Page:VCH Herefordshire 1.djvu/103

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BOTANY Rubus oigoclados, Muell. & Lefv., var. Newbouldii, Bab. — ■ ericetorum, Lefv. — pallidus, W. & N. — rosaceus, W. & N., var. hystrix, (W. & N.) sub-sp. adornatus (P. J. Muell.) — viridis, Kalt. Rubus serpens, W. — corylifolius, Sm., var. sublustris (Lees) Hippuris vulgaris, L. Circaea alpina, L. Anthemis nobilis, L. Hieracium rigidum, Hart., var. scabrescens, Johanss. Scrophularia aquatica, L., sub-sp. umbrosa, Dum. Limosella aquatica, L. Salix fragilis, L., var. decipiens, Hoffin. Ophrys apifera, Huds. Convallaria majalis, L. Potamogeton plantagineus, Ducros. 13. Golden Valley This district consists principally of the Golden and Grey Valleys along with the ranges of hills on both sides. Lying between the valley of the Wye on the north-east and the Black Mountain on the south-west it exhibits an intermediate character in lower hills and somewhat shallow valleys parallel to the Black Mountain ranges. Its actual boundaries are somewhat difficult to define, owing to the absence of main roads in the district ; but it may be defined with sufficient exactness for the present purpose by saying that its south-west boundary is represented by a line drawn from Pontrilas on the south-east to Clifford on the north-west. The northern boundary is formed by the Wye from Clifford Castle to Preston on Wye ; on the north-east and south-east it borders on districts 7 and 8. The chief drainage is effected by the Dore Brook, a tributary of the Monnow. Geologically this is a district of Cornstones, Sandstones, and denuded valleys. Its highest point is reached at Meerbatch Hill near Dorstone in 1,045 ft. The character of its flora is mainly sub-montane, as instanced in the globe-flower [Trollius europaeui the knotted spurrey (Sagina nodosa), the true soft-leaved rose {Rosa mollis), the ivy-leaved bell-flower {JVahlenbergia hederacea), the creeping forget-me-not [Myosotis repens), and the lesser butterfly orchis [Habenaria bifolia), which are found here. The interest of its vegetation is not, however, confined to these ; the true dog- violet {Viola canina) is found ; the large-leaved lime {Tilia plaiyphyllos) is apparently native in more than one of its large woods ; two rare clover forms have been found {Triforium repens, var. Townsendii and TrifoUum fragiferum) ; the alpine enchanter's night-shade {Circaea alpina) is plentiful in a wood overhanging the Wye ; the beautiful spreading bell-flower {Campanula patula), which is found all through Herefordshire, is in some parts of this district exceedingly plentiful. Old marshy poolbeds occur in several places, notably in Moccas Park, in which a vegetation formerly more general lingers ; the larger bladder-wort ( Utricularia vulgaris) used to be abundant in one of these pools but is now extinct ; in another the golden dock [Rumex maritimus) was found, and will probably recur in favouring seasons ; in another the greater spearwort {Ranunculus Lingua), and in several the tufted sedge {Carex stricta) is very abundant. The slender centaury [Erythraea pulchella) is found in wood walks near Whitfield and at Dulas. The set of brambles met with in the Whitfield woods is of great interest ; the ' Big wood ' here is full of a form not yet elsewhere discovered [Rubus amplifrons), while others [Rubus minutijlorus and tereticauUs) are of scarcely inferior interest. The full list follows : — Myosurus minimus, L. Ranunculus fluitans, L. — Lingua, L. Trollius europaeus, L. Viola canina, L. Cerastium quaternellum, Fenzl. Sagina nodosa, Fenzl. Tilla platyphyllos. Scop. TrifoUum repens, L., var. Townsendii, Bab. — fragiferum, L. Rubus nemoralis, P. J. Muell., var. Silurum, A. Ley — macrophyllus (sp. coll.), var. macrophylloides, (Genev.) — anglosaxonicus, Gelert, sub-sp. setulosus, Rogers — rudis, W. & N. Rubus Babingtonii, Bell Salt. — ericetorum, Lefv. - — scaber, W. & N. — pallidus, W. — viridis, Kalt. — acutifrons, A. Ley, var. amplifrons, A. Ley — hirtus, W. & N. — minutiflorus, P. J. Muell. — tereticaulis, P. J. Muell. — dumetorum, W. & N., var. britannicus (Rogers) Geum rivale, L. Rosa mollis, Sm. Chrysospleniura alternifolium, L. Circaea alpina, L. Jasione montana, L. Wahlenbergia hederacea, Reichb. Campanula patula, L. Erythraea pulchella, Fr. Anagallis tenella, L. Myosotis repens, G. Don Lathraea Squamaria, L. Mentha rotundifolia, Huds. Rumex maritimus, L. Neottia Nidus-avis, Rich. Orchis incarnata, L. Habenaria conopsea, Benth. — bifolia, R. Br. Scirpus lacustris, L. Eriophorum latifolium, Hoppe Carex stricta, Good. — distans, L. — Pseudo-cyperus, L. Alopecurus geniculatus, L., sub-sp. fulvus, Sm. 14. Black Mountain This embraces the extreme western portion of Herefordshire and is bounded by the Golden Valley district on the north-east, Monmouthshire on the south-east, Breconshire on the south-west and west, and a small portion of Radnorshire on the north. It is the single mountain district 51