Falkland Islands’ Sabbatical

WILDLIFE - FLORA


Due to the virtually persistent winds, plant life is low growing and not as delicate, or fragile, as some of the wild plants seen in UK. However, that does not detract from the uniqueness of it.

                                                                                                                                                                 Diddle-dee
Diddlee-dee is a heather-like plant. It flowers and produces masses of small red berries, about the size of the nail on your small finger, and which are used to make a pleasant tasting jam.







Christmas Bush
A small bush on the same lines as Diddle-dee. It has a mass of white flowers.








                                                                                                                                                                                    Scurvy Grass
This is not really a grass plant! In days gone by, the stem was used to make a drink to prevent scurvy and was so named.












Dusty Miller
These can be about 6 to 8 inches tall.












                                                                                                                                                                         Falkland Lavendar
Having never previously seen this plant in any of my previous visits, we saw loads of it during a day trip out and to the amazement of even the locals who had never seen it in such abundance!

There is Christmas bush in the background.









Mouse-eared Chickweed
This plant is on the likes of the chickweed seen in UK in that the flower is at the end of long growing and creeping stems.












                                                                                                                                                              Sheep's Sorrel
This is very conspicuous as the red colour stands out against the normal white grass of the Falklands’ landscape. It generally grows where land has been disturbed.







Pratia repens
An unusual plant and one which I only saw as I was putting fence battens on and kneeling to do the job. The plant is only a couple of inches tall but what is unusual is that the 5 petals are all on one ‘half’ of the flower head.










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Copyright ©Peter Ormond 2004