Limestone Pavement : Gravel

Mountain Avens 1

English Name: Mountain avens Botanical Name (Latin): Dryas octopetala Irish Name: Leaithín Order: DIOTYLEDONES Family: ROSACEAE Brief Description: Mat-forming, evergreen, perennial herb; leaves glossy, dark green above, white below, margins indented; flowers solitary on erect, dark reddish stems covered with dark red glandular hairs; petals 8 or more (this character is very variable), pure white; stamens numerous, yellow.

Carsten Krieger

Mountain Avens 1
Carsten Krieger

Mountain Avens 1

Carsten Krieger

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In some areas the surface of the limestone pavement is shattered, resulting in a coarse, loose covering of gravel or scree. This is particularly true on the higher slopes.

Here, where plants push up through the gravel, we find many of the alpine and artic species.

Dark-red helleborine, mountain avens and wood sage are characteristic species that thrive in this habitat.

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Dark Red Helleborine

English Name: Dark-red helleborine Botanical Name (Latin): Epipactis atrorubens Irish Name: Cuaichín dhearg Order: MONOCOTYLEDONES Family: ORCHIDACEAE Brief Description: Perennial herb less than 0.3m tall, upper stem very hairy; leaves more or less in two opposite ranks; flowers dull, dark red but variable, 6?18 per spike; ovary hairy.

Carsten Krieger

Dark Red Helleborine - Carsten Krieger

Wood Sage 1

English Name: Wood sage Botanical Name (Latin): Teucrium scorodonia Irish Name: Iúr sléibhe Order: DIOTYLEDONES Family: LAMIACEAE (LABIATAE) Brief Description: Perennial herb to 0.5m tall; leaves oval, upper surface minutely wrinkled; flowers creamy, with one lip, in long spike.

Carsten Krieger

Wood Sage 1 - Carsten Krieger

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