Page:VCH Worcestershire 1.djvu/78

 A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE From Oddingley the line of demarcation stretches nearly due south, roughly following the boundary of the Lias formation on the west as far as Tewkesbury, a distance of sixteen miles. The district is a roughly triangular area, with its apex to the north, very irregular in the south-east, and its southern base extending from point to point, with many breaks and in- terruptions, some twenty-five miles from Tewkesbury to Daylesford. In itselfthe district falls into three divisions : the valley of the Avon, where the marl of the New Red Sandstone is met with ; the Lias division ; and the hills of Broadway and Bredon, capped with inferior Oolite. At the northern apex of the Avon division, some three miles to the east of Bromsgrove, there is at Tardebigge a large reservoir by the side of the Birmingham canal, where a series of plants occurs remarkable enough to merit special mention. It comprises Bidens tripartita, Butomus umbellatus, Campanula latifolia, Lepidium ruderale, Lysimachia Nummuiaria, Malva moschata. Nasturtium amphibium, Paris quadrifo/ia, Sedum Te/ephium, Sium angustifolium, Spiranthes autumnalis and Typha angustifolia. This is a part of the district which is upon the measures of the New Red Sandstone, and the spot, though locally in the Avon division, from its characteristics should more properly belong to the Lickey division, which it adjoins. The Lias district is separated from the marls of the valley of the Severn by a bold escarp- ment facing westwards, behind which the limestone crops out in lower ridges possessing a similar aspect, the faces of which are usually thickly clothed with trees and underwood, in which Viburnum Lantana is plentiful. About Himbleton the meadows display Genista tinctoria and Spiraa Filipendula. The Trench woods in this neighbourhood is an interesting botanical locality, where are to be found Allium vineale, Bupleurum rotundifolium, Pimpinella major and Poterium muricatum. At Crowle Lathyrus Aphaca has been gathered, and Lotus tenuis occurs frequently ; while in the neighbourhood are to be found Cichorium Intybus, Cokhicum autumnale. Daphne Laureola, Dipsacus sylvestris, Linaria Elatine and Sparganium ramosum. About the Lenches, more to the east, occur AnthylUs vulneraria, Cnicus acaulis, Cnicus erio- phorus, Hypopitys multiflora and Rosa rubiginosa ; and at the Slads, among Juniperus communis, far removed from human habitation, grows Asparagus officinalis. Hippocrepis comosa, Ophrys apifera, and Picris hieracioides are also to be found here, while in the neighbourhood Anagallis carulea almost replaces A. arvensis. Between Evesham and Fladbury, Craycombe Hill rises on the right bank of the Avon, and here have been gathered Astragalus glycyphyllos, Cuscuta Epithymum, Galium tricorne, Lathyrus Aphaca, Lathyrus NissoUa and Samolus Valerandi. At Tiddesley Wood, near Pershore, Agrimonia odorata and Lathyrus sylvestris occur. The con- spicuous vegetation of the Avon itself includes Butomus umbellatus. Iris Pseud-acorus, Lysimachia vulgaris, Lythrum Salicaria, Nuphar luteum. Polygonum amphihium, Phragmites communis, Rumex hydrolapathum, Sagittaria sagittifolia and Scirpus lacustris ; while Limnanthemum peltatum is found in the river near Eckington. In some low places in the Lias district saline springs yet occur, the remains, perhaps, of a great salt marsh in times gone by. On DeflFord Common Spergularia media occurs, and Scirpus maritimus has been gathered there. Smyrnium olusatrum occurred at Badsey, but has now disappeared ; Apium graveolens, however, still lingers in the ditches in the locality. The far south-east of the county is pure Cotswold country. At Blockley, a detached portion of the shire, Habenaria chlorantha and Neottia Nidus-avis occur ; and at Evenlode, a more distant isolated portion, which and Daylesford, still further to the south-east, are the only parts of Worcestershire which touch Oxfordshire and are in the watershed of the Thames, Thlaspi perfoliatum has been noticed. Another detached portion in this vicinity in- cludes Alderminster and Tredington, with the town of Shipston-upon-Stour, and here Cuscuta Trifolii, Galium erectum, Gentiana amarella and Valerianella carinata, the latter perhaps extinct, have been found, with other plants typical of the Lias formation. At Broadway, situated on the Oolite, Arenaria tenuifolia, Brassica alba, Cerastium arvense and Specularia hybrida have been recorded. There also occur here AnthylUs Vulneraria, Campanula glomerata, Carlina vulgaris, Reseda lutea and Scabiosa Columbaria ; while Cnicus acaulis grows commonly on the hilly wastes. Close to Broadway, at Snowshill, which however is in Gloucestershire, Anemone Pulsatilla and Polypodium Robertianum occur, but it is doubtful if they have ever overleapt the county boundary into Worcestershire. In its course towards the Severn the Avon leaves on its left bank Bredon Hill, an outlier of the Cotswolds belonging to the Oolitic formation. Characteristic of this eminence are Asperula cynanchica. Astragalus hypoglottis, Brachypodium pinnatum, Calamintha Nepeta, Campanula glomerata, Cnicus acaulis, Cnicus eriophorus, Hippocrepis comosa, Linaria minor, Onobrychis sativa, Potamogeton densus, Reseda lutea, Scabiosa Columbaria, Spiraa Filipendula and Viburnum Lantana. 40