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8 Notes - Epipactis leptochila complex in Britain Epipactis leptochila complex in Britain JOHN RrCHARDS, High Trees, South Park, Hexham NE46 lBT (hightreesga:den@btinternet.com) JANE SQUIRRELL, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh EH3 5LR (J.SqUlrrell@rbge.ac.uk) In BSBI News 111: 12-14 (April, 2009), Simon Harrap attempts to bring up to date and clarify the present situation regarding several helleborine taxa in Britain, including Epipactis leptochila (Narrow-lipped Helleborine), E. dunensis (Dune Helleborine), E. dunensis ssp. tynensis (Tyne Helleborine), E. sancta (Lindisfarne Helleborine), and E. muelleri. Simon Harrap rightly points out that modem authoritative accounts in general use, such as Preston et al. (2002) and Stace (2004) have become outmoded in this regard. A molecular analysis of these taxa (Squirrell et aI., 2002) encouraged some Continental authors (Delforge & Gevaudan, 2002; Kreutz, 2007) to subject British populations to taxonomic treatments that have not been publicised widely, although they were discussed in part by Hollingsworth et al. (2006). We agree with Simon Harrap that it is time that the present consensus with respect to these taxa is made known more widely. However, we do not fully concur with all of his conclusions, or those of the Continental authorities. In particular, we would like to emphasise that all the taxa under discussion here are very closely related, and can usefully be regarded as belonging to the same species complex (for which the prior name would be E. leptochila s.l.). Nevertheless, at present this complex has been split, and first we would like to re-emphasise those matters that are common ground, and with which we agree. • Epipactis leptochila and E. dunensis are very closely related, but at present are best treated at specific rank. • E. leptochila s.s. is a plant primarily of southern beech woods and does not occur north of Shropshire. • Plants from wasteland sites in North Lincs., SE Yorks. and South Lancs. (the latter not mentioned by Harrap) are E. dunensis, as are plants associated with metal spoil or metalliferous river gravels in northern England. • E. muelleri does not currently grow in Britain (a few individuals that may have been this species were found on the south coast of Sussex in the 1970's) Populations of 'E. dunensis' on Scottish bings (re-colonised coal spoil) are more complex. Morphologically there are plants there with the appearence of E. dunensis, but there are also plants with intermediate morphologies. Genetic analysis showed that E. dunensis-like plants in Scotland lacked the classic homozygous and uniform genetic signature of English E. dunensis. Instead they are heterozygous for the same set of alleles as was found in sympatric plants of E. helleborine and E. helleborine var. youngiana. Scottish 'E. dunensis' may be relict hybrids of E. dunensis with E. helleborine s.1., or they may represent independent origins of the E. dunensis phenotype. However, there are two taxa discussed by Simon Harrap with which we would take issue. Classic E. dunensis from the west coast dunes of Cumberland and Lancashire is morphologically inseparable from plants from metalliferous sites in the South Tyne valley ('E. dunensis ssp. tynensis'). These two taxa could not be separated by their isozyme profiles, had identical sequences of chloroplast DNA, and differed only by 1 bp (the minimum possible substitution) in the trnL region of nuclear DNA. This was interpreted as 'a single origin followed by a mutational divergence'. We submit that as this is the only detectable difference between the taxa (apart from geography and ecology), no case can be made for the 'Tyne Helleborine'. Inland plants from sites in northern England should be regarded as E. dunensis. The question of the identity of the plants on Lindisfarne, in North Northumberland, is more problematic. These resembled west coast E. dunensis in their isozyme profile, but displayed an unique chloroplast DNA
Notes - Epipactis leptochila complex in Britain I On the flora of railway banks 9 sequence which was unlikely to have derived from other sequences in this group. Nevertheless, the 'Lindisfarne Helleborine' (E. sancta) is not as distinct from west coast E. dunensis, molecularly, as E. dunensis is from E. leptochila and E. muelleri. If the 'Lindisfarne Helleborine' were morphologically identical to west coast E. dunensis, this would raise the interesting question as to whether two plants of different origins but closely convergent morphology should be regarded as the same or different species. However, it is the opinion of JR that the 'Lindisfarne Helleborine' does not resemble E. dunensis very closely, having in particular a less dense inflorescence with fewer flowers, which is relatively longer in relation to the leafy part of the stem. This contention requires detailed analysis, and until this is published, we would welcome the taxon E. sancta with some considerable caution. At present, we regard it as a useful 'workname' rather than a proven species. References: DELFORGE, P. & GEVAUDAN, A. (2002). 