Spending time in the bog!

 Round-leaved Sundew

Yesterday I visited the Craig-y-Cilau Nature Reserve nestled above the village of Llangattock near Crickhowell. This raised bog area is a haven for plants with some rare specialities too. The site is shadowed by a Limestone escarpment which has the rare Whitebeam growing, but today my focus was on the bog plants. I was hoping to find a lifer in the form of a Bog Orchid, but although none were found (and the habitat is ideal for them), I did find a set of leaves that looked promising, so fingers crossed on their identity. I have sent the picture off to Leif Bersweden, the author of 'The Orchid Hunter' who I correspond with regularly.

Time spent in the bog paid off however as I did have a lifer. I visited with my friend Kerry who is also a keen botanist, and notable straight off were the Round-leaved Sundews - this time they were coming into flower. This perennial loves bare peat bogs and grows amongst the Sphagnum Moss which carpets this area. The small rosettes of long stalked circular leaves are covered with sticky reddish hairs. The flowers grow one at a time on long slender stems. They are a very short plant but stand out amongst the moss.

Butterwort 

Unfortunately we had missed the flowering time for this species, but the leaves always stand out and for me are filled with character in their own right. Preferring permanently damp ground, the Butterwort has rosettes of greenish-yellow leaves which produce 1-3 leafless stems each carrying a violet-blue flower. It was a shame that they had finished flowering. A Fritillary species flew past but didn't linger long enough for me to get a photograph.

Bog Asphodel

It was a delight to find a Bog Asphodel growing, and the yellow stood out amongst the greens on the mosses and grasses. Normally found growing in large groups, this was a single specimen so it was nice to see and not miss it.They are locally abundant in wet peaty bogs and where they can grow from 10-45 cm tall - this specimen was around 12 cm tall. In flower they are very conspicuous with spikes of up to twenty bright yellow star-like flowers. As the fruits develop, the whole plant tends to turn orange. 

A carpet of Bog Pimpernel

Several orchids were found in flower but I suspect these were Heath Spotted Orchids, although they were short and slightly paler with one darker form - confirmation is being awaited on these as well. A small patch of Goldenrod was found and Polystrichum Commune moss was in fruit, producing the tell-tale orange capsules which cover the moss. What was noticeable however, were the tiny delicate pink flowers carpeting the ground along the whole section we walked - and these turned out to be a lifer for me - Bog Pimpernel.

Growing in areas of bare mud or peat in short, permanently wet vegetation around springs and flushes, the Bog Pimpernel is right at home. In fact they were flowering close to and along both sides of a narrow spring fed stream. They are very small with slender, creeping stems flat to the ground, with pairs of rounded leaves resembling a necklace. The beautiful little flowers grow on slender upright stalks and often open in the Sun. 

This area is fascinating to me, and walking around here always produces something good. It was great to see the Bog Pimpernel and I am hoping the photo I took of a set of leaves turn out to be an orchid species. There was another unusual plant which I am still working on to identify - so I may well be revisiting this site very soon.

Pictures copyright of N J Davies.