Page 10 - 2010 AMA Spring

Flora in the British Uplands
A Sea of Bog Asphodel
Ask most ML holders about Flora and Fauna and they will undoubtedly list several wild flowers that you have never heard of, or point something out to you that you probably forget 10 minutes later. It is not easy to find information on plants that you will see in most Upland areas of the UK without help.
I had a friend give me a good steer prior to my ML assessment last year. Since then I have discovered a range of different plants that have a variety of uses. Below are a few examples to help any aspirant MLT, ML and general enthusiast improve their own knowledge about the plants in the British mountainous environment.
Cross Leaved Heath/Bell Heather.These two plants look very similar apart from the positioning of their crimson purple flowers that make them so easy to spot. They are compact, small evergreen shrubs with nar- row green leaves. They grow mainly across moorland and rocky outcrops throughout the summer and well into the autumn in vast clumps. The bell like flower (hence the name) prefers dry acidic heath land where Insects, particularly honey and bumble bees are attracted to the flower.
Both plants have had many uses through- out the centuries, ranging from stuffing for mattresses, fire wood and the brush end of barn brooms. Perhaps of more interest to the mountaineer though is that the flowers,
Tormentil
steeped in hot water were used as an early type of Tea and has long been known by herbalists. John Gerard, the 16th century herbalist, noted of the Heathers that: ‘the tender tops and flowers were said to be good when laid upon the bitings and sting- ings of any venomous beast.’
Soft Rush. Growing in wet, peaty ground, the Soft Rush develops into a dense tuft up to 100cm in height with tenacious roots, they are fibrous and tight packed however, meaning that the plant does not creep around, instead it grows into a tight clump and spreads only by seed. In Scotland hunter gather societies would eat early sprouts raw as part of their staple diet. Other uses include candle-lamp wicks - by peeling back the green outer layer reveals a spungy white pith that is easy to extract, this pith was then dried, sometimes plaited with fish oil. As for uses by the mountaineer...... it helps you find your way across boggy moor- lands without sinking to your knees!
Bog Asphodel. This plant likes to frequent acidic soil that lacks calcium. Most often seen as a beautiful shaped group of 6–20 star shaped flowers above a 10 to 40cm erect leafy stem, the plant will generally flower between July and September with a
yellow flower, which sometimes turns orange; these eventually dry out and some- times survive all through the winter sticking above the lower growth. It is believed live- stock can be susceptible to broken bones if they graze on it, hence the nick name ‘Bone Breaker’. The plant was formerly used by upland people as a wool dye.
Sphagnum Moss (Bog Moss). Sphagnum moss grows in woods, next to streams, moorlands and especially in bogs. It grows in different colours from light yellows and greens to reds and browns. Every other cell in the plant is hollow and therefore fills with air and/or water, therefore keeping the plant above the wet acidic soil it favours. Indeed, it can cover this ground so com- pletely that it promotes the anaerobic decomposition that is needed to form peat, as such it is now a protected species.
When dried these empty cells mean the plant is very absorbent; in this state it has been used to fill nappies and incontinence pads for the elderly. During conflicts in the late 19th Century and well into the First World War it was used to make particularly effective wound dressings as the moss also contains some antiseptic properties.
The Rowan Tree. This is one of the few trees that can be found in the uplands and is easily identified by its crimson colour berries. It prefers to grow around streams and rivers up to 1000m above sea level.
8 ARMY MOUNTAINEER
Bell Heather
Butterwort
By Barry Whale