Cambridgeshire vc29
Star Finds
These are some of the more exciting finds reported each year. Complete details of these and other unusual finds are given in the annual reports writen by Alan Leslie and published in Nature in Cambridgeshire.
Star finds in 2014: April 27 - Crassula
tillaea in Cambridge (2nd cr and only seen once before in Chippenham in 1930); May 5 -
Carex arenaria in Isleham. June 12 - Trifolium resupinatum (and many other aliens)
at Chippenham (2nd cr and only seen once before, in TL45 in 1964). June 28 -
Sagina
subulata at Madingley (NCR). July 20 - Allium oleraceum in Toft. August 10
- Hernaria glabra in Cambridge. August 31 - Many aliens in TL45J (and continuing to
October).
Star finds in 2015: January 1 - Rubus niveus in Sheeps Green LNR (first BI record).
May 1 - Stellaria neglecta in Cambridge. May 21 - Pteris tremula in Cambridge.
May 28 - Arabis hirsuta and Vulpia ciliata in Isleham. May 29 -
Turritis glabra in
Cambridge (last vc29 record in 1995). June 3 - Vulpia ciliata in West Cambridge.
July 1 - Arabis hirsuta, Cephalanthera damasonium, Clinopdium acinos near the Roman Road.
July 4 - several sites for Torilis arvensis near Thorney, one site covering nearly 1km.
August 9 - Centarium pulchellum and Hypericum maculatum in Borley Wood. August 29
Trifolium purpureum in Tholomas Drove (2nd BI record).
Star finds in 2016: March 3 - Erophila glabrescens
in Girton and March
6 in Grantchester (1st and 2nd definite county records). April 15 - Taraxacum
palustre in Soham Wet Horse Fen (2nd extant vc location). April 30 - Moehringia trinerva (1st vc record from
TF). May 14 - Trifolium subterraneum at Cheveley. May 27 - Trifolium
striatum near Ely. June 5 - Medicago polymorpha near Ely.
June 7 - Hydrocotyle vulgaris near Trumpington (last recorded in the city on "Trumpington
Moor" in 1820). June 12 - Silene uniflora near Whittlesford (2nd CR).
July 1 - Isatis tinctoria near the Fleam Dyke. July 9 - Spergularia
media near Wisbech. July 14 - Dianthus
armeria in Great Wilbraham (1st modern CR, seen in CBG in 1887). July 27 - Dianthus
armeria at Coploe Hill pit (2nd CR). August 30 - Scirpus sylvaticus at
West Cambridge.
Star finds in 2017: April 22 - Carex
strigosa in Chippenham Fen. May 10 - Trifolium ornithopodioides in
Cambridge. May 13 - Typha minima and Carex oederi at Soham.
May 19 - Rumex cristatus in Mepal. July 2 - Amaranthus
blitoides and Portula oleracea at Bedingham's Farm. July 5 -
Apera spica-venti at Wandlebury. July 16 - Amaranthus blitum
at Barrington. July 22 - Lemna turionifera in the Ouse Washes. August 3 - Leersia oryzoides at Great Kneighton.
August 5 - Trifolium ornithopodioides and T. resupinatum at
Comberton.
Star finds in 2018:
March 10 - Calluna vulgaris at Gamlingay Cinques. April 1 -
Lamium garganicum at Hardwick (first UK record). May 7 -
Stellaria alsine in Madingley Wood. May 12 - Taraxacum
palustre at Soham, Galium murale, Solvia pterosperma and Trifolium tomentosum at
Comberton. May 27 - Nitella opaca at Ditton Park Wood.
August 12 - Campanula alliariifolia in Cambridge. August 18 - Scrophularia grandiflora at Lattersey
(first UK record). August 27 - Petrorhagia saxifraga at
Gamlingay. September 1 - Crataegus nigra at Madingley.
September 9 - Euphorbia prostrata at Gamlingay. October 3 -
Citrullus lanatus in Wisbech. October 6 - Euonymus sieboldianus at Chatteris (first UK record).
October 7 - Oxalis triangularis (NCR) at Stourbridge Common, Cambridge.
October 9 - Sonchus tenerrimus at Coton. November 5 -
Cynosurus echinatus in Cambridge (2nd cr and first since 1930). November 11 - Malva
trimestris in Cambridge (2nd cr). November 12 -
Eragrostis tef at Kneesworth (first county record). November 20 -
Crassula tillaea (3rd cr) and Galium murale (2nd cr) at Goffers
Knoll.
Star finds in 2019:
March 2 - Erophila majuscula in Chippenham (2nd CR, first suspected
here in 2018). March 5 - Cardamine occulta at Darwin
Nursery (NCR). March 17 - Hedera algeriensis at March (NCR).
March 29 - Eryngium paniculatum in Shepreth
(1st record). May 6 - Potentilla verna on Newmarket Heath (new monad). May 29 -
Cuscuta epythemum in Great Kneighton. June 1 -
Veronica scutellata at RSPB Fen Drayton. July 1 - Campanula
rapunculus on Coldham's Common (NCR). July 10 - Epipactis
helleborine from Cherry Hinton Lakes (first record for the area since 1770).
August 24 - Carex vesicaria in Over (first record for 25 years).
Star finds in 2020:
March 4 - Polypodium cambricum in Cambridge (NCR, first suspected
here in 2013). March 27 - Sisymbrium irio in Cambridge (Last
county record 1829). May 12 - Gazania rigens (Treasureflower) in
Cambridge (NCR). May 16 - Astragalus danicus on The Limekilns
(new location for the plant). May 29 - Catabrosia aquatica
(Whorl-grass) on Ditton Meadows (new location for this rare plant). May 31 -
Rostraria cristata (Mediterranean Hair-grass) in Cambridge (NCR).
