Plant Records from Co Limerick (H8), 2005

Plant Records from Co Limerick (H8), 2005Author(s): Sylvia ReynoldsSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 28, No. 6 (Aug. 18, 2006), pp. 261-264Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25536746 .

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Ir. Nat J. Volume 28 No 6 2006

and Paul R. Green. A garden plant that looks like an ivy and flowers during December and

January.

*Echium pininana. Single plant self-sown at base of wall on roadside, Millroad (S977044), 23 July 2005. Three plants on heap of soil next to farm, Fisherstown (S688178), 7 December 2005.

*Gnaphalium luteoalbum. Over a hundred plants on edge of dunes, Rosslare Harbour

(T13881234), 18 October 2005, DBN.

*Kerria japonica. Patch at edge of wood next to site of ruin, Stokestown Bridge (S696229), 7 December 2005, Ian P. and Paul R. Green. A popular garden shrub.

*Lilium pyrenaicum. Two flowering plants on road verge, Rathphaudin (S83953544), 13 June 2003. A garden plant that is likely to have been dumped on the verge.

Luzula multiflora ssp hibernica. Side of ride in conifer plantation, Corrageen (S802415), 13 June 2003. Conf. Tim Rich.

*Matthioia incana. Many plants self-sown on rock face above beach, Duncannon (S73100808), 8

December 2005, Ian P. Green.

*Pinus contorta. Self-sown on side of ride in conifer plantation, Slievegar (S8348) and Ballythomas

Bridge (T1071), both 2 July 2003.

Pyroia minor. About 10 flowering spikes under birch tree, Raven Point (T11372400), 9 July 2005, Hannah Northridge. Det. Robert Northridge.

*Rhus typhina. Two trees surviving on waste ground where discarded on the west side of the R729,

Ballynacootagh (S739348), 12 October 2005. A popular garden tree, which soon spreads by su eke ring.

Rosa x verticillacantha (R. arvensis x R. canina). Patch at edge of scrub in disused quarry,

Ballyanne Bridge (S73243045), 12 October 2005.

Senecio x albescens (S. cineraria x S. jacobaea). Three flowering plants amongst rocks on harbour

wall, Kilmore Quay (S9603), 22 July 2005. Single plant on wall top, Duncannon

(S72960815), 8 December 2005, Ian P. Green. At both sites only Senecio jacobaea was found.

*Tropaeolum majus. Single plant on heap of soil at entrance to conifer plantation, Ballynacoolagh

(S738343), 12 October 2005.

*Tsuga heterophylla. Self-sown on side of ride in conifer plantation, Ballythomas (T109717), 2 July 2003.

*Verbascum virgatum. Single plant on waste ground by Wexford Bridge, Wexford (T053222), July 2005, Giles E. King-Salter. Det. V. Johnstone.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Ian Green for help with fieldwork, and V. Johnstone and Tim Rich for determining specimens. I am grateful to Giles King-Salter and Robert Northridge for records and information.

Paul R. Green

46 Bewley Street, New Ross, Co Wexford

Plant records from Co Limerick (H8), 2005

In 2005, intensive field work was carried out from early June to the end of September. The main objectives were to check and compare habitats in Co Limerick, but a bonus was the number

of new plant records and some updates of rare species which were made. For the records detailed

below, plant names and order follow Stace (C. A. 1997 New flora of the British Isles. Second edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge).

* = alien plant in Ireland; DBN = voucher

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Ir. Nat. J. Volume 28 No 6 2006

specimen deposited in the National Herbarium at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin; TCD = cited specimen in Herbarium in Botany Department, Trinity College, Dublin.

