Keith Brown MSP has visited a stronghold for one of Britain’s rarest plants in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh.
Sticky catchfly is found in just 11 locations in the UK – nine in Scotland and two in Wales. The largest remaining colonies survive on cliffs in the southern Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire.
The plant is also found in three locations in Edinburgh, including Holyrood Park, where the Ranger Service has worked to increase the number of populations of the plant through translocations.
Keith Brown is the MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, and the Species Champion for sticky catchfly. He said: “It was a pleasure to learn about the work that has been done in Holyrood Park to help save sticky catchfly from extinction.
“This beautiful flower is clinging on in just a few places including several strongholds in my own constituency. I’m very keen to raise awareness of its plight, and encourage its reintroduction to other suitable sites in Scotland.”
Sticky catchfly faces threats including grazing and being swamped by gorse and ivy, and the remaining sites need careful management to avoid local extinction.
Dr Maggie Keegan, Head of Policy, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “Scotland is home to a whole host of wonderful and rare plants like sticky catchfly. This particular flower is a ‘goldilocks’ species that needs just the right amount of grazing to survive. Secure funding to provide specialist care is needed to ensure the species can endure and contribute to our rich biodiversity in the future, including sound conservation advice for land managers and monitoring for the small number of sites where it is still found.”
Sticky catchfly features beautiful pink flowers and is named for its sticky stem, which is believed to be an adaptation to help prevent damage from insects. It was named Edinburgh’s county flower in 2004 and was first scientifically recorded on Arthur’s Seat in 1688.
Davie Black, Conservation Manager, Plantlife Scotland said: “Sticky catchfly is just one of the many gems that make up Scotland’s wildlife. One in six of Scotland’s wildflowers are under threat and they all need looking after with the right management in place, otherwise they could be lost to us all.”
Species Champions was launched in 2013 by Scottish Environment LINK. Members of the Scottish Parliament are asked to lend political support to the protection of Scotland’s threatened wildlife. Currently 93 MSPs have agreed to support a species.