Not the latest from Ocado – well perhaps it is – but here, I am describing recent botanical work on Skye.

Acaena anserinifolia Photo: S. Gibson
See his blog on the subject which also covers Mimulus x robertsii (Hybrid Monkeyflower (M. guttatus x luteus)). This is the first record for Acaena anserinifolia in VC104, though M. x robertsii is quite widespread. This find made me go and check the Acaena that is rampant on Raasay and has been for over 80 years. I am pleased to say that it IS Acaena inermis as I have called it in the past. The following image shows two of the significant differences from A. anserinifolia – hairless upper leaf surfaces and the two apical leaflets being about as long as they are wide.

Acaena inermis
And so back to limes (Tilia spp.) I have now been in contact with Professor Donald Pigott who has published widely on these trees. To cut a long story short, the hybrid Tilia x europaea is fertile and can “produce individuals that vary from similarity to the parent, all stages of intermediacy to T. platyphyllos and genetic dwarfs but rarely, if ever, trees you would confuse with T. cordata”.
So, the trees on Skye, Raasay and Rum (Thanks, Trudi) that have hairs on the veins may very well be within the range of the hybrid rather than T. platyphyllos.
And another thing – both Steve and Seth have been finding hybrid bluebells (Hyacinthoides x massartiana (H. non-scripta x hispanica)). I have recorded them occasionally but mostly as planted or garden throw-outs. These new records appear to be amongst populations of the native plant.