Here are just a few examples of the plant fragments we find preserved in peatland records. Sometimes we can identify species at relatively low magnifications (x4 – x 10), but sometimes we need to take a much closer look (x200 – x400) at the cell structure to be able to say precisely what species we’re looking at. As each species has its own set of environmental preferences, the more precise we are in our identifications, the more we can say about conditions at the time the plant was growing. Click here to learn more about plant macrofossils.

Low magnification (x4 – x10)

Odontoschisma sphagni

Sphagnum section Sphagnum

Sphagnum magellanicum leaf

Rhynchospora alba seed

Sphagnum section Acutifolia

Vaccinium oxycoccus and Andromeda polifolia leaves

Erica tetralix flower

Eriophorum angustifolium root

Calluna vulgaris leaves and stem

High magnification (x200 – x400)

Eriophorum angustifolium

Eriophorum vaginatum

Rhynchospora alba

Sphagnum austinii

Sphagnum papillosum