Sphagnum contortum Twisted Bog-moss

A  dioicous bog-moss which grows in base-rich flushes and marshes. It is the most base-demanding Sphagnum species in the British flora. It is usually a characteristic ochre colour with branches that look curved when viewed from above and with leaves that spread out and turned to one side in the upper half. It is a Boreal-montane species which has a rather scattered distribution in Britain, including much of Wales, but it is less common in the south. It is rather scarce in West Glamorgan where Sam Bosanquet has recorded it from Pant y sais Fen and Cwm Gors. Sporophyte capsules are very rare.