Antartica

Once upon a time, Antarctica was simply a part of Gondwana which drifted south over many millennia, and the flora that it carried remains now only as fossils.

Astoundingly, as well as some mosses and lichens, there is still a native grass, Deschampsia antarctica that grows there in the short Antarctic summer, and a pearlwort that bears yellow flowers.

Life is sparse, resilient and uncompromising, shaped by cold, wind and exposure. Our rapidly changing climate puts this fragile environment at great risk, compounded by more and more tourists who are visiting aboard the many cruise ships. It is only a matter of time before non-native plants will be introduced on boots or clothing, despite the bleach boot washing that is required of those who set foot ashore.