Small cow-wheat - update

The following are brief summaries of some of the action that we and our partners have done since the Species Action Framework was launched. They're in chronological order, with the most recent updates at the top of the page.

7 December 2009

Seed has been collected from two wild populations of the small cow-wheat (Melampyrum sylvaticum) where it is clearly in surplus. It was sown at six sites in Perthshire woodlands where the species does not occur but where conditions appeared suitable. This area is well within the historic range boundary of the species in Britain and assumed to be core for this species in Scotland as two of the largest remaining populations occur nearby.

The sowings took place in three phases. The translocations in 2005 to five sites used about 100 seeds at each site. In 2006 about 360 seed were sown into one of these sites and 370 into a new site in the same area. In 2008, 500 seed were used to further supplement three of the sites.

It is far too early to judge if these efforts will be successful. Plants successfully established at all sites but additional seed has been added because we are keen to ensure that we do not establish populations that suffer from the problems known to be associated with small size and isolation.