Xll. THE FLORA OF HALIFAX. 



Hebble valley at Halifax, where the grit rock forming the slope 

 from King Cross to the brook then passes out of sight under 

 the steep face of the coal measures of which Beacon Hill is 

 composed. 



The rocks all belong to the Carboniferous system, and are 

 classified as Yoredale Rocks, Millstone Grits and Lower Coal 



Measures. The Yoredale beds composed of 

 Yoredale sandstones and shales, with thin bands of 



Rocks. impure limestone, occupy the Calder valley 



from Todmorden to beyondHebden Bridge, and 

 the lower portions of Colden Clough, Hardcastle Crags, and 

 Crimsworth Dean. They only rise above the valley from 

 Todmorden to Eastwood, where they stretch across from 

 Bridestones Moor to Langfield Edge, and then with a slight 

 interruption, round the head of Withens Clough ; there is also 

 a small outcrop in the depression at Gorple. The only 

 noticeable effect of the presence of these beds on the flora is on 

 Langfield Moor, where, over the shales of which they are 

 largely composed, heather and the heaths are entirely absent. 

 The crumbling shales in the cloughs also favour the moisture- 

 loving species ; but it is very questionable whether there is 

 sufficient calcareous soil below Heptonstall Eaves to connect 

 with it the presence of Melica nutans, which used to grow 

 there. 



The rest of the parish, west of Ogden, Halifax and 

 Stainland is composed entirely of the successive beds of Mill- 

 stone Grit. The lowest of these, the Kinder- 

 Millstone scout Grit, forms the western escarpment and 

 Grits. caps the moors to Hebden Bridge. The crags 



on the edge of the moors at Widdop, Gorple 

 Stones, Bride Stones, Chiseley Stones and Heptonstall Eaves 

 are of this coarse grit rock, and have been the only localities 

 where the rare bearberry, Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, has been 

 found. 



Midgley, Warley, Sowerby and Soyland moors are com- 

 posed of the beds classed as Middle Grits, mainly sandstones, 

 with shales and small bands of coal, fine clay and galliard 

 appearing at the outcrop in the valleys. Hathershelf Scout is 

 the only prominent scar. Eastwards the Middle Grits are 

 succeeded by the uppermost bed, the Rough Rock, forming the 

 slopes of Halifax, Norland and Greetland Moor, and Ovenden 

 Township. Like the Kinderscout, it forms crags and scars at 



