Riverside Hawkweed (Hieracium amnicola)

Key Details

Taxonomic Groups: Vascular plant > flowering plant > Herbaceous plant
Red List Status: Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(nr)]
D5 Status: Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022)
Section 41 Status: (not listed)
Taxa Included Synonym: (none)
UKSI Recommended Name: Hieracium amnicola
UKSI Recommended Authority: P.D.Sell
UKSI Recommended Qualifier: (none specified)
Red List Citation: in Stroh et al., 2014
Notes on taxonomy/listing: (none)

Criteria

Question 1: Does species need conservation or recovery in England?
Response: Yes
Justification: Recent work has shown that although this Yorkshire endemic was once known from c. 5 localities, B. Burrow was unable to refind in any sites 2022-2023 and it is now Critically Endangered (Rich 2025 in press) or even Extinct. Requires targeted search and collection of seeds from any remaining populations to enable recovery.
Question 2: Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions?
Response: Yes
Justification: Rediscovery in the field is essential; no seed in Millennium Seed Bank
Question 3: At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages?
Response: No
Justification: Unknown at this stage

Species Assessment

Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): 2. Biological status assessment exists
Recovery potential/expectation: Low - Relict or natural rarity
National Monitoring Resource: Opportunistic - insufficient
Species Comments: few specialist hawkweed surveyors

Key Actions

Key Action 1

Proposed Action: Survey of all 5 known sites a priority to rediscover it, and collect autecological data (vegetation niche, management) and collect seed for the Millennium Seed Bank.

Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists

Action type: Status survey/review

Duration: 1 year

Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites

High priority sites: Lock Scar and Comb Hill

Comments: high priority for action amongst hawkweeds

Key Action 2

Proposed Action: Promote awareness of the group amongst landowners, understanding of conservation requirements amongst conservation professionals and identification skills amongst field botanists e.g. via BSBI training resources and workshops

Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified

Action type: Advice & support

Duration: 3-5 years

Scale of Implementation: ≤ 100 sites

High priority sites:

Comments: generic action

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Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.