THE DISTRIBUTION OF LIVING PLANTS. 123 



some species of Poppy, also some members of the Fumariaceae 

 family, such as Fiunaria confusa. Smith's Dog Violet ( Viola 

 laded], the Common Allseed, and the soft-knotted Trefoil 

 (Trijolium striatuni}, with many others, make this part of Dorset 

 a source of much interest. Erica ciliaris and E. ciliaris x 

 Tetralix deserve notice, as especially characterising this district ; 

 the latter has been found in comparative plenty in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Parkstone. That rare plant, Simethis bicolor, has 

 been observed in Branksome Wood. 



Taking now the extreme west of the county, we find a 

 district (forming almost a square bounded by lines drawn from 

 Chardstock to Mosterton, from Mosterton to Bridport, from 

 Bridport to Lyme Regis, and from Lyme Regis to Chardstock) 

 given up entirely to beds of Lias and Midford Sands, with the 

 exception of a few elevated caps of cretaceous beds such as 

 occur at Stonebarrow and Weald Warren and Eype and 

 Blackdown Hill near Thorncombe. Among the rarer plants of 

 the district may be mentioned Whitlow Grass (Draba muralis), 

 Purple Spurge (Euphorbia Peplis], Spring Snow-flake (Leucojum 

 vernum], the Hay-scented Fern (Lastrcca (cmula], and the Heart- 

 leaved Tway-blade (List era cordatd]. 



The coast of this part of Dorset offers much to rouse our 

 interest in the beauty and variety of the flowers which Nature has 

 attracted there by providing for their special requirements. Here 

 the Yellow Horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum\ the Purple Sea 

 Rocket (Cakile maritimd] and Sea Kale (Crambe maritimd] find a 

 home. A few other plants, rather rare on this shore, but found 

 also in sandy and gravelly places on or near other parts of the 

 coast, are the Sea-Stork's-Bill (Erodium maritimum\ the Sea 

 Pea (Lathyrus maritimus] with its spike of bluish purple flowers 

 and hairy pods; and, on the cliffs between Lyme Regis and 

 Charmouth, the sweet-scented white blooms of the Butterfly 

 Orchis (Habenaria bifolid] may be met with. Among the shore- 

 loving plants frequently found may be mentioned the Sea Pink 

 (Armeria maritimd], Sea-Milkwort (Glaux maritimd], and Sea 

 Beet (Beta maritimd). A few other more or less scarce plants 



