VIl] MOORLAND ASSOCIATIONS 169 



4. " Low moor water is calcareous. High moor water 

 contains little or no lime." Judged by this test, which seems 

 a good one, all the moors of the Peak District are "high moors." 

 However, some moors placed by some continental phyto- 

 geographers among Flachmoors are characterized by species' 

 which grow on peat whose water contains little or no lime. 



5. "Low moor forms black, amorphous peat.... High moor 

 preserves its plants in a higher degree." From this standpoint, 

 all the moors of this district are " high moors." 



6. " Low moor peat is heavy and rich in mineral bodies 

 (with ten to thirty per cent, of ash). High moor peat is light 

 in weight and poor in mineral matter (with about five per cent, 

 of ash)." The peat of this district yields much less than five 

 per cent, of ash, if silica (SiOj) be excluded ; and the application 

 of this test therefore may be regarded as placing the moors 

 among " high moors." Peat from Wicken Fen, near Cambridge, 

 on the other hand, yields more than ten per cent, of ash. 



7. "Low moor peat is usually close in texture,... and con- 

 ducts water badly.... High moor peat... conducts water well." 

 The upper layers of the peat of all the moors of this district 

 conduct water well. 



8. "Low moor peat is very rich in food-material... High 

 moor peat... is very poor in nutriment." The peat of this 

 district is invariably poor in food-material. 



9. " On low moor, mycorhiza and carnivorous plants are 



rare On high moor, mycorhiza and carnivorous plants are 



common." On the moors of this district, the only carnivorous 

 plants to be met with are the sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) 

 and the butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) ; and both are rare. 

 Mycorhiza occur in the roots of heather (Calluna vulgaris), but 

 have not been proved to be present in many other moorland 

 plants of the district. As carnivorous plants (e.g., Utricularia 

 minor, U. intermedia, and U. vulgaris) occur in the waters of 

 fens, this test is not very satisfactory. 



Though some of these tests require re-stating, it seems 

 fairly clear that the moors of the district belong to the class 

 of Warming's " high moors " ; and it is clear that some moors 

 designated "Flachmoors" by continental plant geographers 

 require re-investigation from the standpoint of the amount of 

 available food-material contained in the peat. 



