Page:VCH Derbyshire 1.djvu/95

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BOTANY reaches the lowest level, 80 feet or 90 feet, by the Trent near Long Eaton, rising to 412 feet above Locko Park. Its surface is in parts alluvial, a broad tract south-east of Derby containing the ancient and present beds of the Derwent and a strip on the north bank of the Trent from Shardlow to the county boundary. Characteristic plants are owing to the restricted area few, such, viz., as brookweed (Samo/us va/erandi), Plantago coronopus, Potamogeton flabellatus. Division VIII., that part of the county which lies south of the Trent, whilst mainly trias, is geologically more or less a jumble con- taining samples of all the formations hitherto noticed. Its altitude ranges from 120 feet along the Trent to 604 feet just south of Pistern Hill. Appended is a list of those plants which prefer sandy habitats, and are chiefly found on the bunter formation : Papaver Argemone, Linn. ; Corydalis claviculata, DC. ; Senebiera coronopus, Poir. ; Lepidium campestre, Br. ; Silene noctiflora, Linn. ; Cerastium arvense, Linn. ; Spergularia rubra, Pers. ; Silaus pratensis, Besser. ; Dipsacus silvestris, Linn. ; Ft/ago germanica, Linn.; Senecio sihaticus, Linn. ; Specularia hybrida, DC. ; Anchusa arvensis, Bieb. ; Plantago coronopus, Linn. ; Alisma ranunculoides, Linn. ; Heleocbaris acicularis, Sm. ; Festuca myurus, Linn. ; F. sciuroides, Roth. ; Hordeum murinum, Linn. The total number of flowering plants in the county comprises 41 orders, 187 genera and 1001 species. Of the latter 878 come under the heads of natives, colonists and denizens, the remainder consisting of 74 aliens and 49 casuals. There are still some few plants which seem worthy of mention as likely to be found in the county, seeing that they occur in one or more of the five surrounding counties, Chester, Leicester, Notts, Staffs and W. Yorks, but which have not as yet been discovered, and therefore should be looked for, viz. Lepidium hirtum, Sm., only once seen as a casual, but found in all five surrounding counties ; Sagina subulata, Presl., in Cheshire, Staffs, W. Yorks ; Radio/a linoides, Roth., in all five ; Rosa sty/osa, Desv., and Drosera anglica, Huds., Cheshire and W. Yorks ; D. intermedia, Hayne, in all but Leicester ; ^rientalis europcea, Linn., W. Yorks ; Centunculus minimus, Linn., Cheshire, Staffs, W. Yorks ; Utricularia neglecta, Lehm., Staffs ; U. minor, Linn., Cheshire, Staffs, W. Yorks ; Mercurialis annua, Linn., Notts, W. Yorks ; Myrica Gale, Linn, (reported from Wingerworth by Pilkington, 1789), all but Leicester ; Fritillaria Me/eagris, Linn., Staffs and W. Yorks, these being its northernmost localities ; Scirpus fluitans, Linn, (reported with- out loc. by Glover, 1829), all but Notts; Rbyncospora alba, Linn., Cheshire, Leicester (?), W. Yorks ; Schcenus nigricans (reported without loc., Glover, 1829), all five (Leicester ?). Certain plants also are remark- ably scarce in Derbyshire compared with their comparative frequency in the surrounding counties, e.g. the creeping willow (Salix repens), once probably much more prevalent, now owing to enclosure of heaths and wild lands reduced to two or three stations ; juniper (Juniperus communis], only known for one station, most probably far more abundant in former 43