Laxo Burn
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Vascular plant assemblage | Favourable | — | 2012-12-19 |
Description
LAXO BURN Laxo Burn enters the sea at Laxo, 3.5 km east of Voe in Mainland Shetland. The small meadow at the mouth of the burn is notified for its vascular plant assemblage containing the only known population of weak-leaved hawkweed, Hieracium attenuatifolium and another Shetland endemic hawkweed – Hieracium dilectum. A third species formerly recorded here, H. pugsleyi, is now thought to be extinct. H. attenuatifolium is specially protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Most plants are found along the grassy banks of the burn down to sea level. Also present along the burn sides are a number of unusually robust specimens of the native eared willow, Salix aurita. Within Shetland there are 24 species belonging to the genus Hieracium, (commonly known as hawkweeds). Of these, more than half (14 species) belong to the Section Alpestria, a group restricted to Scandinavia, Greenland, Faeroe and the British Isles. The section Alpestria has 19 British representatives, but all 14 species occurring in Shetland are endemic to the islands.
Species mentioned
Show the 3 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
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IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a hawkweed | Hieracium attenuatifolium | Not listed in GB list | herb | asteraceae |
| charming hawkweed | Hieracium dilectum | Not listed in GB list | herb | asteraceae |
| eared willow | Salix aurita | LC | tree shrub | salicaceae |