A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



8. LAND'S END DISTRICT 



All that portion of the county lying to the west of the railway line from Hayle to Praze 

 and of the high road from Praze through Sithney to Porthleven, including the Scilly Isles, is 

 included in this district. Its coast line is therefore greater than that possessed by either of the 

 districts already noticed. 



Geologically it is of homogeneous character. The eastern boundary line runs across the 

 Cambrian rocks which encircle the greater part of the Carnmenellis granite, and of which 

 only a small area is included in this district. They stretch across the parishes of Breage and 

 Germoe to the detached mass of granite forming Tregonning and Godolphin Hills. As far 

 west as Newlyn, Madron, Ludgvan, and St. Ives, the rocks are Lower Silurian, much inter- 

 rupted by lodes, cross-courses, and elvan dykes. Beyond this the country is entirely granite, 

 belted along the coast from Cape Cornwall to St. Ives with a narrow fringe of greenstone. 

 Greenstone is also found in the Lower Silurian rocks along Mount's Bay. 



The scarcity of trees, the extensive chain of hills stretching from Lelant to Cape Corn- 

 wall and the Land's End, the wild crofts and moors dotted with the ruins of a decadent 

 industry, and the stray vestiges in stone and tumuli left by a long vanished people, give a 

 seductive wildness and grandeur to the landscape to the north and west of Penzance. 



From causes difficult to explain more plants have disappeared from this district than from 

 any other section of the county. The extinctions include Ranunculus circinatus, Hypericum 

 linarifolium, Althtea officinalis, Lathyrus maritimus, Drosera anglica, Hippurh vulgaris, Lythrum 

 Hyssopifolia, Diotis candidissima, Linaria supina, Cladium jamaicense. 



On the other hand the district is being continually enriched by ' casuals ' and ' aliens,' 

 though in this respect there has been a marked falling off since the old days when winnowing 

 was largely carried on on the Eastern Green, Penzance. Under this head must be classed 

 Fumaria densiflora, F. parviflora, Medicago sylvestris, M. denticulata, Melilotus indica, Sedum 

 sexangulare, Asperula arvensis, Centaurea Calcitrapa, C. solstitialis, Stachys annua, Plantago aren- 

 aria, Mercurialis annua, Polypogon monspeliensis, Apera Spica-venti, Lagurus ovatus (Scilly Isles), 

 Poa alpina, Bromus madritensis, B. aruensis. Pinguicula grandiflora was accidentally introduced 

 from Ireland many years ago by Dr. Ralfs, and is now very plentiful in a marsh or two 

 to the west of Penzance. In a ravine near Zennor Mimulus Langsdorffii has established 

 itself almost to the exclusion of other riparian plants. 



Reseda alba, Lavatera sylvestris, Oxalis stricta, Echium plantagineum, and Iris tuberosa were 

 admitted into the British Flora on the strength of their naturalization in this district ; and 

 Daucus gummifer was elevated from varietal to specific rank from a consideration of specimens 

 gathered near Zennor. 



Outside this district Cornwall does not possess the following : Viola tricolor var. nana, 

 Lavatera sylvestris, Oxalis stricta, Ulex nanus, Medicago minima, Trifolium repens var. Town- 

 sendii, Ornithopus ebracteatus, Filago spatbulata, Limosella aquatica, Mentha rubra, Iris tuberosa, 

 Eleocharis uniglumis, Carex arenaria var. ligerica, Cryptogramme crispa, Opbioglossum vulgatum 

 var. polyphyllum. 



Erica vagans has been reported from Zennor and Orobanche purpurea from Penzance, but 

 Dr. Ralfs never countenanced the records. 



SPECIES AND VARIETIES WORTH NOTING IN THE LAND'S END DISTRICT 



Ranunculus peltatus, Fries 



Baudotii, Godr., var. confusus 



(Godr.) 



sardous, Crantz, var. parvu- 



lus (Linn.) 



arvensis, Linn. 

 Helleborus viridis, Linn. 

 Castalia speciosa, Salisb. 

 Papaver somniferum, Linn. 



Argemone, Linn. 



hybridum, Linn. 

 Glaucium flavum, Crantz 

 Fumaria pallidiflora, JorJ. 



Borsei, Jord. 



muralis, Sander. 

 Arabis hirsuta, Scop. 

 Alyssum maritimum, Linn. 



Erophila vulgaris, DC. 

 Cochlearia anglica, Linn. 

 Erysimum ferftliatum, Crantz 

 Came/ina sativa, Crantz, var. 



fcetida (Fr.) 

 Brassica oleracea, Linn. 

 Diplotaxis muralis, DC. 

 Lepidium ruderale, Linn. 

 Thlaspi arvense, Linn. 

 Reseda lutea, Linn. 

 Viola lactea, Sm. 



Curtisii, Forster 

 Polygala calcarea, F. Sehultz. 

 Dianthus Armeria, Linu.\ 

 Saponaria faccaria, Linn. 

 Cerastium quaternellum, Fenzl. 



pumilum, Curtis 



70 



Sagina maritima, Don., var. de- 

 bilis (Jord.) 



subulata, Presl. 



nodosa, Fenzl. 

 Polycarpon tetraphyllum, Linn. 

 Elatine hexandra, DC. 

 Hypericum dubium, Leers 



undulatum, Schousb. 



montanum, Linn. 

 Malva pusilla, Sm. 

 Geranium striatum, Linn. 



pusillum, Linn. 



rotundifolium, Linn. 

 Genista pilosa, Linn. 

 Ononis spinosa, Linn. 

 Trigonella purpurascens, Lam. 

 Medicago falcata, Linn. 



