Plants of flushes and springs

Common Butterwort and
Bird’s-eye Primrose on a
base-rich flush

Flushes are wet areas occurring along seepage lines on sloping ground, sometimes associated with narrow water courses, and are often linear or triangular in shape. By definition flush communities are dependent on more-or-less continuous and sometimes vigorous irrigation by moving water. Flushes can be acidic or basic (alkali). Basic flushes are usually richer in plant species than acid flushes, and they are associated with spring lines supplying water, rich in calcium and other basic minerals, from the underlying limestone geology.

Basic flushes are dominated by sedges accompanied by rushes, a few grass species and some choice herbs. The species may include carnation sedge, glaucous sedge, jointed rush, purple moor-grass, lesser clubmoss, bird’s-eye primrose, the insectivorous common butterwort, grass-of-Parnassus, lady’s-mantle, English sandwort, marsh saxifrage and the lesser twayblade. A rich flora of brown branched mosses is also characteristic of basic flushes. Species of Cratoneuron, Philonotis, Fissidens along with Ctenidium molluscum and Drepanocladus revolvens may be seen.

In addition to flush communities, in the immediate vicinity of spring heads, where there is continuous and vigorous water irrigation, there are distinct bryophyte-dominated communities. Within the Yorkshire Dales these communities are most frequently dominated by Philonotis fontana, a robust and conspicuous moss capable of forming quite large mounds within the flowing water.

To find out more about plant species of flushes and springs please follow the links provided.