The Keen of Hamar NNR is home to a range of plants that have adapted to live, not only in hostile conditions, but on the thin 'soils' of the Serpentine rocks that make up this area. Here, the Serpentine has weathered to form some of the oldest and poorest soils in Britain. As the Serpentine weathers it forms angular lumps known as 'debris'. It is the large expanse of this debris that makes the site, together with it's flora, unique.
Edmondston's Chickweed, also known as Shetland Mouse-ear, only grows on Unst and was discovered by the 12 year old botanist Thomas Edmondston in 1837. Edmondston later became Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, but tragically died aged just 20, on a scientific expedition to South America; a year after publishing his flora of Shetland.
Fortunately we had a dry spell whilst plant hunting on this apparently barren and exposed site!
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Edmondston's Chickweed...and below.
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| The flowers are disproportionately large relative to the rest of the plant. |
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| The Mossy Campion was past its best - but I do like it as a plant! |
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| Norwegian Sandwort with Lesser Clubmoss. |
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| Frog Orchids ...and below. |
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| Early Purple Orchid and Heath Spotted-orchid. |
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| Thrift. |
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