[November, 1857.] 257 



HYPOCHCERIS MACULATA. 



Botanical Visit to Humphrey Head, Cartmel. 

 By John Windsor, F.L.S., etc. 



Being in the neighbourhood of Humphrey Head, the rocky 

 promontory projecting into Morecambe Bay, at the latter end 

 (23rd) of last June, I had an opportunity of revisiting it for the 

 first time since one former visit to it in my early life. The day 

 was very fi^ne, but oppressively hot, both to myself and two of 

 my family accompanying me. The rock is about three miles 

 from Flarkburgh, the residence of a relative, where I was stay- 

 ing. On our way we picked up Orchis conopsea, and on the 

 wall by the lane-side Cyathea fragilts, Asjjlenium Trichomanes 

 and Adiantum-nigrum, growing abundantly. Ceterach officina- 

 rum was also found there; but the latter was met with more 

 abundantly on a wall at the village of Cark, near Flarkburgh. 

 Anagallis tenella displayed its elegant little form and flowers in 

 tolerable plenty also on the side of the lane. As we reached the 

 rock, the showy blossoms of Geranium sanguineum appeared pro- 

 minently on the somewhat rocky side of the hill, and Sesleria 

 ccerulea, but now nearly out of flower, grew there abundantly. 



The chief object of my visit was to collect Hypochceris macu- 

 lata, which, in the list of " Settle Plants" published in the ' Phy- 

 tologist,^ I mentioned having seen at Humphrey Head, but in 

 places then inaccessible, as on that occasion, the tide being up, I 

 only went along the upper part of the rock. On this visit, the 

 tide having partly receded, I passed along the lower part, or base. 

 In going along, I picked up Thrincia hirta, Apargia hispida, 

 and some Hieracia, one of which proved to be, I believe, Hiera- 

 cium pallidum (Backhouse). Next I was rewarded by coming 

 upon occasional specimens, after climbing up the shelving rock, 

 of the Hypochceris maculata, some remarkably fine ones, others 

 smaller, for it varies a good deal in size, in the stem being sim- 

 ple or somewhat branched, in the leaves being almost entire or 

 indented, etc. The plant grew abundantly on the rocks above, 

 in situations totally inaccessible. On the grass and sands below 

 the rocks, there were growing plentifully Armeria mai'itima, Si- 

 lene maritima, Poa maritima, Glaux maritima, Cochlearia offici- 

 nalis, Arenaria (Lepigonum) marina, etc. 



N. S. VOL. II. 2 L 



