2 THE FLORA OF DERBYSHIRE. 



The famous dales and caves of Derbyshire occur in this 

 formation with a flora peculiar to themselves and to the 

 other parts of our island where these rocks are found. 



The rivers of Derbyshire are not for the most part 

 important ones, though there are some within the county 

 which are remarkable for their beauty. In the Peak District 

 are the Etherow, which forms the extreme northern boundary 

 of the county ; the Hope, which runs through the Vale of 

 Edale and Hope Dale, and falls into the Derwent ; the 

 Derwent, which rises on Langsett Moor and falls into the 

 Trent, thus traversing the whole of the county ; the Wye, 

 which rises on Axe Edge and flows through a succession of 

 dales until it falls into the Derwent at Rowsley, receiving 

 on its way the waters of the LathkilL In the centre of the 

 county are the Amber, also a tributary of the Dcrwent ; the 

 Eother, which flows northwards from near Chesterfield ; 

 and the Erewash forms the boundary between Derby- 

 shire and Nottinghamshire. On the B.E. of the county 

 is the Trent, which separates this county from that of 

 Leicester. On the W. and S.W. is the Dove, which rises on 

 one of the flanks of Axe Edge and runs through the beautiful 

 dale to which it gives its name, separating the counties of 

 Derby and Stafford through the whole length of its course 

 from its source to its junction with the Trent ; while on the 

 north-western side of the county are the Goyt and the Dane, 

 which form the boundary between it and Cheshire. The 

 sources of these three last-mentioned rivers are not far 

 distant from each other, and thus Axe Edge is shown to be 

 the chief water- shed, for, whilst the Dove flows into the 

 Trent and so into the North Sea, the Goyt and the Dane 

 flow into the Mersey and so into the Irish Sea. 



Topographical Divisions. For the sake of convenience the 

 county may be divided into three portions, and the flora 

 arranged accordingly, and in the following pages reference 

 will be made thus : 



I. The Peak District, in which are the principal hills and 

 dales. 



II. The Central District, embracing the Coal Measures 

 and the Magnesian Limestone. 



III. The Southern District, extending over the country 

 south of Duffield and Ashbourne. 



Names and Species Limit. The sequence, nomenclature, 

 and limitation of the species given in the following pages are 

 the same as those which are found in the " Cybele Britan- 

 nica" and its "Compendium," and in the "Topographical 

 Botany" issued by the late Mr. H. C. Watson, and in Mr. 



