2020 County Report for East Inverness-shire

Andy Amphlett & Adam Fraser

5835 records were collected in 2020, of 520 taxa. 85% of records were by three recorders, Audrey Turner, Sue Thomas and Stewart Taylor. They mostly stayed close to home, and therefore 82% of the records were from Badenoch & Strathspey, in the south-eastern part of the vice-county. Despite restricted opportunities for fieldwork, six species and one sub-species were found new to vc96. In addition, thirteen species, one sub-species and one hybrid were recorded for the first time post-1999. 426 records were collected of 92 vc96 RPR taxa. A second location for Calamagrostis stricta (Narrow Small-reed) was found by David Elston and Judith Cox in late November, beside the outflow from Loch Insh, c. 2km from the only other vc site. The second record for Carex muricata subsp. pairae (Prickly Sedge) was made by David Tompkins from Culbin Forest, in a similar area to the only other record, in 1989.  Two articles were written for BSBI News: Amphlett, A. (2020). Lysimachia minima (Chaffweed) – another roadside halophyte? BSBI News 145, 14-17, and, Amphlett, A. (2021). Sagina maritima (Sea Pearlwort) as an inland roadside halophyte. BSBI News 146, 25-28.

Taxa new to vc96 in 2020

Blackstonia perfoliata (Yellow-wort), Helminthotheca echioides (Bristly Ox-tongue), Leucojum vernum (Spring Snowflake), Oenothera cambrica (Small-flowered Evening-primrose), Puccinellia distans subsp. borealis (Northern Saltmarsh-grass), Taraxacum altissimum (Tall Dandelion) and Taraxacum pachymerum (Dirty-leaved Dandelion).

Taxa recorded for first time in vc96 post-1999 (year of previous most recent record)

Aster novi-belgii s.s. (Confused Michaelmas-daisy) (1983), Brassica rapa (Turnip) (1990), Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp-agrimony) (1987), Festuca rubra subsp. juncea (1975), Hypochaeris glabra (Smooth Cat's-ear) (1974), Iberis umbellata (Garden Candytuft) (1975), Mentha aquatica × spicata = M. × piperita (Peppermint) (1976), Pastinaca sativa subsp. sylvestris (Wild Parsnip) (1972), Taraxacum ekmanii (Ekman's Dandelion) (1973), Taraxacum euryphyllum (Wide-stalked Dandelion) (1971), Taraxacum exacutum (Imbricate-bracted Dandelion) (1982), Taraxacum gelertii (Gelert's Dandelion) (1973), Taraxacum naevosum (Squat Dandelion) (1975), Taraxacum nordstedtii (Nordstedt's Dandelion) (1975) and Taraxacum subnaevosum (Pale-bracted Dandelion) (1984).