Flora and fauna of Cornwall
On Cornwall's moors and high ground areas the high elevation makes tree cover impossible because of the wind, so these areas are populated by
Cornwall is home to many rare flower species, especially at the southern end of
Coastal waters
The county's coastal waters are home to large populations of seals. Porpoises, whales and sharks are not uncommonly seen.
states that the word was either borrowed from Cornish or formed from a Cornish first element with the English "beagle"; however, none of the proposed Cornish root words are fully satisfactory. Squalus cornubicus (Gmelin, 1789); Squalus cornubiensis (Pennant, 1812) and Lamna cornubica are other Latin names for the porbeagle.Swanpool is the only location in the British Isles in which the bryozoan Victorella pavida is found.[4]
Cliffs, estuaries and riversides
The sea cliffs host many marine bird species with the
The
The Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital and Sanctuary is a wildlife hospital based near
The Tamar Valley
Tamar Valley AONB
The Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers around 195 km2 (75 sq mi) around the lower Tamar (below Launceston) and its tributaries the Tavy and the Lynher. It was first proposed in 1963, but was not designated until 1995.[7]
The Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre, North Petherwin (now permanently closed)
The Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre has
The Lizard Peninsula
Several nature sites exist on the Lizard Peninsula; Predannack nature reserve, Mullion Island,
The Lizard contains some of the most specialised flora of any area in Britain, including many
The Lizard district has a local organisation, the Lizard Field Club, whose members have studied the natural history of the area since 1953.
South coast
At
Marine life includes the
.Isles of Scilly
Because of the Gulf Stream, the climate of Scilly is particularly mild so sub-tropical plants can grow there, including true palm trees. Scilly is the first landing for many migrant birds, including extreme rarities from North America and Siberia. Scilly is situated far into the Atlantic Ocean, so many North American vagrant birds will make first European landfall in the archipelago.
Scilly is responsible for many firsts for Britain, and is particularly good at producing vagrant American passerines. If an extremely rare bird turns up, the island will see a significant increase in numbers of birders.
Flora
Botanists divide Cornwall and Scilly into two vice-counties: West (1) and East (2): the boundary runs irregularly from Truro to Wadebridge.
The standard flora is by
Another useful source of botanical information is The Flowers of the Field, by
- Plants of the environs of Tintagel
"Within easy reach of Tintagel at least 385 varieties of flowers, 30 kinds of grasses, and 16 of ferns can be found ... a 'happy hunting ground' for botanists" and a list of thirty-nine of the rarest is given. (Contribution by E.M.S. to W. J. C. Armstrong's Rambler's Guide, 1935.)[10]
Cornish symbology
The Cornish national flower is variously said to be either
Botanic gardens
There are botanic gardens at the Eden Project, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, and at Trebah and Tresco Abbey Gardens on the Isles of Scilly.
Gardening
It is probable that no area of the world has the conditions for growing such a great variety of plants. Gardeners in Devon and Cornwall supported plant collectors such as Forest, Wilson and Kingdon Ward by taking infinite trouble in caring for seedlings and extended their gardens into woods to provide the right conditions. Plants seen in Cornish gardens have encouraged upcountry gardeners to grow such plants as Magnolia campbellii. Some plants (e.g. Rhododendron macabeanum) can grow larger in Cornwall than they can in their native habitats. Before the period of tourism Cornish gardens were designed for spring effect; however the tourists who come in summer want to see magnificence at that time of year so the gardeners have adapted accordingly, though a good effect is still made in spring. Wind shelter is an important precondition for the site of a good garden, particularly near the coast.
