A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



vetch [Hippocrepis comosa) are conspicuous by the side of the road, and very locally they may 

 mingle with the purple flowers of the milk vetch [Astragalus danicus). In rather bushy places, 

 so as to be partly sheltered, may be seen the wild licorice vetch [Astragalus glycyphyllos). Here 

 and there may be found the bright rosy-pink spikes of the Orchis pyramidalis and the more 

 purplish-pink flowers of the fragrant orchis [Habenaria conopsca). Half hidden in the short 

 turf the squinancy wort [Asperula cynanchica) may occasionally be found, whereas on the chalk 

 downs of the Chilterns it occurs in great profusion. Besides these we have the feathery 

 flowers of the dropwort [Spiraa FUipendula), the blue flowers of the clustered bell-flower 

 [Campanula glomerata), the dull purple of the autumnal gentian [G. Atnarella), and very rarely 

 the blue flowers of the field gentian [G. campestris), the lady's fingers [Anthyllis Fulneraria) with 

 its pale yellow flowers is rather frequent, while the Labiates are represented by the aromatic 

 marjoram [Origanum vulgare), the basil thyme [Calamintha arvensis)^ and the wild thyme 

 [Thymus Serpyllum). Here too are the hairy tower mustard [Arabis hirsuta), the field chickweed 

 [Cerastium arvense) with its pure white blossoms, the ploughman's spikenard [Inula Conyza), the 

 spindle tree [Euonymus europaus), the traveller's joy [Clematis Fitalba) and the dog-wood 

 [Cornus sanguineus). 



On porous limestone soil near Wittering there was a small area of wild uncultivated 

 ground now almost entirely enclosed, where the field ragwort [Senecio campestris)^ the perennial 

 flax [Linum perenne), and the cat's-foot [Antennaria dioica) formerly occurred. 



The woods and open country in the neighbourhood of King's Cliffe have also many species 

 which are either rare or local over the greater part of the county, but space will not allow of 

 all of these being enumerated, as some of them have already been mentioned. Reference 

 however may be made to the handsome tutsan [Hypericum Androsamum), the orpine [Sedum 

 Telephium), the service tree [Pyrus Torminalis), the elecampane [Inula Helenium), the dodder 

 [Cuscuta europaa), the wood hound's-tongue [Cynoglossum montanum), the spider orchis [Ophrys 

 aranifera), the small reed grass [Calamagrostis lanceolata), the latter growing in marshy 

 woods, the pale flowered clover [Trifolium ochroleucon), and the fly honeysuckle [Lonicera 

 Xylosteum). 



If the Bedford Purlieus can lay claim to be considered the richest sylvan flora in the 

 county, Southorpe Bog on the Upper Lias clay can with equal justice assert its right to be 

 considered the home of more bog species than any other locality in the county. 



The bog rush [Schaenus nigricans) is abundant and apparently confined to this particular 

 watershed, and we have no other recorded locality for the sedge [Carex dioica). Within the 

 area are also the local sedge [Carex elata [stricta) ) and the bay-leaved willow [Salix pentandra), 

 which are unknown elsewhere wild in the county. In addition there are the marsh thistle 

 [Cnicus pratensis), the butter-wort [Pinguicula vulgaris), the fragrant orchis [Habenaria conopsea 

 or H. Gymnadenia), the marsh orchises [0. incarnata and 0. latifolia), the marsh helleborine 

 [Epipactis palustris), the great spearwort [Ranunculus Lingua), the bog dropwort [CEnanthe Lachena- 

 lii), the bog-bean [Menyanthes trifoliata), the sedges [Carex pulicaris, C. echinata, C.paniculata, C. 

 Hava, C. Hornschuchiana, C. rostrata, and C. panicea), the alder buckthorn [Rhamnus Frangula), 

 the marsh willow-herb [Epitobium palustre), the mare's-tail [Hippuris vulgaris), the grass of Par- 

 nassus [Parnassia palustris), the water pennywort [Hydrocotyle vulgaris), the marsh bedstraw 

 [Galium uliginosum), the cotton grasses [Eriophorum angustifolium and E. latifolium), the marsh 

 valerian [Valeriana dioica), the marsh speedwell [Veronica scutellata), the marsh lousewort [Pedi- 

 cularis palustris), the bog pimpernel [Anagallis tenella,) the round -leaved water pimpernel 

 [Samolus Valerandi), the marsh arrow-grass [Triglochin palustre), the rushes [Juncus obtusiflorus 

 and J. hulbosus or supinus), the club-rushes [Scirpus paucifiorus and S. setaceus), the grasses 

 [Sieglingia decumbens, Calamagrostis lanceolata, Molinia varia, Agrostis alba var. coarctata), and 

 the ferns [Dryopteris dilatata and D. spinulosa). 



The fen ditches often show immense quantities of the water violet [Hottonia palustris), 

 and the celery-leaved buttercup [Ranunculus sccleratus) is very abundant, so much so as once to 

 give me some disappointment, for I saw one of the dykes below Peterborough covered for many 

 yards with a vegetable growth which I at first hoped might be the rare little duckweed 

 [IVolffia Micheiti or Horkelia arrhiza), but closer examination showed that the apparent duckweed 

 was really nothing more than countless numbers of the fruits of this plant which had been 

 slowly carried along by the sluggish current to a point where a plank placed across the dyke 

 obstructed the surface water. In these ditches the water soldier [Stratiotes Abides) formerly 

 grew, but whether actually within the confines of Northamptonshire is open to considerable 

 doubt. Here also grow the golden dock [Rumex maritimus), besides the water horsebane 

 [CEnanthe Phellandrium) in plenty, and the water dropwort [CEnanthe fistulosa), the marsh willow 



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