527 tetrads (roughly half) have over 200 species and the average number for a tetrad, even including all the little edge bits, is 197 species.
Some members have indicated that they would like to participate in recording but feel put off by their own lack of confidence in their identification skills. The letter reproduced below, from Martin Sanford to the flora recorders, draws attention to 17 species of under-recorded spring flowering plants. Most of them are well known, easily identified and common. This presents an opportunity for everyone to have a go if they wish.
The distribution maps show the areas where the numbers of species counted falls below the target figure. You can help to achieve the target this year!
To assist with the identification of some of the lesser-known species in the list, click here to see drawings and photographs. Table below gives the common names of the species.
Records should contain a note of the location of the record or a sketch on a map
(a Ordnance Survey grid reference is even better), the date of the record, and name and address of the person making the record. They can be sent to Suffolk Biological Records Centre, c/o Ipswich Museum, High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH or to the
Under- recorded plants most easily recorded early in the season
|
LATIN NAME |
COMMON NAME |
|
Adoxa moschatellina |
Moschatel |
|
Anemone nemorosa |
Wood Anemone |
|
Cardamine hirsute |
Hairy Bitter-cress |
|
Cardamine pratensis |
Cuckooflower |
|
Erophila verna |
Common Whitlowgrass |
|
Galanthus nivalis |
Snowdrop |
|
Hyacinthoides non-scripta |
Bluebell |
|
Primula veris |
Cowslip |
|
Primula vulgaris |
Primrose |
|
Prunus cerasifera |
Cherry Plum |
|
Ranunculus acris |
Meadow Buttercup |
|
Ranunculus ficaria |
Lesser Celandine |
|
Saxifraga granulate |
Meadow Saxifrage |
|
Tussilago farfara |
Colt’s-foot |
|
Viola odorata |
Sweet Violet |
|
Viola reichenbachiana |
Early Dog Violet |
|
Viola riviniana |
Common Dog Violet |
SUFFOLK BIOLOGICAL RECORDS CENTRE
Ipswich Museum , High Street, Ipswich , Suffolk , IP1 3QH
Tel: (01473) 433547 Fax: (01473) 433558
Email: sbrc@globalnet.co.uk
Website: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sbrc/
14 February 2004
Dear Flora Recorders
Many
thanks to all those who sent in records last year, we are making very good
progress towards the target of achieving 200 species for every tetrad. We have
over 250,000 post-1980 plant records on the database with 212,000 being unique at tetrad
level (i.e. contributing a dot to a map).
527 tetrads (roughly half) have over 200
species and the average number for a tetrad, even including all the little edge
bits, is 197 species.
We are now up-to-date with processing the 2003 data and have produced a new
coverage map with tetrad totals as well as maps
showing those squares with less
than 100 species and less than 200 species. As with previous years the first
target should be the squares below 100 species, but don’t worry too much about
the squares on the county border and the coast which only have very small areas
within Suffolk and so will naturally have lower totals.
For those of you itching to get out and start recording you will also find a map showing the coverage of Spring species (see below). I have used the following list to highlight areas which may be particularly under-recorded for plants which are only easily recorded early in the season:
| Adoxa moschatellina | Anemone nemorosa | Cardamine hirsuta |
| C. pratensis | Erophila verna | Galanthus nivalis |
| Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Primula veris | P. vulgaris |
| Prunus cerasifera | Ranunculus acris | R. ficaria |
| Saxifraga granulata | Tussilago farfara | Viola odorata |
| V. reichenbachiana | V. riviniana |
If you would like species lists or ‘desiderata’ for any particular squares do give me a call or drop me a line.
Martin Sanford
© 2004 Suffolk Naturalists' Society