Annet ( kw, Anet, ''
kittiwake
The kittiwakes (genus ''Rissa'') are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the black-legged kittiwake (''Rissa tridactyla'') and the red-legged kittiwake (''Rissa brevirostris''). The epithets "black-legged" and "red-l ...
'') is the second largest of the fifty or so uninhabited
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of th ...
, west of
St Agnes with a length of and approximately in area. The low-lying island is almost divided in two by a narrow neck of land at West Porth which can, at times, be covered by waves. At the northern end of the island are the two granite carns of Annet Head and Carn Irish and three smaller carns known as the Haycocks. The rocky outcrops on the southern side of the island, such as South Carn, are smaller. Annet is a bird sanctuary and the main seabird breeding site in Scilly.
[Robinson, P. (2003) The Birds of the Isles of Scilly. London: Christopher Helm.]
The island is closed to the public all year round to limit the disturbance to the breeding seabirds during the summer months and breeding Atlantic Grey Seals during the winter months, for which it has been designated a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI). It is also within part of the Isles of Scilly
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...
(AONB),
Isles of Scilly Heritage Coast and part of
Plantlife's,
Isles of Scilly Important Plant Area The island is managed by the
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust[Parslow R (2007) ''The Isles of Scilly''. London: HarperCollins] who lease it from the
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...
.
History
Little has been found on Annet in the way of human remains apart from a prehistoric
hut circle
In archaeology, a hut circle is a circular or oval depression in the ground which may or may not have a low stone wall around it that used to be the foundation of a round house. The superstructure of such a house would have been made of timber an ...
, a fragmentary field system and several limpet
middens. Bones of cattle and sheep were found indicating that they were eaten here and probably grazed the island.
It is proposed to designate the whole of Annet as a
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
. The name of the island is first recorded in 1302 as ''Anet''. Also recorded as ''Anete'' in 1305, ''Anet'' in 1339, ''Agnet'' in 1570 and ''Agnet iland'' alias ''Annett'' in 1650.
In the 19th century Annet was ″''used for pasturage by the inhabitants of other islands''″
although with only one freshwater seepage there could not have been many animals grazing on the island.
The SS ''Castleford'' struck the
Crebawethans in June 1877 and led to some of her cargo of 250 to 450 cattle being landed on the island and staying there for up to 10 days. Gurney (1889) reported that "... the animals trampled everything and would have caused an immense amount of damage at the peak of the shearwater and storm petrel nesting season". It seems unlikely that many stayed for 10 days because of the need for fresh water. Cattle were washed up on the Cornish coast as far as
Mount's Bay
Mount's Bay ( kw, Baya an Garrek) is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head. In the north of the bay, near Marazion, is St Michael's Mount; the origin ...
and
St Ives.
Another ship wrecked nearby, the world's only seven-masted schooner,
''Thomas W Lawson'' spilled her cargo of oil on 14 December 1907 causing the loss of many birds. In 1971 Rex Cowan found the wreck of
VOC ''Hollandia'' together with a large quantity of coins, bronze cannons and mortars. The ship hit Gunner Rock on 13 July 1743 with the loss of 276 lives.
Natural history
The geology of Annet is of
Hercynian
The Variscan or Hercynian orogeny was a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica (Laurussia) and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea.
Nomenclature
The name ''Variscan'', come ...
granite overlain with
raised beach
A raised beach, coastal terrace,Pinter, N (2010): 'Coastal Terraces, Sealevel, and Active Tectonics' (educational exercise), from 2/04/2011/ref> or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, ...
deposits. On the southern end there is a "thick bed of soil, part sand and part soil".
[ The island is low-lying with a top height of 18 m and the coast consists of boulder storm beaches. The effects of wind exposure, salt spray and lack of topography, restricts diversity and only 53 species of vascular plants have been recorded. The north of the island is dominated by a well developed, thick, thrift ('']Armeria maritima
''Armeria maritima'', the thrift, sea thrift or sea pink, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae. It is a compact evergreen perennial which grows in low clumps and sends up long stems that support globes of bright pink flow ...
