A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



bedstraw (Galium uliginosum) ; and a small marsh near Penkridge has 

 yielded one of our rarest marsh plants, Elatine Hydropiper. 



There are no natural lakes in Staffordshire, but many of the pools 

 are natural and some of them exten'sive and like lakes in character. 

 The large lake at Rudyard is purely artificial and has been formed by 

 damming up a deep valley. Swampy places are on its margins, where 

 are found the mud wort (Limosel/a aquatica), the marsh cinquefoil (Co- 

 marum palustre), the money wort (Lysimachia vu/garis), and on the bank 

 the trailing stems of Corydalis clauiculata. On the north-west borders at 

 Betley and Balterly are large pools where are found several water-loving 

 plants as the white water lily (Nymphcea alba], the sweet flag (Acorus 

 Calamus) and the frog bit (Hydrocbaris Morsus-Ranee) , and in the valley 

 of the Sow is the natural pool, Copmere Pool, very picturesque, clothed 

 with a fringe of tall rushes and bulrushes, and in its waters a too abun- 

 dant growth of Anacbaris ; here are also Ranunculus circinatus, the pond 

 weed Potamogeton filiforme, and all the British duck weeds (Lemna trisulca, 

 L. gibba, L. polyrbizza and L. minor). Near this is the large pool of Maer, 

 in which is an abundant growth of sweet flag (Acorus Calamus), and on 

 its banks the trailing St. John's wort (Hypericum bumifusum). In the park 

 at Trentham is a fine lake-like pool formed by the river Trent. This is 

 beautifully reed grown and fringed with the flowering rush (Butomus 

 umbel/atus], the arrow-head (Sagittaria sagittifolia) , the rare bur reed (Spar- 

 ganium neglectum), wood sedge (Scirpus sy/vaticus), wood rush (Luzula 

 syhatica), and the rare pillwort (Pilularia pilulifera). But the finest natural 

 sheet of water in the county is the large one, perfectly oval in form, 

 called Aqualate Mere, which is one mile long and half a mile broad; 

 the margins are marshy and yield much floral wealth ; here are found 

 the water violet (Hottonia palustris), the brook weed (Samolus Valerandi], 

 the reed grasses Calamagrostis Epigejos and C. lanceolatus, and on the 

 banks the wild liquorice (Astragalus glycyphyllos) , the spindle tree (Euony- 

 mus europteus), the bog myrtle (Myrica gale] , and the narrow-leaved reed 

 mace (Typba angustifo/ia] ; near here is Forton Pool, where are the pond- 

 weeds Potamogiton heteropbyllus and P. peclinatus. In the south-west of 

 the county is Perton Pool; here are the mare's tail (Hippurus vu/garis), 

 and the rare water milfoil (Myriopbyllum verticillatum), and on the con- 

 fines of Birmingham is Harborn reservoir, where are Ranunculus circinatus 

 and the rare mousetail (Myosurus minimus}. The woodlands of Stafford- 

 shire are extensive, forming indeed one-twentieth of the whole area ; 

 those of the southern portion of the county are usually destitute of any 

 special wild flora, though often beautiful in the summer by the abun- 

 dance of wild hyacinth (Scilla nutans], but in the north the woodlands 

 are extensive and are the homes of some of our rarer native plants. 

 The woods near Belmont in the valley of the Churnet possess craggy 

 ravines watered by rapid streams, their banks clothed with a rich abun- 

 dance of wild vegetation, and here are found the globe flower (Trollius 

 europaus], the bear's foot (Helleborus fcetidus), the everlasting pea (Lathyrus 

 Nissolia] and the London pride (Saxifraga umbrosa) ; and in the rich 



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