Shropshire - Botanical Society of the British Isles

The first record was by Littleton Brown atBishops Castle (SO3288) in about 1725.Edward Williams found it at Little Wenlock(SJ6408) in about 1800. In Leighton’s Florathere are also records for Tinker’s Hill(SO5272, Andrew Bloxam), Church Stretton(SO4593, Thomas Bodenham), Clee Hill(SO6077, Mary McGhie) and Shelderton Rock(SO4177, Thomas Salwey).R.M. Serjeantson recorded it near CaerCaradoc (SO4795) in 1880 and Beckwithfound it to be plentiful at ‘Helmeth, and woodsabove Watling Street between Church andLittle Stretton’ (SO4693) in 1889. SpencerBickham, Augustin Ley and W. Moyle Rogersfound it on nearby Hope Bowdler (SO4792) in1909. On the Long Mynd, J.W. Heath recordedit in The Batch (SO4495) in 1900 and, withWilliam Beacall, in Ashes Hollow (SO4293) in1904. J.B. Duncan found it near the collierysiding at Highley (SO7484) in 1903 and MissH.M. Auden recorded it near Condover(SJ4906) in 1907. The Reverend O.M. Feildensaw it in 1920 at Hardwick (SJ3734). The lastdetailed record for the county was by MrsPaish and Edward Rutter at Tantree Bank(SJ2906), where eight plants were seen inancient semi-natural woodland.The Flora Project records do seem to be inroughly the same areas as the previous ones,but it is unsatisfactory to not have the details.They should be considered slightly dubious. Itis apparent that C. impatiens has never beencommon in the county. Leighton described it asrare. It should be looked for in areas of baserichrock outcrops in woodland, or along tracksand roadsides after trees have been coppiced orfelled: the areas around Church Stretton seemthe most promising. A recent record forMarrington Dingle could not be substantiated.In the New Atlas there are just 75 current dotsfor this species, so it remains firmly in theNationally Scarce category. Its distribution iscentred around the Welsh Marches and theSeven valley, so Shropshire remains wellwithin its range.43210987Cardamine impatiens2 3 4 5 6 7 8Carduus tenuiflorus CurtisSlender ThistleNeophyte. Rare.This is a predominantly coastal species inBritain with only a scattered distributioninland. It was recorded by Edward Williams onditch-banks around the old limestone quarrynear Harnage (SJ5604) in about 1800, where itwas rediscovered by Pat Parker in 1975(SJ5604), but has not been seen since. DorisPugh found it in a lay-by along the A5 atQueen’s Head (SJ3326) in 1968 (conf. P.M.Benoit) and Rob Stokes reported it from thenearby Knockin Heath (SJ3521) in 1994. Theonly other record for it in the county is by theWhitchurch Canal (probably ca. SJ5341) byJean Hooson in 1993.Rare Plants of Shropshire 31