In addition, the following native species (some of which may have been overlooked in the past) and two established garden escapes were found in new 10km squares: Apium graveolens

(R45); Carex elata (R34, updated in R35); Dryopteris aemula (R33, R71, R72, R81); Huperzla selago (R61); Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (R61, DBN); Lysimachia nummularia (R35, DBN);

Mentha arvensis (R24, DBN); *Mentha x gracilis (R75, DBN); *Mentha x piperita (R65, DBN); Phleum bertolonii (R75, DBN); Potamogeton gramineus (R34, R44, DBN; updated in R66); Spirodela polyrhiza, usually among Lemna minor (R35, R44, R52, R53, R62; updated in R64); and the archaeophyte Veronica agrestis (R53, DBN).

Records were updated in 10km squares for Carex laevigata (R14, R75) and Leucojum aestivum (R44). Records were also made of three garden escapes or discards, new to Co

Limerick, but not established in the wild: *Centaurea montana (R66), *Geranium x oxonianum

(R66, R71) and * Lysimachia punctata (R13, DBN).

Included below are records of * Azolla filiculoides and *Lemna minuta in vice-county H9, that

part of Co Limerick which lies N of the R. Shannon; and a record of *Mimulus guttatus in H2 on the county boundary. Abundant L minuta was also seen in Dublin in February 2006, in tanks for ornamental aquatic plants in a garden centre, growing with Crassula helmsii, Hydrocotyle ranuncufoides and Myriophyltum aquaticum; those tanks usually contain Azolla filiculoides too, all invasive alien plants.

Detailed records

Aspfenium marinum. Pier at Glin (R130478), 11 July. Many plants in crevices of W-facing stone pier wall; also on E-facing side of same wall, bordering the pier surface. DBN. Previously known by the

Shannon Estuary on an old sea wall at Mount Trenchard (R25) which was swept away in a storm and at Foynes (R25) in a cave (Knowies, M. C. & O'Brien, C. G. 1907 Irish Naturalist 16: 185-201), and not refound in recent times at the latter site.

*Azolla filiculoides. S side of R. Shannon at University of Limerick (R6158), 11 September and N of Athlunkard Bridge to the weir (R5859), 3 October; R. Maigue at Adare Bridge (R4646) and at old

railway bridge just N of Adare (R4546), 18 September. Also on N side of R. Shannon in vice-county Clare (H9), in large pond at Westfields (R5656), 21 August and to the W near Coonagh Point

(R5356), 3 October.

First noted in Limerick in 2004 (Reynolds, S. Irish Naturalists' Journal 28: 86-89), A. filiculoides appears to be well established along and near the Shannon in the Limerick City area, and it is also likely to spread from the tidal R. Maigue where it was seen floating on rafts of reeds with Lemna minor and occasional Spirodela polyrhiza.

*Tsuga heterophylla. Edge of forestry on S side of Attychraan R., NE of Kilbeheny and E of Galtee Castle Wood car park (R8818), 2 September. Freely seeding and saplings of various sizes, some

quite tall, on logged heathy slopes as well as near parent trees. New County Record. Also freely

seeding in Green Wood at E end of Ballyhoura Mtns (R6518), but saplings noted only under the parent trees.

* Quercus cerris. Woodland SE of Adare, W side of road to Croom (R4845), 12 June. Regenerating in wet woodland with Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Carex pendula etc.; many saplings of

various sizes, apparently suckering from large old trees of Q. cerris which were presumably

originally planted. DBN.

Spergularia rubra. Bauraneag, NNW of Carrigkerry (R212414), 10 June and 11 July. Scattered plants, in flower and fruit, along middle of forest track surfaced with shale extracted from nearby quarry. DBN. New County Record.

Cochlearia anglica. Greanagh R. at Curragh Bridge (R4447) and upriver at Coolagh Bridge (R4446), 23 April and 26 June. On muddy banks with Caltha paiustris where the river, a tributary of

R. Maigue, is still influenced by the tides and has regularly fluctuating water levels. DBN. These

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inland, virtually freshwater, sites are over 15km by river from the Shannon Estuary. C. anglica is

known by the Shannon W of Limerick City (R55), as well as by R. Maigue at Ferry Bridge (R45).