'') turf whilst the southern part is dominated by dense stands of bracken (''Pteridium aquilinum
''Pteridium aquilinum'' (bracken, brake or common bracken), also known as eagle fern, is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions in both hemispheres. Originally native to Eurasia and North America, the extreme lightness o ...
''), bramble (''Rubus fruticosus
''Rubus fruticosus'' L. is the ambiguous name of a European blackberry species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the rose family. The name has been interpreted in several ways:
*The species represented by the type specimen of ''Rubus fruticosus'' L., ...
'') and bluebells (''Hyacinthoides non-scripta
''Hyacinthoides non-scripta'' (formerly ''Endymion non-scriptus'' or ''Scilla non-scripta'') is a bulbous perennial plant, found in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles, and also frequently used as a garden plant. It is ...
''), with some sand sedge (''Carex arenaria
''Carex arenaria'', or sand sedge, is a species of perennial sedge of the genus ''Carex'' which is commonly found growing in dunes and other sandy habitats, as the species epithet suggests (Latin , "sandy"). It grows by long stolons under the so ...
'') and Yorkshire fog (''Holcus lanatus
''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial grass. The specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In North America, where it is an invasive ...
''). Thickets of tree mallow (''Lavatera arborea
''Malva arborea'' (also known as ''Lavatera arborea'', or, more recently as ''Malva eriocalyx''), the tree mallow, is a species of mallow native to the coasts of western Europe and the Mediterranean region, from Ireland and Britain south to Alge ...
'') have developed at the back of some of the boulder beaches. There were scattered colonies of shore dock (''Rumex rupestris
''Rumex rupestris'', commonly known as shore dock, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Polygonaceae. Its native range is Western Europeand is one of the world's rarest dock species.Lousley JE, Kent DH. 1981. ''Docks and Knotwe ...
'') until a storm in 1982 swept away some of the boulder beaches. One colony remains in the corner of a relatively sheltered beach in the south of the island at a freshwater seepage. Shore dock is one of the primary reasons for the selection of the Isles of Scilly as a Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
(SAC). Annet is the ″British stronghold″ for the lichen ''Roccella fuciformis
''Roccella'' is a genus of 23 species of lichens in the family Roccellaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1805, with '' Roccella fuciformis'' as the type species.
Species
*'' Roccella albida''
...
''.
A description of the island by Hilda Quick, a former resident of St Agnes published in 1964 is still relevant today:Many people are disappointed at being unable to visit the famous bird sanctuary, but in fact, there is very little to see there by day. There will be shearwater corpses lying about, (victims of the gulls) several large colonies of gulls, some oystercatchers, rock pipits, and wrens. The walking on the island is horrid, much of it over loose stones hidden in long grass, some bramble and bracken, and awkward great clumps of thrift. What Annet is famous for is its colonies of Manx shearwaters and storm petrels; but since they nest underground, and only come and go in the dark, there is nothing to be seen of them by day. One has to camp out for the night, which is often a chilly process, and requires special permission. The puffins that to breed there in such numbers that their bodies were used for paying rent are now few, and can best be seen from a boat as they swim on the water.
Fauna
Annet is considered to be of outstanding importance as a seabird colony. Twelve species nest here, of which two, European storm–petrel ('' Hydrobates pelagicus'') and lesser black-backed gull ('' Larus fuscus'') have nationally important breeding populations. The storm–petrel breeds amongst the boulders of the more stable storm beaches. The largest population of Manx shearwater ('' Puffinus puffinus'') in the islands breed here and the other annual breeding species are puffin (''Fratercula arctica
The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin is found in the northeastern ...
''), greater black-backed gull (''Larus marinus
The great black-backed gull (''Larus marinus'') is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on t ...
''), razorbill (''Alca torda
The razorbill, razor-billed auk, or lesser auk (''Alca torda'') is a colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus '' Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinis imp ...
''), kittiwake (''Rissa tridactyla
The black-legged kittiwake (''Rissa tridactyla'') is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.
This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' as ''Larus tridactylus''. The English ...
''), fulmar ('' Fulmarus glacialis''), herring gull ('' L. argentatus'') and shag ('' G. aristotelis''). Common tern (''Sterna hirundo
The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory ...
