Welsh Journals

Brambles in Glamorgan and Neighbouring Areas A. NEWTON, M.A. Introduction The study of brambles in south Wales came to a climax with the publication by H. J. Riddelsdell of his article 'Rubi of Glamorgan' in Journal of Botany (London) 1906; further details were added in his 'Flora of Glamorgan', issued as a supplement to the same publica- tion in 1907 and in 'Further Glamorgan Records', (1909). He was helped considerably by W. Moyle Rogers, the leading British batologist of the time, who not only visited the county in 1905 with A. Ley, but also subsequently determined specimens (now in NMW) sent by A. H. Trow. Since that time interest has been sporadic and desultory, and no further attempt has been made to explore the area systematically or to interpret the distribution of RUBUS species. In the course of revising the Welsh RUBUS list at the request of NMW for a forthcoming new edition of 'Welsh Flowering Plants', I have examined a large series of exsiccata which has raised many questions of identification which can only be answered, if at all, by inspec- tion in the field. During 1973, with the assistance of NMW, I was able to visit many suit- able localities including some from which specimens had been collected in the past, and while most time was spent in Glamorgan, it was thought essential for the understanding of the south Wales RUBUS flora to make a brief survey in the surrounding areas of Mon- mouth, eastern Carmarthen and southern Brecon. Notes on the occurrence of species in these areas are included, but the main object has been to compile an up-to-date account of Glamorgan RUBI. While the species list includes only my own personal observations (with exceptions only in those cases where I was unable to find the plant in the field, but have confirmed exsiccata), it has proved possible to include on the map records made by Riddelsdell in his articles. These are there distinguished from my own, but to provide cross reference I have included in parenthesis in the species list the names used by him at that time. It will be obvious from the map that many areas in Glamorgan are still uncharted and work is particularly necessary in 10km squares SS 88, 89, 98 and 99, as well as in some marginal and coastal squares. While the latter in particular are not likely to reveal any great variety of species, it is still possible that interesting facts might emerge, particularly from SS 88 and 98. The map and list might perhaps be claimed to represent fairly the current state of know- ledge about RUBUS in Glamorgan, but there are still many unnamed plants and further fieldwork could reveal interesting information. In particular, it is possible that some of the unrecognised taxa in south Wales are to be found in Cornubia; further research is however necessary to establish the facts. Taxa whose presence in Glamorgan was attested by HJR (sometimes 'with doubt') but which cannot be substantiated either in the field or from exsiccata have been omitted, as