Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

Michael Braithwaite

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

Hawick Archaeological Society 2016 hawickhistory.scot facebook.com/airchieoliver

© Hawick Archaeological Society Charity Number SC016405 The maps contains Ordnance Survey OpenData © Ordnance Survey ISBN 978-0-9518647-9-1

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

Michael E Braithwaite

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Acknowledgements Thanks are recorded to AMEY for providing details of their road verge management contract for the A7 and to Dr Roderick Corner, the long-serving BSBI vice-county recorder for Roxburghshire, for help with plant identification and by sharing botanical records. Photographs other than those taken by the author are acknowledged individually, some were sourced at www.geograph.org.uk The distribution maps have been prepared using DMAP © Dr Alan Morton. The author Michael Braithwaite was born in Northumberland. He came to work in Hawick as a chartered accountant in 1969, just after the Waverley Line was closed. He took up the study of wild flowers as a hobby and made the flora of the old railway his first project. A Railway Flora of Teviotdale was published in 1975. He was soon to be appointed vice-county recorder for Berwickshire for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and recorded in that area for thirty-five years before publishing A short Flora of Berwickshire in 2014. The completion of that work has allowed him to turn his attention once again to his home area. Hawick Archaeological Society The Hawick Archaelological Society, founded in 1856, promotes the study of the antiquities and natural history of Hawick and the surrounding district. It holds seven lecture meetings in Hawick Town Hall each winter season between September and March. It also publishes annual Transactions and occasional books on a variety of subjects. BSBI The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland has been the major inspiration for the author’s botanical work. It is the leading charitable society promoting the study and enjoyment of British and Irish wild plants, including the publication of local Floras. More information will be found on the BSBI website at www.bsbi.org Clarilaw Farmhouse Hawick TD9 8PT

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The roadside botanist Yellow jackets at the roadside come after warning signs and flashing lights or maybe traffic cones and traffic lights, the men in teams hard hats the norm. This yellow jacket bears a hatless head almost hairless too, no signs, no strimmer just a walking pole, wrist-worn GPS and clipboard map, hunched at notebook intent on writing. Up the cutting-side and down more notes, a wary look, then stooped at tarmac-edge with camera; now climbs a barrier and is lost to view – there lie embankments tangled thorns and discarded drink cans. He was hunter born – floral gems his prey, not just the orchid flower – every leaf and blade of grass worth a careful look. No disappointing days – each mile is species-rich and always something new.

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

NT52 NT42

NT41

NT51

NT40

NT41

Map of the fifteen survey sections in each of the two surveys, A7 to the west, old railway to the east 6

CONTENTS Page

INTRODUCTION

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Map – Background - The survey area - History - Geology and soils

VEGETATION AND SPECIES

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Woodland and scrub - Burnsides and riverside - Moorland - Grassland behind the salt-spray zone - The salt-spray zone near the tarmac - Bridges and walls - Quarries and tip areas - Arable weeds - Dumping of garden waste, garden escapes and other alien species - Discussion

SURVEY STATISTICS

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1. Habitats and status - 2. Frequency - 3. Species-richness - 4. Wider areas

GUIDE TO THE SECTIONS OF THE A7 Teviothead NT40

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1. Linhope - 2. Castleweary - 3. Teviothead - 4. Colterscleuch - 5. Teindside

Hawick NT41, NT51

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1. Newmill on Teviot - 2. Martinshouse - 3. Hawick - 4. Newton - 5. Groundistone Moss

Selkirk NT42

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1. Synton Mossend - 2. Dryden - 3. Hare Moss - 4. Hartwoodburn - 5. Selkirk

ANNOTATED CHECK-LIST

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Explanatory notes - Check-list

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

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Survey area - Sampling strategy - Safety in the field - Recording the surveys - Species selection - References

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

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Introduction

INTRODUCTION ______________________ Background A 2015 survey of the line of old railway through Teviotdale had demonstrated that a botanically species-rich habitat corridor survived down almost the whole length surveyed. This raised the possibility that a comparable corridor might have developed down the A7 trunk road especially as so much of it had been subject to road realignment projects that had left a legacy of broad verges, cuttings and embankments. If the corridors were found to be comparable they would provide an opportunity to compare habitats that had evolved over very different time spans, since 1862 for the old railway and since the 1970’s and 1980’s in the case of the A7. The 2016 survey of the A7 from Mosspaul to Selkirk has indeed found habitats that are comparable with those on the old railway. The survey area This study relates to Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire, largely to Teviotdale. It describes a survey in 2016 of the flora of a stretch of the A7 trunk road and makes comparisons with a survey in 2015 of a stretch of the disused Waverley Line railway. Both the A7 and the Waverley Line were surveyed in fifteen contiguous sections of varying length, but each defined by two Ordnance Survey grid lines two kilometres apart from south to north. The A7 survey crossed the ten kilometre squares or ‘hectads’ NT40, NT41, NT51 and NT42. The Waverley Line survey crossed hectads NT50, NT51 and NT52. The survey area along the A7 has been chosen to match that along the old railway as closely as possible. The parameters are set out in detail in the methodology section, but the concept was to include narrow unmanaged strips adjacent to the road. In particular, grassland, woodland, scrub and riverside communities between the road and the River Teviot and its tributary burns were included. History The A7 was formerly the main trunk road between Carlisle and Edinburgh. Recently it has become of less importance, following the decline of the textile industry in the towns of the Scottish Borders and the diversion of traffic to the motorway route along the M74 to the M8 with the option to follow the A702 through Biggar to Edinburgh. Nevertheless the A7 has benefited from a series of road realignments, though these remain less complete than campaigners would wish. The road between Hawick and Selkirk was almost entirely realigned in a series of projects in the 9

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared late 1970’s and early 1980’s, with the last at Newton around 1985. The road south of Hawick has had less attention, but several long stretches have been realigned with the stretch north of Colterscleuch completed in the mid 1990’s. There have been no major projects since 2000. The realignments have left a legacy of broad verges, cuttings and embankments with two new bridges over the Teviot south of Hawick and two more over the Limiecleuch Burn. The management of the road verges is discussed in the ‘Vegetation and species’ section under ‘The salt-spray zone near the tarmac’. The Waverley Line between Carlisle and Edinburgh was built in stages between 1849 and 1862. It was in use for a little over a century. The last train ran in January 1969. The line was then returned to the adjoining landowners. Some stretches are now grazed and two short stretches have been returned to arable fields, but much of the line has had little management and has become overgrown to varying degrees. The old railway station and sidings at Hawick were redeveloped as a leisure centre. Geology and soils The A7 lies on greywaches of the Silurian age. The rock formations include individual layers that vary from being slightly acidic to slightly basic in reaction. As a result the soil reaction can vary over short distances. The old railway lies mainly on the Silurian but some of it lies on the Old Red Sandstone. The Old Red Sandstone has similar chemistry to the Silurian but tends to be more friable and yields a richer agricultural soil. The A7 takes a more direct route north than the old railway, so gradients are steeper and there is not the almost unbroken succession of cuttings and embankments that is found on the old railway. Nevertheless the cuttings and embankments introduced during the road realignments have generated terrain that is broadly comparable to the old railway.

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Vegetation and species

VEGETATION AND SPECIES _______________________________________ Introduction The vegetation and its principal species are described under the headings listed on the contents page with partcular attention to the salt-spray zone near the tarmac. Alien species other than plantings and sowings are largely ignored in the main habitat accounts as they are discussed in a separate section. Comparing road and rail: in the following discussion the distribution of a species in this 2016 survey of part of the A7 is compared, where relevant, with its distribution in the part of the old railway surveyed in 2015 by stating the number of the 15 survey sections in which it has been recorded in each of the two surveys. Thus (5/1) indicates records from five sections on the A7, compared to the one section where there was a record on the old railway. Similarly (1/5) indicates that there was a record from the A7 in only one section, compared with the five where there were records on the old railway. Woodland and scrub The narrow unmanaged strips of scrubby grassland and woodland on burnside and riverside banks that adjoin the A7 are the most botanically-rich habitats in the survey area. They occur by the Frostlie Burn, the Limiecleuch Burn and the River Teviot. The woodland by the Teviot is not very natural, though Hazel Corylus avellana and Wych Elm Ulmus glabra are frequent, as at Martinshouse, and Bird Cherry Prunus padus occasionally fine, as in wet woodland approaching Branxholme Castle. While the Ash Fraxinus excelsior and Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus are often self-seeded, many originate Woodland with Ramsons Allium ursinum from plantings. Oak near Teindside Quercus robur is sparse and perhaps mostly planted. Ramsons Allium ursinum is locally abundant in the herb layer and so dominant in the wood above the road at Pipewellheugh on the 11

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared outskirts of Hawick that, in the spring, its distinctive odour wafts through the ventilation systems of passing traffic. Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa is only occasional as is False-brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, Hairybrome Bromopsis ramosa, Goldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus and Giant Fescue Schedonorus giganteus. Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea is widespread. Remote Sedge Carex remota is rare in wet woodland while Wood-sedge Carex sylvatica, Woodruff Galium odoratum and Wood Speedwell Veronica montana are scarce because so much of the woodland is too damp for them. Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum with unspotted leaves is Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa a scarce introduction. The under beech Martinshouse woodland edge has frequent Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and a few colonies of Imperforate St John'swort Hypericum maculatum (3/3) or, in drier places, Perforate St John's-wort H. perforatum (5/6) though both are often replaced by Hybrid St John's-wort H. x desetangsii (5/9) which has a wider ecological amplitude. Species restricted to the woodland at Pipewellheugh are Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, Hart'stongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium and Hard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum. Scrub is less frequent than on the old railway, even allowing for the areas kept scrub-free to preserve motorists’ visibility. The embankments are where

Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum Colterscleuch 12

Vegetation and species scrub-encroachment is most apparent, with Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna the main colonist. Willows Salix spp. are now slowly invading some of the wet grassland. Patches of Gorse Ulex europaeus are only prominent in a few places. On the old railway, Roses Rosa spp are a striking feature of the grassland and scrub and are diverse with good colonies of SweetScubby cutting, old railway Longnewton briar Rosa rubiginosa. In contrast Roses on the A7 are sparse and not very diverse, being almost exclusively of the three commonest taxa in the area, Dog-rose Rosa canina, Soft Downy-rose Rosa mollis and a hybrid Rose Rosa x dumalis (which is fertile and behaves much like a species). However Burnet Rose Rosa spinosissima does occur on rocks below a hazel wood at Castleweary. The hedges by the A7 are not very remarkable, and are primarily of Hawthorn. However Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata (14/10) and Red Campion Silene dioca (14/9) are notably frequent in almost all survey sections, by hedges, at the woodland edge and in coarse grassland. Planted trees are much more of a feature of the A7 than the old railway. There are rather few places on the A7 where there are mature planted trees in the hedgerows, but a stretch near Bird Cherry Prunus padus Galalaw Branxholme has a fine row of Lime Tilia x europaea, an old European Larch Larix decidua and Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii. Where the realignments have left broad bankings there 13

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared are some recent shelter belts with a mixture of broad-leaved trees and conifers. Small amenity plantings are frequent and include hedges planted to screen laybys. Such plantings frequently include Field Maple Acer campestre, Silver Birch Betula pendula, Hazel Corylus avellana, Aspen Populus tremula, Bird Cherry Prunus padus, Rowan Sorbus aucuparia and Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus, sometimes with Apple Malus pumila. Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis has wind-sown from nearby plantings onto rocky slopes at Colterscleuch and Hare Moss. Many-flowered Rose Rosa multiflora has been planted near the picnic site south of Teviothead while a group of Olive Willow Salix elaeagnos was found by the burn at Castleweary. Burnsides and riverside The burnsides of the Frostlie Burn have communities that include Tall Fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus, Marsh Ragwort Senecio aquaticus and Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis. The riverside of the Teviot is more varied with Marshmarigold Caltha palustris, Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara, Lesser Pond-sedge Carex acutiformis, Brown Sedge C. disticha, Marsh Hawk'sbeard Crepis paludosa, Bearded Couch Elymus caninus, frequent Purple Willow Salix purpurea, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and occasionally Island in Teviot below Teindside Bridge Wood Stitchwort Stellaria nemorum. Giant Bellflower Campanula latifolia is frequent in the Martinshouse and Hawick sections. A modest colony of the 'female' form of Butterbur Petasites hybridus grows under Albert Bridge in Hawick with the ‘male’ form nearby in much larger quantity. The ‘female’ form, which has only a few male flowers, may have colonised fairly recently. Creeping Yellow-cress Rorippa sylvestris grows nearby on shingle, as does a small colony of Toothwort Lathraea squamaria, here parasitic on Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus. Moorland Moorland vegetation is represented in the survey area only by small but contrasting fragments in the Linhope, Castleweary and Teviothead sections and

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Vegetation and species again, to the north, in the Synton Mossend, Hare Moss and Hartwoodburn sections. The summit at Groundistone Heights is devoid of moorland vegetation. In the Linhope section, the flora of the raised bog and associated wetland adjacent to the road spills over into the road verge with Brown Sedge Carex disticha, Bottle Sedge C. rostrata, Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata, Narrow Buckler-Fern Dryopteris carthusiana, Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, Marsh Horsetail E. palustre, Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Hare's-tail Cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum, Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum, Deergrass Trichophorum germanicum and Marsh Violet Viola palustris. There are no significant stretches of heather moorland on the road verges and such Heather Calluna vulgaris Raised bog by road above Linhope (6/3) as there is mainly on steep rocky banks where moorland flush communities may be present. Such banks at Linhope and Castleweary have Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Quaking-grass Briza media, Spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea, Tawny Sedge C. hostiana, Longstalked Yellow-sedge C. lepidocarpa, Pale Sedge C. pallescens, Flea Sedge C. pulicaris, Marsh Hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella, Fen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum, Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum, Hairy Wood-rush Luzula pilosa, Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica and Common Valerian V. officinalis. A mossy cutting north of Hare Moss with a few clumps of Heather has a little willow scrub comprised of Eared Willow Salix aurita, Rusty Willow S. cinerea subsp. oleifolia and their hybrid S. x multinervis. The herb layer has Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum, much Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and one plant of Common Twayblade Neottia ovata.

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Grassland behind the salt-spray zone The verge grassland behind the salt-spray zone is discussed under four headings: dry grassland, wet grassland, cuttings and embankments. 1. Dry grassland The dry grassland is much the most widespread type and can be broadly dismissed as False Oat-Grass Arrhenatherum elatius grassland that is similar to that found by minor roads and along field headlands with a predominance of coarse grasses, tall umbellifers and other familiar species. Other species that are locally dominant are Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium and Bracken Pteridium aquilinum. However a few species are unusually frequent by the A7 including Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion pratense and Northern Dock angustifolium Synton Mossend Rumex longifolius. There is no grazing, unlike the old railway where substantial stretches are grazed favouring hill grassland species such as Eyebrights Euphrasia spp. Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense (13/7) is remarkably frequent by the A7 in the survey area, extending to the highest altitudes. Away from the A7, including the old railway, this species is predominantly lowland, being especially frequent in riverside grasslands. It is not clear how the relatively heavy seed is dispersed. Some colonies may relate to seed being transported in soil that has been used to build up roadside embankments and this is considered the likely source of one colony not far north of Mosspaul in the Linhope section. The Docks Rumex spp. make an interesting study. Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius is in general the most plentiful species in the county, with Curled Dock Rumex crispus more local. In contrast, along the verge of the A7 the two species occur in roughly equal quantity. Neither species forms large colonies. Broad-leaved Dock is at home throughout the verge grassland while Curled Dock is more often found in or near the salt-spray zone. Although Curled Dock Rumex crispus is found as subsp. crispus, not as the maritime subsp. littoreus, it nevertheless shows some salt-tolerance. Northern Dock is widespread in the 16

Vegetation and species survey area but in modest quantity. It is a species whose distribution has fluctuated. The first recent Roxburghshire record was in 1992 at a time when it was colonising south from the Edinburgh area down the main roads. Within about ten years it became generally distributed in this habitat throughout the Scottish Borders, but only occasionally colonised other habitats. In the last decade it has contracted its range once again and it was to some extent a surprise to find it remained widespread by the A7. Its range expansion coincided with the spread of halophytes but there does not seem to be any reason to link the two, as the Dock is most often found fairly well back from the tarmac. However, it is occasionally a colonist of the halophyte Road Rail zone, especially where the verge is reduced to a narrow gravelly strip, as is the case in Northern Dock Rumex the Castleweary survey section where the longifolius road runs on a bank close to the Frostlie Burn, and seed shed from such plants are especially likely to be caught up on passing vehicles. The three Docks hybridise and each of the three possible hybrid combinations was found, most frequently those involving Northern Dock. It is possible that the contrasting populations of these three species are partly related to the life-span of individual plants. It is suspected that Broad-leaved Dock is very long-lived, Curled Dock less so and Northern Dock rather short-lived. All three species depend on habitat gaps for seedling establishment and these are in relatively short supply unless there is disturbance along the verges, such as the ruts sometimes left by grasscutting machinery. Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris, a familiar roadside plant in much of England, is represented by a single plant

Northern Dock Rumex longifolius Galalaw 17

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared on the road verge at Martinshouse. There it grows at some distance from the tarmac, separated from it by a footpath. It may well be that this species is not very salt-tolerant. Colt's-foot Tussilago farfara (14/13) is plentiful on the road verges in a variety of situations. Some can be linked to recent disturbance but most seem to relate to disturbance at the time of the road realignments. Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense (14/15) is similarly widespread. Interestingly only a minority of its colonies seem to produce fertile stems in the spring. Those that do are those in the more open habitats, such as recently disturbed ground, as opposed to a dense sward of grass. Only two colonies of Perennial Sow-thistle Sonchus arvensis were found in the survey area, one in disturbed ground at the turning to Haysike at 120m and the other in recently disturbed ground at Linhope at 260m (though a third colony was seen from the car near Groundistone Moss at 270m while this account was being prepared). Although this is a species that is most frequent near the coast and in the arable areas, it might have been expected to have colonised the A7 more widely. However it relies heavily on rhizome fragments for dispersal and it may be that its seeds need open ground to establish. 2. Wet grassland Wet grassland is scarce in the survey area as the drainage is usually effective. Five notable exceptions occur by road realignments at Linhope, Colterscleuch, Synton Mossend, Dryden and Hare Moss (two stretches). They differ from one another. The flushes at Linhope are notable for Long-stalked Yellowsedge Carex lepidocarpa, Pale Sedge C. pallescens and Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica while Coltercleuch section also has Pale Sedge. The wet grassland near the Synton Parkhead is notable for its range of sedges which include Spiked Sedge Carex spicata, possibly a recent colonist, and for large orchid populations of Common Spotted-orchid

Partly-vegetated French drain Synton Mossend 18

Vegetation and species Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella with the inevitable hybrids. This area is now being colonised by willows. The wet verge approaching Dryden has much Lesser Pond-sedge Carex acutiformis while wet grassland at the outflow ditch from Hare Moss again has a range of sedges, large orchid populations and much Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica. Another stretch of damp grassland on the slope to the north has two more colonies of Spiked Sedge. These wet grassland communities are very different from the flooded cuttings frequent on the old railway where more truly wetland species are present. Another type of wet grassland occurs on banks where natural communities may be preserved

Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis Flooded cutting old railway

Road Rail

Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum

with excellent populations of Water Avens Geum rivale and Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum, though both these species are much more widespread than this may suggest. Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum has a curious distribution. It is most plentiful around the bridge crossings over the Limiecleuch Burn in the Teviothead section where root fragments have probably been dispersed by earthmoving machinery during road realignment, but is also found near the foot of rock cuttings in the Castleweary section that continue into the Teviothead section where colonisation by seed is suspected. A more natural community where the Melancholy Thistle is associated with Wood Crane's-bill occurs on a bank near 19

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Mossyknowe in the Colterscleuch section. Such communities are also found on the old railway, where they are more frequent. Smooth Lady's-mantle Alchemilla glabra and Intermediate Lady's-mantle A. xanthochlora are both widespread in damp grassland but Downy Oat-grass Avenula pubescens (1/9) is rare. 3. Cuttings A number of cuttings have been excavated during the road realignments, some with rock faces and some with stony soils. Those with rock faces are situated at Castleweary, Newmill, Newton, Synton Mossend, Dryden and Hartwoodburn. They differ not only from one another but, as a class, from the rock cuttings on the old railway. The railway cuttings are narrow clefts with a humid atmosphere that has led to notable populations of ferns. In contrast the road cuttings are wide and their rock faces are dry and support rather little vegetation. The deep rock cutting and quarry at Castleweary are species-poor and most notable for Smooth Hawk'sbeard Crepis capillaris and Wall French drain on bank, Newton Lettuce Mycelis muralis. The long rock cutting at Newmill is largely bare of vegetation. There is a little Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia and a colony of Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris in rock clefts and on scree with Goat'sbeard Tragopogon pratensis, also on scree. The rock cutting on the edge of Hawick in the Newton section has water seepages where spectacular icicles may form in a winter frost. The only notable species to take advantage of these seepages is Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium, but just as a single poor plant. The first of the small cuttings at Synton Mossend near Stonyford Moss has Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus and a good colony of Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis. Further small cuttings to the north feature Hedgerow Crane's-bill Geranium pyrenaicum both on the cutting itself and on scree at its foot. A rock outcrop in the Dryden section has Meadow Oat-grass Avenula pratensis, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, much 20

Vegetation and species Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium and Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. The rock cutting through the ridge of Selkirk Hill in the Hartwoodburn section also includes some natural rock outcrops and has Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens, Heather Calluna vulgaris, Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium and Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus. The cuttings that have stony slopes rather than rock faces have a rich and varied flora, augmented in some cases by the sowing of wildflower seed-mixtures. They occur in the sections at Castleweary (continuing into Teviothead), Newton, Groundistone Moss (continuing into Synton Mossend), Synton Mossend (continuing into Dryden), Hare Moss and Hartwoodburn. The flora has close parallels with that in equivalent situations on the old railway. The native species that are most characteristic of this habitat include Glaucous Sedge Carex flacca, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Common Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Zigzag Clover Trifolium medium and Yellow Oatgrass Trisetum flavescens. Species that are more local include Common Lady's mantle Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum, Hawkweeds Hieracium agg., Common Twayblade Neottia ovata and Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis. Wet areas may have Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum, Northern Marshorchid Dactylorhiza purpurella, Fen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum and Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum. Northern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella Hare Moss

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

Road Rail

The sowings have often, but not always, included Yellow-rattle (13/5) which has been successful in restricting the growth of grasses. It is suspected that the Yellowrattle sown is of an ecotype favouring drier soils than the native ecotype. The presence of one or both of two cultivars is a way of identifying such sowings: these are Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus var. sativus and Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum. Both cultivars are more robust and upright in habit than the native forms. Other introductions have been Hairy-fruited Broom Cytisus striatus, Wild Carrot Daucus carota subsp. carota, Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis and Salad Burnet Poterium sanguisorba subsp. sanguisorba.

Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor As on the old railway it is the orchids that are most notable. Common Spottedorchid (10/11) is often abundant, continuing along th e verges far beyond the rocky slopes while Common Twayblade (5/8) is plentiful in two places only, so it is less of a feature than on the old railway. Chalk Fragrant-orchid Gymnadenia conopsea (0/4), in decline on the old railway, was not recorded at all by the A7. Three species which are prominent on the old railway are much less prominent on the A7. These are Quaking-grass Briza Road media, Glaucous Sedge Carex flacca and Rail Fairy Flax Linum catharticum. Some of the drainage in cuttings on the old railway Common Spotted-orchid consisted of a herring-bone pattern of Dactylorhiza fuchsii open or French drains back-filled with ballast. The ballast used was calcareous so, as the drains gradually vegetated 22

Vegetation and species over, calcareous grassland species were favoured including these three species. These communities also developed on the ballast of the railway track itself. Similar drainage patterns occur also by the A7, though not so widely, but the drains are backfilled with a coarse aggregate which is slow to erode and somewhat acidic. Cowslip Primula veris (1/7), locally plentiful on the old railway, has just a single colony at Synton Mossend. The cutting at the south end of the Hare Moss section has different communities reflecting the hill grassland above. Species present include two Eyebrights Euphrasia arctica subsp. borealis and E. confusa, Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium, Heath Milkwort Polygala serpyllifolia, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus and the yellow-flowered form of Mountain Pansy Viola lutea. 4. Embankments The embankments are much less botanically varied than the cuttings, if the riverside banks are excluded. Typically they have a coarse vegetation with much False Oat-Grass Arrhenatherum elatius grassland merging into scrub, mostly of Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. They are well-drained but not mown. Nevertheless two banks are of interest. In the Dryden section the deep embankment opposite the rock cutting has Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and Common Restharrow Ononis repens (2/4). The embankment opposite the picnic site layby in the Hartwoodburn section has become dominated by coarse grasses but still supports a good colony of Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria (3/7), Field Scabious Knautia arvensis (7/9) and more Common Restharrow. The salt-spray zone near the tarmac Introduction The vegetation of the salt-spray zone near the tarmac that is influenced by the application of de-icing salt in winter has developed over the last twenty years. Its characteristics are described in some detail. The communities are still evolving and this ‘snapshot in time’ may prove of value in the future. Little reference to these communities and species is made in the ‘section accounts’ as they are so widespread in the survey area. The tarmac of the road surface has no vegetation. Where there is a kerb, the extreme edge of the tarmac may accumulate loose material or ‘kerbside drift’ which supports vegetation. It is often bounded by a concrete kerb, with grass behind. There may be drain gratings in the tarmac at the edge of the road. The kerb is absent from other stretches, especially where there has been no road 23

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared realignment. In some sections where the kerb is absent there is a French drain at the edge of the tarmac. This is drain about 50cm wide in which an open-topped or perforated pipe is laid, back-filled with coarse aggregate. In a few sections the French drain is set in the verge about 2m back from the edge of the tarmac. Some sections have sub-surface drainage, but the pattern of such drainage is seldom apparent. The drainage of cuttings and embankments is discussed under those habitats. In Hawick and Selkirk, and in a few other places, there are pavements adjacent to the tarmac, not grass. The road maintenance programme contracted to AMEY provides for a

French drain by tarmac Hare Moss ‘mown strip’, a strip 1.2m wide at the edge of the kerb to be cut three times a year, in early June, late July and early September. The kerbside drift, the kerb and the ‘herbicide strip’, a strip extending about 15cm back from the top of the kerb, is sprayed with herbicide twice a year, in May and August. The use of herbicides was not widespread until after 2000. The remainder of the verge is currently not cut at all, but wider strips are believed to have been cut before the present regime was established in 2014.

Halophyte zone Groundistone 2016 24

The management policy is not applied consistently, perhaps because AMEY subcontracts to local farmers and other businesses. Towards the end of August 2016

Vegetation and species some sections of the verge not affecting visibility were cut two strips deep, 2.5m. The herbicide applied at this time was targeted at accumulations of kerbside drift and French drains. The immediate top of the kerb was not sprayed, unlike the application in the spring. There is much more intensive management of certain special features. The grass adjacent to laybys and bus stops is cut seven times a year, while areas affecting motorists’ visibility at bends and junctions are cut up to thirteen times a year. Such areas typically have a depauperate flora. All of the road is treated with salt in winter when frost or snow is expected. Halophyte zone Groundistone 2001 The kerb or French drain, if present, the herbicide strip and the rest of the mown strip all have distinctive floras with notable zonation. The French drain is often almost free of vegetation. However in late summer colonies of ruderal annual species may develop here. The kerbside drift supports vegetation. However, as the drift is sprayed with herbicide in the spring, the vegetation often does not develop until the late summer. In the herbicide strip unevenness in the herbicide application and the extent to which its residues are washed out of the soil allow a specialised flora to develop modestly. In the absence of a kerb, the herbicide treatment often exposes a strip of fine gravel and drift material from which herbicide residues are more readily washed out than from the top of a kerb, offering better opportunities for the specialised flora to develop. Salt-spray zone A distinctive ‘halophyte zone’ develops in the area subject to salt spray. It extends from the edge of the tarmac to about 30cm behind the kerb, if present, 25

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared so the zone is wider than the kerbside drift and the herbicide strip taken together. The halophyte zone may be almost absent where there is a French drain. Eight annual species and two perennials are prominent in this zone, Common Orache Atriplex patula, Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata, Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica, Common Couch Elytrigia repens, Toad Rush Juncus bufonius, Knotgrass Polygonum aviculare, Silverweed Potentilla anserina, Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia distans, Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima, Groundsel Senecio vulgaris and Lesser Sea-spurrey Spergularia marina. Sea Plantain Plantago maritima and Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustris are rare. These species are discussed individually as their behaviour differs characteristically.

Road Rail

Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica

Common Orache Atriplex patula and Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata are annuals which behave similarly at the roadside even though Common Orache is also widespread by minor roads not often treated with salt and as an arable weed. Away from the coast in the Scottish Borders, Spear-leaved Orache is only found by main roads and the first Roxburghshire record was not until 1995. It has colonised east from the A1 in Berwickshire. These two species may form colonies in kerbside drift and the herbicide strip, especially where there is no kerb. They may also occur on French drains, while Spearleaved Orache has a penchant for any drift that has accumulated by drain gratings. Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata drain grating Hare Moss 26

Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica is an annual which flowers and

Vegetation and species fruits early enough in the year to complete its life cycle before the herbicide is applied to the roadside in May. It was not recorded on the A7 in the Scottish Borders until 2006, colonising south from the Edinburgh area, but is now spreading rapidly, being first recorded south of Hawick in this 2016 survey. It sometimes colonises the herbicide strip in abundance whether or not a kerb is present. I first noted Common Couch Elytrigia repens in the halophyte zone in 1997, at 360m on the A68 near Soutra in Berwickshire NT4757. There and on the A7 it is present as a distinctive lowgrowing, glaucous plant with relatively-narrow flat leaves and sparse flowering stems which may be geniculate. It forms modest patches in the halophyte zone and especially in the herbicide strip Common Couch Elytrigia repens where its rhizomes progress poorly in the hard substrate and seldom extend into the wider mown strip. They do not prosper even where they do extend away from the kerbside. There may or may not be a series of such patches forming an extended strip at the top of the kerb, but such strips do not seem to have been formed by rhizome growth. It appears to be a distinct maritime ecotype that may well have colonised from the coast where similar ecotypes occur. It does not correspond to the coastal subspecies Elytrigia repens subsp. arenosus, which has in-rolled leaves. It is found in all the survey sections. Its survival as a perennial in a zone that is treated with Common Couch showing glaucous leaves herbicide may be related to 27

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared the protection offered by its rhizomes which are unlikely to be killed off completely. The Couch is colonised freely by the hymenopteran insect, Tetramesa hyalipennis, which forms cigar-shaped galls on its stems in which the larva feeds, preventing the stems from forming inflorescences. The galls consist of layer on layer of very short leaves. Some such galls will undoubtedly be cut off by grass-cutting machinery which might occasionally help to disperse the insect, but it is doubtful whether they could act as pseudo-plantlets and so disperse the grass. While Toad Rush Juncus bufonius is only locally plentiful on roadside drift it Couch galled by Tetramesa hyalipennis is one of the species effectively dispersed by the road network. Frog Rush Juncus ambiguus, the maritime segregate of Toad Rush that has colonised some inland roads in Berwickshire, was not found in this survey. Knotgrass Polygonum aviculare is an annual frequent at the roadside, often on kerbside drift and sometimes on French drains. A small upright form with small, narrow leaves is the most frequent, but other forms more typical of those prevalent in arable fields also occur. The small form has some resemblance to the segregate named by P D Sell as Polygonum agrestinum, but its achene size at 2.5mm is below the limits set by Sell for that taxon. Silverweed Potentilla anserina (13/8) is a perennial that is widespread and locally abundant in the verge. It is strongly stoloniferous and readily recolonises the herbicide strip after being killed off there. It is clearly salt-tolerant, as would be expected from the range of habitats that it exploits on the coast. Unlike the other species of the herbicide strip its colonies may extend across the full width of the mown strip and even into coarser vegetation behind. On the old railway a related species, Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans (9/15), has colonised the ballast and extended from there into adjacent grassland. It is much more frequent on the railway than Silverweed, the reverse of the situation on the A7 where Creeping Cinquefoil appears to be rather intolerant of salt and is usually found on dry slopes some way back from the mown strip.

28

Vegetation and species Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia distans and Lesser Seaspurrey Spergularia marina are the two most widespread halophytes in the survey area. The Lesser Seaspurrey was first recorded in Roxburghshire in 1984. The Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass not until 1992. Each species colonised north up the A68 from Northumberland and then colonised most of the network of major roads in the county in ten years. The kerbside was seldom treated with herbicides in the 1990’s and the use of concrete kerbs was less extensive than today. So, by 2000, the colonies of these two species together had become frequent and were often dense. They were most conspicuous in the autumn when the Lesser SeaSilverweed Potentilla anserina spurrey formed a low, yellowish colonising herbicide strip strip at the edge of the tarmac with the taller dead flower-stems of the Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass forming a whitish comb-like line immediately behind. With the use of herbicide such sights are now uncommon on the main roads and best seen on some of the minor roads in the uplands. Nevertheless the Lesser Sea-spurrey is still almost constant in the survey area at 100m scale, either in the kerbside drift and, where a kerb is present, in the herbicide strip immediately behind the kerb. The Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass has a more patchy distribution at 100m scale and is more effectively controlled by the presence of a concrete kerb. Although it is potentially a short-lived perennial, it seems to behave as an annual in its roadside populations. The Lesser Sea-spurrey is an obligate annual. Dispersal of the small seeds of both species is by wind, by vehicle tyres and as a contaminant in the salt following colonisation of the salt depots. Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima is an annual that may germinate early and may have some herbicide resistance. However it becomes more prominent in late summer and many of the plants may not have germinated until mid-summer. It was first recorded in Roxburghshire in 1999 and since then has been spreading steadily rather than dramatically. It has a preference for paths of fine gravel and is often found on bridges, but is becoming widespread by the concrete kerb, usually close behind it. 29

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Groundsel Senecio vulgaris shows no evidence of being salt-tolerant. However it is such a ubiquitous opportunist annual that it is one of the few species to colonise any drift material among the aggregate of French drains. One plant of Sea Plantain Plantago maritima was found at the edge of the tarmac in the Linhope section. It is a perennial and may or may not be able to colonise far enough back from the tarmac to escape the herbicides. Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustris, which is a perennial, was reported in the Linhope section in 2000 forming strips in the halophyte zone, it was refound nearby Road Rail 50cm back from the tarmac, a distance that offers some protection from Sea Pearlwort Sagina herbicides. However further colonies maritima were found at the immediate kerbside in the Castleweary section where it might be relying on its long slender rhizomes, as well as on the flow of ground water from the hill above, to resist the action of herbicides. Behind the halophyte zone the remaining 70 cm or so of mown grassland has a different flora, still somewhat influenced by the lower concentration of salt residues, in which the perennial species Creeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera, Red Fescue Festuca rubra, Spreading Meadow-grass Poa humilis, Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis and Dandelion Taraxacum agg. are prominent. These are species associated with Common Couch Elytrigia repens in a vegetation community (SM28) at the upper limit of salt-marshes. Dense colonies of Creeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera are sometimes found in the mown grassland or just behind it, even where the ground is not particularly damp. This species has many races, some restricted to the coast, so there is an unsubstantiated possibility that these colonies might include maritime ecotypes. Red Fescue Festuca rubra is present throughout the verge vegetation, not just the mown strip. Various forms are represented. These have not been studied but may consist largely of robust agricultural forms that have been sown or have 30

Vegetation and species colonised from nearby pastures. Native forms are also thought to be frequent. Only at Linhope has a slightly glaucous fine-leaved form been noticed that might conceivably have a maritime origin.

‘Dandelion clocks’ not far back from tarmac

Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis and Dandelion Taraxacum agg. are highly prominent species of the mown strip. The Dandelion forms yellow strips for considerable distances when in flower in the spring and the Hawkbit does just the same in the late summer. The two species frequently grow together. The Hawkbit is also frequent by minor roads in the county but uncommon in other habitats.

Spreading Meadow-grass Poa humilis is specialist of the mown strip and sometimes most frequent in the herbicide strip near the tarmac or kerb, so it probably has some salt tolerance. The closelyrelated Smooth Meadow-grass P. pratensis is less frequent and usually found as an earlyflowering grass behind the mown strip in places where the soil is relatively productive. Spreading Meadow-grass is very widespread in hill grassland in the county, but much less so in the lowlands. Its presence in lowland survey sections indicates effective colonisation along the road network.

