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Notes - Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima, new to Britain 3Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima, new to Britain, on the SeftonCoast, MerseysidePmLIP H. SMITH, 9 Hayward Court, Watchyard Lane, Formby, Liverpool L37 3QPMrCHAEL P. WrLCOX, 32 Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 lLZWhile recording for the new Flora of South Bird's-foot-trefoil). Nearby is a sizeableLancashire (v.c. 59) at Crosby Sand-dunes, population of Apera interrupta (Dense Silky-Merseyside, on 17 th April 2004, we found a bent), a non-native grass that occurs predominpatchof an Artemisia which we did not recog- antly in eastern England. It seems likely thatnise at SJ311.982. Material sent to Eric Clem- this and also the Field Wormwood had theirent was identified as Artemisia campestris origin in the seed mixture used around thesubsp. maritima (Field WOTIllwood), a subsp. pumping station.new to Britain. Subsequent searches located no The nationally rare British taxon, which isfurther individuals and, by July 2005, the largely confined to Breckland, is A. campestrisoriginal patch measured about 200 x 170cm. subsp. campestris. According to Flora Euro-On 6 th Jlme 2005, the patch was observed to be paea, subsp. maritima is distinguished frominfested with the nymphs of cercopid bugs subsp. campestris by having short, fleshy leafproducingmuch 'cuckoo-spit'. However, this lobes which are convex but not keeled, whereasappeared to have little adverse effect and the the latter has keeled leaf-lobes that are notplant was photographed in full flower on 11th fleshy.September 2005 (see inside front cover).Interestingly, A. campestris has been recordedAssociated vascular taxa were identified on twice before as a casual in South Lancashire: on30 th May and 11 th July 2005 and are listed in waste tips at Bradford Park, Leverhulme Park inTable 1.1908 (South Lancashire Flora Project) and asThe surrounding habitat is fixed-dune re- subsp. campestris at Garston Docks in 1934profiled during the construction of a pumping (Savidge et al. 1963).station in 1995/96. Evidently, the dune was References:reseeded at the time as several non-natives are SAVIDGE, lP., HEYWOOD, V.H. & GORDON, V. 1963.prominent in the sward, including Festuca bre- Travis's Flora a/South Lancashire. Liverpool Bovipila(Hard Fescue), Medicago sativa, tanica1 Society, Liverpool.(Lucerne), Melilotus albus (White Melilot) andLotus corniculatus var. sativus (a tall form ofTable 1. Vascular associates of Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima at Crosby sand-dunesAira caryophylleaAira praecoxAmmophila arenariaAnisantha sterilisAnthyllis vulnerariaCerastium fontanumCrepis capillarisElytrigia repensFestuca rubraHolcus lanatusHypochaeris radicataLeymus arenariusLotus corniculatusMedicago sativaMelilotus albusPlantago lanceolataRumex crispusSenecio jacobaeaSenecio squalidusTaraxacum officinale agg.Trifolium dubiumTrifolium pratenseVicia sativa