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and found the Orobanche in very great abundance all over its surface* 

 exclusively on the Picris. Many of the plants were then quite out of 

 flower, and others only coming into blow ; some of the stems were 

 two feet in height, many only a few inches, sometimes very stout and 

 thick, at other times comparatively slender, without reference to their 

 elevation. This species comes too close to O. minor not to excite 

 great suspicion that they may be forms of one plant, but when closely 

 examined, the characters, though of the slightest kind, and such as 

 would hardly be admitted as valid in any other genus, do seem by 

 their reproduction in different countries and climates of Europe, to 

 stamp the Orobanche Picridis with the semblance at least of specific 

 permanency. Mr. Babington justly observes it has a different look 

 from O. minor and O. amethystea ; the latter I know nothing of prac- 

 tically, but can bear testimony to the truth of the remark as regards 



be approached from a boat, and to one or two a tolerably safe but dizzy palh conducts 

 the adventurous explorer from the summit of the cliff. These ledges are the fields 

 from which the cliffsmen reap their annual harvest of samphire, which here flourishes 

 in prodigious quantity, and they support besides a luxuriant vegetation, curiously made 

 up of maritime and inland species that grow promiscuously together. The larger of 

 these hanging gardens of Nature's planting, the cliffsmen designate " greens," and 

 the smaller (I think) " meads,"— each having its appropriate name, as Pepper's mead, 

 &c. Rose Hall Green is one of the most extensive of the greens, and can only be 

 approached from the water, and in calm weather, as the surf caused by the almost 

 constant swell is very heavy on the rocks when there is any wind. A scramble of a 

 few minutes over the huge chalk blocks, and up the steep bank of debris by the 

 Wedge Rock, brings you on the green, which is thickly clothed with a vegetation si- 

 milar to that which covers all the rest, and consisting of that staple commodity, sam- 

 phire, immense tufts of Beta maritima, and quantities of a sturdy-lookino- species or 

 variety of Daucus (D. hispidus ?), with prodigiously thick and hispid stems, very broad 

 hairy leaves, and great hemispherical, and even perfectly globose umbels ; a gigantic 

 form of Hieracium Pilosella (var. peleterianwn ?), with short stolons and lanceolate 

 leaves, densely clothed with long shaggy hairs above, snow-white and tomentose un- 

 derneath ; Parietaria officinalis, which is here seen in its most truly native state and 

 in profuse luxuriance; Picris hieracioides, with its parasite burden, Halimus portula- 

 coides, Sinapis nigra, and (very lately found not far from this spot by Mr. Albert Ham- 

 brogh) Raphanus maritimus — another most interesting additiou to our island flora 

 already so rich in rare and curious plants. Various species or forms of Atriplex, Ar- 

 meria vulgaris, Anthyllis vulneraria (var. A. maritima, Schweig), Frankenia leevis 

 Hippocrepis comosa, a maritime variety of Lotus corniculatus, &c, &c. are amono-st 

 the prevailing species on these magnificent bulwarks of our southern line of coast. 

 The influence of the sea air in giving bulk and obesity to many of the plants inhabit- 

 ing these shelves of the chalk cliffs is very remarkable, whilst in others it induces no 

 change of structure or appearance whatever. 