Autumn Hawkbit, Dandelion and Silverweed near tarmac

31

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Bridges and walls On the old railway the bridges, particularly the viaducts and the road bridges over the railway, have a characteristic fern flora, related to that found in the rock cuttings. The river bridges on the A7 are of concrete, except the well-maintained Albert Bridge in Hawick, and there are no bridges over the road. All the bridges are virtually vegetation-free. Instead a similar fern-rich community is found sparingly on roadside walls in Hawick and Selkirk. Those in Hawick have a little Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria (2/9), Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium (3/6), Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes (3/6), Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii (2/1) and Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis (3/1). The flora in Selkirk is similar with just a little Aubretia Aubrieta deltoidea and Italian Toadflax Cymbalaria pallida. Quarries, tip areas, laybys and car parks Two quarries, a tip area on an abandoned stretch of the old road and a car park at a picnic site were surveyed with a view to recording species using such ruderal habitats selectively as a means to their dispersal. Castleweary quarry yielded Wall Lettuce Mycelis muralis and a small colony of Flattened Meadow-grass Poa compressa. Dryden quarry has Welted Thistle Carduus crispus and Upright Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis. The Hare Moss tip area has a rich flora with Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Welted Thistle Carduus crispus, Square-stalked St John's-wort Hypericum tetrapterum, Purple Toadflax Linaria purpurea, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Red Bartsia Odontites vernus, Long-headed Poppy Papaver dubium. Weld Reseda luteola. Upright Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis, Green Figwort Scrophularia umbrosa, Ragged-Robin Silene flos-cuculi, Hedge Mustard Sisymbrium officinale, Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum, Hop Trefoil Trifolium campestre and Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus. The car park at the Teviothead picnic site has Whitlowgrass Erophila verna sens. lat. and much American Speedwell Veronica peregrina. Laybys were also studied but proved unremarkable except for the amenity plantings of trees and shrubs which have been referred to above. There is some correlation between these ruderal species and those that colonised ballast and cinder on the old railway. Four species in common are Black Medick Medicago lupulina (8/12), Weld Reseda luteola (2/2), Upright Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis (3/1) and Hop Trefoil Trifolium campestre (1/11). Ruderal species notably absent from the A7 include Thyme-leaved Sandwort Arenaria serpyllifolia (0/8). Arable weeds There are very few arable fields adjacent to the A7. The access tracks to fields and settlements are all tarmac or hard-standing. In these circumstances it is unsurprising that arable weeds are very poorly represented in the survey area. It 32

Vegetation and species is much the same on the old railway, despite the presence of a number of tracks between arable fields that cross the railway and other use by farm vehicles. The arable weeds that are found in the survey area include Marsh Cudweed Gnaphalium uliginosum where grassland edges have been rutted by vehicles, Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea on hard-standing in gateways, Redshank Persicaria maculosa on riverside shingle and Scentless Mayweed Tripleurospermum inodorum on dumped soil in the Hare Moss tip area. Disturbed ground at the turning to Haysike had a colony of Field Penny-cress Thlaspi arvense. Dumping of garden waste, garden escapes and other alien species Garden species that are commonly planted on road verges include Garden Daffodil Narcissus agg. (13/5) and Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis (11/4). The Daffodil clumps may grow in size by bulb offsets but do not naturalise, whereas the Snowdrop is sometimes well naturalised in woodland. Garden Lady's-mantle Alchemilla mollis (5/4), Leopard’s-bane Doronicum pardalianches (4/0), Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana (8/7) and Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea (3/0) may proliferate in gardens and excess material is often cast out, usually on banks and along woodland edges where they may naturalise. Hybrid Bluebell is particularly profuse in the woodland edge at the northern extremity of the Selkirk section. Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum, Wild Onion A. vineale, Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera, Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata, Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum, Fringecups Tellima grandiflora and Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica are naturalised and frequent by the Teviot, the Few-flowered Garlic in abundance. The Giant Giant Hogweed Heracleum Hogweed is controlled by mantegazzianum near Teviot, Newmill spraying the rosettes in the spring, but occasional plants are missed and fruit profusely. The Indian Balsam is a relatively recent colonist and as yet restricted to a narrow riverside strip where it is nowhere unduly obtrusive. Colterscleuch appears to be one of the points of introduction of Pyrenean Valerian as it is found in the immediate 33

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

Road Rail

Road Rail

Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum

Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica

policies of the farmhouse as well as along the Teviot nearby. A good colony of Common Bistort Persicaria bistorta grows by the Teviot below Martin’s Bridge. Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus may form dense patches where planted or cast out and is also sometimes found at the riverside where rooted fragments have been deposited during floods. Several species that are frequent by the riverside also colonise the road verge, often in quite dry conditions. These include Butterbur Petasites hybridus (10/3), an archaeophyte, Reed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea (11/7), a native and Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum (9/3), a neophyte. It is suspected that at least the majority of their roadside colonies have originated from rhizomes in the soil transported by earth-moving machinery during road realignments. Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica also occurs away from the river but its colonies are thought to have arisen by natural seed dispersal. Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris has naturalised a rocky slope near Hare Moss in a colony that has varied flower-colours. Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis is aggressively colonising the same slope. Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens (3/2) is naturalised at the woodland edge near habitation while Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca (4/1) is naturalised 34

Vegetation and species on grassy banks that are often near habitation but not always so. Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica (3/1) and Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica (10/4) are found forming strong colonies in woodland. Their seed seems to be dispersed widely by a variety of mechanisms. At the cutting where the A7 leaves Hawick for the north, the rock ledges support wind-sown Lawson's Cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (5/0), with Wallspray Cotoneaster horizontalis (3/1) and Himalayan Cotoneaster Cotoneaster simonsii (5/0), both bird-sown. Red-berried Elder Sambucus racemosa (1/0) was found in one place only, near Groundistone Heights, a colony that has probably been founded by bird-sown seed. Discussion Both the old railway and the A7 provide notable wildlife corridors. The principal habitats along the old railway are grassland and scrub which are only modestly interrupted at the town of Hawick and by a few arable fields. Some stretches are grazed. Wetland is only occasional, while moorland is so poorly represented as to be little more than a variant of grassland and scrub. Burnsides and riverside are only represented by fragments. The habitat representation along the A7 is similar, again with the emphasis on grassland and scrub, though small woodland plantings are more frequent than extensive scrub. There is some mature woodland. Wetland as such is more or less absent, though wet grassland supports some wetland species. The southern half of the A7 survey area includes frequent burnsides and riverside, especially along the River Teviot. The wildlife value of the narrow strips of riverside is high and is enhanced by the A Hybrid Orchid Dactylorhiza x venusta degree of protection that the growing with Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus road provides from minor (inset) photo E Horak agricultural fertiliser runoff. 35

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared The value of the grassland and scrub habitat on both the old railway and the A7 is much enhanced by the frequent cuttings and embankments, though these are more pronounced on the old railway, and this is where species-diversity is at its highest. The grassland species other than coarse grasses are favoured by the shallow soils that are the norm in the cuttings and by the nutrient-poor nature of many of the embankments. These soils may be base-rich where the exposure of the underlying Silurian rocks is favourable. Species that may be pointed out as the highlights of the grassland include first and foremost the orchids. In the context of the Scottish Borders the abundance of orchids is exceptional. Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii is the most abundant species on both the old railway and the A7, Common Twayblade Neottia ovata is also very well represented. Chalk Fragrant-orchid Gymnadenia conopsea is another feature of the old railway, but not the A7, while Northern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella is more a feature of the A7. Both the old railway and the A7 have fine populations of Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum in the wetter grassland with Lady's mantle Alchemilla spp., Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and Zigzag Clover Trifolium medium accompanying the orchids in the drier grassland. Roses Rosa spp. are plentiful in much of the scrub on the old railway with Sweet-briar Rosa rubiginosa a feature in several places. Roses are less plentiful by the A7. Natural dispersal, aided only to a modest extent by the sowing of wildflower seed-mixtures, has enabled the grassland habitats of the A7 to achieve a speciesdiversity similar to those on the old railway despite the more modest time-scale since establishment. Patch-forming species preferentially colonising the A7 include Butterbur Petasites hybridus, Reed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea and Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum. Their dispersal away from their more typical riverside habitats is related, at least in part, to the transport of soil during road realignments. Other species preferentially colonising roadside habitats include Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense and Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica. Both the old railway and the A7 offer some specialised habitats. Such features along the old railway are the ballast of the old track (now much quarried) as a habitat for ruderal species, and narrow rock cuttings and bridges as a habitat for ferns. In contrast the specialism of the A7 is the salt-spray zone colonised by halophytes.

36

Vegetation and species Halophytes occupying the strip most subject to salt-spray include the ubiquitous Lesser Sea-spurrey Spergularia marina and Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia distans now being joined increasingly by Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica and Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima. The survey discovered a maritime ecotype of Common Couch Elytrigia repens throughout the survey area, while in a strip a little further from the tarmac the roles of Creeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera, Silverweed Potentilla anserina and Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis were highlighted. Both surveys have illustrated the frequency with which garden plants have spread to the countryside, whether by the deliberate dumping of plants that then naturalise or by seed. The seed may be bird-sown or wind-sown or unintentionally transported by man, directly on clothing or indirectly on vehicles. Ignoring the species that are mainly spread by river systems, the species that have been spreading more widely include Garden Lady'smantle Alchemilla mollis, Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica, Leopard’s-bane Doronicum pardalianches, Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana and Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca. There is little amenity tree planting along the old railway, while in contrast such planting is frequent by the A7. The species planted often include Field Maple Acer campestre, not native in the Scottish Borders, Silver Birch Betula pendula, much more local as a native than Downy Birch B. pubescens, and Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus, a rare native in this area. Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana with Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum Selkirk

37

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

SURVEY STATISTICS ____________________________________ 1. The number of species recorded in the surveys and the number of survey sections in which they were recorded The results of the two surveys are compared by habitat. Each species present in the survey area is allocated to the habitat in which it is most often found. The grassland and woodland species are divided by status between native and alien.

Habitat group Arable (native/alien) Grassland (native) Grassland (alien) Moorland (all native) Riverside (native/alien) Rock (native/alien) Ruderal (native/alien) Wetland (all native) Woodland (native) Woodland (alien) Total Status Archaeophyte Casual Native Neophyte Total

Taxa Road 25 107 20 21 23 16 68 69 85 69 503

Taxa Rail only 4 13 13 6 3 5 12 22 10 11 99

Taxa Road only 5 9 12 4 13 5 17 7 5 26 103

Taxa Rail 24 111 21 23 13 16 63 84 90 54 499

31 39 332 101 503

5 13 54 27 99

7 22 27 47 103

29 30 359 81 499

The A7 is richer than the old railway in riverside species because of the stretches that adjoin the River Teviot, but less rich in the wetland species which have colonised flooded cuttings on the old railway. The ruderal species and the alien species of woodland show considerable variation between the two surveys. The A7 has less native species than the old railway but more neophytes, reflecting sowings and plantings as well as the greater representation of urban floras. Overall the number of species is remarkably similar despite the variation in the individual species. 38

Survey statistics

Habitat group Arable (native/alien) Grassland (native) Grassland (alien) Moorland (all native) Riverside (native/alien) Rock (native/alien) Ruderal (native/alien) Wetland (all native) Woodland (native) Woodland (alien) Total Status Archaeophyte Casual Native Neophyte Total

Sections Road 107 972 66 75 63 34 390 352 630 245 2,934

Sections Rail 82 1030 49 74 22 47 376 385 634 133 2,832

Sections Rail only 6 33 22 10 3 7 27 32 19 12 171

Sections Road only 7 17 29 5 22 6 90 10 6 46 238

119 86 2,338 391 2,934

116 41 2,460 215 2,832

6 15 106 44 171

8 38 41 151 238

The number of records in the 15 survey sections shows that native grassland species and the native woodland species are much more frequent than those in the other groups. The differences between the two surveys in riverside species are seen to relate to only a small element of the flora. The ruderal species of the A7 include the halophytes of the salt-spray zone while those of the old railway include ballast specialists. A major difference between the two surveys is the greater number of records of neophytes along the A7, mainly of woodland species which include plantings of trees and shrubs.

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 2. Species frequencies in the two surveys compared

The number of the fifteen survey sections in which each species was recorded in the two surveys is displayed as a ‘bubble chart’ with values in each survey between 0 and 15. There are 255 possible combinations as the value (0/0) is not used. Where there is more than one species with the same combination the bubble size is increased proportionately. Confusingly, Excel shows the y-axis values for a particular x-axis value in a slanted line, not a vertical line, and multiplies the x-axis value by 10. There are 63 species recorded in one section on the old railway and which were not found on the A7. 62 species were recorded in one section on the A7 but not on the old railway. At the other end of the scale 26 species were recorded in all sections of both surveys. Overall there are many very scarce species and a strong group of very widespread species. In between lie the habitat specialists with almost every concievable variation in characteristics.

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Survey statistics Bubbles above the red-dotted diagonal line represent species that are more frequent on the old railway than on the A7, while bubbles below the diagonal represent species that are more frequent on the A7. If the two surveys were different samples of the same habitat mozaic the chart would be almost symmetrical about the diagonal line. That this is roughly the case is evidence that the habitat mozaics sampled along the A7 are indeed fairly closely comparable to those along the old railway. Considerable scatter away from the diagonal is to be expected for the bubbles of the species of intermediate frequency as 15 is a small sample size and the habitat fragments are rather randomly distributed. However the extent of the scatter does suggest significant differences between the two surveys, in line with the detailed findings. Four bubbles that at variance with the overall trend are displayed in red. These are the halophytes of the salt-spray zone that are widespread by the A7 but absent from the old railway. The old railway has a similar variant group in the ballast specialists that were once widespread on the old railway but are absent from the A7. These do not stand out on the chart as, following the extraction of much of the ballast, they are no longer widespread. Thus Small Toadflax Chaenorhinum minus, perhaps the best known ballast specialist, has a Small Toadflax Chaenorhinum minus frequency (0/7).

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 3. The species-richness of individual survey section

Road sections Linhope Castleweary Teviothead Colterscleuch Teindside Teviothead hectad Newmill Martinshouse Hawick Newton Groundistone Moss Hawick hectad Synton Mossend Dryden Hare Moss Hartwoodburn Selkirk Selkirk hectad Total

Taxa Road 192 216 194 180 168 950 218 264 232 180 118 1,012 195 202 225 190 160 972 2,934

Taxa Rail 187 169 200 190 164 910 166 270 190 215 199 1,041 163 138 203 193 184 881 2,832

Rail sections Whitrope Leap Shankend Blakebillend Stobs Shankend hectad Acreknowe Whitlaw Hawick Courthill Hassendean Burn Hawick hectad Hassendean Station Standhill Belses Longnewton Thornielaw Lilliesleaf hectad Total

There is considerable variation in the species-richness of the individual survey sections both along the A7 and the old railway. The variation relates to particular ‘hot-spots’ of diversity that are rather randomly distributed along the length of the survey areas. The following table and chart seek to relate species-richness to altitude. There is only the faintest of indications of greater species-richness at lower altitude.

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Survey statistics Road sections Linhope Castleweary Teviothead Colterscleuch Teindside Teviothead hectad Newmill Martinshouse Hawick Newton Groundistone Moss Hawick hectad Synton Mossend Dryden Hare Moss Hartwoodburn Selkirk Selkirk hectad Survey area

Min alt m 234 197 168 152 150 152 129 110 100 130 210 100 195 171 210 192 110 110 100

Max alt m 261 234 197 168 167 264 150 129 130 210 280 210 290 250 268 230 210 290 290

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Min alt m 298 257 208 203 170 203 143 134 100 122 121 100 133 133 117 112 100 100 100

Max alt m 320 298 257 220 200 320 170 143 134 130 133 200 149 149 133 138 138 149 320

Rail sections Whitrope Leap Shankend Blakebillend Stobs Shankend hectad Acreknowe Whitlaw Hawick Courthill Hassendean Burn Hawick hectad Hassendean Station Standhill Belses Longnewton Thornielaw Lilliesleaf hectad Survey area

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 4. Comparison with wider areas The number of species recorded in the A7 survey area in 2016 is compared, hectad by hectad, with the number recorded in BSBI’s national Atlas survey of the hectad as a whole between 1987 and 1999. The subspecies and other segregates recorded are included. The land area surveyed on the A7 in each of the three hectads is about 0.67km2, 2km2 in total. Each hectad is 10x10km so it has a land area of 100km2, or 300km2 for the three hectads.

Survey taxa Hectad 1987-1999 A7 2016 only Total A7 only % Hectad 19871999 A7 2016 Hectad 1987-1999 only Total A7 % Total A7 % Hectad 1987-1999

Teviothead NT40 404 67 471

Hawick NT41 558 75 633

Selkirk NT42 658 47 705

Survey A7 759 68 827

17%

13%

7%

9%

326 145 471

366 267 633

357 348 705

503 324 827

69% 81%

58% 66%

51% 54%

61% 66%

About 60% of the species diversity of the area crossed by the A7 is represented in the A7 survey area. BSBI guidance suggests that the survey of three tetrads (2x2km units) targeted at species-rich habitats is required to record two-thirds of the species diversity of a hectad. In this special case, the five survey units of 0.13km2 (13 hectares) each have been almost as effective as three units of 4km2 each.

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Guide to A7 – Teviothead NT40

GUIDE TO THE SECTIONS OF THE A7 ____________________________________ Note The following accounts make little reference to the specialised communities found in the salt-spray or ‘halophyte’ zone near the tarmac. These are reviewed in the ‘Vegetation and species’ section.

Teviothead hectad NT40 1. Linhope This, the southernmost section of the survey area, commences a few hundred metres north of the Roxburghshire vicecounty boundary at Mosspaul. It descends from 261m to 234m. The road descends very gradually for 500m to the watershed between the Tweed Valley and Eskdale where a small raised bog lies by the road at 259m below Braehead. It then follows the valley of the Frostlie Burn past the farm of Linhope where the road has been realigned. An old quarry on The Horn is now separate from the road and grazed as part of the hill, so it has not been included in the survey area.

NT40

Sea Plantain Plantago maritima

North of Mosspaul but just south of the survey area the road verge has small colonies of Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum and Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica, both presumably imported in soil, and Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum as a native which was not found in the survey area.

Within the survey area the narrow verge before the raised bog has Downy Oatgrass Avenula pubescens and Spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea with surprising colonies of several lowland species: Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata, Hedge Bedstraw Galium album, Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense, Perennial 45

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Sow-thistle Sonchus arvensis and Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum, at least the last presumably imported with soil. Halophytes include Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima and one plant of Sea Plantain Plantago maritima, the first record for Roxburghshire. Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustris, reported here in 2000 forming strips in the halophyte zone, was refound nearby 50cm back from the tarmac. Northern Dock Rumex longifolius is also present not far from the tarmac. The flora of the raised bog and associated wetland adjacent to the road spills over into the road verge with Brown Sedge Carex disticha, Bottle Sedge C. rostrata, Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata, Narrow Buckler-Fern Dryopteris carthusiana, Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, Marsh Horsetail E. palustre, Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Hare's-tail Cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum, Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum, Deergrass Trichophorum germanicum and Marsh Violet Viola palustris. Flushes and steep banks adjacent to the road near Linhope have Heather Calluna vulgaris, Long-stalked Yellow-sedge Bog Asphodel Narthecium Carex lepidocarpa, Pale Sedge C. ossifragum Carl Farmer pallescens, Flea Sedge C. pulicaris, Marsh Hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella, Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum, Hairy Wood-rush Luzula pilosa, Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica and Common Valerian V. officinalis. The Linhope Burn has Hybrid Monkeyflower Mimulus x robertsii. Plantings at the Linhope layby include Field Maple Acer campestre and Guelderrose Viburnum opulus. 2. Castleweary This section follows the Frostlie Burn, descending from 234m to 197m. The southern part has a narrow verge and was not surveyed. The road then traverses a steep bank below a larch wood where the road has partly collapsed into the burn, with reinforcement work pending. At the foot of the wood a strip of natural

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Guide to A7 – Teviothead NT40 Hazel Corylus avellana is prominent. Below this narrows there has been extensive road realignment past Castleweary to a layby. There is a substantial rock cutting on the east side of the road and an associated quarry, which was surveyed because it has been used fairly recently in connection with road Quarry Castleweary Walter Baxter maintenance. Below the layby there is an unmanaged area of scrub and grassland adjoining the burn on the west side with steep heathery banks on the east side. At the foot of the Hazel is Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum with two bushes of Burnet Rose Rosa spinosissima. At the traffic lights for the road subsidence stands a colony of Northern Dock Rumex longifolius with some plants of its hybrid with Broad-leaved Dock R. x hybridus. The rock cutting before the quarry is species-poor and is most notable for Smooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capillaris and Wall Lettuce Mycelis muralis, which is also present in the quarry itself with a small colony of Flattened Meadow-grass Poa compressa. Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella occur on the verge. Nearby there is a scrubby bank over the burn with both Silver Birch Betula pendula, as an introduction, and Downy Birch B. pubescens. There is also a colony of Lesser Pond-sedge Carex acutiformis. The scrub has small colonies of Welsh Poppy

Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica 47

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Meconopsis cambrica and Sweet Violet Viola odorata, just possibly naturally dispersed from the garden at Castleweary. The large colonies of Dotted Loosestrife Lysimachia punctata, Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis and Intermediate Bridewort Spiraea x rosalba nearer the garden are more obviously naturalised introductions, though how the Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum nearby was dispersed is uncertain, though either seed or rootfragments may have been transported in topsoil for the road realignment. The unmanaged area of scrub, grassland and burnside below the layby has Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense, Butterbur Petasites hybridus, Tall Fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus, Marsh Ragwort Senecio aquaticus and Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis. Heath Milkwort Polygala serpyllifolia was found in an open area with some heather. A group of puzzling willows planted near the burn proved to be Olive Willow Salix elaeagnos. The steep bank opposite has Heather Calluna vulgaris with quite a wide range of moorland species including Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Quaking-grass Briza media, Spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea, Tawny Sedge C. hostiana, Flea Sedge C. pulicaris, Fen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum and Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica. In the halophyte zone below the bank were two colonies of Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustris. Another rock cutting to the north has some scree slopes which have been sown with a wildflower mix. Species found included Hairy-fruited Broom Cytisus striatus, Wild Carrot Daucus carota subsp. carota, Field Scabious Knautia arvensis, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and a cultivar of Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum. The colony of Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum and the hawkweeds Hieracium agg. are presumably natural colonisation. Plantings here include Field Maple Acer campestre and Bird Cherry Prunus padus. Heathery bank with Hairy-fruited Broom Cytisus striatus

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Guide to A7 – Teviothead NT40 3. Teviothead The section descends from 197m to 168m following the Frostlie Burn to the Limiecleugh Burn and thus to the River Teviot. Near the south of the section there is a formal picnic area by the Frostlie Burn where there have been amenity plantings, while on the east side of the road stands a steep bank with some heather. The realigned road and a little-used footpath continues to Teviothead with two crossings of the Limiecleugh Burn. Between the two bridges there is a haugh to the east that has been planted as amenity woodland. A somewhat similar situation arises on the west side north of the second bridge, but here the planting is on a bank. The stretch between Teviothead and Bowanhill has a steep bank on the east side which has traces of hill grassland vegetation but is much given over to coarse grasses and Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium. North of that there is a stretch of road with narrow verges that has not been realigned and which was not surveyed. The car park at the picnic site has Whitlowgrass Erophila verna sens. lat. and much American Speedwell Veronica peregrina, while Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica, Hybrid Monkeyflower Mimulus x robertsii, Tall Fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus and Fringecups Tellima grandiflora are found by the burn. Amenity plantings include Cherry Plum Prunus cerasifera, Bird Cherry Prunus padus, and two hybrid willows Salix x fragilis nothovar. basfordiana f. sanguinea with Salix x smithiana. The steep bank opposite has Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum, Bitter-vetch Lathyrus linifolius, Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus and Hairy Wood-rush Luzula pilosa with two planted bushes of Many-flowered Rose Rosa multiflora covered in masses of sweet-smelling flowers when in season. The area around the bridges has much Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum with a litle Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense, much Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and a little Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica. The Melancholy Thistle may well have been dispersed as root-fragments

Field Scabious Knautia arvensis Field Scabious Knautia arvensis 49

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared during the road realignment. The plantings to the north include Aspen Populus tremula and an incongruous group of eleven bushes of Juniper Juniperus communis, already almost shaded-out among the trees. Bulrush Typha latifolia was found in a ditch nearly opposite the turning to the church while the steep bank beyond has a little Heather Calluna vulgaris and a few plants of the purple-flowered form of Mountain Pansy Viola lutea. 4. Colterscleuch This section follows the Teviot from Gledsnest to Mossyknowe descending from 168m to 152m. The stretch near Gledsnest has narrow verges and was not surveyed. Just before Colterscleuch there is a fragment of scrub and woodland between the road and the Teviot. From Colterscleuch almost to Mossyknowe the road has been realigned generating a long straight stretch where there is a little-used footpath on both sides of the road. There are steep banks on the southeast side of the road but, except for a short stretch near Colterscleuch, these are of very low botanical interest with Bracken Pteridium aquilinum, Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium and other coarse vegetation. The bend in the road approaching Mossyknowe is quite different. Here there is a diverse woodland-edge flora on the east side and flushed grassland on the west side resulting from the road realignment. Colterscleuch appears to be one of the points of introduction of Riverside woodland Colterscleuch Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica, as it is found in the immediate policies of the farmhouse as well as along the Teviot nearby. The riverside woodland has some Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, Marsh Hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa and Wood Crane'sbill Geranium sylvaticum. The steep bank to the north has Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum. A track from the road to the hill above has a few hill grassland species absent elsewhere including two Eyebrights Euphrasia arctica subsp. borealis and E. 50

Guide to A7 – Teviothead NT40 confusa. Elsewhere on the long straight there is a little Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense and Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica as a recent colonist at the kerb. The flushed grassland near Mossyknowe has Pale Sedge Carex pallescens, much Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, a patch of Hedge Bedstraw Galium album, Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus pedunculatus, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and Meadow Fescue Schedonorus pratensis. The planted hedgerow behind has Field Maple Acer campestre and Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus. The woodland edge opposite has a large colony of Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica well away from the Teviot and grassy banks with fine Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and some Melancholy Thistle Cirsium heterophyllum. 5. Teindside This section follows the Teviot from Teindside Bridge descending from 167m to 150m. Only a short stretch at the north end approaching Newmill on Teviot has been realigned. The remainder has narrow verges and no parking opportunities and went largely unsurveyed. At and below Teindside Bridge Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium there are botanically-diverse pratense in two colour forms riversides and a shingle island. Here grow Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara, Lesser Pond- sedge Carex acutiformis, Brown Sedge C. disticha, Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense in two colour forms, Wood Crane's-bill G. sylvaticum, Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera, Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Hybrid Monkeyflower Mimulus x robertsii, Purple Willow Salix purpurea and Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea. Pyrenean Scurvygrass Cochlearia pyrenaica was an unexpected find on the shingle island, no doubt a precarious colonist from populations upstream in the hill burns.

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared An eroding bank above Horse Pool on the Teviot has a large colony of Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica while a roadside flush nearby has an unexpected colony of Longstalked Yellow-sedge Carex lepidocarpa. Near Teindside farmhouse there was Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor with Bird Cherry Prunus padus at the woodland edge and Northern Dock Rumex longifolius in the verge. The

Teviot at Teindside Bridge Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum on the verge nearby has colonised well away from the Teviot. Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum was found as a garden outcast at the edge of the wood by the lane leading to Broadhaugh and seems set to colonise widely. The form of Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum with unspotted leaves grows in the hedge to the north. The cutting at the north of the section has Hairy St John's-wort Hypericum hirsutum while Field Maple Acer campestre and Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus have been planted at the layby.

Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica

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Guide to A7 – Hawick NT41, NT51

Hawick hectads NT41, NT51 1. Newmill on Teviot This is quite a varied section following the Teviot from Newmill to Branxholme descending from 150m to 129m. The stretch though and past Newmill is realigned, with a small cutting to the south of Newmill and a long rock cutting to its north. Just to its north, on the southeast side, there is a fragment of woodland by the Teviot. The next stretch past Branxholm Braes has narrow verges and was not surveyed. Approaching Branxholme Castle there is a strip of wet woodland. At Branxholme there is a burn crossing with another fragment of wet woodland down to the Teviot. North again there is more wet woodland on the northwest side of the road followed by a dry bank.

NT41, NT51

The layby near the south end of the section has Field Maple Acer campestre and Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus while the grassland has Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum. Near where a lane joins the road from the north there is woodland edge and a species-rich bank opposite. Here are Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, Common Lady's mantle Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita, Garden Lady'smantle A. mollis, Hairy-brome Bromopsis ramosa, much Common Spottedorchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense, Wood Crane's-bill G. sylvaticum, Imperforate St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum, Hybrid St John's-wort H. x desetangsii and Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum.

Large Skipper butterfly Ochlodes sylvanus on Field Scabious Knautia arvensis 53

The hamlet itself has Norway Maple Acer platanoides with Aubretia Aubrieta deltoidea at the burn crossing, Pyrenean Lily Lilium pyrenaicum near

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared houses, Northern Dock Rumex longifolius on the verge and much Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima at the kerb. The long rock cutting is largely bare of vegetation but there has been some sowing of a wildflower mix and the introductions have mingled with the native flora. There is a little Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, an excellent colony of Field Scabious Knautia arvensis, Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, Oxeye Daisy Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis in Leucanthemum vulgare, flower and seed native Common Bird's-foottrefoil Lotus corniculatus remaining distinct for the introduced form L. c. var. sativus, a colony of Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris in rock clefts and on scree with Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis, also on scree and on the bank. The woodland fragment by the Teviot has Ramsons Allium ursinum, Marsh Hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa, Bearded Couch Elymus caninus, Purple Willow Salix purpurea, Giant Fescue Schedonorus giganteus, Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum and Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica. On the northwest side of the road near Branxholm Braes an unexpected colony of Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus is conspicuous from the car when in flower. The wet woodland approaching Branxholme Castle has a fine colony of Bird Cherry Prunus padus at the roadside. Near the burn crossing there is more Bird Cherry with Large Bitter-

Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis Walter Baxter 54

Guide to A7 – Hawick NT41, NT51 cress Cardamine amara, Remote Sedge Carex remota, Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera, Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata, Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and Wood Stitchwort Stellaria nemorum. A dry woodland-edge at the north end of the section has Wood-sedge Carex sylvatica, Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis, Primrose Primula vulgaris and one plant of False Oxlip P. x polyantha in the absence of the Cowslip P. veris parent, but seemingly not a garden cultivar. 2. Martinshouse This section largely follows the floodplain of the River Teviot from Branxholm Park to the outskirts of Hawick, descending from 129m to 110m. Opposite the entrance to Branxholm Park, gabion baskets filled with rocks have been used recently to reinforce the eroding river bank. Here there is woodland edge on the northwest side until, a little to the northeast the road again approaches the river where there is a narrow unmanaged strip of grass and woodland. Immediately before Branxholm Bridge there is another small triangle of unmanaged riverside woodland. Below Goldilands Tower there is a bank at the woodland edge above the road. Another narrow wooded strip approaching Martin’s Bridge is precipitous and was not surveyed, but northeast of the bridge there is a long strip of riverside woodland behind a well-used footpath which is species-rich. Beyond the housing at Parkdail the road and a footpath follows a cutting through woodland at Pipewellheugh and here there is a narrow strip between road and river which is accessible in part. It is again species-rich. This section as a whole is the most species-rich in the survey area largely due to the diverse riverside habitats. Branxholm Bridge Near the entrance to Branxholm Park Sweet-briar Rosa rubiginosa has been planted. The top of the bank adjoining the gabions opposite has been covered with soil and fine rubble and sown with a seed mixture which included a cultivar of Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum. It is unclear whether wildflowers 55

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared were deliberated introduced but Hairy St John's-wort Hypericum hirsutum, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Weld Reseda luteola, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus are now present. The woodland edge opposite has more of the Hairy St John's-wort. The narrow unmanaged strip of grass and woodland by the river has Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum, which is more or less constant at the riverside, and Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica. The triangle of woodland at Branxholm Bridge has Lords-andLadies Arum maculatum with unspotted leaves, Imperforate St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum, Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea and Wood Speedwell Veronica montana, while a bank by the bridge on the Weld Reseda luteola over gabions opposite side of the road has Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum. Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis was found just beyond the bridge. Disturbed ground at the turning to Haysike had a colony of Field Penny-cress Thlaspi arvense and nearby is one of only two colonies of Perennial Sow-thistle Sonchus arvensis found on the A7, while, beyond, the bank at the woodland edge above the road has False-brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, Woodruff Galium odoratum and one small colony of Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta. The riverside and woodland beyond Martin’s Bridge has much Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum, frequent Wild Onion A. vineale, Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, Hairy-brome Bromopsis ramosa, Giant Bellflower Campanula latifolia, Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara, Marsh Hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa, Leopard's-bane Doronicum pardalianches, Bearded Couch Elymus caninus, Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense, Wood Crane's-bill G. sylvaticum, occasional Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum rosettes in the spring before their control, Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana, Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera, Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata, a good 56

Guide to A7 – Hawick NT41, NT51 colony of Common Bistort Persicaria bistorta, Bird Cherry Prunus padus, Tealeaved Willow Salix phylicifolia, Purple Willow Salix purpurea, Hybrid Crackwillow S. x fragilis sens. lat., London-pride Saxifraga x urbium, Giant Fescue Schedonorus giganteus, Wood Stitchwort Stellaria nemorum, Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis and Pyrenean Valerian V. pyrenaica. The road verge has a single plant of Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris, Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea, Perforate St John's-wort Hypericum perforatum and Hybrid St John'swort H. x desetangsii. A wellestablished patch of Garden Peony Paeonia officinalis grows a short distance into the woodland. The riverside at Pipewellheugh has many of the same species with the addition of Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium, Hard

Primrose Primula vulgaris under beech trees Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum, Osier Salix viminalis and Fringecups Tellima grandiflora. Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica is abundant along the top of a retaining wall above the road with Ramsons Allium ursinum so dominant in the wood above that, in the spring, its distinctive odour wafts through the ventilation systems of passing traffic.

Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris

57

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 3. Hawick This section lies entirely within the town of Hawick. Following the Teviot the A7 descends from 110m to 100m and then turns north to climb to 130m by the Burnfoot housing estate. Near the southwest of the section, beyond Langlands footbridge, there is a strip of parkland between the road and the river which was included in the survey. The A7 has been rerouted to bypass the town centre, crossing the river at the Albert Bridge and continuing along the left bank of the river to the roundabout next to the site of the old railway station. The narrow riverside strip was included in the survey, as far as it is accessible. From the roundabout the A7 passes through housing up to the fire station. Beyond this there is a parkland area on the west side and an area of mown grass on the east side at the Burnfoot turning, a consequence of road realignment. At the northernmost extremity of the section there is the beginning of a rock cutting on the east side, another feature of road realignment. The parkland from the Langlands footbridge is mown grass except for the river bank. Here there is Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum, Wild Onion A. vineale, Giant Bellflower Campanula latifolia, Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata and Fringecups Tellima grandiflora. A modest colony of the 'female' form of Butterbur Petasites hybridus grows under Albert Langlands Bridge, A7 to right Walter Baxter Bridge with the ‘male’ form nearby in much larger quantity. The ‘female’ form, which has only a few male flowers, may have colonised fairly recently. Riverside plants found here and along the Teviot downstream include Ramsons Allium ursinum, Marsh-marigold Caltha palustris, Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense, occasional rosettes of Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, Imperforate St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum, Perforate St John's-wort H. perforatum, Hybrid St John's-wort H. x desetangsii, Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera, Goldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Creeping Yellow-cress Rorippa sylvestris, Purple Willow Salix purpurea, Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum, Russian Comfrey S. x uplandicum and Pyrenean Valerian Valeriana pyrenaica, A small colony of Toothwort Lathraea squamaria grows on Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus. 58

Guide to A7 – Hawick NT41, NT51 Roadside walls in the town have a little Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria, Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium, Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes, Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii and Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis. The edges of the mown area at the Burnfoot turning with its municipal flowerbeds have Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica, Whitlowgrass Erophila verna agg, American Speedwell Veronica peregrina and Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima. The parkland opposite has a damp area at the foot of the roadside embankment with Oval Sedge Carex leporina and Bristle Club-rush Isolepis setacea surviving improbably in the closely-cut grass. The rock cutting to the north has Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana, Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum, white-flowered Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica and Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica. Field Scabious Knautia arvensis grows on the verge below the rock. 4. Newton In this section the road ascends steadily from the outskirts of Hawick to Newton farm: a climb from 130m to 210m. The rock cutting on the east side is the main feature for 200m at the south end, there is then a climb to the roundabout giving access to the Galalaw retail and industrial estate. After a stretch with narrow verges there is a cutting where the road has been realigned just south of the turning to Appletreehall. The stretch north of this is unremarkable. The rock cutting has water seepages where spectacular icicles may form in a winter frost. The only notable species to take Newton cutting with Wild Carrot advantage of these seepages is Daucus carota subsp. carota Hart's-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium, but only as a single poor plant. The rock ledges support windsown Lawson's Cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and Wallspray Cotoneaster horizontalis with Himalayan Cotoneaster Cotoneaster simonsii, both bird-sown, 59

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared and also Reflexed Stonecrop Sedum rupestre. Field Scabious Knautia arvensis grows on the verge below the rock. The bank on the west of the footpath to Galalaw has several small colonies of Northern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella.

Massed daffodils in flowerbed on cutting

The Galalaw roundabout has much Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica with Northern Dock Rumex longifolius on the verge nearby. Plantings hereabouts include Wild Plum Prunus domestica, Portugal Laurel

P. lusitanica and Bird Cherry P. padus. The cutting just south of the turning to Appletreehall is remarkable. On the east side a short section of the highest part of the bank has been covered with imported topsoil to form a large flowerbed in which massed daffodils Narcissus agg. have been planted. Mercifully their garish effect does not last long. Sadly, the daffodils then give way to Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense. However the shallow soil of remainder of the eastern side of the cutting and all the west side has not been tampered with. It has been sown with a wildflower mix and is now home to a remarkable display of orchids: Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Common Twayblade Neottia ovata are both abundant. The wildflower mix has introduced several curiosities: Wild Carrot Daucus carota subsp. carota, Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis,

Common Twayblade Neottia ovata with Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis 60

Guide to A7 – Hawick NT41, NT51 a cultivar of Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus var. sativus, Salad Burnet Poterium sanguisorba subsp. sanguisorba and a cultivar of Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum. Surprisingly, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor is not present. Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus may have been sown or have colonised naturally. 5. Groundistone Moss This is section in which the road rises steadily from 210 to 280m near Groundistone Moss: a section that is the least botanically-diverse of the survey area. By the turning to Boonraw there is a short stretch of woodland edge. To the north, the realigned road follows the contours in a long curve with a wide verge on the west side. There is a dip in the road by Groundistone Moss where the verges are narrow and which was only viewed from the car. At the extreme north of the section there is the beginning of a cutting which takes the A7 across Groundistone Height. The remainder of the section is even less remarkable. At the turning to Boonraw there is Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis and Red Campion Silene dioica. The wide verge at the long curve is regularly mown to maintain motorists’ sightlines and is very species-poor. There is a little Meadow Crane's-bill Geranium pratense and Wood Crane's-bill G. sylvaticum near the north end of the curve. The dip in the road by Groundistone Moss has particularly luxuriant colonies of Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica and Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia distans. The cutting at the north end of the section is more botanically-varied with Glaucous Sedge Carex flacca, Common SpottedCommon Bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, corniculatus Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella, Fen Bedstraw Galium uliginosum, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Common Bird's-foottrefoil Lotus corniculatus, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, a cultivar of Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum and Yellow Oat-grass Trisetum flavescens. The Yellow-rattle may have been sown. 61

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

62

Guide to A7 – Selkirk NT42

Selkirk hectad NT42 1. Synton Mossend Near the south of the section, at Groundistone Height, the road reaches 290m, the highest altitude in the survey area. The road then descends quite steeply to Synton Mossend where there is a more level stretch before the road descends again towards the Ale Water, but ends just short of that at 195m. The range in altitude is only marginally less than the Selkirk section, which has the widest range.

