Dumfriesshire Botany Group at Tarras Reserve, 5th July 2026
It was a dull and occasionally wet day when six of us met at the small parking area opposite the plantation. The aim was to record a corner of the reserve we have not visited before behind the Arkleton Lodge. Neither the plantation nor the land between the plantation and Duncans Sike fall within the Tarras reserve and so recording included land not in the reserve and land within the reserve on the slope of Hog Fell. The vegetation was wet and so waterproofs were needed all day and any boots not fully waterproof led to wet socks and feet.
The track through the plantation was the easiest way to gain height and we used this to get up onto the hill into the first square we recorded, NY4089 and later in the afternoon to get back down. So on and alongside the track we saw the population of Heath Cudweed Omalotheca sylvatica which we have checked the last couple of visits. It is now regarded as vulnerable nationally and scarce locally. There seemed to be a smaller population this year. The track also had things you might expect in hill country including Silver Hair-grass Aira caryophyllea, Oval Sedge Carex leporina, Green-ribbed Sedge Carex binervis, Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Heath Milkwort Polygala serphyllifolia and Stag’s-horn Clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum. Two eyebrights were present Arctic Eyebright Euphrasia actica and Slender Eyebright Euphrasia micrantha together with their hybrid Euphrasia x difformis.
We then worked our way out through the plantation towards Birch Cleuch part of which is on open moorland and part within plantation. In the plantation and on the open moorland there were more wetland species. Plants like Marsh Willowherb Epilobium palustre, Marsh Violet Viola palustre, Bottle Sedge Carex rostrata, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia and Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis.
A little rocky linn had a small woodland community with Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and Rowan Sorbus aucuparia sheltering Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Polypody Polypodium vulgare and Goldenrod Solidago virgaurea. From here we crossed over the moorland towards Duncans Sike adding a few things like Bugle Ajuga reptans, Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Northern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella, Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragrum and Common Cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum.
We had lunch sheltered against the old dyke though the rain had relented for a while. The dyke marks the boundary with the Tarras Valley Reserve so after lunch we moved into the reserve and were soon in a new monad NY3989 on the slopes of Hog Fell. We worked slowly uphill recording much the same species. We found one reasonable flush with things like Quaking Grass Briza media, Lesser Clubmoss Selaginella selaginoides, Tawny Sedge Carex hostiana, Wood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum and Common Butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris.
The top of Hog Fell was reached and then we descended back down to Duncans Sike before leaving the reserve and picking up a route back into the plantation that forms part of one of the Langholm walks, though not one used very much. On the way back towards the plantation there was a large flushed area of Sharp-flowered Rush Juncus acutiflorus with Brown Sedge Carex distichta and Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile.
The total number of records in NY4089 was 193 and in NY3989 the total was 100.
Chris Miles
BSBI county recorder for Dumfriesshire VC73 – see bsbi.org/dumfriesshire
