A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Gramine^ {continued) GRAMiNEii: {continued) 



Festuca loliacea, Huds. I Agropyrum repens, Beauv. i, 2 



Bromus asper, Murr. i, 2 var. littorale, Reichb. 



— erectus, Huds. i sub-sp. acutum, R. & S. i 



— sterilis, L. I — junceum, Beauv. i 



— mollis, L. 1,2 Lcpturus filiformis, Trin. i 



— secalinus, L. Colonist Nardus striata, L. i, 2, 3 



— commutatus, Schrab. i Hordeum sylvaticum, Huds. i 

 Brachypodium sylvaticum, R. & S. I, 2 — pratense, Huds. i 

 Lolium perenne, L. i, 2 — murinum, L. i 



— temulentum, L. Colonist — maritimum. With. I 

 Agropyrum caninum, Beauv. i , 2 Elymus arenarius, L. i 



CRYPTOGAMS 



FERNS AND FERN ALLIES 



The family of the Vascular Cryptogams is well represented in 

 this county ; eighteen out of the twenty-five genera are known, and these 

 comprise rather more than half the British species. The shady denes, 

 together with the great extent of limestone scars and grits, furnish 

 suitable conditions under which flourish many species of ferns. Of the 

 ferns proper several are worthy of special notice. The royal fern 

 [Osmunda regalis) at one time grew luxuriantly on the banks of the 

 Derwent and in other parts of the county, but it has been sadly uprooted 

 by enterprising gardeners and tourists, and has now nearly disappeared. 

 Woodsia ihensis, a peculiarly rare plant recorded from Falcon Clints, 

 it is feared is now almost extinct. Except in Westmorland it has no 

 other locality in England. The rare parsley fern [Cryptogramme crispd) has 

 a wide range, growing in profusion on the basaltic crags near Holwick 

 below High Force, and very generally on rocks of the millstone grit, 

 ascending to 2,000 feet on Stangend Rig. Near Stanhope and also 

 in the Derwent valley it may still be found. The oak fern [Polypodium 

 Dryopteris) and the beech fern (P. Phegopteris) grow sparingly in Castle 

 Eden Dene, and ascend to 1,500 feet in the Vale of Derwent. Here these 

 delicately beautiful forms flourish most luxuriantly, and in favourite haunts 

 clothe the damp banks with a dense dwarf forest of tender green. Three 

 species of the buckler fern [Ncphrodium) — N. Oreopteris, the male fern {N. 

 Filix-mas), and A^. dilatatum — are commonly met with ; while the fourth, 

 N. spinulosum, is only recorded from Walridge Fell. The mountain buckler- 

 fern [N. Oreopteris) is very plentiful in all the hilly districts, growing most 

 luxuriantly in the higher ranges of the Derwent valley, where N. dilatatum 

 is also found in beautiful profusion in the Mugglcswick Woods. The 

 rare hay-scented buckler-fern (A^. (cmuhtni) is found sparingly in the upper 

 part of the Derwent district (Featherstonhaugh). The rare crested 

 bucklcr-fcrn (A^. cristatutti) occurs very locally at Edmondbycrs (Feather- 

 stonhaugh). The lady fern [/Itbyrium l''ilix-fa-mina), with its two 

 varieties rbcvticum and moIk\ is common among the woods and rocks. 

 The limestone species of Asplenium, the wall rue [A. Ruta-muraria)^ the 

 black splcenwort {A. Adiantum-tiigrum) , and the maidenhair spleenwort 

 {A. Trichomanes) are frequent on the scars. Tiie green spleenwort 



60 



