Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/115

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BOTANY Blackstonia perfoliata, Huds. Gentiana campestris, Linn. Cynoglossum officinale, Linn. Cuscuta Trifolii, Bab. Solanum nigrum, Linn. Verbascum virgatum, Stokes Blattaria, Linn. Linaria viscida, Mcench Antirrhinum Orontium, Linn. Scrophularia Scorodonia, Linn. Sibthorpia europsa, Linn. Veronica Anagallis-aquatica, Linn. Orobanche minor, SOT. amethystea, Thuill. Utricularia minor, Linn. Mentha gentilis, Linn. Origanum vulgare, Linn. Thymus Chamaedrys, Fr. Nepeta Cataria, Linn. Scutellaria galericulata, Linn. minor, Huds. Melittis Melissophyllum, Linn. Marrubium vulgare, Linn. Leonurus Cardiaca, Linn. Littorella juncea, Berg. Chenopodium Bonus-Henricus, Linn. Suscda maritima, Dum. Polygonum amphibium, Linn. Euphorbia Paralias, Linn. portlandica, Linn. Myrica Gale, Linn. Listera ovata, R. Br. Spiranthes autumnalis, Rich. Orchis Morio, Linn. incarnata, Linn. Habenaria conopsea, Benih. bifolia, R. Br. chloroleuca, Ridley Narcissus incomparabilis, Mill. btflorus, Curtis foeticus, Linn. Polygonatum multiflorum, All. Muscari racemosum, Mill. Scilla autumnalis, Linn. verna, Huds. Juncus squarrosus, Linn. glaucus, Leers 5. NORTH COAST DISTRICT Juncus maritimus, Lam. Alisma ranunculoides, Linr. Potamogeton crispus, Linn. Scirpus pauciflorus, Ligktf. Rynchospora alba, Vahl. Carex dioica, Linn. - disticha, Huds. divulsa, Good. curta, Good. pallescens, Linn. fulva, Good. riparia, Curtis rostrata, Stokes Phleum arenarium, Linn. Gastridium australe, Beauv. Deschampsia flexuosa, Trin. Poa nemoralis, Linn. compressa, Linn. Festuca procumbens, Kunth. arundinacea, Schreb. Agropyron junccum, Beauv. Ceterach officinarum, Willd. Lycopodium Selago, Linn. Nitella flexilis, Agardh. This takes in a long narrow tract of country at no place more than 7 miles wide, and for a considerable distance little above 3 miles wide. As the crow flies its length from Stepper Point, outside Padstow Harbour, to Hayle is about 33 miles. Its boundary is the road from Padstow through St. Columb to Blue Anchor, forming the western limit of the Camel District. From Blue Anchor the line follows the turnpike road through Mitchell, Zelah, and Scorrier to Redruth. At the mining town of Redruth it takes the Helston road across Buller Downs, turning offat Nine Maidens, and at Praze Station joining the railway line to Hayle. Geologically this is an interesting district. From Stepper Point to the northern bank of the Gannel at Newquay the soil is Lower Devonian, and the whole of that district has been brought to a fine state of cultivation. West of the Gannel, coastwards from a line drawn from the head of the creek to Perranporth, the country is Upper Silurian intersected by elvan courses and the well known Perran Iron Lode. A little distance from the south bank of the upper waters of the Gannel there are faint traces of a small deposit of limestone. Inland from the line above indicated Lower Silurian cover portions of the parishes of Cubert, Newlyn East, and Perran, while at St. Enoder the district takes in a small portion of the same rocks which form a belt around Hensbarrow Hill. These two patches are separated by a continua- tion of the Lower Devonian rocks, which sweep around the Perran branch of the Lower Silurian to about Chapel Forth, west of St. Agnes Head. There they are replaced by beds which have been provisionally classed as Cambrian. These are the oldest slates of the county, and in the district under notice, save an unimportant deposit of Lower Silurian west of Portreath, they occupy the coast-line from Chapel Forth to Godrevy. Inland they range to Blackwater and Redruth, sweeping round the western side of Carnmarth and the northern side of Cam Brea Granite Boss to Camborne, in which parish Lower Silurian are again ex- posed and occupy the remainder of the district. Here perhaps better than in any other part of the county is one able to institute con- trasts between the north and the south coasts. Placing this district against that which is to follow, it will be found poor in those densely wooded valleys which open on the south coast and afford shelter for a rich patchwork flora which has ' been " taken in in numbers " and bound afterwards.' Here and there one happens upon a quiet sylvan oasis watered by a clear stream, but on the whole the district answers to the description of the Devonshire wag who thought Cornwall scarcely grew trees enough to supply timber for coffins for its inhabitants. The downs of this district offer little to the botanist beyond the everyday species of the county ; even in the rare weeds of cultivated land it is singularly poor, and where a marsh occurs it is irritatingly restricted and yields few of those plants which are the pride of paludal haunts south of the county's backbone. Its coast flora, with but few exceptions to be presently noticed, is simply a thinning away of that of the Camel and Upper Tamar 63