ulig·i·nous | /yüˈlijənəs/
Swamps, peat bogs, and oozing marshlands are uliginous, as are the trees and reeds that grow in them. Uliginous is to be of or related to wetlands. It stems from the Latin uliginosus, meaning damp/soaked/full of water. It was first assimilated into English as a botanical adjective, peaking in popularity around the mid 18th century, and perhaps due a renaissance to describe a certain kind of politician.
Historically, swamps, bogs, and wetlands have generally been regarded as dangerous, insect-infested backwaters of little value. In recent times, their true worth as richly diverse habitats for unique plants and animals has been recognised. Freshwater wetlands are a haven for birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Saltwater swamps – mostly tropical mangroves – offer sanctuary for spawning fish and a home to crustaceans, aquatic birds, and large mammals such as dugongs. In the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans mangrove forest even has its own resident tigers.
Swamps, bogs and wetlands act as natural water purifiers, absorbing sediments and chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorus. In these times of rising seas and increasingly extreme weather, their role in moderating storm surges and floodwaters is also being studied.
For some, the appreciation of the uliginous goes beyond the academic. The sport of bog snorkelling has been gaining popularity since the first world championship was held in Wales in 1985. Competitors don full snorkelling gear and, using only flipper power, race two lengths of a 55 metre water-filled trench cut into a peat bog.
Introduction Aeolian Alpenglow
Benthos Crepuscular Crispate Crown shyness
Desire lines Dreich Endragoned Edgelands
Frondescence Fumarole Gluggaveður Gossamer
Karst Komorebi Lawrence Long acre
Machair Monkey’s wedding Moonglade
Psithurism Quartz Rakuyou Roaring forties
Snag Soft estate Specular, diffuse and pellucid
Spoondrift Steam fog Swash zone Sylvan
Tellurian and thalassic Terracettes Uliginous