'Contribution taxonomique et nomenclaturale au groupe d'Epipactis leptochila'. Les On the flora of railway banks Naturalistes Belges, hors-serie - special: Orchidees. 83 (Orchid 15): 19-35. HOLLINGSWORTH, P.M., SQUIRRELL, I, HOLLINGSWORTH, M.L., RICHARDS, AJ. & BATEMAN, R.M. (2006). Taxonomic complexity, conservation and recrurent origins of selfpollination in Epipactis (Orchidaceae). In: IP. BAILEY & R.G. ELLIS (eds.). Current taxonomic research on the British and Europeanflora. pp.27-44. BSBI, London. KREUTZ, C.AJ. (2007). Epipactis dunensis (T. & T.A. Stephenson) Godfrey subsp. tynensis Kreutz, eine neue Epipactis-sippe aus Nordengland und Sudschottland. 1. Eur. Orchid. 39(1): 123-134. PRESTON, C.D., PEARMAN, D.A. & DINES, T.D. (2002). New atlas of the British & Irish flora. Oxford University Press, Oxford. SQUIRRELL, I, HOLLINGSWORTH, P.M., BATEMAN, R.M., TEBBEITT, M.C. & HOLLINGSWORTH, M.L. (2002). Taxonomic complexity and breeding system transitions: conservation genetics of the Epipactis leptochila complex. Molecular Ecology 11: 1957-1964. STACE, C.A. (2004). 'Interactive flora of the British Isles.' ETI (CD-ROM). JEAN COMBES OBE, 5 Crofton, Woodfield Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 2BH I have never learnt to drive, so I travel everywhere by train from my home in Surrey, and I am a diligent observer of wild plants from train windows. I have three daughters, who live in Sussex, Birmingham and Lancashire respectively, and I visit them from time to time. I have also visited Scotland 25 times, and have observed many floral delights from the train. In March and April, en route to Sussex, I see masses of bank-side Primula vulgaris (Primrose). This is my favourite wild flower, so obviously the sight delights me. Travelling up to London from my Surrey home there are miles of Equisetum telmateia (Great Horsetail) on the banks, and many aliens, including Artemisia verlotiorum (Chinese Mugwort), Senecio squalidus (Oxford Ragwort), Conyza canadensis (Canadian Fleabane) and Solidago canadensis (Canadian Golden-rod). Going to stay at Birmingham, the train travels along a cutting through the Chiltern Hills, and a delightful chalk flora can be seen, including Thymus spp. (thymes), Viola spp. (violets), Campanula spp. (bell-flowers), and Origanum vulgare (Marjoram), etc. On the high-speed train to Lancashire and Scotland, the great speed of the train hinders identification, except when it slows down. One of the first signs of reaching Scotland is Oreopteris limbosperma (Lemon-scented Fern), with its yellow-green fronds, but the many other Scottish delights are too numerous to mention. Car drivers must obviously focus on the road ahead, so they miss most of the roadside plants, and I arrive at my many destinations thinldng rail travel is the best method of transport, and, of course, is better for the environment too.
Page 1 and 2: BSBINews September 2009 No. 112 Edi
Page 3 and 4: Editorial & Diary..................
Page 5 and 6: Notes - Taraxacum cymbifolium in Sc
Page 7 and 8: Notes - Juncus fasciculatus Koch in
Page 9: Notes - Juncus fasciculatus Koch in
Page 13 and 14: Notes - Alchemilla micans at Keeper
Page 15: Notes - New records of Monotropa at
Page 18: 16 Notes - Squirrel-stripping of na
Page 21 and 22: Notes - Rare species at Barry Docks
Page 23 and 24: Notes - Colonisation of the rampart
Page 25 and 26: Notes - Teratology - a revival? 23
Page 27 and 28: Notes - Teratology - a revival? / T
Page 29 and 30: Notes - The abortive 'Penguin' Flor
Page 31 and 32: Aliens - Habitat of Cochlearia mega
Page 33 and 34: Aliens - Planted aliens I Vegetativ
Page 35 and 36: Aliens - Botanical delights at Seaf
Page 37 and 38: Botany in Literature - 51- Arthur C
Page 39 and 40: Botany in Literature - 51- Arthur C
Page 41: Echium rosulatum (Lax Viper's-buglo
Page 44 and 45: Ammi visnaga (Toothpick Plant) Call
Page 46 and 47: 40 Notices - 2010 Winston Churchill
Page 48 and 49: 42 Field meeting reports: 2008 - Li
Page 50 and 51: 44 Field meeting reports: 2008 - Li
Page 52 and 53: 46 Field meeting reports: 2009 - Co
Page 54 and 55: 48 Field meeting reports: 2009 - Pa
Page 56 and 57: 50 Field meeting reports: 2009 - Ni
Page 58 and 59: 52 Report of overseas field meeting
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54 Report of overseas field meeting
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60 Conference Report - 2009 - BSBI
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66 Profile of new Honorary Member -
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68 Recorders and Recording / Obitua
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70 Notes from the Officers - BSBI P
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Notes from the Officers - Coordinat
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ADMINISTRATION and IMPORTANT ADDRES
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Scilla lilio-hyacinthus & Corydalis
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