''Coincya wrightii'', known as Lundy cabbage, is a species of primitive brassicoid,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the island of

Lundy Lundy is an English island in the Bristol Channel. It forms part of the district of Torridge in the county of Devon. About long and wide, Lundy has had a long and turbulent history, frequently changing hands between the British crown and ...

off the southwestern coast of England, where it is sufficiently isolated to have formed its own species, with its endemic insect pollinators. ''Coincya wrightii'' grows natively only on the eastern cliffs and slopes of the island and nowhere else in the world and is a

protected species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, invasiv ...

. It reaches up to a metre in height and with its yellow flowers (seen from May to August) it looks a little similar to oil seed rape. Although it is a member of the

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

family, it tastes unpleasant – it has been described as "triple-distilled essence of

Brussels sprout The Brussels sprout is a member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages (''Brassica oleracea''), grown for its edible buds. Etymology Though native to the Mediterranean region with other cabbage species, Brussels sprouts first appeared i ...

". The Lundy cabbage is unique in that two species of beetles that feed on it – the Lundy cabbage flea beetle ('' Psylliodes luridipennis'') and the Lundy cabbage weevil ('' Ceutorhynchus contractus pallipes'') – also occur nowhere else in the world. The number of Lundy cabbages varies from year to year. Grazing by goats, sheep and rabbits is a problem, along with suppression by the invasive alien ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

'' bushes that have been spreading across the island. It is an excellent example of isolation on an island leading to the production of unique species.

References

External links

*
"What is a Lundy Cabbage and why is it important?" (at Archive.org)

UK Biodiversity Action Plan

Arkive: ''Coincya wrightii''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5141591 Endemic flora of England Lundy wrightii Plants described in 1989

See also

References

External links