Isle of Man cabbage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isle of Man cabbage |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Coincya |
| Species: |
C. monensis
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| Subspecies: |
C. m. subsp. monensis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Coincya monensis subsp. monensis |
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The Isle of Man cabbage (scientific name: Coincya monensis subsp. monensis) is a special plant. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbages and broccoli. You can find this plant growing along the coasts of the Isle of Man. It also grows on the western shores of Great Britain, from north Devon up to Kintyre in Scotland.
Contents
Why This Plant Needs Our Help
The Isle of Man cabbage is quite rare. It naturally grows in only about 22 places. This plant is endemic to the British Isles. This means it is found only in this area.
It is considered a nationally scarce British species. This plant is in serious danger of extinction. It was once very common on the Isle of Man, which is how it got its name.
However, for reasons we don't fully understand, its numbers have dropped greatly. Now, only a few plants are left, growing far apart. To help save it, the Manx Wildlife Trust started growing new plants in their greenhouses in 2006. They hope this will stop the decline and keep the species from disappearing forever.
Where the Isle of Man Cabbage Lives
This plant likes different kinds of soil. It can grow in light (sandy), medium (loamy), or heavy (clay) soils. The soil must drain water well but still stay moist.
The Isle of Man cabbage can grow in acidic, neutral, or alkaline soils. It prefers areas with some shade, like light woodland, or no shade at all.
This plant needs moving sand dunes. Wind or other erosion helps keep the sand clear of thick plants. This creates open spaces for the Isle of Man cabbage to grow. People walking on footpaths can also help create these clear areas. This is why you often see the plant growing along paths in coastal dunes.
Life Cycle and Features
The Isle of Man cabbage is a dicot plant. It is biennial, meaning it lives for two years. It grows to about 0.3 metres (1 foot) tall.
The plant forms rosettes of leaves. These rosettes can be up to a metre (3 feet) wide. Its flowers have four petals. They are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower has both male and female parts.
Insects help to pollinate the flowers. The Isle of Man cabbage flowers from April onwards.
Family and Other Names
The Isle of Man cabbage belongs to the Coincya genus. Other plants in this group include the Lundy cabbage (Coincya wrightii). There is also the star mustard (Coincya monensis'' subsp. ''recurvata).
The star mustard is the same species as the Isle of Man cabbage. However, it is a different subspecies. It was brought to eight U.S. states. It might have changed into a new subspecies there. This could be due to the founder effect and being separated geographically.
In the Manx language, the plant is called caayl Vannin. This literally means 'Manx cabbage'. Outside the British Isles, it is also known as star mustard, wallflower cabbage, tall wallflower cabbage, or simply coincya.
The scientific name for the plant is Coincya monensis subsp. monensis. The word monensis is Latin for 'Manx'. The Isle of Man was called Monapia in Latin.
See also
In Spanish: Caayl Vannin para niños
