The flora of King Edward Point & Grytviken

The following flowering plants are found in the KEP area, though some of the illustrations are taken from Bird Island. The pictures and guide should help to identify the species. I've used the DAFOR scale of occurrence (Dominant, Abundant, Frequent, Occasional, Rare) to give some idea of frequency. Most of the alien plants listed here can now be regarded as established, as they have been present for at least 30 years. Click on the thumbnail to see the full resolution images, which are about 1Mb in size. See also my pages on the flora of Bird Island and the lower plants of South Georgia. For further information there are BAS papers on The vascular flora of South Georgia , The W.N. Bonner Collection of Plants from South Georgia , New records for South Georgian vascular plants, Short notes: Fossils from the South Orkney Islands: Matthews Island; Nomenclatural notes on South Georgian vascular plants. For information about some introductions to Antarctica see An Experimental Introduction of Plants to the Antarctic , Alien Vascular Plants on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands , The survival of Falkland Island transplants at South Georgia and Signy Island, South Orkney Islands , An experimental introduction of vascular plants from South Georgia to the maritime Antarctic. Compiled from visits in 2006 and 2010.

Plant	Leaves	Flower	Detail
Acaena magellanica (Prickly burr (or burnet)) - The flower heads around KEP tend to be larger than those on Bird Island and the fruiting heads develop very adhesive prickles, which are rare on Bird Island. Abundant. Native
Acaena tenera (Lesser prickly burr) - Smaller and greener than the above, and generally growing a little higher up. The leaves are about as long as they are wide. The flower heads are on prostrate stalks and about 5mm in diameter. The detail shows the contrast between the two species. Frequent. Native.
Acaena tenera x magellanica (Hybrid prickly burr) - The cross between the two species, which has the grey green colour of leaves of magellanica but the small flower heads, usually with a secondary flower at the first leaf junction, short stalks and leaf shape of tenera. Occasional where the two parents grow close together. Native.
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) - A few plants grow on the west side of the stream below the church and appear to be spreading. Locally frequent..
Agrostis capillaris (Common bent) - Common behind Grytviken. The flower heads are much browner and finer than Poa pratensis. It often forms circular patches a few metres in diameter. Locally frequent.
Agrostis vineale (Brown bent) - A single patch by the Grytviken cemetery. The florets have a short awn (hair) projecting from them, and the ligule (paper like sheath where the leaf joins the stem) is 3mm or more long. Rare.
Alopecurus magellanicus (Fuegian Foxtail) - A patch grows on the flat ground between KEP and Duse. The florets have single awns. Rare? Native?
Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow parsley) - A common English wayside plant of the early summer. Several clumps grow on the east side of the barracks in Grytviken. Rare.
Callitriche antarctica (Antarctic water-starwort) - Common in boggy areas and along stream banks. The flower is tiny and only has yellow stamens and anthers. Abundant. Native.
Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd's purse) - A common English weed, with purse shaped seed heads. A few plants outside the BAS food store at KEP. Rare. Not seen in 2010.
Cardamine glacialis (Southern bittercress) - A possible native on the Island, although only recently found at KEP. Initially thought to be C. flexuosa and therefore an alien. C. glacialis is known from southern South America to St Helena. Although the ripe seed pods overtop the flowers, there are six stamens, thus distinguishing it from C. hirsuta. The long pods burst explosively, scattering the tiny seeds. Locally frequent.
Cerastium fontanum (Common mouse-ear) - Another alien that is doing well. It has hairy leaves and stems, but the sepals are less hairy (cf Stellaria media). Frequent.
Colobanthus quitensis (Antarctic pearlwort) - Light green cushion forming plant of drier areas. It is one of only two flowering plants native to Antarctica. The flowers at KEP are larger and emerge further from the cushion than do those of Bird Island. Occasional. Native.
Colobanthus subulatus (Emerald bog) - Found in wetter areas, but again generally cushion forming. The leaves are slightly broader and the cushion firmer and slightly more spikey, but the best way to tell them apart is from the flowers. In C. quitensis they stick out from the cushion, but in C. subulatus they are inside it. Occasional. Native.
Crystopteris fragilis (Brittle bladder fern) - Found a few hundred feet or more up in sheltered crevices. I found a specimen on the western side of Bore Valley at the top of the scree. Rare. Native.
Dactylis glomerata (Cock's foot). - A single plant near the old guano store in Grytviken, by the stream side. Presumed introduced in 2008 or 2009, this was the first record for the Island.
Deschampsia antarctica (Antarctic hair-grass) - The grass that forms the lawn of meadows. It is the other flowering plant native to Antarctica. Frequent. Native.
Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted hair-grass) - Tall silvery flower heads from tufted clumps of ribbed leaves. Damp areas in Grytviken. A couple of plants at Leith cemetery. Occasional.
