Posts Tagged Flora
The Norwegian Red List
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on July 28, 2010
The variety and beauty of the Norwegian fauna and flora is what draws many travellers to this country, but did you know many endemic species were threatened? The Red List is a record of all the threatened species in Norway. Published in 2006, the list was compiled by 23 teams of experts who assessed 18,500 species in mainland Norway and on Svalbard, as well as in Norwegian seas. Close to 2,000 species currently feature on the list as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable, and include 78 species of birds, 44 fish, 31 mammals, and 5 species of reptiles and amphibians. Top of the list are actually beetles (802 species) and fungi (744 species), followed by butterflies and moths (430 species).
The Red List helps to draw attention to threatened species not only at a national level, but also among regional and local authorities. Its aim is to make sure species do not disappear from the country and to maintain viable and healthy plant and animal communities. The highest concentration of threatened species can be found in forest and woodland, closely followed by agricultural landscapes (kulturlandskap), where increased agricultural activity and forestry destroy habitats, as do the building of roads and houses. Pollution and climate change, unsurprisingly, also form important pressures on biological diversity.
Pretty in white…
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on June 29, 2010
Bog cotton (Eriophorum angustifolium)
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on June 29, 2010
Bog cotton or cotton grass (myrull in Norwegian) is a common sight this time of year in Østfold, particularly in wet, peaty ground (acid soil), and in pools of shallow, still water, often along the coast. Bog cotton actually comes in two forms, single headed and many-headed, but the two plants are very similar, with white fluffy cotton seed heads and grassy leaves. They usually appear around June each year. The white cotton flowers, which are attached to the seed, are easily dispersed by the wind, thus ensuring the spread of the species. Bog cotton grows to about 60-70cm – the long narrow leaves which surround each stem turn from green to red-brown in autumn. In the old days bog cotton had many uses. It was used for stuffing pillows, to make candle wicks, and also as commercial cotton to make thread and cloth, but it is more brittle than cotton and do not bear twisting so well.
A telltale sign that spring’s arrived…
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 26, 2010
Wood anemone (Anemone nemerosa)
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 26, 2010
This flower, which announces the arrival of spring, can be seen as early as April in Norway. It is normally found in shady deciduous woodlands, sometimes in grassy roadsides too.
Each stem has a white star-shaped flower, often flushed with pink or purple. As in all anemones, the flower has no real petals, but instead sports modified sepals (usually 6 or 7) which assume the colouring and characteristics of petals.
The flower can be up to 2.5cm (1 inch) in diameter, although younger specimen are smaller, and the whole plant can grow up to 25cm (8 inches) tall, although 10-12cm (3-4 inches) is more common (at least in Norway).
Most of the year this plant is hidden from view. But a fast-growing underground root system allows it to grow, and carry out its annual life-cycle in the few weeks of spring, before the shade from the trees above becomes too dense.
It does not require fertilization by insects and has no scent. What it lacks in perfume, however, it makes up for in prettiness – a carpet of wood anemones in the spring is a sight to behold (see pic above).
The plant contains poisonous chemicals that are toxic to animals (including humans). Although herbalists no longer use the plant medicinally, various parts of the wood anemone used to be recommended for a variety of complaints, including headaches, gout and rheumatism.
The wood anemone is a member of the buttercup family. It is also known under the name of windflower and smell fox, and is called hvitveis in Norwegian.