Saturday 17 June 2017

Erica erigena (Irish Heath) on a Wexford heath, a new county record

 I was doing some recording on a heath on Bargy Common when I came across this Erica which I took to be a garden species. I tried keying it out and only came up with Irish Heath. Sent a specimen to Charles Nelson who agreed with my ID. Charles said it is grown in gardens. All the other sites in Ireland are in the North-west. Wexford is the opposite corner. Couldn't see it in any gardens nearby. Will be interesting to see if it spreads.


Monday 5 June 2017

Tragopogon porrifolius (Salsify) 2nd Wexford record

 Was checking out sites where I saw Dactylorhiza leaves earlier in the year, this morning before the rain got the better of me. Stopped quickly at a monad which I had visited early in the year to add some grasses to the recording card. Very surprised to see a group of Salsify flowering on the roadside at Castlellis. This is the 2nd county record. I wonder if I had seen it when the flowers were closed up if I would have recorded it as Tragopogon pratensis (Goat's-beard)!
 Below - plants on road verge