2024 County Report for North-east Yorkshire

Dave Barlow

The winter months is my chance to catch up with the task of getting records up to date. The records now come in various forms. iRecord, iNaturalist, recording sheets, BSBI app, Facebook, emails.

Our small band of recorders in VC62 undertook several field trips during the year in various parts of our quite large county. Although I am still using MapMate to record sittings and then transfer the records to the BSBI database the move to using the BSBI app has started with a few recorders.

A couple of plants which have been reintroduced this year include a species that came back from the dead. Senecio eboracensis, York groundsel has now been recorded in the part of York that is in vc62 for the first time. The other species although more widespread in the country and is actually quite rare in the east of the UK and particularly in vc62. A colony of the attractive fern Asplenium ceterach, Rustyback was under threat because the church building in Loftus was being altered. The colony was at great risk of being destroyed. Wendy English and several others rescued as many plants from the building as possible and grew them on to ultimately find new homes for the plants. A search was undertaken to find suitable sites for these plants. They have been planted in several walls in the area including an old cemetery wall in Middlesbrough. Only time will tell if this is successful but the initial signs are looking good.

Erodium trifolium, ‘Sweetheart’

Ambroise Baker has found a number of interesting plants during the year such as Catabrosa aquatica, Whorl-grass (not recorded since 2015). He also spotted 4 self-sown plants at the top of the cliff by the tram station in Saltburn and they appear to belong to Erodium trifolium, Variety ‘Sweetheart’ (only 9 records in the whole of the UK!). He has also found the rare taxa Fallopia × bohemica.  Ambroise has an interest in mints and has found some hybrid mints during the year Mentha × smithiana and Mentha × villosonervata. Ambroise is running a BSBI Mentha field day in 2025.

Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine)

In July Steve Wignill and Michael McNaughton visited the site of the recently discovered Epipactis palustris Marsh Helleborines. These are growing in wet flushes down the cliffs south of Scarborough. They counted an amazing 1203 flower spikes.

Orobanche hederae (Ivy Broomrape)

Graham Basil discovered Orobanche hederae, Ivy Broomrape growing in Peasholm Park. More specimens were recently found near the North Cliff railway. These are the first records of this parasitic plant in this area of North Yorkshire.

Phegopteris connectilis (Beech fern)

In early July Joan Childs and a few others went fern hunting in Castlebeck Woods. There was an old record for Phegopteris connectilis, Beech fern there, which they managed to find. This grows in shady rocky places in woods and is mostly found on the west side of England and Scotland.

Fumaria densiflora (Dense Flowered Fumitory)

July and August are good times of the year for looking for arable species on the edge of fields. Louise Thompson found some Buglossoides arvensis, Corn Gromwell growing near Ruston, this is the first report in VC62 where it has not been sown. In the corner of a field north of Hutton Buscel there was a good display of Tripleurospermum inodorum, Scentless Mayweed and Papaver rhoeas, Poppies in the middle of which was a large Centaurea cyanus, Cornflower plant. In the same field Melanie Earle found a specimen of Fumaria densiflora, Dense Flowered Fumitory. This is the first record in VC62 and was confirmed by the national expert (Tim Rich). This looks different from Fumaria officinalis, Common fumitory because it has large feathery sepals and round fruits. Louise Thompson also found unusual variations of the colours of arable annuals such as white Papaver rhoeas, Field Poppy and mauve Lysimachia arvensis, Scarlet Pimpernel. Another flower found recently which is an uncommon arable plant is Amsinckia micrantha, Common Fiddleneck.

Calystegia pulchra (Hairy Bindweed)

Louise Thompson realised that a large pink bindweed growing over a local hedge is Calystegia pulchra, Hairy Bindweed, this has not been recorded in the Scarborough area before.

Colchicum speciosum (Giant Meadow Saffron)

In October John Grimshaw went to examine some plants which were previously recorded as Colchicum autumnale Autumn crocus which isn’t actually a crocus which is in the family Colchicaceae whereas crocuses are in the Iridaceae.  John who has grown these plants for many years has come to the conclusion that the plants near Byland Abbey are of a different species. He is certain that they are Colchicum speciosum Giant Meadow Saffron (only one previous record in the UK).