Plants

White-beaked Sedge

White-beaked Sedge (Rhynchospora alba)

White Beak-sedge is characteristic of the pool margins and wet hollows of blanket and raised bogs. It can be found in actively forming bogs at a stage between the disappearance of pools and the development of Sphagnum moss hummocks. When bogs were widespread in Ireland it formed an important element in the diet of Greenland white-fronted geese, particularly at the end of winter when other food sources are in short supply. In Northern Ireland it is relatively widespread and locally abundant where conditions are suitable.

Click here to view a distribution map of the White Beak-sedge in Northern Ireland.