|
A University
of St Andrews plant scientist has discovered Britain's newest plant
species growing in York.
The
species was discovered at the edge of York railway station car park,
and is believed to have originated there within the last 30 years.
 |
|
A herbarium specimen of the plant grown
in a greenhouse |
Dr
Richard Abbott of the University of St Andrews said,
"At a time in Earth's history when animal and plant species are
becoming extinct at an alarming rate, the discovery of the origin
of a new plant species in Britain calls for a celebration as well
as being of great scientific interest."
The
new species is a weed that sets seed only three months after germinating.
'Senecio
eboracensis'
The
Latin name given to the new species is Senecio eboracensis, after
Eboracum, the Roman name for York.
The
new species is still found only in York and always as a weed of
disturbed ground. During this period, chance factors alone, such
as intensive weeding and redevelopment of its existing sites, could
wipe it out.
|
The discovery of the origin of a new plant species in Britain
calls for a celebration
|
| DR
Richard Abbott, School of Biology |
It
will need to colonise and increase rapidly its numbers on new sites
in York and elsewhere to improve its likelihood of survival.
Following
the discovery and description of the new species, Dr Abbott and
two colleagues from Bristol University have recently been awarded
a grant of £450,000 from the Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC) for a collaborative study.
The
research will focus on the newly originated York groundsel, in addition
to other hybrid taxa with recent origins.
|
A
genetic analysis of the plant has shown it is the product
of natural hybridisation between the Common groundsel, a native
British plant, and the Oxford ragwort