NT42

The road-alignment cutting at Groundistone Height is only moderately speciesrich. To the east of the layby close to Stonyford Moss there is a rock cutting with sparse vegetation. Near the junction with the minor road to Synton Parkhead the extensive realignment has left strips of wet grassland, a burn crossing and rock cuttings. It is the wet grassland and burn crossing rather than the cuttings which proved to have the greater botanical interest. Continuing to the northwest there is a seemingly unremarkable section, much Rock cutting almost bare of vegetation of which was not surveyed. However at the northern end of the section, opposite another layby, there is a cutting on the east side with further botanical interest. The cutting at the south of the section has much the same flora as the part in the Groundistone Moss section with the addition of Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Oval Sedge Carex leporina, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Eared Willow Salix aurita, a substantial colony of Red-berried Elder Sambucus racemosa and Narrow-leaved Vetch Vicia sativa subsp. nigra. It was here that the road realignment contractors planted daffodils in a pattern to spell out their firm’s

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared name of MACDONALD, to the annoyance of many. The daffodils are still there but the name is no longer discernible. The rock cutting near Stonyford Moss has Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus and a good colony of Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis. There are large patches of Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea in the verge at the foot of the rocks. The wet grassland near the Synton Parkhead junction Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea has Bugle Ajuga reptans, including some pink-flowered plants, Common Yellow-sedge Carex demissa, Glaucous Sedge C. flacca, Spiked Sedge C. spicata, Common Sedge C. nigra, Carnation Sedge C. panicea, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, a large population of Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, some Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella and two amazing plants of their hybrid D. x venusta. One of the hybrid plants was very tall and robust with nine flowering spikes while the other, which had slumped slightly, had no less than twenty-nine flowering spikes. Other species in this grassland are Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum, Bristle Club-rush Isolepis setacea in an old wheel rut, Red Bartsia Odontites vernus, much Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, which may or may not have been sown, and Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis. Willows are now colonising this area. The burn crossing has Welsh Poppy Species-rich cutting Meconopsis cambrica, Dog's 64

Guide to A7 – Selkirk NT42 Mercury Mercurialis perennis and Hard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum. Drier banks nearby have Field Scabious Knautia arvensis, Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga and a large population of Cowslip Primula veris, the only colony in the survey area. Hedgerow Crane's-bill Geranium pyrenaicum grows on the rock cutting and on scree at its foot. There is a large colony of Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica nearby where there are trees. The cutting at the north end of the section has another large population of Common Spotted-orchid with a few Common Twayblade Neottia ovata. The sowing of Yellow-rattle and a cultivar of Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum may well have favoured colonisation by the orchids. Field Maple Acer campestre and Hazel Corylus avellana have been planted nearby. 2. Dryden This section completes the descent to the Ale Water by Ashkirk at 171m and then climbs steadily past Dryden to 250m. The cutting at the north end of the Synton Mossend section continues to the Synton Mains turning. There are plantings of trees and shrubs by Ashkirk where the road has been realigned. Approaching Dryden there is a wide wet verge on the west side and some tree planting on both sides of the road. North of Dryden there is a rock cutting on the east side with a small quarry which was included in the survey. Opposite, on the west side, there is a deep embankment with grass and scrub. The cutting at the south end has a similar flora to the part in the previous section with an abundance of Common Spottedorchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and a group of Common Twayblade Neottia ovata. Other species include Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca subsp. carpathicola and Goat's-beard Tragopogon pratensis. Near the Ashkirk bus shelter are found Garden Lady's-mantle Alchemilla mollis, Perforate St

Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria

65

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared John's-wort Hypericum perforatum, planted Red-osier Dogwood Cornus sericea and American Willowherb Epilobium ciliatum. The wet verge approaching Dryden has much Lesser Pond-sedge Carex acutiformis, more Common Spotted-orchid with Northern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella and a good colony of Ragged-Robin Silene flos-cuculi. Plantings nearby include Caucasian Fir Abies nordmanniana, Dwarf Mountainpine Pinus mugo and Vilmorin's Rowan Sorbus vilmorinii. Hybrid St John'swort Hypericum x desetangsii was noted in partial shade. Much of the rock cutting is a rocky slope dominated by Gorse Ulex europaeus and Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium. However there is also a rock outcrop with Meadow Oat-grass Avenula pratensis, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, much Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium and Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. The quarry has a large colony of Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria with Welted Thistle Carduus crispus and Upright Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis. One plant of the rayed form of Groundsel Senecio vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. hibernicus was found in a colony of the rayless form at the edge of the kerb nearby. The deep embankment opposite has Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and Common Restharrow Ononis repens with Hornbeam Carpinus betulus planted nearby. 3. Hare Moss There are a continuous series of road realignments in this section which climbs to a summit at 268m before descending to near Braw Gates at 210m. The vicecounty boundary between Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire crosses the A7 just north of Hare Moss at NT467249. There is a cutting on the east side at the south end of the section that has skeletal soils and supports only a sparse vegetation which has colonised from the heather and hill grassland at the top of its bank. To the immediate north the outflow from Hare Moss runs in an open ditch through wet grassland before crossing

Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis invading 66

Guide to A7 – Selkirk NT42 the road in a culvert. An abandoned length of the old road lies to the east of the ditch. Opposite Hare Moss is a cutting with slightly damp grassland. Beyond, there is a layby at the Green Diamonds loch on the northwest side and another abandoned length of the old road on the southeast side which is now used as a tip for road maintenance materials and builders waste. It was included in the survey as it is an integral part of the wildlife corridor and as its use is road-related. Halfway down the descent towards Braw Gates there is a cutting on the northwest side which had open skeletal soils when the realigned road was first opened but has now vegetated over with a community Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris which includes much moss. Opposite there is damp grassland in the partial shade of the conifers behind. Approaching the north end of the section there is a deep embankment on both sides of the road. A well-established colony of Tuberous Comfrey Symphytum tuberosum grows at a gateway, the only record by the A7 between Hawick and Selkirk. The cutting at the south end and the hill grassland above has two Eyebrights Euphrasia arctica subsp. borealis and E. confusa, Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium, Heath Milkwort Polygala serpyllifolia, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus and the yellow-flowered form of Mountain Pansy Viola lutea. Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris has naturalised on the rocky slope in a colony that has varied flower-colours. Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis is aggressively colonising the same slope. The outflow ditch from Hare Moss and wet grassland has Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, Common Lady's mantle Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita, Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, Brown Sedge Carex disticha, Long-stalked Yellow-sedge C. lepidocarpa, Flea Sedge C. pulicaris, Bottle Sedge C. rostrata Heath-grass Danthonia decumbens, Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum, much Marsh 67

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Valerian Valeriana dioica and Brooklime Veronica beccabunga. Here also are Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella. There is a dry heathery bank just beyond this wet grassland with Wavy Hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa, Bitter-vetch Lathyrus linifolius and more Mountain Pansy. The Species-rich bank with orchids Common Spotted-orchid continues in abundance on the cutting almost opposite where it is joined by much Water Avens Geum rivale and Hybrid St John's-wort Hypericum x desetangsii. Wild Carrot Daucus carota subsp. carota was amongst species sown here at the time of the road realignment, but has died out. A bank opposite the layby has a most unexpected colony of Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis without other woodland indicator species. The tip area on the abandoned old road has a rich flora with Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Welted Thistle Carduus crispus, Square-stalked St John'swort Hypericum Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare tetrapterum, Purple Toadflax Linaria purpurea, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Red Bartsia Odontites vernus, Long-headed Poppy Papaver dubium. Weld Reseda luteola. Upright Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis, Green Figwort Scrophularia umbrosa, Ragged-Robin Silene flos-cuculi, Hedge Mustard Sisymbrium officinale, Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum, Hop Trefoil Trifolium campestre and Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus.

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Guide to A7 – Selkirk NT42 The mossy cutting has more Sneezewort and Wood Anemone, Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum, much Wood Crane's-bill Geranium sylvaticum and one plant of Common Twayblade Neottia ovata. Shrubs include Eared Willow Salix aurita, Rusty Willow S. cinerea subsp. oleifolia and their hybrid S. x multinervis. The wet grassland opposite has another plant of Common Twayblade, Quaking-grass Briza media, Oval Sedge Carex leporina, two colonies of Spiked Sedge C. spicata and Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor. Common SpottedRuderal species on tip area orchid is plentiful on both sides of the road. The Oval Sedge includes some aberrant forms, one of which is under review to see if it could be a hybrid with Spiked Sedge. This stretch of road has an abundance of Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica with a little Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima. The embankments towards the north of the section have Marsh Horsetail Equisetum palustre and Zigzag Clover Trifolium medium. 4. Hartwoodburn This is an undulating section lying to the east of the farm of Hartwoodburn between 192m and 230m. The road has all been realigned except for a short section at the extreme north where the road begins to descend into the town of Selkirk. North of Braw Gates there is a cutting south of the turning to

Habitat of Spiked Sedge C. spicata 69

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared Hartwoodburn with a rich flora. To the north of the turning there is an embankment where the road crosses the Common Burn. To the north again on the east side there is a small cutting before the long layby on a stretch of the old road which is designated as a picnic area. The embankment opposite is surprisingly species-rich. To the immediate north there is a rock cutting on the east side of the road through the ridge of Selkirk Hill before the road descends to the town. To the west of the road there is a small rocky knowe half-hidden in the trees. Near Braw Gates there is little of interest, except for some Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica at the kerbside. At the cutting beyond there is a rich flora with Common Lady's mantle Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Northern Marsh-orchid D. purpurella, with their hybrid Water Avens Geum rivale no red pigment D. x venusta, Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium, Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, a good colony of Common Twayblade Neottia ovata, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and a cultivar of Red Clover Trifolium pratense var. sativum. The presence of much Yellow-rattle and the tall cultivar of Red Clover is enough to indicate the sowing of a wildflower mix and this might account for the presence of Kidney Vetch though the Rockrose indicates a continuity with the flora of a former rock outcrop. The Yellow-rattle has been effective in supressing the grasses and this has probably encouraged the colonisation by orchids. Beyond the cutting two plants of Water Avens Geum rivale with no red anthocyanin pigment were noted in a colony of normal plants. The small cutting before the long layby has Harebell Campanula rotundifolia and Bladder Campion Silene vulgaris. Trees planted for amenity at the layby include Field Maple Acer campestre, Aspen Populus tremula, Bird Cherry Prunus padus and, more surprisingly, Eared Willow Salix aurita. Yellow Crocus Crocus x luteus has become narrowly naturalised here while Garden Peony Paeonia officinalis has also established. The embankment opposite has become dominated by coarse grasses but still supports a good colony of Agrimony 70

Guide to A7 – Selkirk NT42 Agrimonia eupatoria, Field Scabious Knautia arvensis and Common Restharrow Ononis repens. The rock cutting through the ridge of Selkirk Hill has Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens, Heather Calluna vulgaris, Common Rockrose Helianthemum nummularium, Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens, Rock Stonecrop Sedum forsterianum and Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus. Early Forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima was also recorded but the record requires confirmation. The rocky knowe to the west of the road supports Spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea, Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum and Wood Crane'sbill Geranium sylvaticum. Approaching the town Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica occurs in abundance at the kerbside with other halophytes.

Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica

5. Selkirk The section neatly matches the boundaries of the town of Selkirk and descends from 210m to 110m. As such it has the widest altitudinal range of the survey sections. Curiously a small tongue of land at the north end of the section from NT475295 lies in the vice-county of Roxburghshire. The A7 enters the town by the petrol filling station and descends through housing to the town centre. The walls adjoining the road include several tall stone walls. To the north of the town centre the road descends past partly wooded banks where there are a range of planted trees and shrubs, some naturalised. At the extreme north end of the section there is woodland-edge to the east of the road. By the petrol filling station the usual roadside halophytes are present by the kerb. Opposite there is a bank with a modest selection of grassland plants and a little Dame's-violet Hesperis matronalis.

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Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared None of the roadside walls in the town has a rich flora. Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria and Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis are frequent with just a little Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes, Aubretia Aubrieta deltoidea, Butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii and Italian Toadflax Cymbalaria pallida. The planted trees and shrubs, some naturalised, of the partly wooded banks north of the town centre include Field Maple Acer campestre and Bird Cherry Prunus padus. Herbaceous species include Great Forget-me-not Brunnera macrophylla, Meadow Saffron Colchicum autumnale and Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica. Silver Ragwort Senecio cineraria was found self-sown by the pavement above the industrial area. The woodland-edge at the end of the section is most notable for large colonies of Few-flowered Garlic Allium paradoxum and Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides x massartiana. Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens and Great Forget-me-not Brunnera Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara are macrophylla also present. Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima occurs here in small quantity at the roadside with Danish Scurvygrass Cochlearia danica.

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Annotated check-list

ANNOTATED CHECK-LIST ___________________________ Explanatory Notes The species are listed alphabetically, each with a supporting caption. The records from the two surveys are summarised alongside each species entry. First the 2016 records from the A7 in black and then the 2015 records from the old railway in red. The number of survey sections (out of five) in which the species was recorded in each hectad are shown under T (Teviothead NT40), H (Hawick NT41, NT51) and S (Selkirk NT42). The total of the three entries is shown under A7. The hectad records for the two surveys are not directly comparable. Some species groups are shown individually and as aggregates. Thus the aggregate Agrostis canina sens, lat. includes the two segregates Agrostis canina and Agrostis vinealis. Any records made as a segregate are also included in the aggregate. Nomenclature follows Stace, C A, New Flora of the British Isles, 3rd edn, 2010. Check-list T 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 5 3 5 5 3 3 0 0 0 1 4 3

H 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 5 5 5 5 1 0 1 0 1 2 5 5

S A7 Name / Caption 0 1 Abies alba European Silver-fir 1 1 Planted at Hawick 1 1 Abies grandis Giant Fir 1 1 Planted at Hartwoodburn 1 1 Abies nordmanniana Caucasian Fir 0 0 Planted at Dryden 4 10 Acer campestre Field Maple 1 2 Frequent in amenity plantings 2 4 Acer platanoides Norway Maple 0 3 Planted and wind-sown 5 15 Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore 5 13 Planted and wind-sown 5 15 Achillea millefolium Yarrow 4 14 Not very plentiful 2 6 Achillea ptarmica Sneezewort 0 3 Wet places, mostly on the higher ground 0 1 Aconitum napellus Monk's-hood 0 0 Newmill, bank near habitation 0 1 Adoxa moschatellina Moschatel 1 4 Woodland at Hawick 4 13 Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder 4 12 Strong colonies occasional, often near habitation

73

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 4 4 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 4 5 1 3 5 5 1 1 3 4 5 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 4 4 1 0 5 2 4 3 0 0

3 0 1 4 0 1 0 2 4 4 3 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 2 1 2 4 5 2 0 4 5 4 5 4 2 3 2 3 2 4 1 0 1 3 3 4 5 0 0

0 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 4 2 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 4 5 5 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 5 3 2 0 1

4 0 3 7 0 2 2 4 10 10 10 7 0 2 0 3 0 2 8 7 4 8 13 15 5 4 11 13 14 10 6 2 7 4 3 2 10 6 1 1 10 10 11 10 0 1

Aesculus hippocastanum Horse-chestnut Occasional, planted and self-sown Agrimonia eupatoria Agrimony Local, several good colonies Agrostis canina Velvet Bent Not segregated Agrostis canina sens. lat. Velvet Bent Scarce on the higher ground Agrostis capillaris Common Bent Occasional, nowhere plentiful Agrostis stolonifera Creeping Bent Often plentiful not far from the tarmac, also in wet places Agrostis vinealis Brown Bent Not segregated Aira caryophyllea Silver Hair-grass No record Aira praecox Early Hair-grass No record Ajuga reptans Bugle Frequent, higher ground, pink-flowered Synton Mossend Alchemilla filicaulis subsp. vestita Hairy Lady's-mantle Local and rather scarce in species-rich grassland Alchemilla glabra Smooth Lady's-mantle Very frequent Alchemilla mollis Garden Lady's-mantle Naturalised in a few places Alchemilla xanthochlora Intermediate Lady's-mantle Very frequent, much less plentiful than A. glabra Alliaria petiolata Garlic Mustard Very frequent, present even on the higher ground Allium paradoxum Few-flowered Garlic By the Teviot and near habitation Allium ursinum Ramsons In woodland and by the Teviot Allium vineale Wild Onion Constant by the Teviot below Newmill Alnus glutinosa Alder Wet woodland, sometimes planted Alnus incana Grey Alder Planted at Teviothead Alopecurus geniculatus Marsh Foxtail Occasional in damp grassland Alopecurus pratensis Meadow Foxtail Frequent in grassland Anacamptis pyramidalis Pyramidal Orchid No record

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Annotated check-list 0 0 2 2 5 5 5 5 5 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 1 0 3 5 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 4 5 5 0 3 0 0 0

1 0 2 1 4 4 5 5 5 5 1 3 1 1 0 1 3 3 3 3 0 3 5 5 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 5 3 4 1 3 1 0 0 2 5 1 5 0 1 0

0 0 2 1 4 3 4 5 5 5 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 3 0 2 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 2 4 0 1 0

1 0 6 4 13 12 14 15 15 14 3 6 1 1 1 1 5 6 7 7 0 8 15 15 1 0 2 1 0 1 2 9 3 6 3 5 1 0 5 7 15 3 12 0 2 0

Anemone apennina Blue Anemone By the Teviot in Hawick Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone In woodland and on heathy banks Angelica sylvestris Wild Angelica Frequent where drainage impeded Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet Vernal-grass Frequent everywhere Anthriscus sylvestris Cow Parsley Frequent everywhere Anthyllis vulneraria Kidney Vetch Very scarce, Newmill, Hare Moss tip area, Hartwoodburn Aphanes australis Slender Parsley-piert Newmill Aquilegia vulgaris Columbine Naturalised on rocky slope at Hare Moss Arabidopsis thaliana Thale Cress Scarce, associated with habitation Arctium minus Lesser Burdock Occasional, often as single plants Arenaria serpyllifolia Thyme-leaved Sandwort No record Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-Grass Dominant in many places Artemisia vulgaris Mugwort One plant on verge at Martinshouse Arum maculatum Lords-and-Ladies Rare, Teindside and Martinshouse, leaves unspotted Asplenium ceterach Rustyback No record Asplenium ruta-muraria Wall-rue Walls in Hawick and Selkirk Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-tongue Fern By Teviot Martinshouse, wall Hawick, rock Newton Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens Maidenhair Spleenwort Walls in Hawick and Selkirk, rock cutting Hartwoodburn Astrantia major Astrantia By Teviot in Hawick Athyrium filix-femina Lady-fern Occasional Atriplex patula Common Orache Widespread at the kerb Atriplex prostrata Spear-leaved Orache Widespread at the kerb Aubrieta deltoidea Aubretia Burnside wall at Newmill, Selkirk

