Sphagnum Moss
Courtesy of CJ Fallon Ltd.
Courtesy of CJ Fallon Ltd.
Sphagnum moss:
This is one of the most important species growing in the bogs. It acts like a sponge, absorbing many times its weight in water, helping it to survive in dry periods. During World War I, sphagnum moss was used to dress wounds because of its high absorption qualities. In Ireland, there are about twenty-four species of sphagnum moss, some of them very rare e.g. sphagnum pulchrum.
Rounded-leaved sundew
©Zoë Devlin www.wildflowersofireland.net
©Zoë DevlinRounded-leaved sundew
©Zoë Devlin
©Zoë Devlin
Rounded-leaved sundew
©Zoë Devlin www.wildflowersofireland.net
©Zoë DevlinSundew:
Sundews are perennial plants. Their stems can sometimes grow as high as three metres, and some plants can even live for fifty years. Sundews are the most common insect-trapping plant on Irish bogs. The unsuspecting insect becomes trapped on sticky drops on the plants' hairs. the sundews then produce an enzyme to break down the insect and absorb it as a source of nutrients.
Bell heather
©Zoë Devlin www.wildflowersofireland.net
©Zoë DevlinBell heather
©Zoë Devlin
©Zoë Devlin
Bell heather
©Zoë Devlin www.wildflowersofireland.net
©Zoë DevlinHeathers:
Heathers are typical plants on Irish bogs. Ling heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heather are very common on the bogs in Ireland. They are an important source of food for sheep and deer, and grows very easily after grazing by animals. They also cope well in droughts, and are very resitant to disease.
Bog cotton growing in Glendalough
Copyright John Kennedy
Copyright John Kennedy
Bog cotton:
Bog cotton looks like big, soft, white balls of cotton wool growing atop tall stems. These balls of cotton are attached to the seeds of the plant, and are blown away by the wind to disperse them. When you see bog cotton flying through the air on a windy day, the whole bog looks as if it’s moving. The undergroudn stems of bog cotton have developed air canals to help the plant get enough oxygen to grow. They also supply air to the plant when it becomes saturated in bog water.