Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/108

 A HISTORY OF CORNWALL i. UPPER TAMAR DISTRICT This area lacks homogeneity of character to a sensible degree. Such as they are, its rivers alone would almost warrant a cutting up of the district into smaller sections, while the quick changes of sylvan and moorland scenery, arable and waste land impart an indescribable charm to the country. Its geology has similar ranges. In a large measure the division is a great hollow between the Devon and Cornish heights. On the north it has a coast line ex- tending from Devon to Tintagel Head.. Its eastern boundary is Devon as far south as where the Launceston road crosses the Tamar near Polston. The southern limit is marked by the high road from Launceston to Bodmin as far as Altarnun, where it follows a narrower road across the moors, past the hut circles under Leskernick Hill. Thence the line runs north, on the east of Brown Willy to Oldpark and Newpark, beyond which it takes the road across Davidstow Moor to the Camelford-Stratton road. From this point it goes to a little beyond Davidstow, and then follows the road to Tintagel Head. Included in this district are the rivers Strat and Valencey, flowing to the north coast, and the source of the Tamar, with its tributaries the Attery, Inny, and Kensey. The greater portion is drained by the Attery. Near the sister county it is well wooded, but as the Bodmin Moors are approached the country takes on a wild and desolate appearance. From Stratton to Launceston there is much low ground, corresponding generally with river ramifications. A large slice of this area is composed of Upper Devonian rocks enclosing bands of green- stone or metamorphosed siliceous slate mixed with argillaceous beds of a particularly fine and hard nature. Towards Tintagel and Egloskerry these rocks impinge the Lower Devonian which sweep around the Bodmin Granite Boss. A limited part of the north-east of the division is occupied by the grits and shales of the Carboniferous system. Until the ' seventies ' the flora of this district was an unknown quantity, but thanks to the industry of the Rev. W. Moyle Rogers, Dr. Hind, Messrs. Briggs and Wise cosmos has replaced chaos. The sandy shore between Stratton and Bude is the classic spot mentioned by Merrett for Mathiola sinuata, the only place in the county where it has been found. It disappeared a long time ago. Tintagel by some mistake has been credited with Trifo/ium squamosum. T. arveme was the plant meant. In the Valley of Rocks, near Trebarwith, Impatiens Roylei and Mimulus Langsdorffii have become naturalized, and in some seasons present a striking appearance. Erysimum repandum has long obtained permanency near Launceston. Rich in Rubi, this district can also claim the distinction of being the only portion of Cornwall where Vic'ia Orobus, Geum riva/e, Carum verticillatum, Galium sylvestre, Galeopsis versicolor, Habenaria viridis, Potamogeton co/oratus, Calamagrostis epigeios and Equisetum syhaticum have been found. Allium Schcenoprasum at Tintagel and Cladium jamaicense at Morwinstow are problems in plant distribution, the only other Cornish district for them being the Lizard. SPECIES AND VARIETIES WORTH NOTING IN THE UPPER TAMAR DISTRICT Ranunculus Drouetii, Godr. peltatus, Fries Lingua, Linn. sardous, Crantz Caltha palustris, Linn. Helleborus viridis, Linn. foetidus, Linn. Delphinium Ajacis, Reichb. Papaver somniferum, Linn. hybridum, Linn. Meconopsis cambrica, Vig. Glaucium flavum, Crantz Neckeria lutea, Scop. daviculata, N. E. Br. Barbarea prtfcox, R.Br. Alyssum maritimum, Linn. Erophila praecox, DC. Cochlearia anglica, Linn. Sisymbrium Thalianum, J. Sophia, Linn. Camelina sativa, Crantz Brassica alba, Boiss. Gay Diplotaxis tenuifolia, DC. muralis, DC. Coronopus didymus, Sm. Thlaspi arvense, Linn. Teesdalia nudicaulis, R. Br. Crambe maritima, Linn. Viola lactea, Sm. Polygala oxyptera, Reichb. Dianthus Armeria, Linn. Cerastium quaternellum, Fenzl. Buda rupestris Hypericum calycinum, Linn. - dubium, Leers. undulatum, Schousb. Geranium sanguineum, Linn. phaeum, Linn. pratense, Linn. pyrenaicum, Burm.Jil. rotundifolium, Linn. lucidum, Linn. Erodium moschatum, L'HMt. maritimum, L'Herit. Non-native plants are printed in 56 Genista anglica, Linn. Trigonella purpurascens, Lam. Medicago denticulata, Willd. Melilotus alba, Desv. arvensis, Wallr. Trifolium subterraneum, Linn. scabrum, Linn. fragiferum, Linn. filiforme, Linn. Lotus tenuis, Waldst. & Kit. hispidus, Desf. Lathyrus Aphaca, Linn. sylvestris, Linn. Spiraea salicifolia, Linn. Rubus suberectus, Anders. plicatus, W. W N. imbricatus, Hurt. pulcherrimus, Neum. villicaulis var. Selmeri (Lin- deb.) pubescens, Weihe micans, Gren. y Godr. italics.