without a dedicated search for such taxa. Hopefully our finds can help inspire others to survey for threatened species which haven’t been recently recorded in their local area. Acknowledgements Many thanks to Cliona and Kate for coordinating the RPPI initiative in Co. Louth. Thanks to John Faulkner who has provided Cliona and Kate with lots of guidance on botany in Co. Louth, including Lycopodium. References Botanical
Society of Britain and Ireland (2011). BSBI Distribution Database. Available at: https://database.bsbi.org/. Accessed: 19th January 2022. Wyse Jackson, M., FitzPatrick, Ú., Cole, E., Jebb, M., McFerran, D., Sheehy Skeffington, M. & Wright, M. (2016). Ireland Red List No. 10: Vascular Plants. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Dublin, Ireland.
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Anacamptis morio (Green-winged Orchid): one of the rarest native plant species in Co. Monaghan (H32), on the brink of local extinction Alexis FitzGerald Email: alexisfitzgeraldibn@gmail.com Anacamptis morio (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase (syn. Orchis morio) (Green-winged Orchid) is one of the rarest surviving native vascular plant species occurring in Co. Monaghan (H32). This pretty, photogenic orchid species occurs in just one known site in the county. It is found in open, cattle-grazed, semi-natural, calcareous grassland over limestone outcropping in an agricultural field just west of Carrickashedoge Church in Carrickashedoge townland, south of Carrickmacross in south-east Co. Monaghan (see back cover). This region of the county is underlain by Dinantian shale and limestone bedrock, and above it, lime-rich drumlin till substrate is locally frequent, which together facilitate the existence of such (locally) rare habitats and species in this region. This is one of the most species-diverse regions of Co. Monaghan and its diversity was only truly realised in recent decades, particularly since the field surveys of the current BSBI President Lynne Farrell there in the 1970’s, in her seminal efforts to locate and record sites of scientific interest in the county (Farrell, 1972). I have also focussed a significant amount of recording effort in this region of Monaghan since I took up my role as Vice-county recorder (VCR) in 2015, with the added benefit that it is also the closest part of the county to Dublin, where I live, so is amenable to quicker day trips! Anacamptis morio was first recorded at this site in 1978 by Donal Synnott (VCR for Co. Monaghan from 1982 to 2001), who collected and pressed a voucher specimen of the population which was donated to the National Herbarium, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin (DBN). The population was then refound during a subsequent BSBI field meeting in 1981 which was attended by Donal Synnott and Con Breen, and the record was later published by Synnott & Breen (1982). No population numbers were noted by them in PAGE 47
