649 



On the Botany of the neighbourhood of Ross. 

 By Wm. Hy. PuiiCHAS, Esq. 



The face of the country in this part of Herefordshire is considera- 

 bly diversified, and hence the local Flora is more varied and exten- 

 sive than in many parts of England. Of the truth of this remark I 

 leave your readers to judge from the appended list of plants growing 

 in the district six miles on each side of the town. From this list 

 such plants as are of universal occurrence are, of course, excluded, 

 while many are retained, not on account of their rarity, but because, 

 from their preference of peculiar situations, the statement of the fre- 

 quency or rarity in which they occur will give a general idea of the 

 Botany of the neighbourhood. 



The general dependence of the Flora of a district upon the geolo- 

 gical formation, receives a striking illustration at Coldwell (about se- 

 ven miles from hence), where the mountain limestone appears for a 

 short distance forming some fine rocks, and separated only by the 

 river, there fifty or sixty yards wide, from the old red sandstone, the 

 general formation of the county. On the side of the river where the 

 last-mentioned stratum is found, the plants are the usual ones of the 

 neighbourhood, but immediately on crossing, Hypericum montanum. 

 Origanum vulgare, Ophrys muscifera and apifera, Helianthemum vul- 

 gare, Prunus Aria, Prenanthes muralis and Polypodium Dryopteris, 

 make their appearance ; the last-mentioned forming large beds on the 

 heaps of debris at the foot of the rocks. 



Thalictrum Jlavum. Banks of the Wye. 



Anemone nemorosa. Abundant in every wood. 



Berheris vulgaris. Sparingly on Copped Wood Hill. 



Cheiranthus fruticulosus. Only on rocks at the entrance of the 

 town. Probably escaped from cultivated ground above. 



Cardamine impatiens. Abundant in a rocky, recently cleared, 

 portion of the Chase Wood and at Coldwell. 



Sinapis tenuifolia.* Sparingly on sandstone rocks near the town. 



Thlaspi arveuse. Plentiful in several fields. 



Viola hirta. In one station only, near Kyrle's Walk. 



Dianthus Armeria. One field only, near Penyard. 



Saponaria officinalis. Waste ground near road-sides : not very 

 general. 



Hypericum Androseemutn. Woods, but not common. 



* Now extinct. 