'') breed on the island most years as do cormorant (''Phalacrocorax carbo
The great cormorant (''Phalacrocorax carbo''), known as the black shag in New Zealand and formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a w ...
'') and very rarely Arctic tern ('' S. paradisaea'').
Breeding birds
Annet has long had a reputation for being the best island for breeding birds and Jessie Mothersole
Jessie Mothersole (1874–1958) was an English archaeologist, artist, and author.
Early life and education
Mothersole was born in Essex in 1874 and trained at the Slade School of Fine Art in London from 1891/92 until 1896. During this time Mot ...
visiting in 1910 described the island thus:
Annet is known by the name of "Bird Island" from the immense numbers that breed there. In the early summer the sea all round is black with puffins and razor-bills, their white breasts being hardly noticeable as they sit on the surface of the water ; and the air above is dark with clouds of gulls, and full of their ceaseless cry. Puffins (also called sea-parrots) have bred on the islands from time immemorial.
Numbers of breeding birds have fallen over the years and in the last 150 years some of the threats have been recorded.
The Reverend Smart recorded his visit in 1885,
To land on Annet, when thousands of young birds are fledged and making their first essays at flight, is one of the best bits of fun imaginable, especially within a couple of hundred yards of the usual place of debarcation. The sandy, peat-coated soil is honeycombed by the birds. The young one has come out of the nest and with two or three steps you will get him. Do you though? In an instant one or both legs have suddenly sunk in the burrowed ground and birdie has escaped you. So the sport goes on, and it is a genuine romp for bird and follower. If you capture young ones you release them again. No gun has killed or lacerated; no stick has harmed; there is but a moment's scare for the palpitating, pecking fledgling, and he is off again, to join his parents, who hover near, and by their plaintive cries cheer up his beating heart and tell him they are at hand.
J. H. Gurney visited the island in May 1887 and estimated the population of Manx shearwater to be 200 pairs. He reported: There had been a terrible robbery on Annet, a few days before our visit, of Shearwaters or their eggs, or both, and the south end of the island was dug over in all directions. Notwithstanding this, we had no difficulty in finding the objects of our search; indeed the ground was so honeycombed, that it was impossible in some places to avoid stepping on, and breaking into, their domiciles.
The raid on the colony had been carried out by men from Tresco and they were brought before the Lord Proprietor Thomas Smith-Dorrien-Smith
Lieutenant Thomas Algernon Smith-Dorrien-Smith (7 February 1846 – 6 August 1918) was Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly from 1872 until his death in 1918.
Family
Thomas Algernon Smith-Dorrien-Smith was born on 7 February 1846 at Berkha ...
; Gurney did not report on their punishment if any. He also reported that Annet was the only island without rats.Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
(NHM) shows forty-five eggs taken between 1880 and 1936 by fourteen individuals from Holloway College; doubtless there are many more eggs in private collections. Names on the data cards include well known wildlife experts such as Charles Rothschild
Nathaniel Charles Rothschild (9 May 1877 – 12 October 1923), known as "Charles", was an English banker and entomologist and a member of the Rothschild family. He is remembered for The Rothschild List, a list he made in 1915 of 284 sites acros ...
and Frederick William Frohawk
Frederick William Frohawk (16 July 1861 – 10 December 1946) was an England, English zoological artist and lepidopterist.
Frohawk was the author of ''Natural History of British Butterflies'' (1914), ''The Complete Book of British Butterflies' ...
. An indication of how common and acceptable egg collecting was at the time, is the issue of day permits to visit uninhabited islands by the warden Arthur Dorrien-Smith
Major Arthur Algernon Dorrien-Smith (28 January 1876 – 30 May 1955) was Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly from 1918 to 1920.
Family
Major Arthur Algernon Smith-Dorrien-Smith was born on 28 January 1876, in Oxfordshire, to Thomas Smith ...
of Tresco. A NHM data card for three eggs in the collection, has a permit for landing on Annet on 24 May 1931 attached, and allowed the Souter brothers to land on any island, except tern islands, for up to one hour.sedge warbler
The sedge warbler (''Acrocephalus schoenobaenus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge warblers are migratory, crossing ...
