2020 County Report for Argyllshire

Gordon Rothero

Over 13,000 records were made during 2020, not a bad total considering the restrictions that we all faced during the year although it may be that the rigours of the lockdown were an incentive to get out and about when we had the chance.  Inevitably much of the recording was local to the recorders, in Cowal where the Recorder is based, from Carl Farmer in mid Argyll and Marion and Ian Moir who visited several areas in the north of the county where coverage was poor.  There were no outstanding additions to the flora but many useful records made of some uncommon plants in VC98 like Potentilla crantzii (Alpine Cinquefoil), Carex atrata (Black Alpine-sedge) and Micranthes nivalis (Alpine Saxifrage) during an excellent day on Beinn Dorain, Juncus castaneus (Chestnut Rush) and Lycopodium annotinum (Interrupted Clubmoss) from the lonely coires on the north side of the Aonach Eagach and the clubmoss again from the granite hills south of Loch Etive.  A number of aliens were recorded for the first time but it is not easy to sure of the status of these but Pieris formosa in Clachaig Gully is surely worthy of note.