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Hieracium umbellatum L., a hawkweed

Account Summary

Native, rare.

1884; Barrington, R.M.; north end of Isle Namanfin, Lower Lough Erne.

August and September.

Fermanagh Occurence

A distinctive species with dark-green linear leaves up the stem, locally in Fermanagh it is usually found in grassy habitats on the banks of lakeshores and on bridges. This is probably the most widespread microspecies of Hieracium in B & I. Records exist from six Fermanagh sites and tetrads, mainly about both parts of Lough Erne. As the tatrad map indicates, the species has been seen at only three sites since 1975.

Elsewhere in Ireland, H. umbellatum appears to be frequently associated with Ulex europaeus (Gorse) stands on or near the banks of streams and recorders are advised to investigate these more actively for this plant (Flora of County Dublin). In the three VCs of NE Ireland, Hackney (FNEI 3) considered H. umbellatum to be rare (no records since 1895) and to have declined possibly to extinction.

In Guernsey, the nominate subspecies umbellatum produces fertile diploids in common with other material from SW parts of the British Isles and these grow there chiefly on roadside banks and hedges (McClintock 1975). As far as is known, H. umbellatum is the only sexual diploid Hieracium in B & I, but it also contains apomictic triploids. No morphological characters have been found which distinguish the two cytotypes (Sell & Murrell 2006, pp. 221, 243). This recent account lists three subspecies and no less than eight varieties all lying within H. umbellatum!

The remaining record details are: W end of Gay Island, Lower Lough Erne, 1892, Praeger (as detailed in Irish Naturalist 1: 114; this is only a tentative record since the plant was not in flower when collected); Galloon Td, Upper Lough Erne, 1950, MCM & D; Corraslough Point, Upper Lough Erne, 1950, MCM & D; refound here 3 September 1985, RHN; Bess Island, off Tully Point, Lower Lough Erne, 13 August 1994, RHN & HJN; in profusion growing on the structure of Grogey Bridge, Colebrooke River, 13 August 1995, RHN; refound here 16 July 2002, I. McNeill.

References

Flora of Co Dublin; FNEI 3; McClintock 1975; Sell & Murrell 2006; Praeger Ir Nat