The Bicknor Variant

 

With all these variants knocking about, it is no big surprise that we should find one on our own doorstep. The Bicknor Variant. When an entity appears in its thousands and millions, it is only reasonable to expect a few to vary slightly from the template.

Lifeforms constantly change. Whichever term you care to use; evolve or mutate, the lifeform is looking for an advantage.

The change may give an advantage over the competition, protection against predators, or perhaps an increased transmissibility. The desired effect is the improved ability to survive and continue the genetic line. If the mutation confers an advantage then that variant can become the dominant strain.

The more individuals there are, the greater the chance that a mutation will occur. At a ridiculously rough estimate, there could be between 1.9 and 6 million bluebells in Bicknor Wood. Would you like to do the maths? A reasonable density of bluebells is between 160 up to 500 per square metre. 

Given that the centre of the wood is densely covered in bluebells with a few other hotspots around the outside, lets use only 3 acres of the 8.5 acre woodland for the calculation. 

4046 metres per acre x 3 acres x 160 bluebells per square metre = 1,942,080. Using the density at the higher end of the range gives 4046 x 3 x 500 = 6,069,000.

The Whitebells are a regular and expected variant in most established bluebell woods. Other forms are common, but the difference is much more subtle and doesn't show up so obviously.

Lighter and darker forms can be seen. Perhaps this makes them stand out in the ultraviolet end of the spectrum?

Some stand high above the rest and have much larger flowerheads, giving the potential for increased transmissibility.

 

Transmissibility - a word few of us had in our lexicon until the Kent Variant became headline news. The ability of an organism to multiply and spread. Look for patches of variants to see if that particular mutation has been successful. 

Photo credit; Hayley Scott

Even at the higher estimate of 6 million bluebells, they will never compete with the mutating potential of a virus and certainly won't deter Boris from his roadmap back to normality.