75

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 2 2 5 5 5 0 5 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 3 4 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 3 5 2 0 0 1 1 0 0

1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 3 5 5 4 3 1 3 0 0 2 4 2 0 0 2 0 1 3 3 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 2 3 1 0

0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 3 3 5 5 5 2 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 1 4 3 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 0

1 0 1 0 1 9 1 3 6 8 15 15 14 5 7 9 0 2 2 8 2 1 4 9 0 4 3 5 8 4 1 0 2 1 1 4 6 3 10 4 0 1 4 6 1 0

Avena sativa Oat Casual, Martinshouse Avenula pratensis Meadow Oat-grass Rock outcrop Dryden Avenula pubescens Downy Oat-grass Damp grassland Linhope Barbarea intermedia Medium-flowered Winter-cress Casual, Hawick Barbarea vulgaris Winter-cress Occasional Bellis perennis Daisy Very widespread but not plentiful Betula pendula Silver Birch Widely planted Betula pubescens Downy Birch Rather local in woodland and on banks Blechnum spicant Hard-fern No record Brachypodium sylvaticum False-brome Woodland, Martinshouse and Hawick Brassica napus subsp. oleifera Oil-seed Rape Casual, Newmill and Martinshouse Briza media Quaking-grass Very local and scarce Bromopsis erecta Upright Brome No record Bromopsis ramosa Hairy-brome Riverside woodland Bromus hordeaceus subsp.hordeaceus Soft-brome Disturbed ground Brunnera macrophylla Great Forget-me-not Established in Selkirk Buddleja davidii Butterfly-bush Stonework in Hawick and Selkirk Callitriche stagnalis Common Water-starwort Rare, Castleweary Calluna vulgaris Heather Sparse on a few banks on the higher ground Caltha palustris Marsh-marigold Burnsides and riversides Calystegia pulchra Hairy Bindweed No record Calystegia sepium Hedge Bindweed Occasional Calystegia silvatica Large Bindweed Martinshouse only

76

Annotated check-list 0 0 2 3 1 1 1 0 1 5 2 4 5 5 0 0 3 0 2 1 1 0 3 2 0 3 4 5 3 1 1 0 2 0 3 4 0 0 2 5 2 4 3 3 0 0

2 1 3 3 3 5 2 1 3 3 5 5 3 5 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1

0 1 3 2 0 4 0 2 1 5 5 5 4 5 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 3 1 0 0

2 2 8 8 4 10 3 3 5 13 12 14 12 15 3 2 5 1 3 3 2 0 4 2 0 3 11 12 4 5 1 0 3 2 6 7 0 1 7 9 2 4 6 4 0 1

Campanula latifolia Giant Bellflower Riversides at Martinshouse and Hawick Campanula rotundifolia Harebell Sparse on banks and tracks Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepherd's-purse Disturbed ground Cardamine amara Large Bitter-cress By the Teviot Cardamine flexuosa Wavy Bitter-cress Damp grassland Cardamine hirsuta Hairy Bitter-cress Sparse on disturbed ground Cardamine pratensis Cuckooflower Frequent in damp grassland Carduus crispus Welted Thistle Hawick, quarry at Dryden, Hare Moss tip area Carex acutiformis Lesser Pond-sedge By the Teviot and in damp grassland Carex caryophyllea Spring-sedge Very sparse in dry grassland Carex demissa Common Yellow-sedge Scarce at Castleweary and Synton Mossend Carex disticha Brown Sedge Wet places on the higher ground Carex echinata Star Sedge No record Carex flacca Glaucous Sedge Locally plentiful on banks and in flushes Carex hirta Hairy Sedge Occasional Carex hostiana Tawny Sedge Rare, Castleweary Carex lepidocarpa Long-stalked Yellow-sedge Flushes at Linhope, Teindside and Hare Moss Carex leporina Oval Sedge Occasional Carex muricata subsp. pairae Prickly Sedge No record Carex nigra Common Sedge Occasional in flushes Carex pallescens Pale Sedge Flushed grassland, Linhope and Castleweary Carex panicea Carnation Sedge Wet places on the higher ground Carex paniculata Greater Tussock-sedge No record

77

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 0 5 5 2 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 0

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 5 0 0 5 5 2 4 1 0 0 2 4 3 4 0 5 5 3 1 0 1 2 1 0 3

0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 5 5 0 1 5 5 3 5 1 0 0 3 2 3 0 0 5 5 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1

0 2 3 3 1 0 0 1 2 6 2 1 1 2 0 1 3 0 0 2 15 15 0 1 15 15 7 13 2 0 0 7 6 6 5 0 15 15 4 3 0 1 6 4 0 4

Carex pilulifera Pill Sedge No record Carex pulicaris Flea Sedge Heathery banks on the higher ground Carex remota Remote Sedge Track to Teviot, Newmill Carex riparia Greater Pond-sedge No record Carex rostrata Bottle Sedge Ditch Linhope and outflow Hare Moss Carex spicata Spiked Sedge Damp grassland, Synton Mossend and Hare Moss Carex sylvatica Wood-sedge Woodland at Newmill Carex vesicaria Bladder-sedge No record Carpinus betulus Hornbeam Occasionally planted Centaurea montana Perennial Cornflower No record Centaurea nigra Common Knapweed Plentiful everywhere Centaurium erythraea Common Centaury No record Cerastium fontanum Common Mouse-ear Very frequent everywhere Cerastium glomeratum Sticky Mouse-ear More or less casual Cerastium tomentosum Snow-in-summer Walls at Newmill and Selkirk Chaenorhinum minus Small Toadflax No record Chaerophyllum temulum Rough Chervil Occasional in partial shade Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Lawson's Cypress Occasionally planted, sometimes wind-sown Chamerion angustifolium Rosebay Willowherb Plentiful everywhere Chenopodium album Fat-hen Occasional, by the kerb and in disturbed ground Chrysosplenium alternifolium Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage No record Chrysosplenium oppositifolium Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Burnsides Cicerbita macrophylla Common Blue-sow-thistle No record

78

Annotated check-list 0 2 5 5 3 2 3 5 4 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 4 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 0 3 3 2 2 0 0 0 0

0 0 5 5 0 1 2 1 5 5 2 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 1 3 4 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 1 5 5 0 1 4 5 2 0 0 1 0 0

0 0 5 5 0 0 4 0 5 5 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 2 0 3 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 5 0 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 2 15 15 3 3 9 6 14 15 3 1 1 1 11 0 1 0 1 0 9 9 2 1 10 7 3 1 5 0 1 1 0 1 15 15 0 1 11 11 4 2 0 1 1 0

Circaea lutetiana Enchanter's-nightshade No record Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle Only locally abundant Cirsium heterophyllum Melancholy Thistle Castleweary, two colonies Colterscleuch, plentiful Teviothead Cirsium palustre Marsh Thistle Frequent on the higher ground Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle Widespread but sparse Claytonia sibirica Pink Purslane Woodland at Hawick, Newton and Synton Mossend Clinopodium vulgare Wild Basil Bank by Teviot, Martinshouse Cochlearia danica Danish Scurvygrass Widespread at kerb north of Hawick, scarce to the south Cochlearia pyrenaica Pyrenean Scurvygrass Shingle island in Teviot, Teindside Colchicum autumnale Meadow Saffron Narrowly naturalised at Selkirk Conopodium majus Pignut Sparse on banks and in woodland Cornus sericea Red-osier Dogwood Planted at Ashkirk and Selkirk Corylus avellana Hazel Woodland, also much planted Cotoneaster horizontalis Wall Cotoneaster Bird-sown, Hawick, Newton and Hare Moss Cotoneaster simonsii Himalayan Cotoneaster Scarce, sometimes planted Cotoneaster sp. A Cotoneaster Hartwoodburn, tall bush Cotoneaster x watereri Waterer's Cotoneaster No record Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn Frequent everywhere Crataegus x media (C. laevigata x monogyna) Hybrid Hawthorn No record Crepis capillaris Smooth Hawk's-beard Locally plentiful, dry banks and rock, casual elsewhere Crepis paludosa Marsh Hawk's-beard Scarce, riversides and flushes Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora (C. aurea x potsii) Montbretia No record Crocus x luteus (C. angustifolius x flavus) Yellow Crocus Layby at Hartwoodburn

79

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 5 5 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 1 4 5 1 0 5 5 3 4 1 0 2 3 0

5 5 2 1 0 0 5 5 0 1 4 4 0 0 5 5 3 4 0 0 2 2 0

4 5 1 0 1 0 5 4 0 0 3 3 0 0 5 5 4 3 0 0 4 2 3

14 15 3 1 1 0 15 14 0 2 11 12 1 0 15 15 10 11 1 0 8 7 3

1 1 0 1 0 5 5 2 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 1 4 5

1 0 0 1 2 5 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 5 3

1 1 0 0 0 5 5 2 0 3 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 3

3 2 0 2 2 15 14 4 4 7 3 0 1 4 0 0 1 3 7 1 1 14 11

Cruciata laevipes Crosswort Frequent everywhere Cymbalaria muralis Ivy-leaved Toadflax Walls at Newmill, Hawick and Selkirk Cymbalaria pallida Italian Toadflax Wall in Selkirk Cynosurus cristatus Crested Dog's-tail Frequent everywhere Cystopteris fragilis Brittle Bladder-fern No record Cytisus scoparius Broom Widespread in modest quantity Cytisus striatus Hairy-fruited Broom Sown on rocky slope at Castleweary Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot Plentiful everywhere Dactylorhiza fuchsii Common Spotted-orchid Plentiful in many places Dactylorhiza maculata Heath Spotted-orchid Linhope, adjacent to raised bog Dactylorhiza purpurella Northern Marsh-orchid Locally plentiful in wet grassland Dactylorhiza x venusta (D. fuchsii x purpurella) A hybrid Marshorchid With the parents Danthonia decumbens Heath-grass Rare, Castleweary and Hare Moss Daucus carota subsp. carota Wild Carrot Sown on dry banks, Castleweary and Newton Deschampsia cespitosa Tufted Hair-grass Frequent everywhere Deschampsia flexuosa Wavy Hair-grass Occasional on the higher ground Digitalis purpurea Foxglove Not very plentiful on banks, wall at Selkirk Dipsacus fullonum Wild Teasel No record Doronicum pardalianches Leopard's-bane Newmill, Martinshouse, Hawick and Hartwoodburn Draba muralis Wall Whitlowgrass No record Dryopteris affinis agg. Scaly Male-fern Scarce, rocky banks Dryopteris carthusiana Narrow Buckler-Fern Linhope, near raised bog Dryopteris dilatata Broad Buckler-fern Widespread in shady places, not plentiful

80

Annotated check-list 5 5 5 5 5 4 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 0 1 5 1 5 5 3 4 1 3 1 0 5 5 1 0 2 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 2 5 1 5

0 0 1 3 2 5 2 0 0 3 4 5 5 4 5 4 2 0 1 0 1 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 3 4 0 0 0 3 0 3

0 0 4 0 1 5 2 0 0 4 5 2 5 4 5 5 2 2 1 0 3 4 5 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 2 1 0

15 Dryopteris filix-mas Male-fern 14 Frequent everywhere 0 Dryopteris x deweveri (D. carthusiana x dilatata) A hybrid Bucklerfern 1 No record 1 Eleocharis palustris Common Spike-rush 5 Flush, Castleweary 3 Elymus caninus Bearded Couch 3 Riverside woodland, Newmill, Martinshouse, Hawick 15 Elytrigia repens Common Couch 4 Glaucous form widespread at kerb, normal form occasional 0 Epilobium brunnescens New Zealand Willowherb 2 No record 7 Epilobium ciliatum American Willowherb 10 About habitation, scarce 12 Epilobium hirsutum Great Willowherb 11 Widespread in wet places 13 Epilobium montanum Broad-leaved Willowherb 15 Frequent almost everywhere, often in shade 12 Epilobium obscurum Short-fruited Willowherb 8 Frequent almost everywhere in damp places 3 Epilobium palustre Marsh Willowherb 5 Wet places, Linhope, Synton Mossend and Hare Moss 1 Epilobium parviflorum Hoary Willowherb 4 Wet grassland, Colterscleuch 14 Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail 15 Plentiful everywhere on banks, fertile stems scarce 2 Equisetum fluviatile Water Horsetail 2 Ditch Linhope and outflow Hare Moss 4 Equisetum palustre Marsh Horsetail 5 Wet places on the higher ground 1 Erica tetralix Cross-leaved Heath 1 Linhope, adjacent to raised bog 1 Eriophorum vaginatum Hare's-tail Cottongrass 1 Linhope, adjacent to raised bog 3 Erophila glabrescens Glabrous Whitlowgrass 0 Pavements, laybys and at the foot of walls 3 Erophila verna Common Whitlowgrass 0 Pavements, laybys and at the foot of walls 5 Erophila verna sens. lat. Common Whitlowgrass 10 Pavements, laybys and at the foot of walls 0 Euphorbia peplus Petty Spurge 1 No record 3 Euphrasia agg. Eyebright 10 Gateway Castleweary, track Colterscleuch, bank Hare Moss 2 Euphrasia arctica subsp. borealis Eyebright 8 Track Colterscleuch, bank Hare Moss

81

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 2 4 0 0 4 2 0 0 1 0 3 5 5 5 5 3 1 1 2 0 5 5 0 0 4 5 5 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 5 3

0 1 0 3 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 5 5 5 5 0 0 2 3 4 5 1 1 3 4 5 5 1 0 5 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 5 5

1 0 0 2 4 2 0 0 0 0 4 1 5 5 5 5 2 0 2 0 4 5 0 0 5 5 5 5 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 5 5

3 5 0 5 12 8 1 1 1 0 7 7 15 15 15 13 3 1 6 3 13 15 1 1 12 14 15 14 1 0 11 4 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 0 2 3 2 5 15 13

Euphrasia confusa Eyebright Gateway Castleweary, track Colterscleuch, bank Hare Moss Euphrasia nemorosa Eyebright No record Fagus sylvatica Beech Occasional, planted and self-sown Fallopia convolvulus Black-bindweed Disturbed ground, Newton Fallopia japonica Japanese Knotweed Verge at Linhope Festuca ovina Sheep's-fescue Occasional on rock outcrops Festuca rubra Red Fescue Plentiful everywhere, several varieties Ficaria verna Lesser Celandine Frequent everywhere except on the highest ground Ficaria verna subsp. fertilis Lesser Celandine Not systematically searched for Ficaria verna subsp. verna Lesser Celandine Not systematically searched for Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet Damp grassland, sometimes dominant Fragaria ananassa Garden Strawberry Martinshouse Fragaria vesca Wild Strawberry Very frequent on banks and in shade Fraxinus excelsior Ash Widespread, planted and wind-sown Fumaria muralis subsp. boraei Common Ramping-fumitory Casual, Martinshouse Galanthus nivalis Snowdrop Mainly near habitation Galanthus nivalis x plicatus A hybrid Snowdrop By Teviot in Hawick Galeopsis bifida Bifid Hemp-nettle By Teviot in Hawick Galeopsis speciosa Large-flowered Hemp-nettle No record Galeopsis tetrahit Common Hemp-nettle By Teviot Martinshouse, wet grassland Synton Mossend Galeopsis tetrahit agg. Common Hemp-nettle Mostly casual Galium album Hedge Bedstraw Verges, Linhope and Colterscleuch Galium aparine Cleavers Frequent everywhere

82

Annotated check-list 0 1 4 5 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 5 5 5 5 0 0 5 5 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 0

1 3 1 0 0 1 2 1 3 4 3 1 0 0 1 3 4 5 0 0 5 5 3 5 0 0 4 4 5 5 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 4 3 2 1

0 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 4 2 3 3 0 1 2 1 4 2 2 0 5 5 4 2 0 1 4 5 4 5 2 3 0 0 1 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1

1 4 6 6 7 5 7 5 12 10 9 4 0 1 3 5 13 7 2 0 15 15 12 12 0 1 13 14 13 12 5 6 2 0 1 3 0 4 5 2 0 4 6 5 2 2

Galium odoratum Woodruff Woodland-edge Martinshouse Galium palustre subsp. palustre Common Marsh-bedstraw Wet places Galium saxatile Heath Bedstraw Scarce on the higher ground Galium uliginosum Fen Bedstraw Wet grassland and flushes Galium verum Lady's Bedstraw Nowhere plentiful Geranium dissectum Cut-leaved Crane's-bill Occasional Geranium lucidum Shining Crane's-bill No record Geranium molle Dove's-foot Crane's-bill More or less casual Geranium pratense Meadow Crane's-bill Widespread and often plentiful Geranium pyrenaicum Hedgerow Crane's-bill Rock cutting Synton Mossend, layby casual Hare Moss Geranium robertianum Herb-Robert Widespread in shade and on rock Geranium sylvaticum Wood Crane's-bill Plentiful in many places Geranium x oxonianum Druce's Crane's-bill No record Geum rivale Water Avens Plentiful in many places, anthocyanin-free Hartwoodburn Geum urbanum Wood Avens Frequent, less so on the higher ground Geum x intermedium (G. rivale x urbanum) Hybrid Avens Frequent where the parents grow together Glechoma hederacea Ground-ivy Woodland, Martinshouse and Hawick Glyceria fluitans Floating Sweet-grass Outflow at Hare Moss Glyceria notata Plicate Sweet-grass No record Gnaphalium uliginosum Marsh Cudweed Casual in damp places Gymnadenia conopsea Chalk Fragrant-orchid No record Hedera helix Ivy Occasional Hedera 'Hibernica' Irish Ivy Near habitation

83

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 0 2 3 0 0 5 4 4 5 0 0 0 0 1

0 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 5 5 1 0 3 5 0 0 5 5 2 5 0 0 1 1 4

3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 5 1 0 1 3 0 1 5 5 5 5 0 2 0 0 3

3 1 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 1 15 15 2 0 6 11 0 1 15 14 11 15 0 2 1 1 8

1 1 4 0 0 0 2 3 4 1 3 0

4 2 4 3 1 3 3 0 1 0 1 3

2 1 2 0 2 2 1 3 0 1 1 2

7 4 10 3 3 5 6 6 5 2 5 5

2 3 4 1 0

3 4 2 2 1

4 4 2 1 1

9 11 8 4 2

Helianthemum nummularium Common Rockrose Rock outcrops Dryden, Hare Moss and Hartwoodburn Helianthus annuus Sunflower Casual, riverside Hawick Helleborus viridis Green Hellebore No record Heracleum mantegazzianum Giant Hogweed Occasional by the Teviot Heracleum mantegazzianum x sphondylium Hybrid Hogweed No record Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed Frequent everywhere Hesperis matronalis Dame's-violet Casual Martinshouse, bank Selkirk Hieracium agg. Hawkweed Only plentiful on rock cutting at Teviothead Hippuris vulgaris Mare's-tail No record Holcus lanatus Yorkshire-fog Plentiful in most places Holcus mollis Creeping Soft-grass Frequent especially in woodland Hordeum distichon Two-rowed Barley No record Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell Group on bank Martinshouse, possible garden origin Hyacinthoides x massartiana (H. hispanica x non-scripta) Hybrid Bluebell Spreading where cast out, abundant in woodland Selkirk Hypericum hirsutum Hairy St John's-wort Local, plentiful at Dryden, prefers some shade Hypericum maculatum Imperforate St John's-wort Local at woodland-edge, Newmill, Martinshouse, Hawick Hypericum perforatum Perforate St John's-wort Local in dry habitats Hypericum pulchrum Slender St John's-wort Scarce on the higher ground Hypericum tetrapterum Square-stalked St John's-wort Scarce in wet places Hypericum x desetangsii (H. maculatum x perforatum) Hybrid St John's-wort Locally plentiful on shady banks and verges Hypochaeris radicata Cat's-ear Occasional Ilex aquifolium Holly Scarce, planted and bird-sown

