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plants include algae, lichen, horsetails
and ferns. Algae
- Although
many algae are green and some superficially look like plants they are not related
to plants. They belong to a group called Protista along with many organisms that
bear characteristics similar to both the plant and animal kingdoms including amoeba,
diatoms, slime moulds and protozoa. Algae
come in many forms and sizes, from single celled organisms invisible to the naked
eye, through to giant seaweeds. They are mainly red, brown or green and can be
found living almost everywhere. Some have been found living in caves with no light,
others in boiling-hot springs and some grow on animals. You will most commonly
come across algae in slow moving freshwater or in the sea. The
thick green mats, which sometimes cover the surface of ponds, usually consist
of an alga called Spirogyra. The mat consists of millions of tiny filaments made
from chains of individual cells joined head to tail. We
are all familiar with seaweeds. They come in a wide range of forms, the largest
in our region being Laminaria hyperborean. The most commonly found seaweed on
our coast will be one of a group known as the wracks. Algae
can also be found living in partnership with other organisms. Some corals have
algae living within their cells providing oxygen and converting nutrients. Lichens
are a partnership between an alga and a fungus. For
further information go to: www.seaweed.ie/default.html
or www.algaebase.org
Ferns
- The
fern familiar to most is bracken. This is a very successful plant that uses underground
shoots to spread. It can cover huge areas of upland and land managers there expend
a lot of effort trying to control it. Wherever you are in the region you will
be less than 20km from a bracken plant. Unlike bracken most of the other ferns
grow from a central point forming a circular clump a bit like a shuttlecock. There
are others that do not follow this form, including the adder's tongue and moonwort.
For
further information go to: www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/bps/index.htm
Horsetails
- These
ancient plants are all closely related and therefore look very similar. They have
a jointed main stem and many have rings of 'branches' along its length. The tip
of the plant has a small dark cone that contains the spores from which the next
generation will develop. Most gardeners will recognise this plant as a determined
weed. For
further information go to: www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/bps/index.htm
Grasses
- Most
grasses follow a simple form that can be seen in the grass that grows in domestic
lawns. Many have underground stems that allow them to spread rapidly and colonise
new areas. The leaves, called blades, are long and thin and many have a distinct
central vein. Grasses grow on the tops of the fells down to the foreshore and
everywhere in between. Many have become specialised and it is possible to tell
what type of soil and in some cases underlying rocks occur in an area by looking
to see which grasses are growing there. The flat grassland you see in the countryside
is a result of keeping grazing animals on the land. Without grazing the grasses
would be allowed to grow forming clumps and tussocks. This can be detrimental
to smaller plants, which require grazing to allow them to compete with the grasses.
For
further information go to: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/data/grasses-db.html
Sedges
- Sedges
are often misidentified as grasses. They can often be recognised by their stiff
three-sided stems. They are usually found in wet areas and form clumps if left
ungrazed.
Rushes
- Rushes
are similar to both sedges and grasses in that some have narrow long blade-shaped
leaves and form clumps. Some rushes have very small leaves and what appears to
be leaves are in fact the stems of the plant. These will often be filled with
a white foam-like pith.
Reedmaces
- These
are tall grass-like plants that grow in or alongside water. They have large sausage
shaped brown flowers that break up into fluffy windborne seeds. | 
