221 

 NOTES ON THE BOTANY AROUND ABERDOVEY. 



BY H. C. S. 



I PROPOSE in the following notes by no means to attempt an accurate 

 description, bat rather a general outline of the Botany around Aberdovey. 

 The flying visit I paid to this village prevented my making any minute ob- 

 servations, allowing me only a cursory glance over the more common plants 

 of the neighbourhood. 



The situation of Aberdovey is a picturesque one. Built at the foot of some 

 of the lofty mountains of Merionethshire, it is by them effectually secured 

 from northerly winds; from which circumstance the inhabitants state they 

 never have cold. Immediately in front is the estuary of the Dovey; further 

 to the right Cardigan Bay; to the right and left along the mountains runs 

 the main road, about which the botanist may find much to interest him. 



Having thus shown how the place is situated with regard to the cold and 

 heat, that might be expected to retard or favour vegetation, I proceed to 

 offer a few observations on those plants I have noticed during my stay. 



The slopes of the mountains seem generally covered with coppices of young 

 oak; in such coppices few plants are to be obtained. The Gorse, {Ulex 

 Europoeus,) seems to occupy the ground, and its being continually cut, and 

 lying out to dry, gives an untidy appearance to the place. In such woods, 

 however, the Potentilla Tormentilla, (Tormentil,) and Lychnis Flos-cuculi, 

 (Ragged Robin,) grow abundantly. Once I had the fortune to fall in with 

 a very fine specimen of the Hypericum Androscemum, (Tutsan.) 



Upon the mountains there are many plants to interest the eye; and more 

 especially the Yellow Mountain Violet, or Yellow Pansy, ( Viola lutea.) Both 

 the varieties ((7>) and (^) of "Hooker and Arnott" grew abundantly together, 

 and their mingled yellow and purple, (the purple being the V. amana,) pre- 

 sent a most beautiful appearance. The thread-like rhizomes of this species 

 may be considered their distinguishing peculiarity; though I have never seen 

 any wild specimen of V. tricolor equal, either in brilliancy of colour or in 

 size to the V. lutea. 



Everywhere and all around you see the Euphrasia officinalis, (Common 

 Eye-bright;) it seems a privileged flower, and one cannot be annoyed at its 

 frequency; the higher up the mountain the larger it grows. Here also the 

 Erythrcea Centaurium, (Common Centaury,) vies with the Campanula rotundi- 

 folia, (Harebell,) in the frequency of its occurrence. The Thymus Serpylluni, 

 (Wild Thyme,) covers every mound; and the Pinguicula vulgaris, (Common 

 Butter wort,) is not unfrequent — I have met with both blue and pink varieties. 

 Every now and then upon these hills you may approach a spongy bog. It 

 is always worth while to examine such spots closely. In one of them I found 

 the following: — Erica Tetralix, (Cross-leaved Heath,) Pedicularis palustris, 

 (Marsh Louse-wort,) Epilohium palustre, (Narrow-leaved Marsh Willow-herb,) 

 Drosera rotundijblia, (Round-leaved Sundew^) Anagallis tenella, (Bog Pirapernelj) 



