Download Peat Bog Plants of Whitelee

Peatbog Plants of Whitelee
The following plants are commonly found at Whitelee within the blanket bog
habitat areas. It is not possible to include all the plants that can be found
and therefore only the commonest or most easily recognised are included.
Heather [Ling] (Calluna vulgaris)
This is a bushy shrub to 60cm tall with woody stems that are
often twisted. Leaves are 1—2mm long, stalkless and found
growing in 4 vertical rows on stems and are pressed up
against the stem. Flowers appear in dense clusters and are
pinky-purple and found from July till September.
Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix)
Similar to heather but shorter (to 30cm) and with less branched stems
and downy twigs. The flowers are more oval shaped and found in
umbels or clusters. Leaves are in whorls on the stem and are stalked,
unlike heather.
Round-leaved Sundew (Drossera rotundifolia)
This distinctive little plant is easy to miss, growing low to
the ground in wetter areas of peat bog. The flower shoot
[see photo] only reaches around 10—15cm tall. Leaves form
in a rosette and are circular and approximately 1cm
diameter and covered in glandular tipped hairs. Sundews
are the UK’s only native carnivorous plants and trap and
consume insects such as midges to gain the minerals they
require to grow.
Hare’s-tail Cotton Grass (Eriophorum vaginatum)
This grass is also known as ‘bog cotton’ and is actually a
sedge! It is extremely easy to spot in the windfarm with its
distinctive ‘hare’s-tail’ seed head which appears singly on a
stem from May till August, turning the peat bog white over
large areas!
Common Cotton Grass (Eriophorum angustifoloium)
Common Cotton Grass has similar fluffy seed heads to
the Hare’s-tail Cotton Grass but several heads will
appear on the same stem where’as only one will be
found on E. vaginatum, making differentiating the two
simple. It is also larger and stouter. Flowering time as
above.
Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum)
This is an easy plant to identify at Whitelee as its likely
to be the only plant like it in flower! The flower has 6
narrow yellow petals and 6 yellow hairy stamens with
curved orange anthers at the tip. After the flowers
have died back its orange-brown conical shaped seed
capsules are easy to spot. Even in winter, the straw
coloured stems persist and are highly visible.
Reindeer Lichens (Cladonia portentosa & Cladonia
arbuscula)
These 2 lichens are recognised by their matt forming
habit. They will appear as white tussocks or mounds
within the heather and/or grass and therefore stand out
from their surroundings. They also persist all year round,
unlike the other peatland plants.
Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea)
Growing to around 90cm tall this clump/tussock
forming moorland grass is distinctive with long narrow
purple spikes (made up of the grasses flowers) which
make this grass easy to recognise from the others.
Common Haircap (Polytrichum commune)
This common and easily recognised moss forms large and
prominent hummocks. When damp, the leaves of this
species spread out from the stem and when viewed from
above, have a star like appearance. When seeding, 4-angled
seed pods can be seen projecting from the hummock.
Bilberry [Blaeberry] (Vaccinium myrtillus)
This small shrub grows to 60cm tall and has 4-angled,
twisted stems with bright green oval leaves. The leaves
are finely toothed along their edges. Its flowers are small
green-pink globes but the plant is more easily recognised
by the summer fruits that are reddish to start, turning
blue as the summer goes on.
If you need help with identifying a plant or animal, please contact the Whitelee Ranger Service who
are happy to help. Please let us know of your wildlife sightings.
Tel: 0141 614 0962
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/whitelee Facebook.com/whitelee.countrysiderangers