Large
areas of moorland and mountainside where the soil is acid, in
the Scottish Highlands and elsewhere, are completely covered by
heather. The stems are very tough and wiry, twisting and branching
in all directions. On old plants they may be up to three feet
in length. Minute triangular leaves cover all the twigs, and in
late summer the tiny purple flowers are produced in such numbers
that they often dominate the landscape.
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