June 11 - Stellaria alsine (Bog Stitchwort) on Sheep's Green (First City record
for 70 years for this plant, which is on the RPR). June 29 - Rosa agrestis
(Small-leaved Sweet-briar) at Knapwell (NCR). July 16 - Prunus
cerasus (Dwarf Cherry) refound in Gamlingay Wood after more than 100 years.
July 19 - Allium vineale var. vineale (Flowering Crow Garlic)
on the Knapwell Road PRV. July 23 - Vitis coignetiae
(Crimson-glory-vine) by the Guided Busway (NCR). August 5 - Crocosmia
paniculata (Aunt Eliza) in Ditton Park Wood (NCR). September 29 -
Myriophyllum verticillatum (Whorled Water-milfoil) in the River Cam at
Stourbridge Common (First City record for over 100
years). October 3 - Nitella mucronata (Pointed Stonewort) in the River
Cam at Sheep's Green. November 24 - Dryopteris cycadina at the
Science Park (NCR). December 20 - Tolypella glomerata (Clustered
Stonewort) at the Girton interchange.
Star finds in 2021:
June 15 -
Rosa virginiana on the Guided Busway (NCR). June/July -
Himantoglossum hircinum (Lizard Orchid) has been found at several new
sites. July 5 - Prunella x intermedia (Hybrid Self-heal (P.
laciniata x vulgaris)) on the Gogs. July 5 - Potentilla
x mixta (Hybrid Tormentil) on the Gogs. July - Hybrid of
Epilobium tetragonum subsp. tournefortii (Square-stalked
Willowherb) and the usual subspecies on the Royston bypass. August 3 - Potamogeton
friesii (Flat-stalked Pondweed) in the River Cam at Ditton Meadows.
August 8 - X Agropogon lutosus (Perennial Beard-grass (A.
stolonifera x P. monspeliensis)) in Chatteris(NCR). August 22 - X
Agropogon robinsonii (Agrostis stolonifera x Polypogon viridis) in
Cottenham (NCR). August 28 - Dittrichia graveolens (Stinking Fleabane) on the A14 east
of Quy (NCR). September - Amaranthus deflexus (Perrenial Pigweed)
at Cottenham (NCR). September 11 - Triglochin maritima (Sea Arrowgrass)
on the Nene (only previous report 1930). September 25 - Chenopodium glaucum (Oak-leaved Goosefoot) on Coldham's Common.
October 12 - Mollugo nudicaulis at Cottenham (New for UK).
Star finds in 2022:
March: Erophila majuscula (Hairy Whitlowgrass) in Cambridge. May: Androsace septentrionalis
in Sutton Gault (new for UK). May: Another site for
Sisymbrium irio (London-rocket) in Cambridge, close to where it was
seen in 1818. June 20: Epilobium brachycarpum (Panicled
Willowherb in Cambridge (NCR). June: Several further sites for
Himantoglossum hircinum (Lizard Orchid). July 28: Sambucus
canadensis (American Elder) in Cambridge (NCR).
September 4: Pistia stratiotes (Water-lettuce) at Lattersey LNR (NCR).
September 6: Sedum dasyphyllum (Thick-leaved Stonecrop) in Ely (New
site for a rare plant). September 20: Pilosella flagellaris
(Shaggy Mouse-ear-hawkweed) [2nd CR, established in the best recorded tetrad
in the county]. October 2: Juncus ensifolius (Sword-leaved Rush)
in Cambridge (NCR).
Star finds in 2023: Rubus proiectus from Papworth Wood (NCR from herbarium specimen collected in 2021). April 29 - Eleogiton fluitans (Floating Club-rush) from near Wimblington (last seen in the area in 1932). May 2 - Bunium bulbocastanum (Great Pignut) from Melbourn (last seen in the area in 1890). May 3 - Aira praecox (Early Hair-grass) in Fulbourn. May 17 - Urtica membranacea in Cambridge (3rd county site). May 27 - Trifolium ornithopodioides (Bird's-foot Clover) in Hobson's Park (3rd county record). June 3 - Orchis anthropophora (Man Orchid) in Fulbourn (a second county site). June 22 - Anagallis tenella (Bog Pimpernel) in Fulbourn Fen (last seen here in 1938). July 1 - Verbascum x brockmuelleri (V. nigrum x phlomoides) at Hauxton (2nd UK record), July 2 - Crepis foetida subsp. rhoeadifolia (Stinking Hawk's-beard) at Hobson's Park (2nd UK record). July 6 - Bromus arvensis (Field Brome) at Wandlebury (LCR 1988). July 26 - Mentha pulegium (Pennyroyal) at Flag Fen. July 26 - Hieracium cheriense (Cher Hawkweed) re-found in Cambridge [LCR 1991]. July 26 - Sambucus ebulus (Dwarf Elder) at Northey. July 29 - Carex strigosa (Thin-spiked Wood-sedge) and Carex pallescens (Pale Sedge) in Ten Wood. August 12 - Beckmannia syzigachne (American Slough-grass) [NCR], Chenopodium glaucum (Oak-leaved Goosefoot) and Linum bienne (Pale Flax) [LCR 1997] near Washpit Brook. August 28 - Poa palustris (Swamp Meadow-grass) near Washpit Brook [LCR 1953].
NCR = new county record, LCR = last county record
This page created by Jonathan Shanklin and last revised 2024 January 1