New Flora of Sussex Autumn 2007

1. New Flora of SussexAutumn 2007

2. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed so far and especially to new SBRS members.

3. March 2006

4. March 2007

5. Now

6. A bit more detail We now have 207,900 records on the computer, up by over 38,000 ( from 169,600 ) in early March 2007. • Totals for tetrads (Figures in blue are for March 2007) • 10 have >400 records ( 4 ) • 132 have 300 to 400 ( 90 ) • 395 have 200 to 300 ( 300 ) • 32 have < 50 records ( 141 ) • This means that only 3% of tetrads now have < 50 records (i.e. have not yet had a visit) Still some 2007 records to add - will give further 2007 update at AGM

7. Interesting & important native records in 2007 Note: Images shown at meeting removed to reduce file save for acceptable download time Crassula tillaea2nd W.Sussex site Dactylorhiza x transiens with masses of both parents (D. fuchsii & D. ericetorum) 1st confirmed Sussex record Himantoglossum hircinum A single plant S of Lewes Lotus angustissimusNot seen since 1932, found in 4 places in W.Sussex in 2007 Lotus subbiflorus First ever Sussex record Ranunculus tripartitusor possibly R. x novae-forestae. New site in East Sussex Sibthorpia europaea Refound in 3 places at Heathfield Park Wolffia arrhiza Unusually large amounts on Pevensey Levels

8. Interesting alien records in 2007 Note: Images shown at meeting removed to reduce file save for acceptable download time Angelica archangelica First recent Sussex record, found on 1st 2007 SBRS meeting Trifolium resupinatum Rarely seen, appears established near Sovereign Harbour Scorpiurus muricatusFirst W.Sussex record Amaranthus deflexus First Sussex record Cerinthe major 3 records but no previous Sussex records Lepidium virginicum First post 1970 Sussex record Sedum sexangulare First Sussex record Sisymbrium irio Only recent Sussex record

9. A very old new record -Cystopteris diaphana C.diaphana was only confirmed as a UK species in 2005 after being found on a river bank in Devon. Recent work by Fred Rumsey (see Watsonia, August 2007) has unearthed a herbarium specimen for it at Harrisons Rocks near Tunbridge Wells collected before 1715! It is actually mentioned at this locality in Wolley Dod but was thought to be an odd form of Cystopteris fragilis.

10. Access - a problem tetrad (TQ63I) This tetrad (NE of Bells Yew Green) has almost no public access. If anyone might be able to help to arrange access please let us know.

11. Queries on identification Thank you for answering our questions on identification. Some reasons for queries: • Species which are frequently mis-identified (e.g. Hyacinthoides hispanica) • Records that don't conform to an established pattern of distribution, habitat etc., e.g. Glaucium flavum c. 10km from the sea. This was correct (it was on dumped shingle), but this often shows up errors. • When a rare species is recorded but a similar, common one is not • If something is odd & you have checked make a note on the record card. Where there is any doubt we put records on hold until they can be confirmed. To assist in getting confirmation of an unusual record contact us at the time you find it - don't wait until the end of the year to tell us.

12. 1. Mis-reading certain numbers from the GPS. (e.g. mixing up 0, 3 and 8). Note: the display brightness/contrast on the commonly used eTrex GPS can be adjusted - there is no need to put up with a very pale or very dark display which is hard to read. Grid references etc. Errors in grid references, especially GPS are not uncommon. The main problems are: 2. Missing out numbers from the grid ref. creating an invalid GR. A quick check is to count the digits - all valid grid references have an even number of digits. If you can, check your grid refs do lie in the tetrad you think you recorded. If they don't then there may be an error in one or more of the digits or perhaps you strayed out of the tetrad!

13. Ranunculus ficaria sub species There are 2 common sub species of Ranunculus ficaria : Ranunculus ficaria subsp ficaria and Ranunculus ficaria subsp. bulbilifer They are differentiated by the presence of bulbils in the leaf axils of subsp. bulbilifer but these only appear at the end of flowering. Q: Who has identified Ranunculus ficaria subsp. bulbiliferbefore mid April? A: No-one, because there are no bulbils. However we do have a number of records for subsp ficaria from earlier in the year. This means that we have been recording subsp ficaria too early with the result that it is over-recorded and subsp. bulbilifer is under-recorded. Therefore, if you are recording R.ficaria before or during its flowering period and you cannot find bulbils, you should record it as Ranunculus ficaria with no sub species (code 1649 on the cards). If you do find bulbils then it's OK to record subsp. bulbilifer at any time. To record subsp ficaria reliably, you must wait until the flowers are going over and if there are no bulbils then you have subsp ficaria.

14. 2008 - initial thoughts • Take no. of records in all tetrads to over 150 • We will be asking people to target specific tetrads - please tell us if there are some you'd like to tackle • Fill in gaps in distribution of common species, especially those with limited flowering period. • Details and maps (e.g. Alopecurus pratensis, Cardamine pratensis, Ranunculus ficaria) will be published in the January 2008 Newsletter. • Greatly reduce the number of scarce species records not seen since 2000. Currently there are ~975 of these from the Sussex Scarce Register. Around 100 are unlikely to be refound which still leaves well over 800. • We'd like to ask people to "adopt" specific species or areas.

15. Species maps - some examples Ranunculus ficaria Alopecurus pratensis

16. Thanks again for all you have done Any questions?