(''Acrocephalus schoenobaenus'') and four willow warbler
The willow warbler (''Phylloscopus trochilus'') is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is strong ...
(''Phylloscopus trochilus'').
Mammals
In 1996 the Isles of Scilly was designated a European Marine Site and the Marine Management Organisation
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is an executive non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom established under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, with responsibility for English waters. The MMO exists to make a significant cont ...
is required to monitor the site at least every six years. The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus
The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...
'') is a named species and surveys were carried out in 2005 and 2010. Annet is one of the top four sites within the islands for numbers of seals and, during August to December 2010, over half of the observed pups seen were on Annet (46 out of 85).cetaceans
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel th ...
are from strandings and the British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
was the first organisation to publish such reports for Britain. Strandings are often the only indication that rare species live, or pass through, an area and in 1917 an endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
, a male fin whale
The fin whale (''Balaenoptera physalus''), also known as finback whale or common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale, is a cetacean belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is the second-longest species of ceta ...
(''Balaenoptera physalus'') was washed up.
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
(previously English Nature) began a rat extermination programme in the 1990s with systematic baiting now being carried out by the Wildlife Trust. Brown rats (''Rattus norvegicus
''Rattus'' is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus.
Species and description
The best-known ''Rattus'' species are the black rat (''R. rattus'') ...
'') have been eradicated from Annet and a feasibility study has found that the eradication of rats from St Agnes and Gugh
Gugh (; kw, Keow, meaning "hedge banks") could be described as the sixth inhabited island of the Isles of Scilly, but is usually included with St Agnes with which it is joined by a sandy tombolo known as "The Bar" when exposed at low tide. The ...
would benefit the breeding birds on Annet by removing the most likely source of invasion. The study also found that small mammals also benefit from the eradication programme which should help the Annet population of Scilly shrew ('' Crocidura suaveolens''). A rat eradication programme started on St Agnes and Gugh on 8 November 2013 and seems to be successful as none have been recorded in December. The eradication team will visit Annet in January 2014 to check for signs of rats.
Rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus
The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has ...
'') has also been recorded.
Arvicola terrestris
The European water vole or northern water vole (''Arvicola amphibius''), is a semi-aquatic rodent. It is often informally called the water rat, though it only superficially resembles a true rat. Water voles have rounder noses than rats, deep brow ...
'') which has never been found on the Isles of Scilly. Water vole is extinct at the nearest possible mainland source, Cornwall, and the original location of the skull is unknown.
Invertebrates
The lepidopterist
Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian.
Origins
Post- Renaissance, t ...
Austin Richardson made annual visits to the Isles of Scilly from 1956 to 1962 recording the moths and butterflies. On 14 September 1958, during a visit to Annet, he saw a crimson speckled (''Utetheisa pulchella
''Utetheisa pulchella'', the crimson-speckled flunkey, crimson-speckled footman, or crimson-speckled moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''.
Subs ...
''); a migrant moth whose larvae have never been found in Britain. He did not see any larva of the grass eggar ('' Lasiocampa trifolii'') but the imago
In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the imaginal stage, the stage in which the insect attains maturity. It follows the ...
was found there the following August.diptera
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
and also found a moth, the garden tiger (''Arctia caja
The garden tiger moth or great tiger moth (''Arctia caja'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. ''Arctia caja'' is a northern species found in the US, Canada, and Europe. The moth prefers cold climates with temperate seasonality, as the larvae ove ...
'').Odonata
Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous.
The two com ...
* Red-veined darter (''Sympetrum fonscolombii
The red-veined darter or nomad (''Sympetrum fonscolombii'') is a dragonfly of the genus ''Sympetrum''.
Taxonomy
There is genetic and behavioural evidence that ''S. fonscolombii'' is not closely related to the other members of the genus ''Sympetr ...
'') photographed on 23 September 2002
Dictyoptera
Dictyoptera (from Greek δίκτυον ''diktyon'' "net" and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing") is an insect superorder that includes two extant orders of polyneopterous insects: the order Blattodea (termites and cockroaches together) and the or ...
