Jncc coastal Directories Project Region 11 The Western Approaches

C.  Contact names and addresses
Type of information
Contact address and telephone no.
Lichens (hard rock coasts)
T. Duke, Sandrock, The Compa,
Kinver, Staffs.  DY7 6HS,
tel: [phone]
Lichens (general coastal)
P.W. James, c/o Department of
Botany, The Natural History
Museum, Cromwell Road, London
SW7 5BD, tel: [phone]
Lichens (woodland, coastal
Dr A. Fletcher, Leicestershire
and general: British Lichen
Ecology Centre, Holly Hayes,
Society database)
216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicester
LE4 4DG, tel: [phone]
Fungi (general and sand
M. Rotheroe, Fern Cottage,
dune)
Falcondale, Lampeter, Dyfed
SA48 7RX, tel: [phone]
Fungi (British Mycological
Dr P. Cannon, International
Society database)
Institute of Mycology, Bakeham
Lane, Englefield Green, Egham,
Surrey  TW20 9TY,
tel: [phone]
Type of information
Contact address and telephone no.
Bryophytes (BRC database)
*C.D. Preston, Biological Records
Centre, Institute of Terrestrial
Ecology, Monks Wood,
tel: [phone]
Freshwater stoneworts
Director, Institute of Freshwater
Ecology - Head Office,
Windermere Laboratory,
Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria
LA21 0LP, tel: [phone]
Bryophytes (British
A.R. Perry, Department of Botany,
Bryological Society
National Museum of Wales,
herbarium)
Cardiff  CF1 3NP, tel: [phone]
Lower plants (species status; *N.G. Hodgetts, JNCC,
Red Data Book Database;
Peterborough, tel: [phone]
site register etc.)
5.1  Terrestrial lower plants
83
*Starred contact addresses are given in full in the Appendix.
Nearly a quarter of all the UK’s rare and half its scarce flowering plants and ferns occur in the region, and several are found nowhere else in
the country.  Although not uncommon nationally (unlike the rare autumn squill, which also grows in the region), the delicate lavender
blooms of spring squill (pictured) make a characteristic and colourful contribution to the region’s grassland flora.  Photo: Pat Doody, JNCC.

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5.2.1  Introduction
This section describes the importance of the region for
vascular plants (i.e. flowering plants and ferns), particularly
species that are rare or scarce in Great Britain, occurring in
the region’s coastal 10 km national grid squares, whether or
not they are regarded as ‘coastal’ species.  Region 11 is of
international importance for its many rare and scarce higher
plant species (
Table 5.2.1
).  
Region 11  Chapter 5  Important species
84
5.2  Flowering plants and ferns
V.M. Morgan
Table 5.2.1  
Numbers of rare and scarce higher plant species in
coastal 10 km squares of the region*
Protected
Other Red
Scarce
species
Data Book species
species
Cornwall
8
25
55
Isles of Scilly
2
7
24
Devon
7
8
39
Somerset
3
14
50
Avon
5
15
54
Gloucestershire
1
3
42
Gwent
1
5
36
South Glamorgan
1
5
23
Mid Glamorgan
1
5
24
Region 11
22
51
112
Source: JNCC rare plants database; Stewart et al. (1994); BRC
database.  Key: *excludes known introductions and records from
before 1970.
Classic British botanical localities include the Lizard
peninsula, the Isles of Scilly, Braunton Burrows and the
Avon Gorge.  The interest of the region derives in part from
the climate, which is characterised by mild winters: snow is
very rare in the Isles of Scilly and uncommon in the rest of
the region.  Rainfall is moderate, but slightly higher in parts
of north Cornwall and Devon that are exposed to the
westerly Atlantic gales and lower in more sheltered areas
such as the Taw-Torridge Estuary (Keble Martin & Fraser
1939).  A number of different geographic elements are found
in the flora as a result of the climatic history of the last
25,000 years; for example 42% of the British species that are
of ‘Mediterranean’ character are found in the Isles of Scilly.
Several taxa rely on the mild winters, which allow
continuous growth, for example Babington’s leek Allium
ampeloprasum var. babingtonii and Italian lords-and-ladies
Arum italicum subsp. neglectum (Lousley 1971).
Rare and scarce plants grow in a wide range of habitats,
but of particular importance in the region are heaths,
including ‘waved’ heaths formed in extremely exposed
conditions and the unique heaths of the Lizard peninsula,
calcareous grassland, cliffs, beaches and sand dunes.  In
addition to the key localities shown on 
Map 5.2.1
, which are
noted for rarities, there are a number of moderately species-
rich sites throughout the region.  Centres of plant
biodiversity such as those in 
Map 5.2.1
result from a
combination of geology, climate and history.  The world-
famous flora of the Lizard peninsula grows on ultra-basic
rocks, and seven of the other key localities contain lime-rich
rocks or sand, which typically support a diverse flora.  
Avon
Gorge
Bridgwater Bay
Barry –
Southerndown
Kenfig
Dunes
West Exmoor coast –
Porlock Bay
Lundy Island
Taw –Torridge
Estuary
Padstow Bay
St Ives – Watergate Bay
Isles of
Scilly
Lizard Peninsula
Mount’s Bay
5°W
Region 10
Region 12
Map 5.2.1  
Key localities for rare and scarce higher plants.  Sites are
listed in 
Table 5.2.2
.  Source: JNCC Rare Plants Database.
5.2.2  Important locations and species
Some of Europe and Britain’s most threatened species are
present in the region, including four that are listed on
Annexes IIb and IVb of the EC Habitats & Species Directive.
The Killarney fern Trichomanes speciosum is listed on the EC
Habitats & Species Directive and the Bern Convention.  It
has two forms: the larger, vascular form is extremely rare
and is found at one location in the region.  The tiny, non-
vascular form resembles a liverwort and has recently been
discovered to be relatively widespread, being known from
over eighty 10 km squares in Great Britain, of which five are
in the region.  It is expected that more sites will be found
(F. Rumsey pers. comm.).  The shore dock Rumex rupestris is
Europe’s most endangered dock and the total British
population of around 250-300 plants (L. McDonnell pers.
comm.) is of international importance.  22 species in the
region are among the 107 vascular plants listed on
Schedule 8 of the Wildife & Countryside Act (1981).  There
are 73 species in the region defined as nationally rare or
‘Red Data Book’ (RDB) species (out of 317 in Great Britain
according to Perring & Farrell 1983).  
Of the 254 scarce species in Great Britain (i.e. known
from between sixteen and one hundred 10 km squares),
112 occur in this region (Stewart et al. 1994).  Two of these,
Vigur’s eyebright Euphrasia vigursii and early gentian
Gentianella anglica, are endemic (confined) to England, the
latter being represented in the region by the subspecies
cornubiensis, which is itself found only on the north coasts of
Cornwall and Devon.  Western ramping-fumitory Fumaria
occidentalis is endemic to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly,
and Lundy cabbage Coincya wrightii is endemic to Lundy
Island.  Fourteen other species are not known elsewhere in
Britain.  Areas with important populations of protected
species and/or five or more rare species are listed in 
Table
5.2.2
and shown on 
Map 5.2.1
. 
Tables 5.2.3
and 
5.2.4 
list
protected and other rare species in the region.

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