3 days of Scotland hawkweeds joining the 2024 BSBI Hawkweed hunt lead by Tim Rich
5th July
On the drive up I stopped off at Orton VC69 and discovered a small patch of possible Hieracium stewartii (Endemic section Tridentata ) . Yellow (ish) styles and larger heads suggest this - would normally have more stellate hairs on the bracts
Having made it to Scotland I decided to spend a few hours near to Ben Lawers at Allt tir Artair
The first plants I came across in the heather next to gulley Allt a Mhoirneas were Hieracium pictorum ( Scottish Endemic Section Hieracium) NN602378 and then later under a bridge at NN587364. Some plants with a few more glandular hairs on the peduncles than normal. Small heads and long narrow ovate leaves.
A little further along NN595368 was a small patch of Hieracium pseudanglicum (Scottish endemic section Subalpina) very similar to the Centhoidea Hieracium anglicum - looking closely at the leaves it has Subalpina pale micro-glands along the edges
At NN587367 was Hieracium cuspidens (Scottish endemic section Subalpina) this has leaves with crazy uneven teeth - these plants had only a few simple hairs on the peduncles
Under the bridge at NN587364 there was more H pictorum, pseudanglicum and cuspidens. Next to the stream there was Hieracium iricum (section Cerinthoidea) with its numerous clasping stem leaves
Also Hieracium laetificum (Scottish endemic section Subalpina) with long bracts (15 mm) looking similar to H pseudanglicum
And frequent Hieracium orcadense (section Hieracium) leaves a little more toothy than typical
6th July Fionn Ghleann
This was the first day of the 2024 BSBI Hawkweed hunt lead by Tim Rich
On the way to the Glen Coe Mountain Resort Tim and I stopped off at NN184562 to look at Hieracium shoolbredii (Scottish endemic section Cerinthoidea) with its rounded glabrous base leaves
Car sharing sorted and off to Fionn Ghleann to begin the quest
We set off on the long walk South of the River Etive heading toward the valley. After about an hour we realized we hadnt seen Tilly 🐾 for ages - Jamie ran back to find her .....
The valley stream was quite disappointing for hawkweeds (some H triviale) until we got to the top a clump of Hieracium lingulatum (Scottish endemic section Subalpina) at NN226503
and what was possibly Hieracium laetificum again but indeterminate - there was a flowering specimen collected on the opposite side of the valley
We had all split into groups but no success in this valley. After the long trek back down, I waded across the river and trogged back to the car. On meeting Jamie, he hadn't caught up with us after going back for Tilly, he exclaimed that he had found H basicrinum on the ledges halfway along the walk at Coire Leacach. His photos (and specimen) confirmed it! Lots of whooping with joy back at the mountain resort car park
July 7th Coire Leacach
Back to the carpark
I found some Hieracium callistopyllum (Scottish endemic section Subalpina) under a willow next to the stream NN265524
The teeth on these plants were extremely large
Walking up Coire Leacach we found some Hieracium lingulatum
and at NN216506 and Hieracium callistophyllum with its regular mammiform teeth
a rain soaked Hieracium calenduliflorum (Scottish endemic section Alpina) also on the scree
and finally the prize Hieracium basicrinum (Scottish endemic section Stelligera) about 30 plants mainly vegetative dotted around the scree at NN216506. Immediately recognizable with its spotted leaves and obtuse bracts
On the way back down at NN215506 was Hieracium vennicontium (British endemic section Subalpina) with its wide obtuse black bracts
At Kilin, Bridge of Dochart NN 571323 the walls are lined with Hieracium melanoglochin (Scottish endemic section Foliosa )
Down near the waters edge there were a few Hieracium prenanthoides (native section Prenanthoidea) with their clusters of small flowers and amplexicaul stem leaves.
Also quite a few Hieracium lanceolatifolium on the riverside banks
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