day from the lake or marsh were Ranunculus lingua (Greater Spearwort), Rumex hydrolapathum (Water Dock), Cicuta virosa (Cowbane), Samolus valerandii (Brookweed) along with the less rare Triglochin palustris (Marsh Arrowgrass) and frequent Sagina nodosa (Knotted Pearlwort) in flower. The limestone outcrops had an abundance of Galium verum (Lady’s Bedstraw) (not common in Leitrim), Geranium molle (Dove’s-foot Crane’sbill), Sedum acre (Biting Stonecrop), Alchemilla filicaulis subs. vestita (Hairy Lady’smantle) and the rarely recorded Aphanes arvensis (Parsley-piert). There are only three modern Leitrim records for Sedum acre, including this one. I cannot conclude this article without mentioning the late Don Cotton who contributed many valuable records while he was Vice-county recorder (VCR) for Leitrim (a few alluded to above). In the last 10 years, I got to know him well as a teacher and good friend during our several outings in various parts of Sligo. He will be missed not least among field botanists throughout Ireland and further afield. ----------
A report on Limerick (H8) botanical work in 2021 Sylvia Reynolds, 115 Weirview Drive, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin Another year of living with Covid. I took advantage of the lockdown early in the year to work on a Rare Plant Register for Limerick and so the main aim of fieldwork in 2021 was to update records of selected taxa – and as in recent years I was ably assisted by Julian Reynolds. Also in 2021 our three friends and colleagues Mike Quirke, Paul Murphy and Tom Harrington did their own exploring and botanising, and some of their good finds are mentioned below. In 2016 I had drawn up a draft list of taxa for a proposed Rare Plant Register for all of Co. Limerick, including the part north of the River Shannon near Limerick city which falls within Vice-county H9. Following BSBI Guidelines (2017) and adding records from fieldwork since 2016, that list was modified in February to include natives and archaeophytes which are internationally rare, nationally and locally rare or scarce, and extinct in the county. From March to mid-May I drafted accounts and compiled records for over 300 taxa, erring on the side of inclusion of some hybrids and subspecies for which distribution in Limerick is not well known. Soon after restrictions on inter-county travel were lifted, Julian and I headed out of Dublin to Limerick. During the season we spent 12 long days in the field, a few shorter ones, and only three overnights, adding over 130 updates or new finds for the Rare Plant Register; over 40 more were added by others. Our first stop was at Curragh Chase (19 May, R4049) where we refound Lathraea squamaria (Toothwort) already dying down under Portugal Laurel and Ash near the ruined house. At Barrigone (R2950) we looked for elusive Neotinea maculata (Dense-flowered Orchid) without success, but instead saw a large patch of Rubus saxatilis (Stone Bramble) coming into flower and a few plants of Ophrys insectifera (Fly Orchid). The rest of the day was spent visiting sites along the Shannon Estuary. Cochlearia officinalis s.s. (Common Scurvygrass) persists near Glin Pier (R1247) and C. danica (Danish Scurvygrass) at Kilteery Pier (R1749), at their only known Limerick PAGE 69
