|
Cornwall is the county that forms the tip of the southwestern peninsula of England; this area has a mild and warm climate regulated by the Gulf Stream. The mild climate allows rich plant cover, such as palm trees in the far south and west of the county and in the Isles of Scilly, due to sub-tropical conditions in the summer. On Cornwall's moors and high ground areas the high elevation makes tree cover impossible because of the wind, so these areas are populated by shrubs and bushes such as gorse and heather. Ferns, mosses, liverworts, lichens and fungi can all be found in the county. In the wettest areas of Bodmin Moor, sphagnum or bog moss can be found. Cornwall is home to many rare flower species, especially at the southern end of the Lizard, due to its unique soil and geology. On the Lizard Peninsula, Cornish heath – the flora emblem of Cornwall – mesembryanthemums, butcher's broom, early meadow grass and a wide range of clovers including the lizard clover, brookweed and yellow wallpepper can be found. The north coast of Cornwall features maritime grassland, heathland and stunted woodland. ==Coastal waters== The county's coastal waters are home to large populations of seals. Porpoises, whales and sharks are not uncommonly seen. St Ives recently made newspaper headlines after a reported sighting of a great white shark.〔(Shark is spotted off Cornwall )〕 Porbeagles inhabit the coastal waters but the etymology of the word is obscure. A common suggestion is that it combines "porpoise" and "beagle", referencing this shark's shape and tenacious hunting habits. Another is that it is derived from the Cornish ''porth'', meaning "harbour", and ''bugel'', meaning "shepherd".〔Peirce, R. (2008). ''Sharks in British Seas''. Shark Cornwall ISBN 978-0-9558694-0-2; p. 102.〕 The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that the word was either borrowed from Cornish or formed from a Cornish first element with the English "beagle"; however, none of the proposed Cornish root words are fully satisfactory. ''Squalus cornubicus'' (Gmelin, 1789); ''Squalus cornubiensis'' (Pennant, 1812) and ''Lamna cornubica'' are other Latin names for the porbeagle. Swanpool is the only location in the British Isles in which the bryozoan Victorella pavida is found. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Flora and fauna of Cornwall」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|