Page:VCH Staffordshire 1.djvu/75

 BOTANY GENERAL PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTY WITH RELATION TO THE FLORA STAFFORDSHIRE is rhomboidal in shape and somewhat irregular in outline ; its surface is richly undulating and greatly diversified. The long range of hills extending from the Cheviots in Scotland southward enters Staffordshire at the extreme north, and forms a range of mountain-like hills having a south-west direction from above Flash to below Bosley, and rising from 600 to over 1,700 feet above sea level. On the north-west side of the county thiselevated ridge is con- tinued past Cloud Hill and over Congleton Edge and Mow Cop, and the elevation in many places is over 1,000 feet above the sea. The prevailing geological character of the rocks are those of the Coal Measures and Mill- stone Grit, and the prevailing vegetation is that peculiar to the mountain moorland, such as the black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), the whortle- berry (Vaccmlum Vitis-Idaa),mg (Calluna Vulgaris], heath (Erica cinerea), bilberry (Vaccinium Myrtilhts}, an abundant growth of bracken (Pteris aquilina)) thin grass, grey lichens and dark masses of hair moss (Poly- tricbum commune]. A narrow belt of mixed woodland, Forest Banks and Back Forest clothe a portion of the summit above Swithamley. Here is found the cow wheat [Melampyrum pratense], moss crop (Scirpus caspitosus) and the hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum). The intervening valleys have a somewhat impervious subsoil, and are watered by frequent springs, which render them swampy, hence many of the bog-loving species are abundant, as sheep's rot (Hydrocotyle vu/garis), sundew (Drosera rotundi- folia), the arrow grass (Triglochin palustre] and the pearl wort (Sagina nodosd). A ridge of high land, over which the high road from Leek to Buxton is carried, rising from 500 feet at Leek to about 1,400 feet at Axe Edge, forms the partings of the Dane and several of the important rivers of the county the Dove, Manyfold, Churnet and Hamps. The country they water is wild flat lands, grass lands, moors and some little arable land, with small woodlands and several round topped hills, attain- ing in places an elevation of 1,200 to 1,300 feet above the sea. These hills are covered with short herbage, beautifully green in the early season, but soon scorched in the hotter months of summer. The limestone rock is abundantly exposed on their sides, and many of the more rare lime-loving species have here their home, such as wild pansy (Viola /utea), the rock rose (Heliantbemum vu/gare), the Jacob's ladder (Po/emo- nium caru/eum), Corydalls cla-uiculata and the rare little Hutcbinsia petreea. i 4i 6