Vice-county Census Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Vice-county Census Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Great Britain (ISBN 0-901158-30-5) is an A5 softback book produced in 2003 by the Botanical Society of the British Isles
. It attempts to present a complete picture of the vice-county distribution of vascular plant species in Great Britain
, the Isle of Man
, and the Channel Islands
. Its compilers were C. A. Stace, R. G. Ellis, D. H. Kent and D. J. McCosh.
The bulk of the book (380 pages) consists of the census catalogue itself. This is presented as a list of taxa, in systematic order, with, for each taxon a list of the vice-counties in which it has been recorded. Vice-county numbers rather than names are used, in order to make efficient use of space. For each vice-county in which a taxon has been recorded, the status (native, archaeophyte
, neophyte
or casual
) in that vice-county is indicated (through the use of different typefaces). A distinction is made between two time-periods: (i) taxa recorded since 1970 and still believed to be extant in the vice-county and (ii) taxa which have not been recorded since 1970 or which have and which are known to be extinct in that vice-county.
The catalogue contains separate entries for every species
(including microspecies for all apomictic groups), as well as separate entries for all subspecies
and interspecific hybrids. In total 4880 taxa are listed.
The comprehensiveness of the work has been questioned by Hannah (2005), citing the Clyde Isles (vice-county 100), where he was able to trace 166 species for which there are records which he believed to be reliable, but which are not among the 891 listed for that vice-county.
Botanical Society of the British Isles
The Botanical Society of the British Isles is a scientific society for the study of flora, plant distribution and taxonomy relating to Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The society was founded as the Botanical Society of London in 1836...
. It attempts to present a complete picture of the vice-county distribution of vascular plant species in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, and the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. Its compilers were C. A. Stace, R. G. Ellis, D. H. Kent and D. J. McCosh.
Contents of the catalogue
An introduction explains the purpose of the book, the history of vice-county catalogues in Britain and Ireland, the development of the 2003 work, and the rationale for recording using vice-counties and the merits of this compared with grid-square recording.The bulk of the book (380 pages) consists of the census catalogue itself. This is presented as a list of taxa, in systematic order, with, for each taxon a list of the vice-counties in which it has been recorded. Vice-county numbers rather than names are used, in order to make efficient use of space. For each vice-county in which a taxon has been recorded, the status (native, archaeophyte
Archaeophyte
An archaeophyte is a plant species which is non-native to a geographical region, but which was an introduced species in "ancient" times, rather than being a modern introduction. Those arriving after are called neophytes...
, neophyte
Neophyte (botany)
In botany, a neophyte is a plant species which is non-native to a geographical region, and was introduced in recent history. Plants that are long-established in an area are called archaeophytes...
or casual
Casual
In the European tradition, casual is the dress code that emphasizes comfort and personal expression over presentation and uniformity. It includes a very wide variety of costume, so it is perhaps better defined by what it isn't than what it is...
) in that vice-county is indicated (through the use of different typefaces). A distinction is made between two time-periods: (i) taxa recorded since 1970 and still believed to be extant in the vice-county and (ii) taxa which have not been recorded since 1970 or which have and which are known to be extinct in that vice-county.
The catalogue contains separate entries for every species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
(including microspecies for all apomictic groups), as well as separate entries for all subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
and interspecific hybrids. In total 4880 taxa are listed.
Previous catalogue; criticism
The most recent publication dealing with this subject prior to the 2003 work was the Comital Flora of the British Isles by G. C. Druce, which was published in 1932.The comprehensiveness of the work has been questioned by Hannah (2005), citing the Clyde Isles (vice-county 100), where he was able to trace 166 species for which there are records which he believed to be reliable, but which are not among the 891 listed for that vice-county.
Errata
An errata list, correcting entries for 29 taxa, was published in BSBI News no. 97 p. 60See also
- Census Catalogue of the Flora of Ireland
- A Checklist and Census Catalogue of British and Irish Bryophytes
- List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland