ling

LING

August-blooming heather — Calluna vulgaris — that covers hills with amethyst when it flowers. The dominant plant of the moor, growing in dense, springy mats that can support the weight of a walker or swallow an ankle. Walk through ling in bloom and a cloud of pollen rises around you.
Etymology
Old Norse: lyng (heather). The word is older than the Scots who use it.
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