1 Topic by ser

  • ser
  • ser
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Staffordshire Ecological Recor
  • Registered: 24-09-2008
  • Posts: 603

Topic: Salix fragilis confusion

I have found there is some discrepancy regarding Salix fragilis in Recorder6

entering records for Salix fragilis result in "Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)" being displayed in the Survey/Taxon Occurrence window, but on producing a report based upon Preferred Taxon these records are displayed as:
Hybrid Crack-willow (Salix euxina x alba = S. x fragilis)

I don't mind which name is used, but it would be less confusing if the window matched the reports!

Craig

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

ser's Website

2 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 27-08-2011
  • Posts: 1,131

Re: Salix fragilis confusion

Hi Craig

I'm not sure about this one but I know that Salix fragilis was subject to a quite complex revision recently - ironically by one of the NHM experts in Salix. Took me a while to work it all out because it involved hybrids and all kinds of taxonomic trickery. The revision resulted in what we thought of as being a species (S. fragilis) being made into a hybrid (S. x fragilis) with one of the parents being a new species (S. euxina) which was itself a more correct name for "S. fragilis var. decipiens" ... so it was a bit hair-raising!

If you can point to something in the data that might be creating the effect you're seeing then let me know and I'll check it.

Best wishes,
Chris R.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)