Mires of the Long Mynd: Part 2 Andrew Perry as R. omiophyllus, but can also include species of montane springs (Rodwell, 1991). The spring water is usually circumneutral, averaging around pH 6 on the Long Mynd (Callaghan, 2012), and the springs are very attractive to grazing animals which bring some localised nutrient enrichment. The floristic table for M35 by Rodwell (1991) also lists Sphagnum denticulatum Cow-horn Bog-moss as a community constant, but this species is usually lacking from M35 on the Long Mynd, although S. inundatum Lesser Cow-horn Bog-moss or the nationally scarce S. platyphyllum Flat-leaved Bogmoss sometimes occur.
In this article I’ll be describing the vegetation of springs and soakaways on the Long Mynd. Springheads are numerous near the heads of valleys on the Mynd, and a distinctive flora occurs in the running water and saturated mud around them. These areas are small, sometimes only a few square metres, and unlike the flushes described in the previous article, you cannot walk through them without sinking at least ankle deep! Low, lush-green vegetation dominates with cushions of Montia fontana Blinks with Ranunculus omiophyllus Round-leaved Crowfoot, Juncus bulbosus Bulbous Rush, Myosotis secunda Creeping Forget-me-not, Ranunculus flammula Lesser Spearwort, Callitriche stagnalis Common Water-starwort, Glyceria spp. Sweet-grasses and Potamogeton polygonifolius Bog Pondweed. Frequent bryophytes here include Philonotis fontana Fountain Apple-moss, Calliergonella cuspidata Pointed Spear-moss, Brachythecium rivulare River Feather-moss and the nationally scarce Bryum weigelii Duval’s Thread-moss. The latter is more typical of mountains and the shores of highland loch shores, with the Long Mynd representing the southern extreme of its range.
On the Mynd, spring head vegetation can also include common grassland plants such as Lotus pedunculatus Greater Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Trifolium repens White Clover, Cardamine pratensis Cuckooflower, Arrhenatherum elatius Sweet Vernal-grass and Holcus lanatus Yorkshire Fog. Triglochin palustris Marsh Arrowgrass and Isolepis setacea Bristle Club-rush can also be found around our springs; both have a local distribution in Shropshire (Lockton and Whild, 2015). Spring heads can be found in the upper reaches of most valleys on the site, with some good examples in Ashes Hollow and Boiling Well, and M35 also occurs in small patches along the edges of streams. Downstream of the springs, small sedge or rush communities often occur where there is a constant movement of water through the
Such plant communities are described in the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) as M35 Ranunculus omiophyllus-Montia fontana rill. M35 is most common in the southwest of Britain, containing oceanic West European plants such
Flush on Nover’s Hill (Peter and Jane Howsam)
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