Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles

The Royal Horticultural Society, not a body I usually deal with, has asked for leaf samples of Gunnera where it is found in the wild. Apparently there are hybrids about. My current distribution map looks like this:

If you know of any more out there, please let me know. It will be good to know for sure what these plants are – which should be clear after the DNA analysis planned.

As I mentioned before, I have been working with Frances Priest on this project in conjunction with Atlas Arts and Raasay House. Here is the latest update about the launch:

I have put some notes on my website (under Recording & Resources) about Recording Units and Common Plants which are likely to be of interest to rather few of my readers but at least I know where to find them (the notes, not the readers). If nothing else it might inspire someone to re-find Eleocharis palustris (Common Spike-rush) in NG52 – there are records for it in 8 tetrads before 2000 and I am sure it is still widespread there in lochs and pools.

Good hectad coverage is what is needed for Atlas 2020. In VC 104 it is already looking pretty good but being on the look-out for missing taxa always helps.

Creag Colluscard, near Linicro, is the site of several species in the 10km square NG36 that had not been recorded since before 2000. This gully

has Alchemilla alpina (Alpine Lady’s-mantle), Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern, 1983), Saxifraga aizoides (Yellow Saxifrage, 1983) and Silene acaulis (Moss Campion) all last recorded in NG36 in 1983 and also has Saxifraga hypnoides (Mossy Saxifrage). Some of these were widespread along the crags.

Nearby there was Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort) last recorded elsewhere in NG36 in 1985:

Botrychium lunaria

This is the earliest record for this species in the vice-county.