Banagher ASSI

Banagher ASSI is a complex mosaic of wetland communities, within an area of wet grassland centred around a small basin fen with associated swamp. Banagher is botanically rich and it is particularly important as it contains the rare and threatened orchid marsh helleborine. This species is scarce in Northern Ireland and is restricted to just a handful of sites across the region. marsh helleborine is our only orchid with purplish-brown and white flowers. It is a plant of lowland marshy ground, is 10 - 40 cm in height and has one-sided flower spikes of between 4 and 20 attractive flowers.

Associated species to be found within Banagher reflect the elevated base (alkaline) status and include grass-of-Parnassus, broad-leaved cottongrass and yellow sedge.

There is an area of fen meadow present which is characterised by meadow thistle, purple moor-grass and devil's-bit scabious. There is also an area of fen dominated by bogbean, and swamp dominated by sedge, where marsh cinquefoil and water horsetail are common. Cowbane, greater spearwort and fen pondweed which are much less common in Ireland are also present.

The range of vegetation types provides food and shelter for a range of animals including birds and invertebrates.