Rare Plant Register for Huntingdonshire - Botanical Society of the ...

Frangula alnus Mill.
Alder Buckthorn
National Status: Not scarce, not threatened County Status: Rare (2 sites, 3 tetrads)
Holme Fen SSSI
Compartment 1
Compartment 21
Site Grid Reference Last Record
36
TL1989
TL2088 (monad)
2006 (MM)
2006 (MM)
Woodwalton Fen SSSI, Compartment 68 TL229838 (centroid) 2008 (MM)
This shrub is only known as a native from Holme and Woodwalton Fens, with only a few
bushes known from each site. This species has been planted in a hedgerow at Chapel Lane,
Ramsey Heights.
Fritillaria meleagris L.
Fritillary
National Status: Nationally Scarce,
Vulnerable
County Status: Rare (1 site, 2 tetrads)
Site Grid Reference Last Record
Portholme Meadow SSSI & SAC TL236706
TL241704
2011 (LF)
2004 (BS)
This is a grassland plant which thrives best, as at Portholme, where the usual form of
management is a hay cut followed by aftermath grassland. This enables this species, which
has all its leaves on the flowering stem, to complete its life-cycle (Stewart et al. 1994). It is not
certain, regardless of the suitability of the habitat at its one known site, whether this species is
native in Huntingdonshire (Wells, 2003). However, it appears to be doing well with the annual
count increasing from twelve flowering plants in 1972 to at least 948 plants in 2008.
Galeopsis speciosa (L.) Mill.
Large-flowered Hemp-nettle
National Status: Vulnerable County Status: Rare (2 sites, 2 tetrads)
Site Grid Reference Last Record
Holme Fen SSSI, Compartment 10 TL2089 2006/07 (MM)
New Decoy Farm (Great Fen Project) TL22748813 2011 (PTM)
Historically, this species was locally common, particularly in fenland fields put down to root
crops such as sugar beet, carrots and potatoes. There are few recent records but it is unclear
whether its status in Huntingdonshire mirrors the declines seen nationally, or whether it is
under-recorded, or indeed, whether a combination of both applies.