Edmonston’s Chickweed
On the barren slopes of the Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve, on the island of Unst, grows a plant found nowhere else in the world: Edmonston’s Chickweed (Cerastium nigrescens). This small, white-flowered plant grows in the thin, dry soil that lies over the serpentine rock on the Keen. Edmonston’s Chickweed survives in the habitat’s extreme conditions – poor in nutrients and exposed to Shetland’s high winds. Indeed, in the photo above, photographed in the height of summer, the flower was buffeted by the wind, and only looks still due to a fast shutter speed.
The species was first recorded in 1837 by Thomas Edmonston, a young naturalist from Unst who was just 12 years old at the time. Born into a family of naturalists, Thomas showed exceptional promise in botany. At 18, he published A Flora of Shetland (1845), which is still an important reference for Shetland botany. At age 20 he was appointed Professor of Botany at Anderson’s University in Glasgow (a forerunner of today’s University of Strathclyde).
A few months later, in May 1845, Thomas joined HMS Herald as the ship’s naturalist on a Pacific survey expedition. The voyage was to include a stop at the Galápagos Islands, and the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin wrote to Thomas with advice and requests for specimens. Tragically, a few days after leaving the Galápagos, on 24 January 1846 off the coast of what is now Ecaudor, a crew member’s rifle accidentally discharged, and Thomas was instantly killed.
Despite his short life, Thomas Edmonston’s achievements left a lasting impact, and the chickweed that bears his name is a symbol of his place in botanical history.
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