*Hirschfeldia incana. E side of Limerick City (R6057), 22 October. One plant by main road at

Groody Bridge. DBN. Otherwise only known in the county at Foynes Port (R25).

*Rubus spectabilis. SW of Athea on SW side of Knockathea (R1033), 18 August. Well established along roadside, in adjacent fields and on field banks. DBN. New County Record.

*Cotoneaster sternianus. SE of Dromada Mtn (R1632), 10 September. Substantial bush S of crossroads at edge of road/bog; garden discard (other garden discards near the crossroads) or

bird-sown? Det. Mrs. J. Fryer. New County Record.

Euphorbia exigua. E of Foynes, by abandoned railway E of Robertstown R. (R2850), 1 August. Two small plants in sandy soil among limestone outcrop in shallow railway cutting. DBN. Rare in

Ireland and last reported in Limerick c1900 (O'Brien, R. D. 1901 Journal ofthe Limerick Field Club 2: 55-56).

*Mimulus guttatus. R. Feale just SW of Mountcollins (R157187), 18 August. On river bank near

bridge; better established on N Kerry (H2) side of the river. DBN. Previously found in 1899 near Limerick (Praeger, R. LI. 1901 Irish topographical botany. Proceedings ofthe Royal Irish Academy (3)7:1-410). * Antirrhinum majus. Castle by Glencorbry R. in Glin (R131474), 11 July. Pink-flowered plants

established on old castle wall. New County Record. Also garden escape on disturbed ground at

Raheen Business Park (cR5551), 8 October.

*Conyza bilbaoana. Limerick City (R5756), 2 October. Many large plants on open ground off

Carey's Road. Characteristic overwintering rosettes of jaggedly toothed, hispid leaves were seen at

the same site on 31 January 2006. DBN. There is a good description of this species in Mundell (T. 2001 BSBI News No. 87: 62-65). New County Record.

*Elodea nuttallii. R. Shannon WNW of Lisnagry (R632590), 30 September. Growing with E. canadensis at river's edge. DBN. New County Record. Also at edge of R. Shannon N of Corbally, beside the old swimming pool (R584596), 3 October. DBN.

*Lagarosiphon major. SSW of Ballylanders in artificial pond just S of Griston Bog (R7523), 6

September. The pond was dug out about seven years ago and L major was introduced deliberately about four years ago to keep herons from taking the trout. Growing with Potamogeton spp and now established, L. major is considered a real nuisance and it is regularly raked out ofthe pond. DBN.

New County Record.

Groenlandia densa. E side of Limerick City, just S of new main road and W of Groody Bridge (R6057), 22 October. Many plants of this protected species, still in good condition in late October, in one part of a shallow ditch with open water; this ditch is vulnerable to disturbance as it is at the lower edge of extensive built-up infill. Ger Morgan (pers. comm. 2003) found G. densa in the same

area in August 2003 in shallow, clear water among Phragmites with Chara etc. There is a specimen in TCD (probably collected by W. H. Harvey) from nearby Plassey (R65) which dates back to the

early 19th C, so the 2003 and 2005 records are updates for R65.

Zostera noltei. SE side of Foynes I. (R2452), 11 October. Many detached, floating plants with some Z. angustifolia. Despite searches at low tide, the source of the plants was not found, but it is much

more likely to be Co Limerick than further away Co Clare. DBN. New County Record. Z

angustifolia is known from Foynes I. and nearby Robertstown R. (R25).

Lemna gibba. E side of King's I., Limerick City (R5858), 1 October. Many plants covering any open water in a deep and densely vegetated ditch, with L minor and Spirodela polyrhiza. Known in and around Limerick City since the early 19th C (Moore, D. & More, A. G. 1866 Contributions towards a

Cybele Hibernica. Hodges, Smith & Co., Dublin) and last seen in the early 20th C (Phillips, R. A. 1905 Journal ofthe Limerick Field Club 3: 32-35).

