Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles

Back in 1976 my predecessor as Vice-county Recorder visited the Kearra Burn south of Talisker, west of Eynort, and found a gorge with a rich flora including Cochlearia officinalis (Scurvygrass), Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern), Orchis mascula (Early-purple Orchid), Polystichum aculeatum (Hard Shield-fern), Saxifraga hypnoides (Mossy Saxifrage), Saxifraga stellaris (Starry Saxifrage), Sedum rosea (Roseroot), Selaginella selaginoides (Lesser Clubmoss), Silene dioica (Red Campion) and Trollius europaeus (Globeflower).  All of these were still there on Saturday plus Botrychium lunaria (Moonwort):

Botrychium at Kearra Burn

There was an unusually orange Tussilago farfara (Colt’s-foot):

Orange Colt’s-foot

The gorge of the Kearra Burn looks like this:

Kearra Burn

and it afforded some shelter from the fierce and for the time of year cold wind which whipped up this loch, too small to merit a name on the OS 1:25,000 map:

Although winter is well and truly over at sea level, at any height, and I am talking below 400m, the moor is only slowly coming to  life:

Having said that, I took the above photo to illustrate the still-brown moors I then looked at my feet to find young leaves of Thalictrum alpinum (Alpine Meadow-rue) all around me.

Yesterday was a bit damp but the forecast for the following few days was a great deal worse – and today has confirmed that forecast so far.  So, less prepared than usual in terms of having checked known records in advance, I headed for a few hours in coastal areas of Sleat.

Aird Ghunail is near Camus Croise and has an old record of Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s-tongue) on the south side. I failed to find it but the hazel woods at the base of south-facing cliffs are well ahead of many areas in terms of plants being in flower:

Ransoms

Bugle

“Blue”bells

In the salt marsh  there was Salicornia (Glasswort), Carex extensa (Long-bracted Sedge) and on the shore Carex nigra (Common Sedge) in flower:

Carex nigra

whilst a rocky outcrop had several plants of Ligusticum scoticum (Scots Lovage).

I then headed farther down the Sleat peninsula to Knock hoping to spot Orchis mascula (Early-purple Orchid) reported from that area in 1970.  Again I failed but there was plenty of suitable looking sea cliff, a common habitat for the orchid locally, and I didn’t have time to look at very much of it. Knock Castle had Geranium molle (Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill) and Erophila glabrecens (Glabrous Whitlowgrass).  Castles and Duns seem to be the favoured habitat for the crane’s-bill on Skye.

Knock Castle – with ivy

Knock Castle

I hadn’t registered in advance that I was in an area where Glechoma hederacea (Ground-ivy) had been recorded – again in 1970.  That was from the roadside but yesterday I spotted it under gorse on the shore.

Aliens noted included Persicaria bistorta (Common Bistort) which appears to be increasing on road- and track-sides, Spiraea x pseudosalicifolia (Confused Bridewort) and Fallopia japonica (Japanese Knotweed)

Morag reports Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s-tongue) from near Portree – a site where it has been known for some years but feared lost after bracken spraying.

Ophioglossum vulgatum                Photo M. Henriksen

This species appears to be much rarer on Skye than on Raasay or Eigg – see map – but maybe it is overlooked.  It is always associated with bracken in this part of the world.

Nick Hodgetts took a select group of members of SWT Skye Members’ Centre on a foray through Collie Gairellach on the Suardal limestone on Skye today.  We saw many fine limestone and oceanic species. I particularly liked Orthothecium rufescens for its red colour:

Orthothecium rufescens

On the vascular plant front I added three species to the tetrad list including Hymenophyllum wilsonii (Wilson’s Filmy-fern):

Hymenophyllum wilsonii

and rather surprisingly Ficaria verna subsp. fertilis (Lesser Celandine).

Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn or Sloe) is not common on Skye or Raasay and Steve Terry reports it in flower a few days ago at a new site at Camas Malag:

Prunus spinosa   Photo S. Terry

It is also flowering on Raasay where it appears to be a long-since planted hedge.