*Lesser cockroach ('' Ectobius panzeri'') found at Smith's Carn on 20 June 2002 by Rosemary Parslow
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...
*'' Aristotelia brizella'' larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
...
(recorded in 1903)[ and empty pupal cases, September 1993][
*Crimson speckled ('']Utetheisa pulchella
''Utetheisa pulchella'', the crimson-speckled flunkey, crimson-speckled footman, or crimson-speckled moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''.
Subs ...
'') (1958 and 1995)Arctia caja
The garden tiger moth or great tiger moth (''Arctia caja'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. ''Arctia caja'' is a northern species found in the US, Canada, and Europe. The moth prefers cold climates with temperate seasonality, as the larvae ove ...
'') (1961)[
*Knot grass larva ('']Acronicta rumicis
''Acronicta rumicis'', the knot grass moth, is a species of moth which is part of the genus '' Acronicta'' and family Noctuidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in the Pal ...
'') (2011)
Diptera
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
* '' Medetera saxatilis'' (recorded in 1961)
* '' Fucellia maritima'' (1961)
* '' Mydaea setifemur'' (1961)
* '' Minettia rivosa'' (1961)
* ''Sphaerophoria scripta
''Sphaerophoria scripta'', the long hoverfly, is a species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae.
Distribution
This species has a worldwide distribution. It can be found in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near E ...
'' (1961)
* '' Phryxe nemea'' (1961)
* '' Pherbellia cinerella'' (1961)
* '' Limonia unicolor'' (1961)[
]Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are parasitic.
Females typic ...
* ''Bombus lapidarius
''Bombus lapidarius'' is a species of bumblebee in the subgenus '' Melanobombus''. Commonly known as the red-tailed bumblebee, ''B. lapidarius'' can be found throughout much of Central Europe. Known for its distinctive black and red body, this so ...
'' (recorded in 1961)
* '' B. terrestris'' (1961)
* '' B. hortorum'' (1961)
* '' B. muscorum'' (1961)
Flora
At the time of publication of Lousley's flora in 1971, 53 species of ferns, flowering plants and grasses had been recorded on Annet.Bracken
Bracken (''Pteridium'') is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family (biology), family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produ ...
(''Pteridium aquilinum'')
* Sea spleenwort (''Asplenium marinum'')
* Lesser celandine
''Ficaria verna'' (formerly ''Ranunculus ficaria'' ), commonly known as lesser celandine or pilewort, is a low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae native to Europe and Western Asia. It has fleshy dar ...
(''Ranunculus ficaria'')
* Common scurvy-grass (''Cochlearia officinalis'')
* Danish scurvy-grass (''C. danica'')
* Common dog-violet
''Viola riviniana'', the common dog-violet, is a species of flowering plant in the family Violaceae, native to Eurasia and Africa. It is also called wood violet and dog violet. It inhabits woodland edges, grassland and shady hedge banks. It is ...
(''Viola riviniana'')
* Pale wood-violet (''V. reichenbachiana'')
* Sea mouse-ear (''Cerastium diffusum'')
* Common chickweed (''Stellaria media'')
* Sea pearlwort (''Sagina maritima'')
* Cliff sea-spurry (''Spergularia rupicola'')
* Sea beet
The sea beet, ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima'' ((L.) Arcangeli.), is a member of the family Amaranthaceae, previously of the Chenopodiaceae. Carl Linnaeus first described ''Beta vulgaris'' in 1753; in the second edition of ''Species Plantarum ...
(''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima'')
* Hastate orache (''Atriplex prostrata'')
* Babington's orache (''A. glabriuscula'')
* Frosted orache (''A. laciniata'')
* Prickly saltwort (''Kali turgida'')
* Tree mallow
''Malva'' is a genus of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae. It is one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temper ...
(''Lavatera arborea'')
* Dove's–foot crane's–bill (''Geranium molle'')
* Sea stork's–bill (''Erodium maritimum'')
* Common bird's–foot trefoil (''Lotus corniculatus'')
* Bird's–foot (''Ornithopus perpusillus'')
* Bramble
A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus ''Rubus'', which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. "Bramble" is also used to describe other prickly shrubs, such as roses (''Rosa'' species). The fruits inclu ...
