Page:VCH Worcestershire 1.djvu/80

 A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE and ThaUctrum flavum. Sometimes these banks are fringed with woods, in which Pyrus torminalis occurs. Nasturtium sylvestre is often conspicuous by the water's edge, and many rare Carices lurk in the ditches near the river, such as Carex ampullacea, C. axillaris, C. hinervis, C. canescens, C. disticha, C. elongata, C.fulva, C. strigosa and C. vesicaria. Among the grasses of the meadows by the Severn are found Avena pubescens, Brotnus commutatus, Bromus madri- tensis, Festuca loliacea, Hordeum pratense, Phalaris canadensis, Poa compressa and Setaria glauca. The western bank of the river above Worcester shows several large woods. In Astley Wood Galanthus nivalis has been found, and near Shrawley church Tulipa syhestris. In Shrawley Wood occurs Aquilegia vulgaris, Convallaria majalis, Dipsacus pilosus, Orobanche major, Pyrola minor, Sedum Telephium, and Ficia sylvatica ; while Tilia parvifolia forms much of the under- growth. Higher up the river near Stourport Geranium phaeum occurs ; and still more to the north, above Bewdley, Coronilla varia is plentiful by the river side, where it has been known for fifty years or more, in a spot which by the alteration of the county boundary has lately been taken into Worcestershire. Here, on the confines of the county, is situated Bewdley or Wyre Forest, spreading over both sides of Dowles Brook, which divides Worcestershire from Shropshire. Geraniutn sangui- neum occurs on the Shropshire side of the brook, but has not been known for many years to have crossed the stream into Worcestershire. Among the plants which have been found in this district are Aquilegia vulgaris, Botrychium Lunaria, Carex montana, Convallaria majalis, Cephalanthera ensifoUa, Doronicum Pardalianches, Echium vulgare, Epipactis palustris, Eriophorum latifolium, Gentiana campestris. Geranium sylvaticum, Hyoscyamus niger, Lithospermum officinale, Lycopodium clavatum, Melica nutans, Nartheciu?n ossifragum, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Pyrola rotundifolia, Rosa rubiginosa, Ruhus saxatilis, ThaUctrum minus, Triglochin palustre and Tulipa syhestris. Spiraa salicifolia formerly grew in a naturalized condition by the side of Dowles Brook, but has now disappeared ; and Spiranthes aestivalis has also gone from the locality. Some eighty plants have been recorded for the Severn district which have not been found elsewhere in Worcestershire ; and among them, besides several of those mentioned in the above lists, are Ranunculus Lingua, Crepis paludosa, Lactuca virosa, JVahlenbergia hederacea, Ver- hascum Lychnitis, Utricularia minor. Crocus vernus, Sparganium natans, Carex digitata, Festuca sylvatica and what has been recorded as Lycopodium complanatum, though it is now contended that no true L, complanatum has been found in Britain. (iii.) The Malvern district is a band of uneven width, following the western boundary of the county down its entire length from north to south, possessing a varied geological struc- ture, and comprising, as well as the heights of Malvern, a considerable portion of the valley of the Teme after that river enters the county in the north. The eastern limit of this district is the western boundary of the Severn district for the whole of its length. The Malvern Hills run parallel with the average course of the Severn for a distance of nine miles, some four miles west of the river ; they rise suddenly from the lower land, which was formerly unenclosed and known as Malvern Chase. Though the greater part of the chase has been enclosed and cultivated much of it is still wet and waste. Apium inundatum, Bupleurum tennissimum, Epilohium roseum, E. virgatum, Heleocharis acicularis, H. multicaulis, Limosella aquatica, Lemna gibba, Mentha piperata, M. pulegium, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, CEnanthe Lachenalii, CE. peucedanifolia, Peplis Portula, Polygonum minus, Pulicaria vulgaris, Scirpus Caricis, S. fluitans, S. sctaceus, Triglochin palustre and ZannichelUa palustris have been recorded for this district. On the hills themselves, which are for the most part bare of any conspicu- ous vegetation, are Cardamine impatiens, Corydalis claviculata. Cotyledon Umbilicus, Geranium lucidum and Spergularia rubra. Digitalis purpurea is sometimes a feature in the summer, and Myosotis versicolor is plentiful in the spring ; while Ornithopus perpusillus and Hypericum humifusum are common. Both Erica cinerea and E. tetralix are wanting on the Malvern Hills, and Culluna vulgaris becomes rare in the southern part of Worcestershire ; the southern- most station in the county for Erica tetralix is Broadheath near Worcester. Narcissus Pseudo- narcissus is plentiful in the meadows on the west and south of the hills. On the north hill Sedum album occurred, but is now almost certainly gone. Rarer plants that have been met with in the district are Centunculus minimus, Gagea lutea, Lactuca scariola, Lathyrus syhestris and Orobanche elatior. The high land to the north of the Malvern chain is in many places thickly covered with wood, which consists chiefly of oak and hazel, but contains also a con- sideraisle quantity of Tilia parvifolia and T. platyphyllos. Betula alba predominates in some places. Prunus Avium is very common, and Populus tremula is generally distributed. Fagus sylvatica, Pyrus Aria and Carpinus Betulus are entirely absent as native trees from the Malvern 42