2024 County Report for Montgomeryshire

Kate Thorne and Fiona Gomersall

Early in the year several of us helped research students at the University of Edinburgh by collecting samples of Cochlearia danica, Danish Scurvygrass, from roadsides in our county. Christopher Dudley and others are interested in knowing whether the inland march of these halophytes began with a single genotype.

2024 also saw the Montgomery Flora Group focus on helping Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust update their botanical records on Local Wildlife Sites (LWS). Between us we surveyed several such sites and a special thanks goes to Martin Beaton for sending in over 300 records for the three LWS sites he visited which included Dolforwyn Woods (SO19).

The other wildlife sites were very varied and included acid grassland and rocky outcrops with Hieracium lasiophyllum, Stiff-haired Hawkweed and frequent Teesdalia nudicaulis, Shepherd’s Cress (Moel y Golfa, SJ2812); a rich peat bog (Allt Dolanog, SJ0613); and good acid grassland and rich flushes (Y Golfa, Welshpool Golf Club (SJ1707). Meadows (not a LWS) alongside the River Gam were surveyed to update records for Dactylorhiza purpurella, Northern Marsh-orchid, Trollius europaeus, Globeflower and Rubus saxatilis, Stone Bramble at Caerbwla (SJ0008). Dactylorhiza hybrids were also noted here, with a tentative diagnosis for Dactylorhiza × venusta by Ian Denholm (from photos).

In response to ‘The National Botanic Garden of Wales is collaborating with the Millennium Seed Bank again this year to collect seed for banking.. in Montgomeryshire, Tilia cordata and Sorbus torminalis are on our target list’, Martin also included a search for Sorbus torminalis in Dolforwyn Woods (a known site for this tree). He found saplings and possible regrowth but was unable to find a mature tree. A search of other known sites for these two species could be a project for 2025?

We we asked by NRW to help with surveys of Rubus chamaemorus, Cloudberry on the Berwyns SSSI/SAC over the summer, to gain further knowledge on its extent. Only Alastair took up this challenge. This resulted in updates (at least in VC47) for Cloudberry in SJ03. Updates in the area also included records for Neottia cordata, Lesser Twayblade and Andromeda polifolia, Marsh Andromeda, with a second county record for Carex × decolorans (both first and second county records have been in SJ03). Gethin Elias (RSPB) and his team of volunteers also contributed many records for the Berwyns SSSI in the south-west, in the RSPB Reserve around Lake Vyrnwy.

Gill and Peter Foulkes returned to check old Acaena records in VC47. With careful examination, all plants were identified as Acaena ovalifolia, Two-spined Acaena and not A. nova-zelandiae, Pirri-pirri-bur as was previously thought.

Claire Backshall and Ruth Dawes recorded good populations of Gentianella amarella, Autumn Gentian and Spiranthes spiralis, Autumn Lady’s-tresses in the Llanymynech and Llynllys SSSI but failed to refind the county rare Hypericum montanum, Pale St.John’s-wort here.

Mark Lawley, VC47 County Recorder for Bryophytes continues to supply long lists of mosses and liverworts and to encourage our interest in non-vascular plants on our field outings.

Our flora group took part in the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt recording 17 common species in flower by the River Severn and in a carpark in Newtown.

Interesting Records for 2024 include:

14 new county records, mostly casuals and neophytes but with one exception, Hieracium vagum f. vagum, Glabrous-headed Hawkweed found by Peter Foulkes near Eisteddfa Gurig, SN8083, confirmed by Brian Barrow.

There were around 50 new hectad records which included the below list.