FLOWERS OF THE . HEATHS AND MOORS 67 



Rhinanthus. The flowers bloom late because of the cold atmosphere. 

 Most plants are dense, tall, and tufted, a few are runners, such as 

 Sedges and Bogbean, and Mosses may predominate. 



Grass-heath may be formed by Matgrass, Molinia, Sedges, Sweet 

 Vernal Grass, Bents, and Ling. The soil is dry and not deep. 



The high-moor or heather-moor formation is characterized by the 

 occurrence of bog mosses, and it is here that bogs are distributed amid 

 the drier-soil Oxylophytes. The soil is moist and the air damp, and 

 the moisture of the sphagnum moor is derived largely from this last 

 and dew. The high- moor may follow a low-moor formation. Like 

 some bogs the high moor is poor in lime salts, and the peat contains 

 little assimilable nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium compounds, Sphag- 

 num not being calciphilous. 



A sphagnum moor contributes to the steady descent of water, the 

 mass exhibiting great capillarity. The plants die and fresh layers arise 

 above it, forming a thick layer of spongy peat below, acid in nature. 

 Peat is encouraged only by the presence of moisture. The moss rises 

 high in the middle, and gradually grows at the margin. 



The soil formed is loose, and the species it nourishes have travelling 

 shoots. Typical of this formation are Sedges, Cotton Grass, Silvery 

 Hair Grass, Bog Asphodel, Arrowhead, Whortleberry, Cranberry, 

 Rosemary, Cross-leaved Heath, Ling, Cloudberry, Sundew, Red 

 Rattle, Dogwood, Bog Myrtle, Creeping Willow, and Sedges, Cotton 

 Grass, Ling, Birch, &c., form special associations. 



The plants that produce peat are chiefly Bog-moss, Hair-moss, 

 Bulrushes, Cotton Grass, Heath, Ling, c. 



Forest moors originated from pools or lakes in forest regions, and 

 exist now where the forests have disappeared as high-moor formations, 

 and contain clay formed during the Ice Age. 



Following a tunclra formation open forest arose, and moors were 

 formed, with Birch and Pines, and Oak came to form high forest, then 

 Beech. 



There are notable differences between the low and high moors. 

 The former have the surface covered with water, in the latter the plant 

 subsists on moist soil or above water. Low moors have a flat, high 

 moors a convex surface. The former is characterized by Sedges, 

 Grasses, Rushes, Hypna; the latter by Bog-moss and Heath. A low 

 moor is relatively rich in lime, a high moor is poor in lime. The peat 

 of the low moor is black, and one cannot recognize the included 

 remains; that of a high moor is light, and animals and plants in it are 

 well preserved. While the peat in the former is heavy, rich in mineral 



