2020 County Report for Caernarvonshire

Wendy McCarthy

A programme of recording meetings had been prepared for 2020 but, in common with meetings everywhere, had to be abandoned. We were, however, just able to fit in the first one in early March and three of us met at Abersoch in order to survey Hutchinsea (Hornungia petraea) at its known site on the sand dunes. It was found in good quantity and was a useful update for this RPR species. Several members of the recording group spent time around their home areas during the lockdown. Ian & Linda Fraser made excellent updates for some RPR species ncluding Hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine), Ivy broomrape (Orobanche hederae ) and Alpine Pennycress (Noccea caerulescens). Near Pwllheli, Iwan Edgar checked two known sites for Flax-leaved St. John’s-wort (Hypericum linariifolium) and reported success, finding 600+ plants over both sites. Julian Driver found Alpine Mouse-ear (Cerastium alpinum) on cliffs on Carnedd Llewelyn, last recorded there in 1996, and discovered Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale) new to SH76. Mari Roberts sent in some useful records from near her home in Nantlle, including a good update for Six-stamened Waterwort (Elatine hexandra) at Llyn Nantlle, which is almost at the bottom of her garden. Chris Dixon sent a list from his survey at Dulyn cliffs, the best of these being a record of Awlwort (Subularia aquatica) new to the site.

New county records were all non-natives and included Niger (Guizotia abbysinica) at Llangwnadl, where several plants appeared spontaneously on waste ground apparently far from birdseed feeders. An attractive blue-flowered plant in a Llandudno gutter turned out to be China Aster (Callistephus chinensis), identified from photos by Mike Crewe. A puzzling shrub with yellow pea-type flowers, found by Suzanne Coleman in Pydew, was eventually named as Montpellier Broom (Genista monspessulana). Emily Meilleur spotted White Wood-rush (Luzula luzuloides) on a woodland road verge near Caernarvon, suspecting it had escaped from a nearby caravan site.

All records for the year have been entered into MapMate and will be submitted to the Ddb.