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Do not fill this in! ===Flora=== {{See also|List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland}} [[File:Heather (Highlands).jpg|right|thumb|alt=purple heather in meadow showing flower spikes|[[Calluna vulgaris|Heather]] growing wild in the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] at [[Dornoch]]]] In a similar sense to fauna, and for similar reasons, the flora consists of fewer species compared to much larger continental Europe.<ref name="floraa">{{cite web|title=Plants of the Pacific Northwest in Western Europe|url=http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben195.html|publisher=Botanical Electric News}} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref> The flora comprises 3,354 [[vascular plant]] species, of which 2,297 are native and 1,057 have been introduced.<ref name="frodin">Frodin, ''Guide to Standard Floras of the World'', 599.</ref> The island has a wide variety of [[trees of Britain and Ireland|trees]], including native species of [[birch]], [[beech]], [[fraxinus|ash]], [[Crataegus|hawthorn]], [[elm]], [[oak]], [[Common yew|yew]], [[pine]], [[cherry tree|cherry]] and [[apple tree|apple]].<ref name="tree">{{cite web|title=Checklist of British Plants|url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/postcode-plants/checklist-british-plants.html|publisher=Natural History Museum}} Retrieved on 2 March 2009.</ref> Other trees have been naturalised, introduced especially from other parts of Europe (particularly Norway) and North America. Introduced trees include several varieties of pine, [[Sweet chestnut|chestnut]], [[Acer platanoides|maple]], [[Norway spruce|spruce]], [[Acer pseudoplatanus|sycamore]] and [[fir]], as well as [[Prunus cerasifera|cherry plum]] and [[European Pear|pear trees]].<ref name="tree" /> The tallest species are the [[Douglas fir]]s; two specimens have been recorded measuring 65 metres or 212 feet.<ref>{{cite web|title=Facts About Britain's Trees |url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_about_britains_trees |publisher=WildAboutBritain.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429191609/http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_about_britains_trees |archive-date=29 April 2009 |url-status=dead }} Retrieved on 2 March 2009.</ref> The [[Fortingall Yew]] in [[Perthshire]] is the oldest tree in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Fortingall Yew | date=27 June 2016 |url=http://www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk/index.asp?pg=26|publisher=PerthshireBigTreeCountry.co.uk}} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref> There are at least 1,500 different species of [[wildflower]].<ref name="flowepow">{{cite web|title=Facts and Figures about Wildflowers |url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_and_figures_about_wildflowers |publisher=WildAboutFlowers.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226093303/http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_and_figures_about_wildflowers |archive-date=26 February 2008 |url-status=dead }} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref> Some 107 species are particularly rare or vulnerable and are protected by the [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981]]. It is illegal to uproot any wildflowers without the landowner's permission.<ref name="flowepow" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Endangered British Wild Flowers|url=http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/hort/edgrflwr.htm|publisher=CountryLovers.co.uk|access-date=23 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016231754/http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/hort/edgrflwr.htm|archive-date=16 October 2008|url-status=dead}} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref> A vote in 2002 nominated various wildflowers to represent specific counties.<ref>{{cite web|title=County Flowers of Great Britain |url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/county_flowers_great_britain |publisher=WildAboutFlowers.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427194140/http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/county_flowers_great_britain |archive-date=27 April 2009 |url-status=dead }} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref> These include [[Common poppy|red poppies]], [[Common bluebell|bluebells]], [[Bellis perennis|daisies]], [[Narcissus (genus)|daffodils]], [[Bog rosemary|rosemary]], [[gorse]], [[iris (plant)|iris]], [[ivy]], [[Mentha|mint]], [[orchid]]s, [[bramble]]s, [[thistle]]s, [[buttercup]]s, [[primula vulgaris|primrose]], [[thyme]], [[tulips]], [[viola (plant)|violets]], [[Primula veris|cowslip]], [[Calluna vulgaris|heather]] and many more.<ref name="flora">{{cite web|title=People and Plants: Mapping the UK's wild flora |url=http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/assets/saving-species/saving-species-publications/People-and-plants-mapping-the-UKs-flora.pdf |publisher=PlantLife.org.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107065620/http://www.plantlife.org.uk//uk/assets/saving-species/saving-species-publications/People-and-plants-mapping-the-UKs-flora.pdf |archive-date=7 November 2007 }} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=British Wildflower Images|url=http://www.map-reading.co.uk/wildflowers/|publisher=Map-Reading.co.uk|access-date=23 August 2009|archive-date=28 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100428135945/http://www.map-reading.co.uk/wildflowers/|url-status=dead}} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=List of British Wildlfowers by Common Name |url=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/wildflower/common-names |publisher=WildAboutBritain.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429191609/http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/facts_about_britains_trees |archive-date=29 April 2009 |url-status=dead }} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=British Plants and algae|url=http://www.arkive.org/british-species/plants-and-algae/|publisher=Arkive.org|access-date=23 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812214546/http://www.arkive.org/british-species/plants-and-algae/|archive-date=12 August 2009|url-status=dead}} Retrieved on 23 February 2009.</ref> <br />There is also more than 1000 species of [[bryophyte]] including [[algae]] and [[mosses]] across the island. The currently known species include 767 mosses, 298 [[liverworts]] and 4 [[hornwort]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2022 |title=New atlas reveals spread of British bryophytes in response to cleaner air |url=https://www.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-media/news/new-atlas-reveals-spread-british-bryophytes-response-cleaner-air#:~:text=The%20British%20Isles%20support%20a,and%20767%20mosses)%20currently%20known. |access-date=18 June 2022 |website=[[UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology]]}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page