Leg break is a typical plant for marshy nutrient-poor, peaty soil. It is said to have leg break because sheep that grazed in areas where this little plant grows often vomited legs.
It's always sopping if you come across leg break on a walk. You also have to be careful not to break a leg yourself.
In the Netherlands, leg break is quite rare.
I always like coming across this species. It shows that the conditions in the place where it grows are fine. It is sufficiently wet, so no desiccation, and it is nutrient-poor, so no eutrophication either.
For the photo, by the way, I had to kneel down, so wet trousers.
The photo offers a tranquil image, with the yellow of the bonebrush flowers against the green grass in the background.
Joep is a (professional) nature and landscape explorer and in his spare time, besides being an active photographer, an enthusiastic sea sailor and curious traveller. His photos reflect all that... Read more…