Donal Hickey: Kerry's mystery new fern

One of the most exciting botanical discoveries for the last two centuries in the Irish Flora

The very rare Stenogrammitis myosuroides (Kerry Mousetail Fern). Picture Rory Hodd/Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland

Renowned botanist Robert Lloyd Praeger didn’t miss much when he travelled around the country more than a century ago, visiting some areas many times over a five-year period.

He was entranced by the plant life and beauty of the South-West as he moved through places like Roaringwater Bay, Bantry, and Glengarriff before arriving in Kerry and what is now Killarney National Park. “From almost every point of view, the most interesting region in Ireland for the botanist,’’ he wrote.

This factor is generally put down to the effects of the Gulf Stream, a warm, moist climate, and conditions that allow for growth virtually year-round.

Donal Hickey: Killarney is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s richest and more diverse National Parks.

In vivid detail, Praeger described his findings which included a variety of ferns, butterwort (bog violet), and the arbutus (strawberry tree), so emblematic of Killarney’s woodlands, to mention a few. It’s probably safe to assume, however, he didn’t venture into the more outlying areas of these woods, which are still capable of revealing secrets.

Now, two years after a new species to Europe was first discovered there, a second population of the Kerry mousetail fern has been discovered in a very remote woodland in Killarney National Park, 4km from the previously known location, reports the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

This fern was first seen in the park in July 2019, as a new species to Europe. It was previously found only in the Caribbean, and in the tropical cloud forests of Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Interestingly, the NPWS believes this species arrived in Ireland without human intervention. Most likely, its tiny spores travelled across the Atlantic on the wind and happened to land in a place where conditions were suitable.

“It is not clear how long this species has been present in Ireland and only 40 plants were found on two rocks in one location, making it an extremely vulnerable and threatened plant,” said a NPWS spokesperson.

As part of the survey scheme, NPWS engaged leading specialists in a number of fields, including independent botanical researcher Dr Rory Hodd.

The habitat where Stenogrammitis myosuroides (Kerry Mousetail Fern) was first found. Picture Rory Hodd/ Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.

Rory and his colleague Dr Fred Rumsey from the Natural History Museum in London had to look really closely at these sporangia in order to confirm that this was Stenogrammitis myosuroides.

Experts think it could have survived undetected in the area for years, possibly for decades, centuries or even longer. Due to its very small size and tendency to grow in remote areas, it could very easily have been overlooked by generations of botanists.

It is not known when the rare plant first established itself in Killarney National Park, widely regarded as one of Ireland’s richest and more diverse National Parks.

"I am still of the opinion that this is the most exciting botanical discovery for the last two centuries in the Irish Flora," Dr Rumsey said.

Back to the present and reminders from readers. How could anyone fail to observe the glistening, red berries on rowan and holly trees and the still-blooming fuchsia on hedges and roadsides?

Apropos a recent column on barn owls and the greater white-toothed shrew, a reader in Youghal, Co Cork, sends word that this shrew has arrived in the area. “Our cat used to bring in pink-toothed pygmy shrews but, recently, it’s all white-toothed ones,’’ he says.