The ground flora in this area is much different from that elsewhere on the reserve.  No Rhododendron grows here.  Trees such as Ash can be found and Hart's Tongue Fern grows in proliferation close to the ground.  What is surprising is that the boundary between acid and alkaline soil is very clear.  The Hart's Tongue Ferns only occur within a sharply defined area.  They are not present growing in the acid soils which surround this small "alkaline island".