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The Plant Communities:
Different plants grew in different conditions:
- Heather on well-drained hillsides
- Moss in damp, shaded areas
- Rushes in waterlogged ground
- Gorse on exposed, wind-swept locations
The mist-walker identified plants by touch—feeling the spiky heather, the soft moss, the sharp gorse spines. These identifications revealed terrain characteristics—drainage, exposure, elevation.
The Tree Indicators:
In forested areas, trees provided information:
- Oak in valley bottoms
- Birch on hillsides
- Willow near water
- Rowan in rocky areas
Identifying trees by bark texture (smooth versus rough versus furrowed) and branch patterns (felt with hands in mist) oriented the walker within the woodland.
The Lichen and Moss:
These slow-growing organisms colonized surfaces according to microclimate—more luxuriant on north-facing (shaded, moist) rock surfaces, sparser on south-facing (sunny, dry) areas. The walker touching rock faces could determine aspect (which direction the surface faced), providing rough compass information.
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