*Lemna minuta. Limerick Canal, just W of railway bridge (R5957), 22 October. Covering the water surface, with scattered L. minor and very occasional single plants of Spirodela polyrhiza. Conf. Dr

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A. C. Leslie. DBN. Dan Minchin (pers. comm. 2005) reported this species from L. Gur (R64) in September. New County Record.

L. minuta was also found on N side of Limerick City in vice-county Clare (H9) in a swamp with Typha latifotia SE of Ballynanty Bridge (cR569589), 4 September.

*Juncus tenuis. Forestry on S side of Attychraan R., NE of Kilbeheny (R8818), 2 September. Established along forest track E of bridge below Galtee Castle Wood car park, with J. articulatus, J. bufonius, Euphrasia officinalis agg. etc. New County Record. J. tenuis is known in the same 10km

square in S Tipperary (H7) (Preston, C. D. et a/. 2002 New atlas of the Bhtish and Irish flora. Oxford University Press, Oxford).

Eleocharis multicaulis. Blanket bog N of Blane Bridge, c4.5km N of Athea (R123397), 21 July. On N side of track in wide, wet peat cutting with Potamogeton polygonifolius, Eriophorum angustifolium and Drosera rotundifolia. DBN. New County Record. This species was on a wanted list for Co Limerick by Praeger (R. LI. 1901 Irish Naturalist 10:176-189).

*Sasa palmata. Beside Attychraan R., NE of Kilbeheny (R8818), 2 September. Large stands downriver of bridge below Galtee Castle Wood car park. Even if originally planted, this bamboo is now well established and spreading along the shaded river bank. DBN. New County Record. There

was also a more branched and finer-leaved bamboo by the river, which was less vigorous.

Catapodium marinum. Pier at Glin (R130478), 11 July. Many plants in cracks between paving stones of pier's surface with Plantago coronopus, Sagina maritima etc. DBN. New County Record.

Holcus x hybridus (H. lanatus x H. mollis). W of L. Gay at E end of Mullaghareirk Mtns (R2720), 3 August. At edge of gravel track between bog and forestry. Det. Dr T. A. Cope. DBN. New County Record.

Dactylorhiza majalis. Fen at Glennameade by main road W from Limerick City, just W of turn-off to

Pallaskenry (R4253), 21 June. One distinctly different and robust Dactylorhiza keyed out clearly as this species using Stace (1997 op. city, it was growing among numerous plants of D. maculata

agg., including good D. fuchsii. Distribution in Limerick not known due to confused old records and difficulties with identification.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Tom Cope for determining Holcus x hybridus and Phleum bertolonii specimens, Jeanette Fryer for determining Cotoneaster sternianus and Alan Leslie for confirming Lemna minuta specimens; Ger Morgan for the Groenlandia densa location and information; Dan Minchin for a Lemna minuta record; and Julian Reynolds who shared all the field work with me. A grant for travel expenses in 2005 from the Royal Irish Academy's Praeger Fund is gratefully acknowledged.

Sylvia Reynolds 115 Weirview Drive, Stillorgan, Co Dublin

Reports

International Bat Fieldcraft Workshop held in Killarney, Co Kerry The 10th European Bat Research Symposium was convened at the National University of

Ireland campus in Galway from August 21 to 26, 2005. As part of this event, an International Bat Fieldcraft Workshop was convened at Muckross Venture Centre and Killarney National Park in

Killarney, Co Kerry from August 17 to 21, 2005.

The idea of a Fieldcraft Workshop was decided upon as detector workshops have been undertaken over many years across Europe and North America and, since the last European

Symposium in 2002, the technology and methodology has changed very little. Therefore, it was decided that the event in Killarney should be broadened to include not only detectors but also other field survey and study methods to make the workshop more beneficial. This resulted in a unique event.

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Documents

Plant Records from Co Limerick (H8), 2005