(''Rubus fruticosa'')
* English stonecrop (''Sedum anglicum'')
* Navelwort (''Umbilicus rupestris'')
* Rock samphire
''Crithmum'' is a monospecific genus of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, with the sole species ''Crithmum maritimum'', known as rock samphire, sea fennel or samphire. The name "samphire" is also used for several other unrela ...
(''Crithmum maritimum'')
* Sheep's sorrel
''Rumex acetosella'', commonly known as red sorrel, sheep's sorrel, field sorrel and sour weed, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Native to Eurasia and the British Isles, the plant and its subspecies are commo ...
(''Rumex acetosella'')
* Curled dock
''Rumex crispus'', the curly dock, curled dock or yellow dock, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to Europe and Western Asia.
Description
The plant produces an inflorescence or flower stalk that grows to high. ...
(''R. crispus'')
* Shore dock (''R. rupestris'') RDB, six plants found in 1994 and 51 in 1996.Nettle
{{redirect, Nettle
Nettle refers to plants with stinging hairs, particularly those of the genus '' Urtica''. It can also refer to plants which resemble ''Urtica'' species in appearance but do not have stinging hairs. Plants called "nettle" includ ...
(''Urtica dioica'')
* Thrift (''Armeria maritima'')
* Early forgot-me-not (''Myosotis ramosissima'')
* Bittersweet (''Solanum dulcamara'')
* Black nightshade Black nightshade is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* ''Solanum americanum'' (American black nightshade) of much of North America
* ''Solanum nigrum'' (European black nightshade) of Europe
* ''Solanum ptychanthum'' (Eastern blac ...
(''Solanum nigrum'')
* Buckshorn plantain (''Plantago coronopus'')
* Cleavers
''Galium aparine'', with common names including cleavers, clivers, catchweed and sticky willy among others, is an annual, herbaceous plant of the family Rubiaceae.
Names
''Galium aparine'' is known by a variety of common names in English. They ...
(''Galium aparine'')
* Ragwort
''Jacobaea vulgaris'', syn. ''Senecio jacobaea'', is a very common wild flower in the family Asteraceae that is native to northern Eurasia, usually in dry, open places, and has also been widely distributed as a weed elsewhere.
Common names inc ...
(''Senecio jacobaea'')
* Heath groundsel (''Senecio sylvaticus'')
* Common groundsel
''Senecio vulgaris'', often known by the common names groundsel and old-man-in-the-spring, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is an annual herb, native to Europe and widely naturalised as a ruderal species in suitable disturbed ha ...
(''Senecio vulgaris'')
* Sea mayweed (''Tripleurospermum maritimum'') including some plants with double flowers (fl. ''pleno'')
* Slender thistle (''Carduus tenuiflorus'')
* Spear thistle
''Cirsium vulgare'', the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus ''Cirsium'', native throughout most of Europe (north to 66°N, locally 68°N), Western Asia (east to the Yenisei Valley), and northwe ...
(''Cirsium vulgare'')
* Prickly sow-thistle (''Sonchus asper'')
* Bluebell (''Hyacinthoides non-scripta'')
* Sand sedge (''Carex arenaria'')
* Heath-grass (''Sieglingia decumbens'')
* Red fescue (''Festuca rubra'')
* Darnel fescue (''Catapodium marinum'')
* Annual meadow-grass (''Poa annua'')
* Cocksfoot (''Dactylis glomerata'')
* Sand couch (''Elytrigia juncea'' subsp. ''boreoatlantica'')
* Yorkshire fog
''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial Poaceae, grass. The specific name (botany), specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In North Am ...
(''Holcus lanatus'')
* Creeping bent (''Agrostis stolonifera'')
References
External links
The Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding BeautyThe Isles of Scilly Wildlife TrustIsles of Scilly Seabird Recovery ProjectIsles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project: Frequently asked questions
{{SSSIs Cornwall biological
Uninhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the Isles of Scilly
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1971
Special Areas of Conservation in England
Seabird colonies