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Art. CII. — A List of the rarer Flowering Plants and Ferns of the 

 Neighbourhood of Dumfries ; with Remarks on the Physical 

 Conditions of the District. By Peter Gray, Esq. 



Annexed is a list of the less common flowering plants and fems, 

 growing in the vicinity of Dumfries ; and perhaps, by way of intro- 

 duction, a hasty sketch of the boundaries and physical aspect of the 

 region thus illustrated, may not be altogether inappropriate. 



The Nith, in its course through the district to which it gives name, 

 flows through three basins or valleys, which, according to the specu- 

 lations of some geologists, have, at a remote period, formed the beds 

 of as many lakes, successively drained by the river into the Solway 

 Frith. The lowest of these, the vale of Dumfries, is enclosed on all 

 sides, except the south, by hills chiefly composed of greywacke, and, 

 viewed from the heights around that town, presents a natural amphi- 

 theatre of great beauty ; the undulating surface characteristic of the 

 new red sandstone formation, here the predominating one, together 

 with the intersecting ridges that mark the outer channels of the prin- 

 cipal river and its tributary streams, tending pleasingly to diversify 

 the scenery of the interior. 



The immediately environing hills are of no great height ; but, on 

 the north, the Moffat range, and among them Queensbeny, which at- 

 tains an elevation of 2259 feet, overtop these, and, although at some 

 distance, appear continuous. On the west, the numerous ravines be- 

 tween them are filled, and the hills themselves belted or crowned with, 

 plantations of modern growth, abounding in Rubus saxatilis, Vacci- 

 nium Myrtillus, Polypodium Phegopteris and Dryopteris ; where bare 

 of wood, Gymnadenia conopsea, G. albida, Habenaria viridis and Ly- 

 copodium clavatum, alpinum, Selago and selaginoides, are also met 

 with. Criffel, a syenitic hill 1895 feet high, forms the southern ter- 

 minus of these hills, and although good ground for the cryptogamist, 

 is nowise rich in the i-arer flowering plants. Loch Kinder, at its base, 

 furnishes Lobelia Dortmanna in abundance. 



On the south-east, and approaching close upon the town, lies the 

 extensive morass of Lochar Moss, occujDying many thousand acres. 

 Although not perhaps so fruitful in botanical rarities as might be an- 

 ticipated from its great extent, this moss contains a few good plants. 

 Among these may be enumerated the pretty little Utricularia minor, 

 in some places exceedingly abundant, Ranunculus Lingua, Drosera 

 longifolia and anglica, Bidens tripartita, with several of lesser note. 