84

Annotated check-list 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 5 4 4 1 0 1 5 5 5 5 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

3 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 3 1 2 0 0 2 2 4 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 2 1 1

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 4 2 3 0 0 4 4 4 5 1 4 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 1 0 0 0

4 1 1 1 2 0 3 5 11 11 7 6 0 1 11 11 13 12 1 6 0 1 1 0 7 9 0 1 2 1 1

0 1 0 0 1 5 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 0 0

2 5 5 2 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 0

1 4 3 0 4 5 5 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0

3 10 8 2 7 14 11 1 1 1 0 10 6 1 0

Impatiens glandulifera Indian Balsam Beside the Teviot Iris pseudacorus Yellow Iris Verge above road, Newmill Isolepis setacea Bristle Club-rush Damp grassland Hawick, wet wheel-rut Synton Mossend Juncus acutiflorus Sharp-flowered Rush Occasional wet places Juncus articulatus Jointed Rush Frequent wet places Juncus bufonius Toad Rush Damp disturbed ground, including tarmac edge Juncus bulbosus Bulbous Rush No record Juncus conglomeratus Compact Rush Frequent in wet places Juncus effusus Soft-rush Frequent in wet places Juncus inflexus Hard Rush Wet grassland Dryden Juncus squarrosus Heath Rush No record Juniperus communis Common Juniper Eleven planted Teviothead, dying in shade Knautia arvensis Field Scabious Scarce, best colony on dry bank Newmill Knautia macedonica Garden Scabious No record Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum Self-sown, Martinshouse and Hawick Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. argentatum Garden Yellowarchangel Forming a large patch where cast out at Martinshouse Lamium album White Dead-nettle Occasional Lamium purpureum Red Dead-nettle Casual, disturbed ground Lapsana communis Nipplewort Frequent in grassland Larix decidua European Larch Old tree at Teindside Larix kaempferi Japanese Larch Planted at Teviothead Larix x marschlinsii (L. decidua x kaempferi) Hybrid Larch Planted and wind-sown from woodland Lathraea squamaria Toothwort On Sycamore by Teviot at Hawick

85

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 0 3 2 5 5 0 1 4 5 0 0 4 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 5 0 0 5 4 1 2 4 5 0 0 4 2 3 4 2 3 2 2

0 1 2 3 5 5 0 1 4 5 1 0 5 4 0 1 0 0 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 4 5 0 0 5 5 1 2 4 5 2 0 0 1 3 4 0 0 0 1

0 0 3 1 5 5 0 2 3 5 0 0 3 5 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 0 2 4 4 0 1 4 5 1 2 4 5 1 0 0 0 3 2 2 0 0 0

0 1 8 6 15 15 0 4 11 15 1 0 12 14 0 1 1 0 6 4 1 0 2 1 0 6 12 14 0 1 14 14 3 6 12 15 3 0 4 3 9 10 4 3 2 3

Lathyrus latifolius Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea No record Lathyrus linifolius Bitter-vetch Local on dry banks Lathyrus pratensis Meadow Vetchling Plentiful everywhere Lemna minor Common Duckweed No record Leontodon hispidus Rough Hawkbit Plentiful in many places Leontodon saxatilis Lesser Hawkbit Sown in cutting at Newton Leucanthemum vulgare Oxeye Daisy Plentiful in many places Leucanthemum x superbum Shasta Daisy No record Ligustrum ovalifolium Garden Privet Planted at Selkirk Ligustrum vulgare Wild Privet Occasional, planted and self-sown Lilium pyrenaicum Pyrenean Lily Near houses, Newmill Linaria purpurea Purple Toadflax Hare Moss tip area, walls at Selkirk Linaria vulgaris Common Toadflax No record Linum catharticum Fairy Flax Frequent on species-rich banks and damp places Lolium multiflorum Italian Rye-grass No record Lolium perenne Perennial Rye-grass Frequent Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle Occasional in woodland and near habitation Lotus corniculatus Common Bird's-foot-trefoil Widespread and locally plentiful Lotus corniculatus var. sativus Common Bird's-foot-trefoil Sown in cuttings Lotus pedunculatus Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil Scarce in wet places Luzula campestris Field Wood-rush Frequent Luzula multiflora Heath Wood-rush On the higher ground Luzula pilosa Hairy Wood-rush On the higher ground

86

Annotated check-list 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 4 4 1 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 4 1 0 5 5 2 1 0 2

0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 4 5 4 2 3 5 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 5 5 2 1 1 1

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 0 4 5 2 1 4 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 5 1 1 0 1

0 3 0 1 1 0 2 1 6 4 1 0 10 14 10 4 8 12 7 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 10 9 2 0 3 0 1 2 2 5 1 0 15 15 5 3 1 4

Luzula sylvatica Great Wood-rush No record Lysimachia nemorum Yellow Pimpernel No record in survey area [verge at Mosspaul] Lysimachia punctata Dotted Loosestrife Large patch at Castleweary Mahonia aquifolium Oregon-grape Planted in Hawick and Selkirk Malus pumila Apple Occasionally planted Malus sp. An ornamental Apple Planted at Colterscleuch Matricaria discoidea Pineappleweed Access tracks and tarmac-edge Meconopsis cambrica Welsh Poppy Naturalised in woodland Medicago lupulina Black Medick Local, sundry habitats including quarry and tip area Mentha aquatica Water Mint Scarce in wet places Mentha spicata Spear Mint Burnside Castleweary Mentha x piperita (M. aquatica x spicata) Peppermint By Teviot, Martinshouse Mentha x villosa Apple-mint No record Menyanthes trifoliata Bogbean No record Mercurialis perennis Dog's Mercury Where there is woodland Mimulus guttatus Monkeyflower Teviot, Martinshouse and Hawick Mimulus x robertsii (M. guttatus x luteus) Hybrid Monkeyflower Burns at Linhope, Teviothead and Teindside Moehringia trinervia Three-nerved Sandwort Woodland at Martinshouse Molinia caerulea Purple Moor-grass On the higher ground, Linhope and Castleweary Mycelis muralis Wall Lettuce Rock cutting and quarry, Castleweary Myosotis arvensis Field Forget-me-not Frequent everywhere but in small quantities Myosotis discolor Changing Forget-me-not Very scarce Myosotis laxa Tufted Forget-me-not By the Teviot, Hawick

87

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

0 0 2 1 0 0 3 5 3 2 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 3 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 4 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 3 3 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0

1 0 3 2 0 1 4 8 3 2 13 5 6 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 3 5 8 4 9 2 4 0 1 0 4 0 1 1 1 2 4 2 0 1 2 0 1 0 1

Myosotis ramosissima Early Forget-me-not Rock outcrop, Hartwoodburn. Requires confirmation Myosotis scorpioides Water Forget-me-not By the Teviot Myosotis secunda Creeping Forget-me-not No record Myosotis sylvatica Wood Forget-me-not Occasional in shady places Myrrhis odorata Sweet Cicely By the Teviot Narcissus agg. Garden Daffodil Planted in many places, mass planting at Newton Narcissus poeticus Pheasant's-eye Daffodil Scarce in plantings of the aggregate Nardus stricta Mat-grass Linhope Narthecium ossifragum Bog Asphodel Linhope, adjacent to raised bog Nasturtium officinale Water-cress Teviot at Martinshouse Nasturtium officinale agg. Water-cress Teviot at Martinshouse Neottia ovata Common Twayblade Much at Newton, good at Hartwoodburn, few elsewhere Odontites vernus Red Bartsia In modest quantity in wet grassland Ononis repens Common Restharrow Banks at Dryden and Hartwoodburn Orchis mascula Early-purple Orchid No record Oreopteris limbosperma Lemon-scented Fern No record Origanum vulgare Wild Marjoram No record Ornithogalum umbellatum sens. lat. Star-of-Bethlehem Naturalised garden escape, Martinshouse Oxalis acetosella Wood-sorrel Scarce on the higher ground Paeonia officinalis Garden Peony Established outcast, Martinshouse and Hartwoodburn Papaver dubium Long-headed Poppy Hare Moss tip area Papaver pseudoorientale Oriental Poppy No record Pedicularis sylvatica Lousewort No record

88

Annotated check-list 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 4 1 3 1 3 3 0 0 3 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 5 3 5 5 5 5 1 0

1 1 2 0 1 1 3 1 0 1 4 1 1 0 0 1 3 2 0 1 0 0 5 3 1 0 2 2 2 1 2 4 2 3 0 1 0 0 2 2 5 5 5 5 0 0

2 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 1 0 4 3 5 1 3 3 2 0 3 4 3 2 0 0 1 0 5 3 5 5 5 5 0 0

3 2 3 1 1 1 3 4 0 1 10 3 1 0 0 1 11 7 0 1 1 0 13 7 9 2 8 8 4 1 8 13 8 7 0 1 1 0 12 8 15 15 15 15 1 0

Pentaglottis sempervirens Green Alkanet Near habitation Persicaria amphibia Amphibious Bistort Scarce in damp grassland Persicaria bistorta Common Bistort Teviot at Martinshouse Persicaria maculosa Redshank Scarce casual, disturbed ground and by the kerb Petasites albus White Butterbur No record Petasites hybridus Butterbur Riversides, verges Castleweary and Groundistone Moss Petasites hybridus 'female' Butterbur By the Teviot below Albert Bridge in Hawick Petasites japonicus Giant Butterbur No record Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canary-grass Widespread in wet places, also drier roadside banks Phalaris arundinacea var. picta Variegated Reed Canary-grass No record Philadelphus coronarius Mock-orange Established at Selkirk Phleum pratense Timothy Widespread Picea abies Norway Spruce Frequently planted Picea sitchensis Sitka Spruce Planted and wind-sown at Colterscleuch and Hare Moss Pilosella aurantiaca subsp. carpathicola Fox-and-cubs Occasionally naturalised, by habitation and more widely Pilosella officinarum Mouse-ear-hawkweed Frequent but seldom plentiful Pimpinella saxifraga Burnet-saxifrage Rather scarce on banks Pinguicula vulgaris Common Butterwort No record Pinus mugo Dwarf Mountain-pine Planted at Dryden Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine Frequently planted, seldom wind-sown Plantago lanceolata Ribwort Plantain Frequent everywhere Plantago major Greater Plantain Frequent everywhere Plantago maritima Sea Plantain Linhope, one at edge of tarmac

89

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 4 5 1 0 5 5 0 1 3 3 5 4 1 1 0 0 0

5 5 0 0 3 3 2 2 4 3 4 5 0 0 1 0 1

5 5 0 0 5 3 1 1 5 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 0

14 15 1 0 13 11 3 4 12 10 13 14 2 1 1 0 1

0 0 0 4 1 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 4 5 2 5 4 4

1 1 3 5 3 5 4 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 4 0 2 4 5 3 4

1 0 1 4 4 4 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 3 2 3 5 2 3

2 1 4 13 8 13 9 2 2 2 1 2 0 4 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 13 8 7 9 9 15 9 11

Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass Frequent everywhere in small quantity Poa compressa Flattened Meadow-grass Quarry at Castleweary Poa humilis Spreading Meadow-grass Very widespread near the kerb, also dry banks Poa nemoralis Wood Meadow-grass Scarce in woodland Poa pratensis Smooth Meadow-grass Widespread, further from the kerb than P. humilis Poa trivialis Rough Meadow-grass Frequent everywhere Polygala serpyllifolia Heath Milkwort Rare, Castleweary and Hare Moss Polygala vulgaris Common Milkwort Rock cleft and scree, Newmill Polygonatum x hybridum (P. multiflorum x odoratum) Garden Solomon's-seal Established outcast, Martinshouse Polygonum arenastrum Equal-leaved Knotgrass Edge of grassy area, Hawick Polygonum aviculare Knotgrass Widespread, somethimes plentiful at edge of tarmac Polygonum aviculare agg. Knotgrass Widespread, somethimes plentiful at edge of tarmac Polypodium vulgare Polypody Rock outcrops at Castleweary and Teviothead Polystichum aculeatum Hard Shield-fern Woodland at Martinshouse and Synton Mossend Populus alba White Poplar Planted and suckering at Newton and Selkirk Populus tremula Aspen Occasionally planted, suckering not yet evident Populus x canadensis (P. deltoides x nigra) Hybrid Black-poplar Planted at Hawick and Newton Potamogeton berchtoldii Small Pondweed No record Potamogeton natans Broad-leaved Pondweed No record Potentilla anserina Silverweed Often abundant at the kerb Potentilla erecta Tormentil Occasional on the higher ground Potentilla reptans Creeping Cinquefoil Frequent, usually further from the kerb than P. anserina Potentilla sterilis Barren Strawberry Occasional on shady banks

90

Annotated check-list 0 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 4 4 4 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 3 0 0 0 2 5 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 5 5 0 0

1 0 0 3 2 5 1 3 0 1 5 5 5 3 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 3 0 3 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 5 0 1 1 0 1 5 3 1 0 5 5 0 1

0 0 1 4 2 4 0 3 0 1 4 5 4 3 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 0 5 5 0 0

1 0 1 7 9 12 1 6 0 2 13 14 13 8 1 0 3 4 1 1 1 1 8 2 12 11 0 1 1 2 8 5 15 0 2 1 0 1 10 10 2 0 15 15 0 1

Poterium sanguisorba subsp. sanguisorba Salad Burnet Sown in cutting at Newton Primula veris Cowslip Fine colony at Synton Mossend Primula vulgaris Primrose Frequent but not especially plentiful Primula x polyantha (P. veris x vulgaris) False Oxlip Clump in woodland at Newmill with P. vulgaris Primula x polyantha cultivar Cultivated Primrose No record Prunella vulgaris Selfheal Frequent everywhere Prunus avium Wild Cherry Widespread, mostly planted Prunus cerasifera Cherry Plum Planted at Teviothead Prunus domestica Wild Plum Planted in a few places Prunus laurocerasus Cherry Laurel Planted at Dryden Prunus lusitanica Portugal Laurel Planted at Newton Prunus padus Bird Cherry Fine native colony at Newmill, mostly planted Prunus spinosa Blackthorn Frequent colonies Prunus x fruticans (P. domestica x spinosa) Hybrid Plum No record Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir Planted at Newmill Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Some dense colonies on the higher ground Puccinellia distans Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass Often constant by the kerb, but seldom abundant Pulmonaria officinalis Lungwort Well naturalised Castleweary, casual Martinshouse Pyrus communis Pear No record Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak Widely planted Quercus rubra Red Oak Planted, Newmill and Selkirk Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup Frequent everywhere Ranunculus aquatilis Common Water-crowfoot No record

91

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 1 0 3 1 3 0 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 5 5 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

2 2 2 3 0 1 0 0 5 5 0 0 1 0 4 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 4 2 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 4 4 5 5 3 4 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 2

0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 5 5 0 1 1 2 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 3 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 5 5 5 5 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1

2 3 2 6 2 5 0 1 15 15 0 1 2 2 13 5 1 0 2 2 5 1 5 2 9 6 1 0 1 1 0 2 6 10 15 15 10 12 1 0 1 5 0 2 1 3

Ranunculus auricomus Goldilocks Buttercup Woodland at Martinshouse and Hawick Ranunculus bulbosus Bulbous Buttercup Grassy banks, Martinshouse and Newton Ranunculus flammula Lesser Spearwort Castleweary quarry, outflow Hare Moss Ranunculus lingua Greater Spearwort No record Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup Frequent everywhere Ranunculus sceleratus Celery-leaved Buttercup No record Reseda luteola Weld River wall, Martinshouse, Hare Moss tip area Rhinanthus minor Yellow-rattle Native and sown, locally plentiful, possibly two ecotypes Rhododendron ponticum Rhododendron Selkirk Ribes nigrum Black Currant A few bushes, Castleweary and Hawick Ribes rubrum Red Currant A few bushes, also suckering patch at Teindside Ribes sanguineum Flowering Currant A few bushes, also naturalised at Selkirk Ribes uva-crispa Gooseberry Occasional bushes Rorippa sylvestris Creeping Yellow-cress Teviot at Hawick Rosa caesia subsp. caesia Hairy Dog-rose Rare, Dryden Rosa caesia subsp. vosagiaca Glaucous Dog-rose No record Rosa canina Dog-rose Frequent Rosa canina agg. Dog-rose Frequent everywhere Rosa mollis Soft Downy-rose Frequent Rosa multiflora Many-flowered Rose Two planted bushes at Teviothead Rosa rubiginosa Sweet-briar Planted near an entrance, Martinshouse Rosa rugosa Japanese Rose No record Rosa sherardii Sherard's Downy-rose Rare, Hartwoodburn

92

Annotated check-list 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 4 2 5 5 0 0 5 5 0 0 5 4 4 0 5 5 0 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 4 3 5 5 5 5 5 1 0

0 2 3 4 0 0 0 1 5 5 5 5 0 1 5 5 0 1 5 4 2 0 5 5 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 5 3 0 1 4 5 4 4 0 0

0 0 3 3 1 1 0 0 5 5 5 3 0 0 4 5 0 0 5 5 4 0 5 5 0 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 5 3 3 0 5 4 5 3 0 0

1 2 6 9 2 1 0 1 14 12 15 13 0 1 14 15 0 1 15 13 10 0 15 15 4 10 3 0 3 0 1 0 3 1 11 0 14 10 6 6 14 14 14 12 1 0

Rosa spinosissima Burnet Rose Rocky bank below Hazel wood, Castleweary Rosa x dumalis (R. caesia x canina) A hybrid Rose Frequent Rosa x molletorum (R. canina x mollis) A hybrid Rose Castleweary and Synton Mossend Rubus caesius Dewberry No record Rubus fruticosus agg. Bramble Widespread but nowhere dominant over a large area Rubus idaeus Raspberry Widespread and locally plentiful on banks Rubus saxatilis Stone Bramble No record Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel Frequent everywhere Rumex acetosella Sheep's Sorrel No record Rumex crispus Curled Dock Frequent everywhere Rumex longifolius Northern Dock Widespread in small quantity, some way from kerb Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock Frequent everywhere Rumex sanguineus Wood Dock Occasional in shaded places Rumex x hybridus (R. longifolius x obtusifolius) A hybrid Dock Occasional with parents Rumex x pratensis (R. crispus x obtusifolius) A hybrid Dock Occasional with parents Rumex x propinquus (R. crispus x longifolius) A hybrid Dock Teviothead Sagina filicaulis Upright Pearlwort Path at Hawick, quarry Dryden, Hare Moss tip area Sagina maritima Sea Pearlwort Widespread, usually in small quantity, much at Newmill Sagina procumbens Procumbent Pearlwort Widespread in small quantity Salix aurita Eared Willow Occasional on the higher ground, planted Hartwoodburn Salix caprea Goat Willow Frequent almost everywhere Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia Rusty Willow Frequent almost everywhere Salix elaeagnos Olive Willow Planted group by burn, Castleweary

