Joanna found Cornus alba agg. (White or Red-osier Dogwood) in Portree, which made me re-examine plants on Raasay and at Flodigarry that had been recorded as C. sanguinea (Dogwood). They both turn out to be C. alba agg. too. It is not clear that C. alba and C. sericea, the two taxa that make up the aggregate, are in fact different species. Fruit is needed to separate these two reliably. The Flodigarry plant is not flowering so there is no hope of sorting that one out this year.
In Portree we also have a Filago/Logfia, which I think is Logfia (previously Filago) minima as the leaves are very small.
This is a first for the vice-county. In the same area there are both Centaurium erythraea (Common Centaury) and Vulpia bromoides (Squirreltail Fescue), both infrequent locally.
Nick has found Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge) in his garden at Earlish, the only other localised records on Skye are from Kyleakin. I was less than delighted to spot Gunnera tinctoria (Giant-rhubarb) by the Allt Mòr north of Totador. It can become a monstrous invader.
Ian S has re-found the Hammarbya paludosa (Bog Orchid) on Beinn Airean, Muck, previously recorded in 2007. This something I have looked for but failed to find.
On the moths front, the most interesting find was Prochoreutis myllerana (Miller’s nettle-tap or Small metal-mark). I found mines and pupating larvae on the host plant Scutellaria galericulata (Skullcap) and raised one to adulthood. Whilst that was going on I spotted two on flowers of Tripleurospermum maritimum (Sea Mayweed), just near the Skullcap. New to VC104.
I spotted Manchester Triple-bar in marshy moorland near Flodigarry. There are not that many records for the vice-county though Seth has also been finding it recently. Poor image taken through less than perfect plastic pot prior to release:
I found and identified a fly mine on Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet) that turns out to be new to the vice-county:
Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles 
November 12, 2021 at 10:38 am |
[…] Of the fifteen additions, only one is a Scottish native – Logfia (previously Filago) minima (Small Cudweed). […]
June 24, 2022 at 11:30 am |
[…] passing visit to Portree allowed me to check up on the Logfia minima (Small Cudweed) and take a photo of it before it has shrivelled up, though it is still not that […]