BOTANY 



GENERAL PHYSICAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTY WITH 

 RELATION TO THE FLORA 



STAFFORDSHIRE is rhomboidal in shape and somewhat irregular 

 in outline ; its surface is richly undulating and greatly diversified. 

 The long range of hills extending from the Cheviots in Scotland 

 southward enters Staffordshire at the extreme north, and forms a 

 range of mountain-like hills having a south-west direction from above 

 Flash to below Bosley, and rising from 600 to over 1,700 feet above sea 

 level. On the north-west side of the county thiselevated ridge is con- 

 tinued past Cloud Hill and over Congleton Edge and Mow Cop, and the 

 elevation in many places is over 1,000 feet above the sea. The prevailing 

 geological character of the rocks are those of the Coal Measures and Mill- 

 stone Grit, and the prevailing vegetation is that peculiar to the mountain 

 moorland, such as the black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), the whortle- 

 berry (Vaccmlum Vitis-Idaa),\mg (Calluna Vulgaris], heath (Erica cinerea), 

 bilberry (Vaccinium Myrtilhts}, an abundant growth of bracken (Pteris 

 aquilina)) thin grass, grey lichens and dark masses of hair moss (Poly- 

 tricbum commune]. A narrow belt of mixed woodland, Forest Banks and 

 Back Forest clothe a portion of the summit above Swithamley. Here is 

 found the cow wheat [Melampyrum pratense], moss crop (Scirpus caspitosus) 

 and the hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum). The intervening valleys have 

 a somewhat impervious subsoil, and are watered by frequent springs, 

 which render them swampy, hence many of the bog-loving species are 

 abundant, as sheep's rot (Hydrocotyle vu/garis), sundew (Drosera rotundi- 

 folia), the arrow grass (Triglochin palustre] and the pearl wort (Sagina 

 nodosd). A ridge of high land, over which the high road from Leek to 

 Buxton is carried, rising from 500 feet at Leek to about 1,400 feet at 

 Axe Edge, forms the partings of the Dane and several of the important 

 rivers of the county the Dove, Manyfold, Churnet and Hamps. The 

 country they water is wild flat lands, grass lands, moors and some little 

 arable land, with small woodlands and several round topped hills, attain- 

 ing in places an elevation of 1,200 to 1,300 feet above the sea. These 

 hills are covered with short herbage, beautifully green in the early season, 

 but soon scorched in the hotter months of summer. The limestone 

 rock is abundantly exposed on their sides, and many of the more rare 

 lime-loving species have here their home, such as wild pansy (Viola 

 /utea), the rock rose (Heliantbemum vu/gare), the Jacob's ladder (Po/emo- 

 nium caru/eum), Corydalls cla-uiculata and the rare little Hutcbinsia petreea. 

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