93

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0

0 1 1 0 3 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

0 2 1 0 4 3 2 3 0 2 1 0 3

0 0 2 0 1 0 3 3 1 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0

1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0

1 0 2 0 1 1 3 5 5 0

0 1 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 0

1 0 1 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 3 0 1 2 2 3 2 0 0

0 0 1 5 5 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 1 4 12 12 1 0 0 1 0 4 2 3 0 1 4 3 3 2 1 0

Salix pentandra Bay Willow No record Salix phylicifolia Tea-leaved Willow Teviot at Martinshouse Salix purpurea Purple Willow Frequent by the Teviot Salix viminalis Osier Martinshouse and Hawick Salix x capreola (S. aurita x caprea) A hybrid Willow No record Salix x fragilis nothovar. basfordiana f. sanguinea A hybrid Willow Planted Teviothead Salix x fragilis sens. lat. (S. fragilis or S. alba x fragilis) Hybrid Crack-willow Martinshouse, Hawick and Dryden Salix x fruticosa (S. aurita x viminalis) Shrubby Osier No record Salix x holosericea (S. cinerea x viminalis) Silky-leaved Osier No record Salix x multinervis (S. aurita x cinerea) A hybrid Willow With the parents, Hare Moss Salix x reichardtii (S. caprea x cinerea) A hybrid Willow Occasional with the parents Salix x sepulcralis nothovar chrysocoma (S. alba var. vitellina x babylonica) Weeping Willow No record Salix x smithiana (S. caprea x viminalis) Broad-leaved Osier Teviothead Sambucus nigra Elder Frequent Sambucus racemosa Red-berried Elder Colony at Synton Mossend Sanguisorba officinalis Great Burnet No record Sanicula europaea Sanicle No record Saxifraga x urbium (S. spathularis x umbrosa) Londonpride Garden outcast naturalised at Martinshouse and Selkirk Scabiosa columbaria Small Scabious No record Schedonorus arundinaceus Tall Fescue Burnsides and riversides Schedonorus giganteus Giant Fescue Scarce in woodland, Newmill, Martinshouse and Hawick Schedonorus pratensis Meadow Fescue Wet grassland, Colterscleuch

94

Annotated check-list 0 0 5 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 4 0 1 3 1 0

2 1 3 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 1 0 4 3 1

0 0 4 0 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 5 0 1 3 3 1

2 1 12 1 8 4 1 0 1 1 3 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 15 13 1 2 10 7 2

1 0 0 5 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 1 4 5 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1

0 0 3 5 3 2 0 0 1 1 4 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1

2 0 4 14 9 4 3 0 1 1 7 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 2

Scilla forbesii Glory-of-the-snow Established outcast Martinshouse, by Teviot Hawick Scorzoneroides autumnalis Autumn Hawkbit Forms a yellow roadside strip in many places, late summer Scrophularia nodosa Common Figwort Occasional in woodland and shady places Scrophularia umbrosa Green Figwort Hare Moss tip area Sedum acre Biting Stonecrop Selkirk Sedum album White Stonecrop Ruderal, Newmill, Hawick and Newton Sedum forsterianum Rock Stonecrop Rocks at Hartwoodburn, wall at Selkirk Sedum rupestre Reflexed Stonecrop Rock cutting Newton Senecio aquaticus Marsh Ragwort Burnside, Castleweary Senecio cineraria Silver Ragwort Pavement edge, Selkirk Senecio jacobaea Common Ragwort Frequent everywhere Senecio viscosus Sticky Groundsel Hawick only Senecio vulgaris Groundsel Widespread but scarce, mostly at the kerbside Senecio vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. hibernicus Groundsel (Rayed form) Hawick, riverside, Dryden, one with a colony of the normal form Silaum silaus Pepper-saxifrage No record Silene dioica Red Campion Widespread, woodland and shade, a few white-flowered Silene flos-cuculi Ragged-Robin Scarce in wet places Silene latifolia White Campion No record Silene vulgaris Bladder Campion Cutting at Hartwoodburn Silene x hampeana (S. dioica x latifolia) Hybrid Campion No record Sinapis arvensis Charlock Casual, Martinshouse Sisymbrium officinale Hedge Mustard Disturbed ground, Hawick and Hare Moss tip area Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet Woodland-edge Selkirk

95

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 2 0 5 3 1 4 5 5 4 4 1 1 0 0 2 5 4 1

1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 4 4 1 0 1 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 0 0 4 4 3 5 4 4 2 1 0 1 3 4

0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 5 5 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 4 3 2 0 3 4 0 0 2 0 1 1

1 1 3 0 0 1 2 2 14 13 4 1 0 1 15 7 1 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 15 0 1 0 4 1 13 8 2 4 13 12 9 9 8 9 2 1 4 6 8 6

Solanum lycopersicum Tomato Riverside at Hawick Solidago gigantea Early Goldenrod Patches at Martinshouse, Hawick and Synton Mossend Solidago virgaurea Goldenrod No record Sonchus arvensis Perennial Sow-thistle Small colonies at Linhope and Martinshouse Sonchus asper Prickly Sow-thistle Occasional Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle Disturbed ground near habitation Sorbus aria Common Whitebeam No record Sorbus aucuparia Rowan Widespread, often planted Sorbus intermedia Swedish Whitebeam Planted at Newton Sorbus vilmorinii Vilmorin's Rowan Planted at Dryden Sparganium erectum Branched Bur-reed Outflow at Hare Moss Spergula arvensis Corn Spurrey Casual, Synton Mossend and Hare Moss Spergularia marina Lesser Sea-spurrey Constant at the kerb but in varying quantity Spiraea x rosalba (S. alba x salicifolia) Intermediate Bridewort Two colonies at Castleweary Stachys palustris Marsh Woundwort Scarce in damp grassland Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort Widespread in shade Stellaria alsine Bog Stitchwort Wet places, Colterscleuch and Hartwoodburn Stellaria graminea Lesser Stitchwort Frequent Stellaria holostea Greater Stitchwort Frequent where there is woodland Stellaria media Common Chickweed Occasional, never in quantity Stellaria nemorum Wood Stitchwort By Teviot at Newmill and Martinshouse Succisa pratensis Devil's-bit Scabious Occasional on the higher ground Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry Strongly-established patches in a few places

96

Annotated check-list 5 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 5 1 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 3 2 2 0 3 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 3 5 3 4 5 5 1 0 5 5 2 0 0 0

3 3 3 2 0 0 0 1 5 5 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 5 4 4 5 5 5 5 3 0 5 5 0 0 0 0

1 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 5 5 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 4 5 2 1 0 0 1 4 4 2 4 5 5 5 2 0 5 5 0 0 3 1

9 3 4 4 2 0 1 2 15 15 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 1 0 6 2 5 1 11 10 4 3 1 0 1 11 11 11 12 14 15 15 6 0 15 15 2 0 3 1

Symphytum tuberosum Tuberous Comfrey Naturalised widely by the Teviot, occasional on verges Symphytum x uplandicum (S. asperum x officinale) Russian Comfrey Naturalised in a few places in modest quantity Syringa vulgaris Lilac Established, Hartwoodburn and Selkirk Tanacetum parthenium Feverfew Garden escape, Selkirk Taraxacum agg. Dandelion Forms a yellow roadside strip in many places in spring Taraxacum faeroense Marsh Dandelion Wet places, Linhope, Newton and Hare Moss Taxus baccata Yew Planted in a few places, bird-sown in Selkirk Tellima grandiflora Fringecups Naturalised by Teviot at Teindside, Martinhouse, Hawick Teucrium scorodonia Wood Sage Rocky places, Linhope, Castleweary and Teviothead Thlaspi arvense Field Penny-cress Disturbed ground at Martinshouse Thymus polytrichus Wild Thyme Rocky places Tilia x europaea Lime Occasionally planted Torilis japonica Upright Hedge-parsley Frequent even on the higher ground Tragopogon pratensis Goat's-beard In several places, best on rock cutting Synton Mossend Trichophorum germanicum Deergrass Linhope, adjacent to raised bog Trifolium campestre Hop Trefoil Hare Moss tip area Trifolium dubium Lesser Trefoil Occasional in dry grassland Trifolium medium Zigzag Clover Freqent, but not particularly plentiful Trifolium pratense Red Clover Frequent everywhere Trifolium pratense var. sativum Red Clover A tall, upright variety sown in several places Trifolium repens White Clover Frequent everywhere Triglochin palustris Marsh Arrowgrass Linhope, back from the tarmac, Castleweary, by the tarmac Tripleurospermum inodorum Scentless Mayweed Disturbed ground

97

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared 2 4 0 0 0 1 5 4 1 0 2 2 4 3 5 5 2 4 2 4 3 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 3 4 5 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 1 0

4 5 0 0 0 0 5 4 0 0 4 4 4 5 5 5 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 2 0 0 1 4 1 5 5 5 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 1

4 5 0 1 0 0 4 5 0 0 4 4 5 5 5 5 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 2 4 3 2 5 5 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 1 4

10 14 0 1 0 1 14 13 1 0 10 10 13 13 15 15 3 4 3 5 5 4 6 0 1 4 0 2 6 11 6 14 15 15 2 1 2 2 1 2 5 3 2 0 2 5

Trisetum flavescens Yellow Oat-grass Occasional in species-rich grassland Triticum aestivum Bread Wheat No record Trollius europaeus Globeflower No record Tussilago farfara Colt's-foot Frequent almost everywhere Typha latifolia Bulrush Ditch at Castleweary Ulex europaeus Gorse Widespread but few large colonies Ulmus glabra Wych Elm In woodland and hedges Urtica dioica Common Nettle Frequent everywhere Vaccinium myrtillus Bilberry Small colonies on the higher ground Valeriana dioica Marsh Valerian On the higher ground, Linhope, Castleweary, Hare Moss Valeriana officinalis Common Valerian Scarce in wet places Valeriana pyrenaica Pyrenean Valerian Frequent near Teviot, roadside Teindside, Colterscleuch Verbascum thapsus Great Mullein Hare Moss tip area Veronica anagallis-aquatica Blue Water-speedwell No record Veronica arvensis Wall Speedwell Occasional Veronica beccabunga Brooklime Occasional, burnsides and wet places Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell Frequent everywhere Veronica filiformis Slender Speedwell In mown grass Hawick and Hare Moss tip area Veronica hederifolia Ivy-leaved Speedwell Very scarce, Teindside and Hawick Veronica montana Wood Speedwell In woodland, Martinshouse Veronica officinalis Heath Speedwell Scarce, good colony on rocky bank at Hare Moss Veronica peregrina American Speedwell Teviothead picnic area carpark, roadside Hawick Veronica persica Common Field-speedwell Casual, disturbed ground

98

Annotated check-list 0 1 0 5 0 0 3 0 5 5 0 2 0 3 0 0 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 5 5 0 0 0

0 0 2 5 0 1 1 0 5 5 2 4 1 3 0 0 5 5 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 1 0 0

0 0 4 5 0 0 1 1 5 5 3 2 3 0 0 1 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 1 0

0 1 0

0 1 6 15 0 1 5 1 15 15 5 8 4 6 0 1 15 15 0 2 0 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 2 14 14 1 1 0

Veronica scutellata Marsh Speedwell No record Veronica serpyllifolia Thyme-leaved Speedwell Occasional, especially at gateways Viburnum lantana Wayfaring-tree No record Viburnum opulus Guelder-rose Frequently planted at laybys Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch Frequent everywhere Vicia hirsuta Hairy Tare Occasional in small quantity Vicia sativa subsp. nigra Narrow-leaved Vetch Occasional in small quantity Vicia sativa subsp. sativa Common Vetch No record Vicia sepium Bush Vetch Frequent everywhere Vicia sylvatica Wood Vetch No record Vicia tetrasperma Smooth Tare No record Viola arvensis Field Pansy No record Viola lutea Mountain Pansy Banks, purple-flowered Teviothead, yellow Hare Moss Viola odorata Sweet Violet Good patch under scrub woodland at Castleweary Viola palustris Marsh Violet Linhope, near raised bog Viola riviniana Common Dog-violet Frequent everywhere Vulpia myuros Rat's-tail Fescue By buildings Hawick X Cuprocyparis leylandii (Cupressus macrocarpa x Xanthocyparis nootkatensis) Leyland Cypress 1 No record

99

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared

100

Survey methodology

SURVEY METHODOLOGY _________________________ Survey area The old railway normally runs along a dedicated strip of land with well-defined boundaries. The A7 trunk road is not always so well defined. The survey area has been chosen to follow the patterns of the railway as closely as possible. The artificial slopes of all cuttings and embankment are included, wherever the fenceline runs. If there is a cutting with a managed wood above and no fence-line, only the cutting itself is included. However, if the wood is merely a narrow strip of unmanaged scrub it is included, as the lack of management relates directly to the presence of the road. Similarly, if the road runs along a river or burn there may be an unmanaged strip of variable width at the foot of the embankment on which the road is built. If so, the whole of the unmanaged area is included as part of the roadside habitat corridor. Where the road crosses a river or burn there are usually a few metres of waterside on either side of the bridge or culvert that fall within the boundary fence-line. At a road junction the area included is that which falls within the sight-line connecting the boundary fence before and after the junction. However farm gateways are included up to the gate even if it is set back slightly from the fence-line to allow enough hard standing for a vehicle. Small disused quarries and other small open areas adjacent to the road are also included. These are often used for the storage or disposal of road materials and contribute to plant dispersal as they may support a range of ruderal species. Where the road has been realigned to such an extent that a section of the old road is no longer managed as part of the road system, but is managed by the adjacent farmer, it is excluded. Sections of the old road used as laybys are included. Where there is a hedge or hedgerow trees along the boundary the hedge and its trees are included whichever side of the fence they are planted. An exception is made with gardens, where boundary hedges of relatively exotic species are excluded. Plants naturalised on the outside of garden walls are included. Herbaceous species, such as daffodils, planted on the public road verge are included, not least because they have almost always naturalised to some extent. Sampling strategy Only selected stretches of the A7 were walked, unlike the old railway where almost every section was walked in full (exception being made for some short stretches now occupied by private housing). Many of the roadside stretches walked within each section were about one kilometre in length. Where a section is longer than average, spread over two tetrads west to east, two stretches were commonly walked. Stretches with narrow verges were avoided as far as possible, both on the grounds of low botanical diversity and for safety reasons. The main focus was on stretches with wide verges due to road realignment or to the 101

Floras of Hawick’s Road and Rail Routes compared presence of adjoining riverside or woodland. The stretches selected were influenced by the availability of parking places, though this was not too much of an issue as there are twenty formal laybys in the survey area as well as various convenient turnings into minor roads and parking opportunities in the towns of Hawick and Selkirk and the settlements of Teviothead, Newmill on Teviot and Ashkirk. Only at Colterscleuch was advantage taken of the hospitality of the farmhouse. Safety in the field Safety issues in the field were addressed by wearing a high-visibility waistcoat at all times and by working the road verges facing oncoming traffic as far as possible. Some stretches with wide verges but without parking places were accessed by crossing into an adjacent field to pass stretches with narrow verges on the route from a parking place. Recording the surveys The same methodology was used for the survey of the old railway in 2015 and the survey of the A7 in 2016. All records were made at 100m scale. It was never going to be possible to make lists for all 100x100m units. The best that could be hoped for was coverage of the fifteen survey sections, so there was a need to plan exactly what was to be done in the field. It was chosen to survey by survey sections, making a species list while walking along each section, frequently climbing the banks of cuttings and descending the banks of embankments to record the species-rich habitats in as much detail as possible in a visit of about two hours (up to three hours on the old railway). A notebook was used, rather than a recording card, and the 100m GR was recorded from a wristworn GPS for all records made. For the more widespread species, a record was made only for the first sighting in a survey section. For ‘more interesting’ species, those expected to be relatively scarce or to be especially good habitat indicators, separate records were made in every 100m unit where the species was found, often with supporting details such as 10m cell precision and quantity found. Each survey section was visited about three times over the season at around six-week intervals. Full lists were made during at least two visits. More selective records were made during early-season visits and late-season visits, the latter targeted to record species overlooked during the two main recording visits. The first visit of the survey of the old railway in 2015 was on 14th February and the last on 12th August. The first visit of the survey of the A7 in 2016 was on 20th February and the last on 4th August. Most of the recording in both surveys was carried out during the three months May, June and July.

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Survey methodology An exception was made for the sections partly covered by the author’s survey of Hawick Burgh in 2014. Here the relevant 2014 records were accepted and the surveys in 2015 and 2016 focussed on the parts not covered in 2014 and in targeting species overlooked then. As the survey area is fairly close to the author’s home, he was out for a two-hour session twice or thrice a week, never covering more than one survey section in an outing. That way he was able to work with a notebook remembering, good enough, what had or had not been recorded in a survey section on the day without using a recording card with a pre-printed list of species. The records were entered in a specialist computer database programme, MapMate, where maps of individual species were generated. Further analysis of the records was carried out by exporting the records to an Excel spreadsheet. The individual botanical records made during the two surveys are being shared with the BSBI vice-county recorder for Roxburghshire and, in turn, with the BSBI distribution database. Species selection The species recorded in the survey included all native plants and introductions whether naturalised or present as casuals or as clumps, often arising from dumped garden material, that perpetuate themselves by vegetative growth. Planted trees and shrubs were also recorded. The microspecies of Hawkweed Hieracium, Dandelion Taraxacum and Bramble Rubus were not recorded. References Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, BSBI distribution database, bsbidb.org.uk, web resource accessed 2016. Braithwaite, M E, 1975, A Railway Flora of Teviotdale, privately published, Hawick. Braithwaite, M E, 2015, The flora of Hawick Burgh, Hawick Archaeological Society, Hawick. PDF at bsbi.org/roxburghshire Braithwaite, M E, 2015, The Railway Flora of Teviotdale revisited, Hawick Archaeological Society, Hawick. PDF at bsbi.org/roxburghshire Preston, C D, Pearman, D A & Dines, T D, eds., 2002, New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Stace, C A, 2010, New Flora of the British Isles, 3rd edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

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The flora of a twenty-mile stretch of the A7 trunk road between Carlisle and Edinburgh was surveyed in 2016, centred on Hawick in Roxburghshire. The flora is described in detail and comparisons are drawn with a survey in 2015 of a similar stretch of the disused Waverley Line railway. The floras are species-rich for the area, especially in orchids.

The rectangle in the map is the area within which the two surveys were carried out, vice-county boundaries are also shown Front cover – Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii above the traffic on the A7 near Hare Moss