New Species (for me) of Vascular Plants Found in Cornwall in 2023 - Part 1

 Despite finding a host of  new species in my first full year in Cornwall in 2022, there are always new plants to see and this 2 part blog showcases a further list of new species I found here in 2023. I have posted them alphabetically using their scientific names.

 

 My first species was Lesser Quaking Grass. I was familiar with Quaking Grass (Briza media) from the Kent chalk turf and Greater Quaking Grass (Briza maxima) from various pavements in Cornwall; but this species was much smaller and is found in arable fields in Cornwall. It is an alien species that has established here. It's quite odd that each species has its own particular niche environment that it thrives in, all different to the others.

Briza minor

Next up is another grass, this one being Marsh Foxtail. It's a relatively common plant here, but I'd not come across it in Kent, probably due to the lack of suitable damp habitats. 

Alopecurus geniculatus

Escaped and naturalised garden plants are a common feature of Cornish botany. The mostly frost free climate lends itself to many more species naturalising here than the rest of mainland England.

Below is Japanese Anemone which I found in several places, usually by habitation, but this one was in a lay-by on The Lizard heathland, so was likely fly-tipped in the past and has since flourished.

Anemone x hybrida

One of my favourite finds were colonies of Long-stalked Orache being present in 3 new colonies along the tidal River Camel. Prior to these finds, it had only been recorded once before in the county in a creek south of Truro. I had found several colonies of hybrids between this species and Babington's Orache, so it was great to pin down the rarer parent species. Having access to the BSBI Atriplex referee was a great help too to confirm the identity of these plants. Have a look back at my 2023 Autumn blogs for full details of these finds and how to identify this species.

Atriplex longipes

Another grass follows, this time it was Cultivated Oats found in reasonable quantity along a rural road verge with no arable fields nearby. I suspect some seed fell off a passing tractor at some point. It's a very tall grass!

Avena sativa subsp sativa

Soft Brome is very common almost everywhere here, but there is a very short coastal subspecies that only grows a few inches tall, and I found plenty along the north coastal cliffs. As you can see in the photo, a stunted Thrift plant is taller than this grass!

Bromus hordeaceus subsp ferronii

Next up are four new bindweeds, again, please refer back to my summer blogs for full details.

First up:

Hairy Bindweed - Calystegia pulchra

Pink Hedge Bindweed - Calystegia sepium subsp roseata

Hybrid Bindweed, Hedge x Large - Calystegia x lucana

Finally, the hybrid between Hedge and Hairy Bindweeds, new to Cornwall - Calystegia x scanica

The first of three new Sedge species, Oval Sedge - Carex leporina

Small-fruited Prickly Sedge - Carex muricata subsp pairae

Finally, Greater Tussock Sedge - Carex paniculata

Anywhere close to a large manure heap is usually a good area to look for Chenopodiums (Goosefoots) and on a walk close to Hustyn Wood I found Striped Goosefoot. It's not strictly speaking a new species as I have come across this in the past in Kent, but failed to identify it. I persevered this time. I think this is far more common than thought as it is likely very much under recorded across the country.

Chenopodium strictum subsp strictum

Yellow Centaury was a plant on my wish list, yet when I found it on a Lizard heathland track, I was rather disappointed with the photos. It's uncommon and declining, but still found on the drier heaths where the ground is open or disturbed.

Cicendia filiformis

In summer of 2023 I purchased the Hybrid Flora of UK and Ireland by Prof. Clive Stace. On reading through it I noticed there was a hybrid between Marsh Thistle and Meadow Thistle mentioned. We have just two venues where both species occur and one had recently been cut, so I went off to Bottaborough Moor in the north of the county. I only found three diminuitive thistles still in flower, but they looked intermediate between the species and the BSBI Cirsium referee confirmed the hybrid after I posted him a dried and pressed sample. New to Cornwall.

Cirsium x forsteri

Floating Club-Rush is likely a species I'd seen before but failed to identify it. However, once you get your eye in, it's quite easy to spot, looking like a lime green grass growing in water. Hopefully, in 2024 I will find it in flower.

Eleogiton fluitans

Going back to January of 2023 and Portuegese Heath was in flower along a main road in the clay country and also along the dunes of Carlyon Bay beach. Long naturalised in the county and apparently increasing its range. It's a very attractive plant when in flower, so I can see why it was planted in gardens.

Erica lusitanica

Common Cotton Grass is quite common in wet heaths and bogs here and it was also present at Hothfield Bog in Kent. However, the much rarer Harestail Cotton Grass had eluded me until it was shown to us on a Cornwall Botany field trip at Creney Farm. A week later and I found some in a hillside bog near St Austell too.

Eriophorum vaginatum

Back to a coastal area near Bude and I found Sea Storksbill for the first time. Again, I must have walked past this species many times. The rosettes look very similar to Common Storksbill, just without any flowers, but look closer and they are in flower, it just has no petals and the green sepals merge into the foliage, hiding it from view. There are actually 3 flowers in the photo below, see if you can find them.

Erodium maritimum

Purple Ramping Fumitory was on my to find list and I had visited a few sites where it had previously been recorded without success. On a Cornwall Botany Group field trip to the Hayle estuary, mainly looking for Glassworts, we came across several clumps of this most beautiful of fumitories close to the shoreline. The lilac-purple colouring was striking.

Fumaria purpurea

My last species for Part 1 was the rather small Field Gentian. I had searched historical sites for this species in August and September and failed to find any. My last attempt to find it was along a path across The Lizard heathland where they had been seen in recent years and I was rewarded with a few hundred plants scattered around the path. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy dull day, and Gentians only open their flowers when it's sunny, but great to add this one to the list of species seen anyway. Note the two large and two small sepals (it also only has 4 petals) that distinguish it from the other gentians.

Gentianella campestris

That was quite a varied list, but there's another list of great plants to follow in Part 2 soon. I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I did finding them.

Take care

Dave