A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



habitat becomes more restricted year by year. In the same locality grew 

 abundantly the autumnal crocus (C. nudiflorus], first recorded as a 

 British plant in 1738 by Dr. Charles Deering, who found it 'in Notting- 

 ham meadows and about Trent Bridge.' I have seen it in some numbers 

 within the last fifteen years in a field close to Trent Bridge, but the 

 locality has recently been built upon. The plant still, however, persists 

 in fair quantity in some of the Trent meadows. The wild tulip 

 (Tulipa sylvestris) also was formerly common in the Nottingham and 

 Beeston meadows, although it never flowered in its wild state, and 

 usually put forth only a single leaf. It has long disappeared from its 

 old headquarters, but still occurs higher up the Trent Valley at Thrump- 

 ton. The Nottingham catchfly (Silene nutans], first recorded for Britain 

 by Ray in 1 670 as growing ' on the walls of Nottingham Castle,' was 

 still common on the ruined walls of the old kitchens of the castle up to 

 about fifteen years ago, but the recent restoration of this part of the 

 castle has destroyed it. It is quite possible, however, that a few plants 

 may still linger on the inaccessible parts of the castle rock. 



The draining of the few small areas of bog which formerly existed 

 in the county is responsible for the extinction or extreme rarity of a number 

 of interesting species; such are the royal fern (Osmunda regalis), Lastrea 

 Thelypteris, L. uliginosa, and L. Oreopteris, the bog orchis (Epipactis palus- 

 fris), bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris), butterwort (Pinguicula vu/garis), 

 sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), cranberry (Schollera Oxycoccos), Vaccinium 

 Vitis-idaea, buckbean (Menyanthes), the beautiful Gentiana Pneumonantbe, 

 Schoenus nigricans, and others. On the other hand the rare crested fern 

 (Lastrea cristata) still persists in its ancient station, along with the crow- 

 berry (TLmpetruni) \ the sweet-gale (Myrica Gale) also maintains its foot- 

 hold in some quantity in a single locality; and the bog pimpernel 

 (Anagallis tenella), and cotton grasses, Eriopborum vaginatum and angusti- 

 folium, may still be found. 



Other interesting plants which formerly occurred, but have not been 

 seen for many years, are Viola stagnina and V. lutea, Dianthus deltoides, 

 Cerastium quaternellum, Hypericum montanum, Geranium sangulneum and 

 G. lucidum, Cicuta virosa, Myrrbis Odorata, Bupleurum rotundifolium, Anten- 

 naria dioica, Cnicus pratensis, Crepis paludosa, Pyrola minor, Rbinantbus 

 major, Littorella juncea, Galeopsis ocbroleuca, Rumex maritimus and R.pulcher, 

 Cephalanthera ensifolia and C. pallens, Orchis ustulata, Stratiotes aloides, 

 Scheuchzeria palustris, Carex digitata, Melica nutans, Hordeum syhaticum, 

 Ceterach officinarum, Cystopteris fragilis, etc. Turning from this 

 melancholy list of probable extinctions it is a pleasure to note that 

 a fair number of species which have always been rare in the county 

 still persist. Among these are Arabis perfoliata, Lotus tenuis, Stum lati- 

 fohum, Dipsacus pilosus, Inula Conyza, Monotropa Hypopitys, Samolus 

 Valerandi, Melampyrum pratense, Ophrys apifera and O. muscifera, 

 Gagea fascicularis, Acorus Calamus, Carex Pseudo-cyperus, Apera Spica- 

 venti, etc. Moreover, a number of truly native species which were 

 unknown to or not distinguished by the earlier Nottinghamshire botanists 



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