182 



SOME MORE NOTES ON DOVEDALE PLANTS. 



side, altliongli existing in very small quantity on the Staffordshire 

 side of the Dale. 



The drought of those seasons and then the continued heavy 

 rains of a series of subsequent years, by washing away the earth 

 from the crevices of the rocks, may have destroyed some other 

 species, such as Cotyledon, which, although recorded by the late Mr. 

 Edwin Brown in Sir 0. Mosley's Nat. Hist, of Tutbury as growing 

 in Dovedale, do not seem now to exist there. Other species, more 

 especially ferns, have been almost absolutely exterminated by the 

 ravages of dealers and thoughtless tourists. Such is the case with 

 Ceterach officindrnm, which, I learn on good authority, was at one 

 time plentiful. 



Of Batracliian Ranunculi, aggregate R. peltatus seems to be the 

 form which occurs in the pools, chiefly artificial, which are scattered 

 over the limestone plateau which separates the valleys of the Dove 

 and Wye. — A doubtful form tending towards H. jiorihundus was 

 noticed by Mr. C. Bailey and myself between Pike Hall and Grange 

 Mill. — R. Drouettii occurs in great abundance in the ponds and 

 reservoirs of the Via Gellia. I have noticed it for a succession of 

 seasons, but I think it was unusually abundant last summer. — 

 R. penicillatus occurs abundantly in the Dove, as has been recorded, 

 from Beresford Dale downwards. I have sought in vain, season 

 after season, for even a partially-matured carpel. — R. fiuitans, at 

 least in the Herefordshire Wye, matures fruit freely. 



Coi-i/clalis claviculata still grows on some of the millstone-grit 

 rocks near Birchover. 



Hutchinsia petraa. I only notice this to remark that it has 

 become much less abundant in Dovedale than it was some ten or 

 fifteen years ago. It is curious that my Herefordshire botanical 

 fi-iends have observed the same thing in their district. Perhaps 

 the seasons may have in some way been unfavourable, so that we 

 may expect it again to become more abundant. 



Canlavdne amara is plentiful in various parts of the Dove. 



I have failed to find Arahis perfoliata in the station indicated for 

 it in N. B. 0., namely, between Ashbourne and Okeover ; but it is 

 a likely part, from soil and situation. 



The absence of TIdaspi virens and its usual ally, Arenaria verna, 

 from all the mine-hillocks which I have examined on both sides of 

 Dovedale is remarkable, when we consider how freely they occur in 

 the neighbourhood of Matlock. 



Viola Fieiclienhachiana (first record for the county) occurs plenti- 

 fully at Fenny Bentley, extending for perhaps half a mile and then 

 giving place to F. Riviniana. V. Eeiclienbarhiana begins to flower 

 several weeks sooner than V. Ririniana. A diflerence in the form 

 and texture of the leaves enables the eye to distinguish these, even 

 without the aid of the flowers, in the early part of the season ; but 

 as summer advances the distinction becomes less obvious, and the 

 diflerence in the sepals has to be called in. V. canina ("Linn") 

 Bab. seems to be a scarce plant in Derbyshire. I have only met 

 with a few plants of it in one part of Dovedale ; these Avere of the 

 larger form, and the colour of the petals was more inclining to 



