A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



Districts, and although it has long stretches of blown sand offering apparently suitable conditions 

 for many of the species which crown Northam and Braunton Burrows in the neighbouring 

 county, never a trace of them has been found. Viola Curtisii, Teucrium Scordium, Epipactis 

 palustris, Polygonum maritimum, "Juncus acutus, Scirpus Holoschcenus, and Festuca uniglurnis might 

 be expected to occur in some of the grassy hollows of the Towans, but it is quite certain 

 they do not. 



Several other surprises will attend the investigations of the botanist in this district. If 

 he commences operations in the spring, and knows anything at all of the flora of the other 

 districts, the way in which the cowslip is distributed from Newquay to Hayle will come as a 

 pleasant discovery. Near Hayle it is one of the features of the meadows, downs and marshes. 

 From Newquay to St. Agnes, that prettiest of heaths, Erica ciliaris, infests the waysides and 

 wastrels, the equally charming hybrid Ciliaris x tetralix keeping it company. At Connor 

 Downs a tongue of the lizard flora, represented by Erica vagans and Spiraea filipendula, runs 

 out to the sandhills. On downs in the parishes of Cubert, Newlyn, Perranzabuloe, St. Agnes, 

 and Gwinear, Antennaria dioica is frequent, and a careful search will be rewarded with Gentiana 

 campestris. G. Amarella grows east of Newquay and at Forth Towan and Conner on the 

 west, but only very sparingly. From between Padstow and Cubert three interesting 

 Batrachian Ranunculi have been reported, viz. R. trichophyllus, R. Drouetii, R. Baudot ii. 



The most important plants to be met in a coast walk from Padstow to Hayle are : 

 Papaver Argemone, P. hybridum, Gratis birsuta, Viola hirta, V. lactea, Arenaria verna, Sagina 

 sutulata, S. nodosa, Geranium sanguineum, Genista pilosa, Trifolium squamosum, T. fragiferum, 

 Lotus hispidus, Anthriscus vulgaris, Inula crithmoides, Cnicus acaulis, Mariana lactea, Statice auri- 

 culeefolia, Orobanche Hederts, O. amethystea, Utricularia vulgaris, Mentha pubescens, Marrubium 

 vu/gare, Lamium hybridum, Euphorbia Paralias, E. portlandica, Ruscus aculeatus, Scilla autumnalis, 

 Scirpus Caricis, Phleum arenarium. 



Several instructive object-lessons in plant naturalization are to be found in this district. 

 On the cliffs at Newquay Mathiola incana, Cheiranthus Cheiri, Carum Petroselinum, Scabiosa 

 maritima and Narcissus biflorus have long been in occupation and are yearly spreading. The 

 churchyard at Mawgan and the Nunnery walls above, as well as the churchyard at Newlyn, 

 and one or two other places, may be counted on every year for a crop of Hieracium aurantiacum. 

 Of a different character are Asperugo procumbent, Althtsa hirsuta and Claytonia perfoliata, which 

 occur only at uncertain intervals. 



In the year 1883 Euphorbia hiberna was discovered in a wood at Portreath by Mr. E. D. 

 Marquand, the find being duly recorded in the Transactions of Penzance Natural History and 

 Antiquarian Society a year later. Up to that time the only British locality for this spurge 

 was in Devon. More recently still Filago apiculata has been discovered in the parishes of 

 St. Columb and Perranzabuloe, and Cnicus acaulis on the sandhills at Perranporth. 



In the Botanical Gazette, 1850, Astragalus glycyphyllus was recorded for Cubert and V'tc'ia 

 bithynica for Perranzabuloe ; but too great stress must not be laid on the accuracy of the 

 statements. Fruitless searches have repeatedly been made for the plants in the parishes 

 named as well as in other parts of the county. The Phytologist, 1847, on the authority of 

 Mr. F. P. Pascoe, cites Newquay as a Cornish station for Lathrcea Squamaria ; but three years 

 later, when drawing up his list of Cornish plants for H. C. Watson, Mr. Pascoe made no 

 mention of this parasite. Miss Warren, a very industrious botanist, contributed to the 

 Herbarium of the long defunct Horticultural Society of Cornwall a specimen of Orobanche 

 elatior, labelled ' Cubert Forth ' ; one of Allium Scorodoprasum from ' Perran Minor,' and one 

 of Ceratophyllum submersum endorsed ' Perranzabuloe.' Unfortunately the specimens are too 

 poor to admit of an opinion at this late date. The broomrape has been found in some of the 

 other county districts, but the garlic and pondweed are without any other record. 



SPECIES AND VARIETIES WORTH NOTING IN THE NORTH COAST DISTRICT 



Delphinium Ajacls, Reichb. 

 Aconitum Napellus, Linn. 

 Fumaria Boraei, Jord. 

 Erophila vulgaris, DC. 

 Cochlearia anglica, Linn. 

 Brassica oleracea, Linn. 

 Diplotaxis muralis, DC. 

 Coronopus didymus, Sm. 

 Ruellii, All. 



Lepidium Draba, Linn. 

 Reseda lutea, Linn. 

 Stellaria umbrosa, Opiz. 

 Buda rupestris 

 Hypericum dubium, Leers 

 undulatum, Scbousb. 

 Malva rotundifolia, Linn. 

 Linum usitatissimum, Linn. 

 Geranium sanguineum, Linn. 

 64 



Geranium striatum, Linn. 



phceunij Linn. 



Erodium maritimum, L'HMt. 

 Genista anglica, Linn. 



tinctoria, Linn. 

 Trigonella purpurascens, Lam. 

 Melilotus alba, Desr. 

 Trifolium subterraneum, Linn. 



arvense, Linn. 



