Editing Shetland (section)

=== Flora ===
The landscape in Shetland is marked by the grazing of [[sheep]] and the harsh conditions have limited the total number of plant species to about 400. Native [[tree]]s such as [[sorbus aucuparia|rowan]] and [[malus sylvestris|crab apple]] are only found in a few isolated places such as cliffs and loch islands. The flora is dominated by Arctic-alpine plants, wild flowers, [[moss]] and [[lichen]]. [[Scilla verna|Spring squill]], [[plantago coronopus|buck's-horn plantain]], [[Scots lovage]], [[rhodiola rosea|roseroot]] and [[silene uniflora|sea campion]] are abundant, especially in sheltered places. Shetland mouse-ear (''[[Cerastium nigrescens]]'') is an [[endemism|endemic]] flowering plant found only in Shetland. It was first recorded in 1837 by botanist [[Thomas Edmondston]]. Although reported from two other sites in the nineteenth century, it currently grows only on two serpentine hills in the island of Unst. The nationally scarce [[mertensia|oysterplant]] is found in several islands and the British [[IUCN Red List|Red Listed]] [[bryophyte]] ''[[Thamnobryum|Thamnobryum alopecurum]]'' has also been recorded.<ref>Scott, W. and Palmer, R. (1987) ''The Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Shetland Islands''.  Shetland Times. Lerwick.</ref><ref>Scott, W.; Harvey P.; Riddington R.; and Fisher, M. (2002) ''Rare Plants of Shetland'', Shetland Amenity Trust, Lerwick.</ref><ref>[http://visit.shetland.org/flora "Flora"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506052858/http://visit.shetland.org/flora |date=6 May 2011 }} visit.shetland.org. Retrieved 7 April 2011.</ref><ref>Steer, Patrick (1999) "Shetland Biodiversity Audit". Shetland Amenity Trust.</ref> Listed marine algae include: ''[[Polysiphonia fibrillosa]]'' (Dillwyn) Sprengel and ''[[Polysiphonia atlantica]]'' Kapraun and J.Norris, ''[[Polysiphonia brodiaei]]'' (Dillwyn) Sprengel, ''[[Polysiphonia elongata]]'' (Hudson) Sprengel, ''[[Polysiphonia elongella]]'', Harvey.<ref>Maggs, C.A. and Hommersand, M.H. 1993. ''Seaweeds of the British Isles'', The Natural History Museum, London, {{ISBN|0-11-310045-0}}</ref> The Shetland Monkeyflower is unique to Shetland and is a mutation of the [[Erythranthe|Monkeyflower]] ''(mimulus guttatus'') introduced to Shetland in the 19th century.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40935666|title=Scientists discover a new flower of Shetland|last=Macdonald|first=Kenneth|date=16 August 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=19 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819172502/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40935666|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Simón-Porcar|first1=Violeta I.|last2=Silva|first2=Jose L.|last3=Meeus |first3=Sofie|last4=Higgins|first4=James D.|last5=Vallejo-Marín|first5=Mario|title=Recent autopolyploidization in a naturalized population of Mimulus guttatus (Phrymaceae)|journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=185|issue=2|pages=189–207|doi=10.1093/botlinnean/box052|date=October 2017|doi-access=free|hdl=2381/40377|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.shetland.org/blog/story-of-shetlands-trees | title=Root and branch – the story of Shetland's trees | date=19 April 2021 }}</ref>