VII] MOORLAND ASSOCIATIONS 191 
this, the only view obtainable of the summit as a whole, is dull 
and uninspiring in the extreme. 
From the standpoint of floristic botany, the Peak is un- 
interesting ; still, it is of interest to the ecologist as it provides 
many problems in the succession of plant associations. 
The following plants occur on the plateau or uppermost 
slopes of the Peak :— 
Dominant species 
Vaccinium Myrtillus 
Locally sub-dominant species 
Rubus Chamaemorus Empetrum nigrum 
Vaccinium Vitis-idaea! 
Occasional or locally abundant species 
Potentilla erecta! Nardus stricta! 
Galium saxatile? Eriophorum angustifolium 
Calluna vulgaris? Juncus squarrosus! 
Molinia caerulea! J. effusus? 
Local or rare species 
‘Lycopodium spp.” Deschampsia flexuosa! 
Blechnum spicant! Scirpus caespitosus! 
Nephrodium dilatatum! Eriophorum vaginatum 
“ Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi” “Carex dioica” 
Erica Tetralix! C. curta 
Festuca ovina! “Tistera cordata” 
BARE PEAT 
As the process of peat-denudation proceeds, the members of 
this retrogressive plant association gradually succumb to the 
changing conditions, until the “peat-hags” become almost or 
quite bare of plants. At this stage, there is nothing to hold 
the peat together; and it is washed and whirled about by 
every rainstorm, and by the waters of melting snow. Such bare 
peaty summits are of great extent on Black Hill, Holme Moss 
(cf. Smith and Moss, 1903: 382), on parts of the plateau of 
the Peak, and occur to a greater or less extent on most of 
the exposed summits of the Pennines. Almost the only plants 
1 Chiefly at the edges of the Peak. 2 Confined to stream sides. 
