21.) SANGUISORBA to APHANES

SANGUISORBA L.

Sanguisorba officinalis L. (Great Burnet) - Grassland Very Rare A species of alluvial neutral pastures. Always a rare plant locally. Its stronghold in the north of the region along the Ladden Valley appears to have seriously declined. One of its sites is now a large solar farm. It is also sometimes used in wildflower mixes and may escape or persist.

[Some records need checking]

POTERIUM L.

Poterium sanguisorba L. (Sanguisorba minor Scop.) (Salad Burnet) / Grassland Uncommon Locally frequent in dry calcareous grassland, pastures, banks, verges and track-sides. It is often found where rabbits are present. It appears to have declined.
ssp. sanguisorba (Sanguisorba minor Scop. ssp. minor) / Grassland Uncommon The native plant with the same distribution and status as the species.
ssp. balearicum (Bourg. ex Nyman) Stace (Sanguisorba minor Scop. ssp. muricata (Gremli) Briq.) (Fodder Burnet) - Grassland Uncommon More robust and with more deeply cut serrations than the native plant. Once grown for fodder but now widely used in seed mixes and becomes established on roadside verges and disturbed grassy places. White (1912) remarks that is was "Abundant for many years on a bank of the Port and Pier Railway between Sea Mills and Shirehampton, until the line fell under new management and was periodically tidied up in the fashion so repugnant to the botanist" - a sad fate which has only worsened in recent times. The management of our roadside banks and verges no longer favours wildflowers. Despite signs of change and increasing widespread acceptance of the importance of our verges, the neat and tidy approach still very much persists close to towns and cities and further out into the sticks where mowing is more erratic, the abysmal destruction of things in full bloom, still continues.

sadly only worsened. Many of our banks and verges are now kept permanently devoid of flowers by regular mowing.

the management of our roadside banks and verges no longer favours wildflowers.

ACAENA Mutis ex L.

Acaena novae-zelandiae Kirk (Pirri-pirri-bur) General Very Rare Was formerly established on road verges outside the old University of Bristol Botanic Garden, Leigh Woods - where it was first discovered in 1999 by P.R. Green. Last seen here in 2010 by J.P. Martin. Also found near the Sailing Club by Chew Valley Lake in ? by R.J. Higgins.

ALCHEMILLA L.

Alchemilla conjuncta Bab. (Silver Lady's-mantle) General Very Rare Was recorded established at Dyrham Park House in 2013 by J.P. Martin.

[Check BSBI record for more detail].

Alchemilla filicaulis Buser. ssp. vestita (Buser) M.E. Bradshaw (Hairy Lady's-mantle) /- Grassland Rare A rare species of damp limestone and clay pastures and occasionally woodland rides. Mostly confined to the south of the region. Considered to be frequent in the past. It has undergone significant decline due to inappropriate management of its preferred habitat and has now almost completely vanished from the north of the region.
Alchemilla glabra Neygenf. (Smooth Lady's-mantle) 1837 Grassland Extinct Historically noted once from Bath in 1837 by ? [BSBI record].
Alchemilla mollis (Buser) Rothm. (Soft Lady's-mantle / Garden Lady's-mantle) / General Uncommon A frequent garden escape now well-established in many places such as roadside verges, woodland tracks, hedgebanks, grassland, banks of rivers and ditches and sometimes self-seeded on kerbsides and at the bases of walls in urban areas. It sets prolific seed which get dispersed by ants and can become invasive in some areas, smothering out native ground flora. The map includes records of A. vulgaris agg. as it's presumed this is the true identity of most records.

APHANES L.

Aphanes arvensis L. (Alchemilla arvensis (L.) Scop.) (Parsley-piert) / Grassland Uncommon Locally frequent in short grassland with bare patches (often on ant hills) and rocky outcrops on skeletal limestone soils and sometimes found on arable land. It appears to have declined. Changes in land management - a combination of a lack of grazing in places (or loss of rabbits) and nutrification of the land are the likely causes of this.
Aphanes australis Rydb. (Alchemilla australis (Rydb.) Bomble) (Slender Parsley-piert) / Grassland Scarce Locally frequent in short bare turf on acidic soils. Much scarcer than A. arvensis though likely to be overlooked for it. It can be distinguished from it by the finger-like stipule teeth which are distinctly longer than wide rather than short and triangular. Several interesting records from Bristol made by D. Peters support the contention that it may be overlooked: It was found growing on a grass bank below the M32 near Eastville Park in 2022 and much more extensively the following year on another bank running alongside Fishponds Road where the mower scuffs the ground; occurring in local abundance below Dower House (the 'yellow castle') at Stoke Park in 2023; and a small patch by the harbourside at Bathurst Basin in 2024.

List:

Sanguisorba officinalis L. (Great Burnet) - Grassland
Poterium sanguisorba L. ssp. Sanguisorba (Stace, NBN) Sanguisorba minor Scop. ssp. minor (old name) (Salad Burnet) / Grassland
Poterium sanguisorba L. ssp. balearicum (Bourg. ex Nyman) Stace (Stace) ssp. balearica (Bourg. ex Nyman) Muñoz Garm. & C. Navarro (NBN) Sanguisorba minor ssp. muricata (Gremli) Briq. (old name) (Fodder Burnet) - Grassland
Acaena novae-zelandiae Kirk (Pirri-pirri-bur) General
Alchemilla conjuncta Bab. (Silver Lady's-mantle) - 1 BSBI record
Alchemilla filicaulis Buser. ssp. vestita (Buser) M.E. Bradshaw (Lady's-mantle / Hairy Lady's-mantle - Stace, NBN) /- Grassland
Alchemilla glabra Neygenf. (Smooth Lady's-mantle - Stace, NBN) 1837 Grassland
Alchemilla mollis (Buser) Rothm. (Soft Lady's-mantle / Garden Lady's-mantle - NBN) / General
Aphanes arvensis L. (Alchemilla arvensis (L.) Scop. - Kew) (Parsley-piert) / Grassland
Aphanes australis Rydb. (Alchemilla australis (Rydb.) Bomble - Kew) (Slender Parsley-piert) / Grassland

Species to be added: