68 STIRLING AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 



At the highest point of the path we come to the cemetery, in the 

 middle of which is the celebrated Ladies' Rock, from which the 

 dames of the castle were wont to view the sports and tournaments 

 in the valley below. Passing through the stile on to the castle 

 rock, and ascending by the side of the wall, Sedum reflexum 

 (crooked yellow stonecrop) and S. album (white stonecrop) are 

 found in considerable quantity. S. rupestre is reported to grow 

 about the castle, but I have never found it. Cheiranthus Cheiri 

 (wall-flower) and Asplenium Ruta-muraria (wall-rue) are plentiful 

 hereabout. At this side of the hill, amongst the blackthorn 

 bushes, a few specimens of the rare Hyoscyamus niger (henbane) 

 may be gathered. This plant yields a valuable narcotic medicine. 

 Atropa Belladonna, another rare medicinal plant of the same 

 natural order, grows in one or two places on the face of the hill 

 further on. Its large black berries are extremely poisonous. 

 Chrysanthemum Parlhenium (feverfew) is common in this part, 

 and a variety with double flowers is frequently met with. Further 

 on, at the foot of the perpendicular rocks and on the cliffs, Carum 

 Petroselinum (wild parsley) and Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage) 

 are found. Both are very rare in Scotland, and the latter is an 

 exceedingly interesting plant, as being the parent of all the 

 cultivated varieties of cabbage, kail, savoys, brussels sprouts, 

 cauliflower, and broccoli. At this place I found Carduus Mari- 

 anus (milk thistle), the most beautiful of the thistle tribe. Its 

 veins are pure white, and it has white blotches on the glossy 

 leaves, these marks having been caused by the Blessed Virgin's 

 milk falling on the plant ! Parietaria officinalis (pellitory of the 

 wall) is plentiful on these rocks. On the face of the hill the 

 following plants may be found, all of which are more or less rare, 

 some of them very rare, viz. — Laciuca virosa (strong-scented 

 lettuce), the juice of which is narcotic, and is used as an opiate; 

 Verbasann Thapsus (shepherd's club), V. Lychnitis (white mullein), 

 Malva sylvestris (mallow), M. rotundifolia (round-leaved mallow), 

 M. jnoschata (musk mallow), Tanacelutn vulgare (tansy), Convol- 

 vulus arvcnsis (small bindweed), and Valerianella olitoria (lamb's- 

 lettuce), an excellent salad. The two last are spread all over 

 the hill. Viola odorata (sweet violet) and Geranium pusillum 

 (small-flowered crane's-bill) are reported as growing there, but I 

 have never met with them. A good many plants of Atitirrlwium 