Empetrum rubrum (Diddle Dee) - One plant grows on the Hestesletten plain, roughly 75m west of the western margin of the middle of Zenker Ridge. It has increased in diameter from 1.25m in 1971 to 2.8m in 2010.
Festuca contracta (Land tussac) - Rather spiky, blue-green erect leaves, with non-spreading flower head. Found around KEP buildings, but more widely above the tussac. Locally abundant. Native.
Festuca rubra (Red fescue) - A couple of plants grew outside the jail and by the Sat B tower, another is at the east end of Everson House. Some have been eradicated by spraying with weedkiller.
Galium antarcticum (Antarctic bedstraw) - The stem has a square cross-section and the flowers have three or four white petals. They flowers give off a vanilla like aroma. Frequent. Native.
Grammitis poeppigiana (Strap fern) - Looks more like a bit of leaf than a fern. Similar habitat to C fragilis and I found a couple of specimens in the same location. Rare. Native.
Hymenophyllum falklandicum (Falkland filmy-fern) - Grows in rocky crevices. Small (leaves around 5mm across, with a prominent vein) and difficult to find as it looks like a moss. Locally frequent. Native.
Juncus inconspicuous (Lesser rush) - Fairly short tubular stems with septae. Flower head is closely attached to the stem and appears to have a long awn or bract. Near shore of Maiviken upper lake. Occasional. Native. It is now thought to be the same as J. scheuchzeriodes.
Juncus scheuchzeriodes (Native rush) - Generally similar to J inconspicuous, but with the flowers on stalks. Locally frequent. Native.
Lycopodium magellanicum (Common clubmoss) - Another of the species that grows near the V serpyllifolia, but also around the Maiviken lake hut. Occasional. Native.
Montia fontana (Water blinks) - Found in damp areas. Occasional. Native.
Nardus stricta (Mat grass) - One plant grows near the side of the path to Poa Cove, near where it steepens on the way round from Maiviken. It was first reported from the location in 2009. It was reportd at Leith Harbour in 1970, but the site was not accessible in 2010.
Ophioglossum crotalophoroides (Adder's-tongue) - An easily identifiable fern. Rare. Native.
Phleum alpinum (Alpine catstail) - A distinctive grass seen everywhere in the area. The florets have twin awns in a U-shape. Frequent. Native.
Poa annua (Annual meadow-grass) - An introduced English wayside grass, that grows in gravely areas. It is a new colonist to Antarctica, having become established on King George Island. It also used to grow on Deception Island before the 1967 volcanic eruption obliterated the site. Frequent.
Poa flabellata (Tussac-grass) - The most common plant of the lower slopes of the Island. Formerly known as Parodiochloa flabellata. Dominant. Native.
Poa pratensis (Smooth meadow-grass) - Another alien. The taller of the two grasses around KEP. Ligules (the transparent membrane where leaves join the stem) short and round. Knobbles on the stem nodes. It has also been reported from Antarctica in the 1960s, at the old stations of Deception (63 S) and Danco (65 S). Poa trivialis has been reported from the Japanese Syowa station (69 S) Frequent.
Polystichum mohrioides (Shield fern) - Another easily recognisable fern. Occasional. Native.
Pratia repens (Berry lobelia) - A Falkland native, growing in a small patch about a metre across behind the museum. Rare.
Ranunculus biternatus (Antarctic buttercup) - Common in the damper areas. The flowers (small and off yellow) seem to come out at a different time to the leaves. Frequent. Native.
Ranunculus repens (Creeping buttercup) - A common English plant that may be spreading here. There is one patch at the base of Felix Artuso's grave at the cemetery, several patches on the east side of the old hydroelectric power station, patch between the church and barracks, and patches by and below where Shackleton House was. Occasional.
Rostkovia magellanica (Short rush) - Found in seasonally damp areas. Locally frequent. Native.
Rumex acetosella (Sheep's sorrel) - There is a large patch on the east side of the track from KEP to Grytviken, just before the whaling station. There are other patches in Bore Valley, and there are more elsewhere. Also found in 2010 at Leith Harbour on a bluff above the station. Locally frequent.
Rumex crispus (Curled dock) - A few plants grew on the west side of the stream below the church and another clump is on the east side of the stream further above the church. They have been eradicated by spraying with weedkiller.
Sagina procumbens (Procumbent pearlwort) - A common English pearlwort. Four yellowish plants were seen in its old site below the old bakery. Over a dozen healthy plants were found in the waste ground of the plan in 2006 and there were more in 2010. Occasional.
Stellaria media (Chickweed) - A few plants grew in the tussac by the Dartcom. It has smooth green leaves, the stems are hairy on one side and the sepals are much hairier than C fontanum. It appears to have been eradicated by spraying with weedkiller.
Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) - A common alien that is doing very well. The lants are much smaller at the heavily grazed Leith Harbour. Abundant.
Trifolium repens (White clover) - A common English plant. There is one patch about 50cm across below the Morrison camp. This had gone in 2010, though there was another patch on the Plan. Rare.
Uncinia macrolepis (Smith's sedge) - Found on the slopes above the power station. Occasional. Native.
Veronica serpyllifolia (Thyme-leaved speedwell) - A number of plants grow in the opposite the whale catchers at the entrance to Grytviken. I also found one in the rough ground near the small barracks west of the bath house. Locally frequent.

Updated 2017 June 30