The rectory and vicarage gardens of Cornwall are very varied. Some are large enough to allow for tree planting and both formal and informal garden of this kind exist. Some have been cared for by noted horticulturists such as Arthur Boscawen of Ludgvan and others by amateur gardeners such as Bernard Walke of St Hilary where a former vicar had planted an avenue of beech trees.[20] Joseph Hunkin, Bishop of Truro, was a keen gardener; he was commemorated by a garden in the cathedral close and a shrub donated to every parish.[21] His articles on gardening topics were collected and published as From a Cornish Bishop's Garden in 2001.[22]
Trees
The Darley Oak is an oak tree which grows near Darleyford on the edge of Bodmin Moor. This ancient tree is thought to be at least 1,000 years old, and a considerable amount of legends take it as their core.
Elms
Cornish Elm
The Cornish Elm was once common in Cornwall but can now only be found outside Cornwall. The origin of the
Davey Elm
The
Fruit trees
- Cornish Aromatic
Cornish Aromatic is an apple cultivar with a crisp, nut-like aromatic flavour that was first recorded in Cornwall in 1813.
- Cornish Gilliflower
The Cornish Gilliflower cultivar of apple is so named as it was found in Truro, Cornwall, around 1800, the word 'gilliflower' being a corruption of a French word giroflier meaning clove, believed to be a reference to its odour. The cultivar was brought to the attention of commercial growers in 1813.[27]
- Dufflin
Dufflin is an old variety of cider apple from Cornwall. It was included in orchard trials by Long Ashton Research Station in 1957.[28]
- Hocking's Green
This is an apple variety which originated in Coad's Green.[29]
- King Byerd
The King Byerd is a Cornish cultivar of apple. It is a heavy cropping, large fruit, suitable for culinary or desert use.[30] Harvested from late October.[31]
- Kea Plum
The Kea Plum is a damson-like variety deriving its name from the parish of Kea.
Cultural significance
Title | Symbol | Picture |
---|---|---|
Subnational tree | Cornish Elm (Ulmus minor stricta) |
|
Subnational flower | Spring Squill (Floral Emblem of Kernow) | |
Subnational bird | Cornish Chough/Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) |
|
Subnational animal | European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | |
Subnational fruit | Cornish Gilliflower (Malus domestica) | |
Subnational vegetable | Collard (plant) (Brassica oleracea) | |
Subnational crop | Potato (Solanum tuberosum) |
Other Cornish varieties of plants
The Cornish heath (
As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity
The Cornish eyebright (Euphrasia vigursii) is found on heathland in Cornwall and south Devon.[34]
The Cornish moneywort (Sibthorpia europaea) is found locally in south-west England,[35] Wales and the south of Ireland; in the rest of southern England it is rare.[36]
The distribution of least adder's tongue in Britain is restricted to one small area of coastal heath on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. It grows in short turf on Wingletang Downs where some colonies are suffering from an increase of competitive grasses, gorse (Ulex europaeus) and bramble (Rubus fruticosus).[38]
Cornish palm is a local common name for the monocot tree Cordyline australis endemic to New Zealand.
See also
- Birds of Cornwall
- Cornish hedge
- Cornish Rex (cat)
- Geography of Cornwall
- Geology of Cornwall
- List of Special Areas of Conservation in Cornwall
- List of Cornish scientists and inventors
- List of gardens in Cornwall
References and bibliography
- ^ Henderson, Charles (1935) Essays in Cornish History; ed. by A. L. Rowse and M. I. Henderson. London: Oxford University Press; Cornish deer parks; pp. 159–162
- ^ Roman, B. "Biological Profiles: Porbeagle". Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-9558694-0-2; p. 102.
- ^ Carter, Michelle; Jackson, Angus (2007). "Basic information for Victorella pavida (Trembling sea mat)". Marine Life Information Network for Britain & Ireland. Marine Biological Association. Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
- ^ Madge (1994)
- Cornwall County Council. Archived from the originalon 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ^ "Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: About the Tamar Valley AONB". Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
- ^ "A brief glance at a map of Cornwall would prepare the average field botanist for a rich harvest. Favoured geographically, inasmuch as they come within range of the genial operations of the Gulf Stream; including a coast line which may be taken approximately as 250 miles; furnished with a chain of bold hills forming a sort of backbone to the county; and including among other advantages densely wooded and well watered valleys opening to the sea on both the north and the south coast, a good deal of land peculiarly favourable to paludal and ericetal plants, and long stretches of beach and blown sand where all kinds of littoral subjects lurk, the 887,740 acres of which from a botanical point of view Cornwall is comprised hold probably a larger number of species than any other British county of the same size. If meteorological values be added to the map another key will have been furnished to the richness of the flora ..."
