212 



it in a hedge on the Bromsberrow-road from Ledbury, just beyond a public house 

 called The Pye's Nest. 



Prenanihes muralis and Sedum telephium occurred upon the grauwacke 

 rock in the valley below the Beacon, and Carex axillaris and Stellaria uligi- 

 nosa in a marshy spot near. 



Several battered specimens of the Yew (Taxus baccata) presented them- 

 selves on the side of the road leading to Ledbury, and some very fine aged ones 

 adorn the Ridgeway, an ancient raised road leading to Earl Somers' mansion of 

 Eastnor Castle. Here, also, I noticed some fine specimens of the Juniper (Juni- 

 perus communis J growing among a thicket of brambles. * Viburnum lantana 

 and * Clematis vitalba appeared growing upon the limestone within a mile of the 

 town of Ledbury. 



The vicinity of Ledbury, blocked up with various detached limestone emi- 

 nences on its eastern side, and overlooking the great extension of the old red sand- 

 stone, backed by the solemn Black Mountains, presents rather an attractive focus 

 to the botanist, which is increased by the prevalence of deep woods along the sides 

 and bases of the hills, and the variety of soil, the new red sandstone appearing at 

 the distance of three miles only on the Bromsberrow road. I, therefore, paused 

 here for the remainder of the day. In the churchyard is a very fine, lofty, spread- 

 ing Wytch Elm ( Ulmus montanaj, and avenues of Lime ( Tilia Europcea) 

 enfilade the paths. The Red Currant (*Ribes rubrum) was growing as an epi- 

 phyte upon them. It is curious that an analagous circumstance is recorded with 

 respect to the great Lime-tree at Neustadt ander Linde, Germany, where Goose- 

 berries grown in the hollows of the tree there are sold to curious visitors.-}- 



On a limestone hill, north of the church, I found the beautiful Vicia sylvatica 

 " canopying Titania's bower,";]: and Epipactis latifolia occurred sparingly. 



Between Ledbury and Bromsberrow I noticed Campanula patula, *C. Tra- 

 chelium, and Hypericum androscemum. Acer campestre was very abundant in 

 the hedges, one old specimen being seven feet in circumference. 



In passing along a narrow lane in my way towards Bromsberrow Church, I 

 came upon an open space at a spot called Brownsend, where stocd a most magni- 

 ficent specimen of the * Tilia parvifolia, rivalling in growth and spread of bough 

 any Oak or other veteran of the forest. It was not until after close examination 

 that I could be satisfied that it was a lime of this species, though in flower : cer- 

 tainly the finest I ever saw. At a yard from the ground the trunk measured 

 fifteen feet in circumference ; heighth full eighty feet. Although the T. parvi- 

 folia is certainly indigenous in the country about the base of the grauwacke 

 heights, I conceive this identical specimen to have been planted, not only from its 

 central position, but from its vicinity to an old farm house. Some noble old spe- 



■f Loudon's Arboretum Brilannkurn. % Sir Walter Scott. 



