Sea Holdfast
Plants of Rathkill Island
This is a fascinating extract from Siobhán Gunny's marvellous new book, Herbarium Arcanum. Yes, really, she's publishing yet another one but at least this one is about plants this time. Please email me, Orion Slade, to express interest in pre-ordering.
Botanist Notes
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Littorales
Family: Anchoridae
Habitat:
Found exclusively in the rock pools on the northeastern face of the island, below the high fern line, visible only at spring tides. Never found elsewhere, despite repeated attempts by researchers from the mainland to transplant samples. The samples do not survive transit. Or rather: they survive, but they arrive somewhere different.
Morphological Notes:
Flat, dark olive-green in colour, with a surface like cold rubber. Emits a low vibration when touched, perceptible to some people and not others. Children consistently report hearing it “hum.”
“Siobhán notes that she personally cannot hear the hum, and finds this significant, though is not yet prepared to say why.”