Report for 86 Stirlingshire – Phil Sansum & Matt Harding – Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland

Phil Sansum & Matt Harding

2024 was an exciting year for botany in Stirlingshire, with the launch of the Stirlingshire Botany Group, a joint venture covering West Perthshire as well. We ran ten field meetings across the year:

New Year Plant Hunts in Stirling, with over 40 species found in flower both times
Visits to local rarities such as Teesdalia nudicaulis (Shepherd’s Cress), Ranunculus auricomus (Goldilocks Buttercup) and Lysimachia thyrsiflora (Tufted Loosestrife)
Counts of Platanthera bifolia (Lesser Butterfly-orchid) and chlorantha (Greater Butterfly-orchid) populations
Aquatic hunting at Loch Ardinning, with Eleogiton fluitans (Floating Club-rush) and Lobelia dortmanna (Water Lobelia) highlights
Discovering new populations of locally rare species such as Scleranthus annuus (Annual Knawel) and Ornithopus perpusillus (Bird’s-foot) at Avonglen Quarry.

Lyn Jones and Matt Harding ran a well-attended BSBI field meeting to the Campsies above Queenzieburn, which made new vice-county records of Rorippa islandica (Northern Yellow-cress) and Hirschfeldia incana (Hoary Mustard), as well as 20-year refinds for Sedum villosum (Hairy Stonecrop) and Cryptogramma crispa (Parsley Fern). Matt also led a guided walk for non-botanists around Nethercroy, for the Eco-museum of Scottish Mining Landscapes.

Nearly 6,000 records were made in the vice-county in 2024, involving over 40 botanists – thank you to everyone! This included 22 vice-county and 90 hectad firsts, many of which were neophytes. Notable finds included Bupleurum subovatum (False Thorow-wax), Chaerophyllum aureum (Golden Chervil), Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus (Yellow Day-lily), Laphangium luteoalbum (Jersey Cudweed) and Allium scorodoprasum (Sand Leek).

We were delighted to welcome Angus Hannah, Scottish Bramble Referee, to help update our Bramble record from the 1980s. Highlights included Rubus lindebergii, dasyphyllus, drejeri, elegantispinossus, scissus, ulmifolius and wirralensis.

One SHARPP refind was made: Sagina subulata (Heath Pearlwort) at Cambusbarron Quarry, not seen here since 1993. Finally, the draft Stirlingshire Rare Plant Register was updated and is available here.

White Crag, above Queenzieburn, south Campsies – home to Cryptogramma crispa (Parsley Fern) on the crags and Sedum villosum (Hairy Stonecrop) in the flushes below

Stirlingshire Botany Group on the New Year Plant Hunt in Stirling in Jan 2024 – finding 42 species in flower. The Hunt in December 2024 topped this with 45 species flowering

Bupleurum subovatum (False Thorow-wax) growing at a road edge in Grangemouth, new to the vice-county

Primula elatior (Oxlip) growing at Mugdock Country Park, presumably planted originally, new for the vice-county

Saxifraga hypnoides (Mossy Saxifrage) in glorious flower on Double Craigs SSSI

Sagina subulata (Heath Pearlwort) at Cambusbarron Quarry, not seen here since 1993 – a SHARPP refind

Angus Hannah examining Brambles in Stirlingshire

Rubus lindebergii, a scarce species in Stirlingshire with broad white edges to the sepals – a refind from 1981

Rorippa islandica (Northern Yellow-cress) on the BSBI Campsies field meeting, found by Lyn Jones; new to the vice-county

Sedum villosum (Hairy Stonecrop), refound by Victoria Curley on the BSBI Campsies field meeting after 22 years

Anthracoidea scirpi, a smut fungus growing on Trichophorum germanicum (Deergrass), found in the Campsies above Queenzieburn on the BSBI field meeting – new for the area

Allium scorodoprasum (Sand Leek), growing on the north side of the River Carron – first reported on social media and subsequently confirmed! Probably of garden origin, but not seen in the vice-county since 1961

Inula helenium (Elecampane), a locally rare archaeophyte growing at Skinflats

Matt hunting for aquatics at Loch Ardinning – Lobelia dortmanna (Water Lobelia) and Potamogeton natans (Broad-leaved Pondweed) surrounding! Photo by Peter Wiggins