The Falkland Islands
Snakeplant - Nassauvia serpens (Photo: S Alton)
The flora of the Falkland Islands includes more than 160 native species of flowering plant, and though it has many affinities with that of temperate South America, 14 species are found nowhere else. These species face the threat of over-grazing, pasture improvement and the spread of invasive species such as gorse. Much of the vegetation is dwarf-shrub heath, with areas of vegetation protected from grazing on more isolated islets and in rocky areas.
View west from Sapper Hill, East Falkland (Photo: T Heller)
In collaboration with Falklands Conservation and with the help of local volunteers, the seed of 41 Falklands species (including four of the endemics) have been collected for the MSBP to date. This figure is set to increase with a collecting trip planned for early 2009 and the continued help of local partners.
Species in the bank include the strange-looking endemic Snake Plant (Nassauvia serpens) and the cushion-forming Balsam-bog (Bolax gummifera).