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Topic: Urtica incisa

We've recently been made aware that we have a few records of Urtica incisa AKA Scub Nettle. The source of the records just list 'Nettle' - these appear to have been entered as U. incisa as the common name of U. incisa in the Recorder 3 list is 'Nettle'.

I suspect some, if not all, of the records of Urtica incisa on the NBN Gateway are data entry errors. The BSBI distribution database has one dot up near Middlesborough and the Vascular Plants Database one in Scotland.

1) Could someone with some botanical knowledge confirm/deny my suspicions? There appears to be very little information (no BSBI maps for example) on the internet about U. incisa.

2) Chris - Could we amend the common name of U. incisa on the Recorder 3 list to Scrub Nettle (I know you don't like amending the Recorder 3 list, but in this case I think it's necessary and the consequences should be very limited).

3) Depending on 1) it might be worth the NBN team contacting all data suppliers who have records of U. incisa to see if they are indeed wrong.

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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Re: Urtica incisa

Hi Charlie

That's one that came up a while ago and I have fixed the database already - Nettle moved to Urtica dioica and Scrub nettle was added to incisa. We're just waiting on a huge update from the BMS to the fungi and then I'll be able to issue a major update to iRecord and Recorder :)

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/)

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Re: Urtica incisa

Brill -thanks Chris.

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership