Following on from my visit to Ullinish a week or so ago, I recently visited the next tetrad to the west which includes Colbost Point. Here there is “coral” beach like the more famous one north of Dunvegan, albeit on a smaller scale, but one that is rarely visited.
Near Colbost Point
and here there was Sedum acre (Biting Stonecrop) as reported in 1969.
Sedum acre (Biting Stonecrop)
Sadly, I didn’t find Sagina nodosa (Knotted Pearlwort), also reported in 1969 from “above the coral beach”. It should have been possible to find, though flowering is over, as Joanna demonstrated last week by showing me a piece she had found at Kinloch. Both these species are pretty infrequent on Skye.
Other nice species in a Skye context included a single very immature specimen of Cakile maritima (Sea Rocket) that is unlikely to set fruit and therefore will be gone by next year, Centunculus minimus (Chaffweed), Lythrum salicaria (Purple-loosestrife) and Mentha arvensis (Corn Mint).
Several plants of Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort Plantain) had galls caused by the nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci:
Plantago lanceolata nematode gall
I think this is my first nematode record!
Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles 
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