Page:VCH Worcestershire 1.djvu/81

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BOTANY district. Daphne Laureola occurs in these woods ; and also Habenaria chlorantha^ Neoitia Nidus-avis, and Paris quadrifolia. Up the valley of the Teme the county extends an arm to the west which enters Here- fordshire. At Berrington, near the extreme western point, Inula Helenium flourishes. Damasonium stellatum has been found by the side of a pool near Tenbury, and Jconitum Napellus is recorded from Eastham. About Pensax, on the left bank of the Teme, Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus occurs in an apparently indigenous condition. Further to the south, on the same bank of the river, is Martley, where Anthyllus vulneraria, Bromus erectus, Onobrychis sativa and Ophrys apifera occur, the two former in considerable quantity. At Rosebury Rock are to be found Cotyledon Umbilicus, Lathraa Squamaria and Pulmonaria officinalis ; below Knightsford Bridge the valley of the Teme opens out ; at Broadwas Trifolium ochroleucum and Lathyrus Aphaca have been gathered, and at Leigh Epipactis purpurata is by no means rare in the neighbourhood. Besides the plants that have been mentioned, the following occur in the district : Jquilegia vulgaris, Campanula Trachelium, Cardamine impatiens, Chrysosplenium alterni- folium, Helleborus fcetidus, H. viridis, Hesperis matronalis, Mentha viridis, Myrrhis odorata. Narcissus bifiorus, Rumex acutus and Vinca minor, the latter in some quantity. Including varieties there are 114 plants which have been recorded for the county only in the Malvern division, but of two of them, Eriophorum gracile and Polypodium Phegopteris, the record is doubtful. Many casuals are brought into the district with the manures used in the hop-yards. (iv.) The LiCKEY district is formed of the north-eastern corner of the county, and is of varied geological structure, its southern boundary starting at Headless Cross near Redditch, continuing in a direction a little to the north of west by Bromsgrove to Chaddesley Corbett, and thence passing north to Stourbridge. The Randans and Pepperwood are in this district, large extents of woodland in a natural state. In the Randans a struggling plant of Lycopodium clavatum was observed some years ago ; and in Chaddesley Wood, part of the larger Randans, occurs Pulmonaria officinalis, apparently in a perfectly wild condition, with Paris quadrifolia, Viola Reichenbachiana and Viola palustris. In one locality Lathnea Squamaria is fairly abundant. The Lickey Hills, whence the Salwarpe river rises, form a portion of the water-parting of central England, the streams to the west reaching the Severn, those to the north-east reach- ing the Trent, and those from the south-eastern portion joining the Arrow, and so flowing into the Avon. Several rare plants still linger on the hill-sides and about the large reservoirs which feed the Birmingham Canal, and whose overflow runs into the Arrow. The hills are densely covered with Calluna vulgaris. Erica cinerea and Vaccinium Myrtillus, among which occurs Rubus Sprengelii ; and in the locality occur Equisetum maximum. Geranium lucidum, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Myosotis repens, Solidago virgaurea and Trifolium filiforme. The woods contain Betula alba, Pyrus Aucuparia, and quantities of Ilex aquifolium. Several forms of Rubus are to be found, with some quantity of Rubus Idaus. In the neighbourhood are Calli- triche verna, Corydalis claviculata, Epilobium angustifolium, Epipactis purpurata, var. media, Equisetum sylvaticum. Geranium columbinum, Geum rivale, Habenaria viridis, Lomaria Spicant, Malva moschata, Myrrhis odorata, Nephrodium Oreopteris and Viola palustris. Near the reser- voirs have been found Heleocharis acicularis, Limosella aquatica, Littorella lacustris, Rumex Hydrolapathum, Salix triandra and Sagittaria sagittifolia ; while about Alvechurch Anagallis tenella, Equisetum sylvaticum. Euphorbia amygdaloides, Fritillaria meleagris, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Lathyrus Nissolia, Veronica Anagallis and Viola palustris have been noticed. One of the streams which fall into the Stour below Hoobrook comes from Harvington Hall, in the moat about which grows Acorus Calamus. In the more northern parts of this district the characteristic plants are Arabis perfoliata. Campanula patula. Erysimum cheiranthoides. Geranium columbinum, Ornithopus perpusillus, Potentilla argentea, Saxifraga granulata, Senecio sylvaticus, Spergularia rubra, Trifolium arvense and Verbascum nigrum. On the hills of Clent are Cerastium quaternellum, Chenopodium Bonus-Henricus, Cytisus scoparius, Hypericum humifusum and Linaria repens. On parts of this range of hills Ranunculus parviflorus occurs in the greatest abundance, sometimes forming large tufts ; of late years it has been spreading along the higher parts, towards the north-east, in great quantity. Doronicum Pardalianches occurs at Hagley and Clent, and with it at Hagley flourished Borago officinalis, which has now perhaps dis- appeared ; and in Hagley Hall garden Chenopodium rubrum is always present as a weed. There is no heather of any kind on the Clent hills, though heaths flourish in the sandy lanes at their feet to the southward. Nor on the higher parts of this district is any IJlex Europeea 43