A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE 



and ThaUctrum flavum. Sometimes these banks are fringed with woods, in which Pyrus 

 torminalis occurs. Nasturtium sylvestre is often conspicuous by the water's edge, and many rare 

 Carices lurk in the ditches near the river, such as Carex ampullacea, C. axillaris, C. hinervis, 

 C. canescens, C. disticha, C. elongata, C.fulva, C. strigosa and C. vesicaria. Among the grasses 

 of the meadows by the Severn are found Avena pubescens, Brotnus commutatus, Bromus madri- 

 tensis, Festuca loliacea, Hordeum pratense, Phalaris canadensis, Poa compressa and Setaria glauca. 

 The western bank of the river above Worcester shows several large woods. In Astley Wood 

 Galanthus nivalis has been found, and near Shrawley church Tulipa syhestris. In Shrawley 

 Wood occurs Aquilegia vulgaris, Convallaria majalis, Dipsacus pilosus, Orobanche major, Pyrola 

 minor, Sedum Telephium, and Ficia sylvatica ; while Tilia parvifolia forms much of the under- 

 growth. Higher up the river near Stourport Geranium phaeum occurs ; and still more to the 

 north, above Bewdley, Coronilla varia is plentiful by the river side, where it has been known 

 for fifty years or more, in a spot which by the alteration of the county boundary has lately 

 been taken into Worcestershire. 



Here, on the confines of the county, is situated Bewdley or Wyre Forest, spreading over 

 both sides of Dowles Brook, which divides Worcestershire from Shropshire. Geraniutn sangui- 

 neum occurs on the Shropshire side of the brook, but has not been known for many years to 

 have crossed the stream into Worcestershire. Among the plants which have been found in 

 this district are Aquilegia vulgaris, Botrychium Lunaria, Carex montana, Convallaria majalis, 

 Cephalanthera ensifoUa, Doronicum Pardalianches, Echium vulgare, Epipactis palustris, Eriophorum 

 latifolium, Gentiana campestris. Geranium sylvaticum, Hyoscyamus niger, Lithospermum officinale, 

 Lycopodium clavatum, Melica nutans, Nartheciu?n ossifragum, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Pyrola 

 rotundifolia, Rosa rubiginosa, Ruhus saxatilis, ThaUctrum minus, Triglochin palustre and Tulipa 

 syhestris. Spiraa salicifolia formerly grew in a naturalized condition by the side of Dowles 

 Brook, but has now disappeared ; and Spiranthes aestivalis has also gone from the locality. 



Some eighty plants have been recorded for the Severn district which have not been found 

 elsewhere in Worcestershire ; and among them, besides several of those mentioned in the 

 above lists, are Ranunculus Lingua, Crepis paludosa, Lactuca virosa, JVahlenbergia hederacea, Ver- 

 hascum Lychnitis, Utricularia minor. Crocus vernus, Sparganium natans, Carex digitata, Festuca 

 sylvatica and what has been recorded as Lycopodium complanatum, though it is now contended 

 that no true L, complanatum has been found in Britain. 



(iii.) The Malvern district is a band of uneven width, following the western boundary 

 of the county down its entire length from north to south, possessing a varied geological struc- 

 ture, and comprising, as well as the heights of Malvern, a considerable portion of the valley of 

 the Teme after that river enters the county in the north. The eastern limit of this district is 

 the western boundary of the Severn district for the whole of its length. The Malvern Hills 

 run parallel with the average course of the Severn for a distance of nine miles, some four miles 

 west of the river ; they rise suddenly from the lower land, which was formerly unenclosed 

 and known as Malvern Chase. Though the greater part of the chase has been enclosed and 

 cultivated much of it is still wet and waste. Apium inundatum, Bupleurum tennissimum, 

 Epilohium roseum, E. virgatum, Heleocharis acicularis, H. multicaulis, Limosella aquatica, 

 Lemna gibba, Mentha piperata, M. pulegium, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, CEnanthe Lachenalii, 

 CE. peucedanifolia, Peplis Portula, Polygonum minus, Pulicaria vulgaris, Scirpus Caricis, 

 S. fluitans, S. sctaceus, Triglochin palustre and ZannichelUa palustris have been recorded for 

 this district. On the hills themselves, which are for the most part bare of any conspicu- 

 ous vegetation, are Cardamine impatiens, Corydalis claviculata. Cotyledon Umbilicus, Geranium 

 lucidum and Spergularia rubra. Digitalis purpurea is sometimes a feature in the summer, and 

 Myosotis versicolor is plentiful in the spring ; while Ornithopus perpusillus and Hypericum 

 humifusum are common. Both Erica cinerea and E. tetralix are wanting on the Malvern 

 Hills, and Culluna vulgaris becomes rare in the southern part of Worcestershire ; the southern- 

 most station in the county for Erica tetralix is Broadheath near Worcester. Narcissus Pseudo- 

 narcissus is plentiful in the meadows on the west and south of the hills. On the north hill 

 Sedum album occurred, but is now almost certainly gone. Rarer plants that have been met 

 with in the district are Centunculus minimus, Gagea lutea, Lactuca scariola, Lathyrus syhestris 

 and Orobanche elatior. The high land to the north of the Malvern chain is in many places 

 thickly covered with wood, which consists chiefly of oak and hazel, but contains also a con- 

 sideraisle quantity of Tilia parvifolia and T. platyphyllos. Betula alba predominates in some 

 places. Prunus Avium is very common, and Populus tremula is generally distributed. Fagus 

 sylvatica, Pyrus Aria and Carpinus Betulus are entirely absent as native trees from the Malvern 



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