Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles

Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan Honeysuckle) is a deciduous shrub native to the Himalayas that has become locally established in the British Isles as a garden escape in woodland, hedgerows and on waste ground. It was introduced into cultivation in Britain in 1824, and was known from the wild by at least 1905 and in VC104 from Rum in 1954. The first Skye record was in 2005 and Steve has now added the fourth Skye site, from the Old Corry road in the Broadford area.

Leycesteria           Photo: S. Terry

In the same area he also spotted Sorbus intermedia (Swedish Whitebeam). It was introduced to cultivation in 1789 and is now widely planted as an ornamental tree, especially in town streets and parks. It was known from the wild by 1908 and first recorded in VC104 from Rum in 1957. The first Skye record is from 1979. Generally this does not seem to naturalise in these parts, records mostly being of planted specimens.

Sorbus intermedia       Photo: S. Terry

A short walk from Arnish today with friends led me to a small bright green rush that on closer inspection turned out to be Juncus foliosus (Leafy Rush). This is only the second Raasay record, ten years and a few hundred metres from the first. I also know it on Rona and Rum and there is a 1934 record from NG53 that could be on Raasay, Scalpay or Skye.  Worth looking for on Skye even this late on – distinguished from J. bufonius (Toad Rush) by the bright green colour and the dark stripes along the sepals. It is found in mud.

Nick has been to Loch Sneosdal on bryophyte business but kindly recorded some vascular plants as well from this area, which is not well recorded. Two species listed in the Rare Plants Register were amongst his records: Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern), which had not been found there before and Saxifraga hypnoides (Mossy Saxifrage) with a last record there from 1974.

Eight other species were new to the tetrad and of the remainder all bar one were the first records since 1974, including Populus tremula (Aspen) and Saxifraga oppositifolia (Purple Saxifrage).

I have realised that I have not passed on any of Steve’s September finds, which included Drosera x obovata (Obovate Sundew (D. rotundifolia x anglica)), Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern), Oxyria digyna (Mountain Sorrel) and Utricularia intermedia sens. lat. (Intermediate Bladderwort).

This year has seen a real boost in valuable contributions from various folk to whom I am much indebted.

Before Murdo’s excellent talk to the Skye Members’ centre of SWT entitled “Unknown Unknowns – Insect Recording in Northern Scotland”, which was marred only by poor attendance, I made a quick trip to the Kilt Rock area. I had thought of circumnavigating Loch Mealt in search of an old record for Typha latifolia (Bulrush). However, when I got there I realised that I didn’t have time for that so I checked the eastern shore and had a total of about an hour in the area. This resulted in 121 records of which four turned out to be new to the 10 km square, somewhat to my surprise: Pinus contorta (Lodgepole Pine), Rumex longifolius (Northern Dock), Salix repens var. argentea (the silvery form of Creeping Willow) and Sparganium erectum (Branched Bur-reed).