- ^ Lt Cdr R. I. T. (Pip) Falkner. "The Flowers of the Field—Johns". Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ Armstrong, W. J. C. (1935) A Rambler's Guide to Tintagel, and Camelford, 2nd ed. [Boscastle: the Author]; pp. 89–95
- ^ John T. Koch, Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, Abc-clio, 2006
- ^ George Thayer, The British political fringe: a profile, A. Blond, 1965
- Peggy Pollard, Cornwall, P. Elek, 1947
- ^ James Minahan, The complete guide to national symbols and emblems, Volume 1, Greenwood Press, 2009
- ^ James Minahan, The complete guide to national symbols and emblems , Volume 1, 2009
- ^ "Will native trees thrive in the future?". West Briton. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ a b "County flower of Isles of Scilly". Plantlife International – The Wild Plant Conservation Charity. Archived from the original on 18 March 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2006.
- ISBN 0-00-219972-6.
- ^ Synge, Patrick (1977) The Gardens of Britain; Vol. 1: Devon and Cornwall. London: B. T. Batsford; pp. 13–17
- ^ Walke, Bernard (2002) Twenty Years at St Hilary. Mount Hawke: Truran; pp. 39–44
- ^ Brown, H. Miles (1976) A Century for Cornwall. Truro: Blackford; pp. 102–116
- ^ Penzance: Alison Hodge – a collection of newspaper articles from The Guardian, (an Anglican weekly newspaper) edited and introduced by Douglas Pett. Hunkin, J. W. "From a Cornish bishop's garden". Copac. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ White, J. & More, D. (2002). Trees of Britain & Northern Europe. Cassell's, London.
- ^ Elwes, H. J. & Henry, A. (1913). The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland. Vol. VII. pp 1848–1929. Private publication. "The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland". Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
- ^ Page 13849; Cornwall.gov.uk
- ^ Archie Miles, Hidden Trees of Britain, Ebury Press, 2007, p. 17
- ^ "Nursery List". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ^ Long Ashton Cider Apple Key, written by R. R. Williams and R. D. Child
- ^ Browse, Philip McMillan (2005). Heligan: fruit, flowers and herbs. Alison Hodge Publishers. p. 82.
- ^ "Item ~ Devon Apples ~ Informative Apple and Fruit Resource". devon-apples.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
Dessert/Culinary
- ^ "King Byerd apple – Nitty Grits". nittygrits.org. 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
harvested from late October
- ^ "The floral emblem of your county". The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 May 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
- Martin, W. K.(1974) The New Concise British Flora. London: Ebury Press; pl. 55
- ^ Martin, W. K. (1974) The New Concise British Flora. London: Ebury Press; pl. 64
- ^ E.g. Roebuck Meadows and sites on Exmoor, Somerset
- ^ Martin, W. K. (1974) The New Concise British Flora. London: Ebury Press; pl. 63
- ^ Holyoak, David T (2009). Bryophytes. In Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (Second ed.). Praze-an-Beeble: Croceago Press. pp. 72–104.
- ^ Bennallick, I.J., French, C.F and Parslow, R.E. (2009) "Vascular Plants". In CISFBR, Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd edition. Praze-an-Beeble: Croceago Press.
- Bere, Rennie(1982) The Nature of Cornwall. Buckingham: Barracuda Books
- Rodd, E. H. (1864) A List of British Birds as a Guide to the Ornithology of Cornwall. London, 1864; 2nd edit. 1869.
- Rodd, E. H. (1880) The Birds of Cornwall and the Scilly Islands; edited by J. E. Harting. London