Stoer Green: a wealth of flowers revealed
Between the road and the sea at Stoer Bay is an area of sandy grassland known as Stoer Green (NC038283). It is bounded to the south by a large sheep fank, on the hill to the north by an old dyke, and surrounds the Old School House. The area was known to house some uncommon plants, but has for many years been intensively grazed by sheep.
Following stock-fencing of the Green by the Stoer Grazings Committee early in 2019, Bill and Val Badger began to notice a proliferation of flowers in the grassland sward. They drew my attention to this, and on 20th September Bill and I spent a couple of hours making the appended list from the part of the Green north of the burn (photo 1).
Scarce plants
The list includes plants growing along the burn course, but not those on the area of sea-cliff in the westernmost part of the site, which we did not explore. The total tally was 68 species, unexpectedly large, given the relatively small area and the time of year. They include a number of plants that are locally scarce or rare in Assynt (indicated by * in the list below).
Examples are knotted pearlwort and autumn gentian. Most pearlworts are inconspicuous tufted plants with greenish flowers, but knotted pearlwort Sagina nodosa has upright stems, bearing the tight whorls of leaves from which it gets its name, and single white, star-like, flowers about the size of a little fingernail. It was seen at the edge of Loch an Aigeil some years ago, but never before on the Green, where it was scattered through the grassland sward (photos 2 and 3). Autumn gentian Gentianella amarella is an annual, which appeared in quantity this year in thinly-vegetated areas across the higher parts of the site (photo 4). The form found here, as elsewhere in the north, is subspecies septentrionalis, with compact stems bearing creamy-white flowers, suffused with purplish-red on the outside.
We plan to have another look at the area next summer, with likely additions. One plant we shall be hoping to find is the dune form of meadow orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata coccinea, with brick-red flowers, which was last seen on the Green on 11th June 1997.
(Re-visit 27th June 2020 ‘Stoer Green revisited’)
Ian M. Evan
Stoer Green (NC038283): list of flowering plants made by Bill Badger and Ian Evans, 20th September 2019
Grasses
Common Bent Agrostis capillaris
Creeping Bent Agrostis stolonifera
Early Hair-grass Aira praecox
False Oat-grass Arrhenatherum elatius
*Marram Ammophila arenaria
Crested Dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus
Cock’s-foot Dactylis glomerata
Fine-leaved Sheep’s-fescue Festuca filiformis
Red Fescue Festuca rubra
Yorkshire-fog Holcus lanatus
Perennial Rye-grass Lolium perenne
Annual Meadow-grass Poa annua
Spreading Meadow-grass Poa pratensis ssp. irrigata
Sedges and rushes
Glaucous sedge Carex flacca
Carnation sedge Carex panicea
Jointed Rush Juncus articulatus
Soft Rush Juncus effusus
Heath Woodrush Luzula multiflora
Other flowering plants
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
*Thyme-leaved Sandwort Arenaria serpyllifolia
Thrift Armeria maritima
Daisy Bellis perennis
Hairy Bitter-cress Cardamina hirsuta
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
*Sea Mouse-ear Cerastium diffusum
Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum
Creeping thistle Cirsium arvense
Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare
Smooth Hawk’s-beard Crepis capillaris
Wild Carrot Daucus carota
Marsh Willowherb Epilobium palustre
Bell Heather Erica cinerea
*Common Stork’s-bill Erodium cicutarium
Monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata
Cleavers Galium aparine
Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum
*Autumn Gentian Gentianella amarella septentrionale
*Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill Geranium molle
Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus
Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus
Mint Mentha sp.
Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides
Buck’s-horn Plantain Plantago coronopus
Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata
Greater Plantain Plantago major
Selfheal Prunella vulgaris
Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens
*Water-cress Rorippa cf. microphylla
Common Sorrel Rumex acetosa
Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius
Procumbent Pearlwort Sagina procumbens
*Knotted Pearlwort Sagina nodosa
*Heath Pearlwort Sagina subulata
Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis
*Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre
English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum
Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
Bog Stitchwort Stellaria uliginosa
Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus
Lesser Trefoil Trifolium dubium
Red Clover Trifolium pratense
White Clover Trifolium repens
Marsh Arrowgrass Triglochin palustre
Common Nettle Urtica dioica
Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys