added to the DDb including a dozen taxa new to VC104 and over 60 new hectad records. The new taxa are mostly garden escapes or planted, but we have three native species that are new to the vice-county.

SHARPP in 2024: Fourteen taxa were searched for, six of which involved members of SBG. Over the year, five taxa were re-found, giving a success rate of 36%. Between July and December, the two re-finds were:

*Lysimachia minima (Chaffweed) at Lorgill Bay - not seen there since 1971

*Atriplex praecox (Early Orache) at Ord Bay – not seen there since 29/08/1979, exactly the same day that it was re-found in 2024!

Skye Botany Group (SBG) numbers have varied at the monthly field meetings, from between three and twelve. Emphasis has continued on re-finding SHARPP targets: July saw us in the Allt Grillan Gorge, a SSSI (See below. Image Neil Roberts); August at Ord on the Durness limestone; September and October in lochs on the Trotternish peninsula and in the Cuillin Hills.

Skye Botany Group at Allt Grillan Gorge

Nitella confervacea (Least Stonewort)

Loch Lonachan. Found by Ben Goldsmith (2023). New to VC104.

Image B. Goldsmith

 

Potamogeton rutilus (Shetland Pondweed)

Loch Mòr. Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. New to VC104. Needs final confirmation.

Images J Walmisley

Vicia sativa subsp. segetalis

Kyleakin. Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. New to VC104

Image J Walmisley

Dactylorhiza fuchsia × purpurella = D × venusta

Fiskavaig. Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. New to hectad.

Image J Walmisley

Elymus repens × junceiformis = E × laxus

Fiskavaig. Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. New to hectad.

Rumex obtusifolius × sanguineus = R × dufftii

Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. New to hectad.

Images J Walmisley

Hieracium reticulatiforme (Reticulate-leaved Hawkweed)

Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. The third modern record in VC104.

Image J Walmisley

Hieracium subtenue (Dark-bracted Hawkweed)

Waternish. Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. The first vice-county record since 1970.

Images J Walmisley

Erica ciliaris (Dorset Heath)

Harlosh. Found by Joanna and Julian Walmisley. New to Scotland. Garden escape.

Images J Walmisley

Persicaria runcinata

Kinloch. Found by Mark Duffell. This led to the re-evaluation of plants found in 2022 in Portree, which also turn out to be P. runcinata.

Images SJ Bungard

Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s Waterweed)

Torrin. Found by Stephen Bungard. New to VC104. Deliberate introduction.

Images SJ Bungard

Nymphoides peltata (Fringed Water-lily)

Torrin. Found by Stephen Bungard. New to VC104. Accidental introduction.

Image SJ Bungard