305 



FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OF 

 UPPER SWALEDALE. 



WILLIAM WHITWELL. 



Will Mr. Goodchild, author of the interesting paper on the Geological 

 History of Upper Swaledale in the August ' Naturalist,' allow me to 

 ask if he is quite certain about his identification of the following 

 plants mentioned in his botanical list ? I fear that some errors have 

 occurred, the list including the names of several ' critical ' or com- 

 monly-confused species. 



Picris hieracioides. Range given in Mr. J. G. Baker's 'North York- 

 shire' as o-ioo only; not named for Swaledale. Crepis hiera- 

 cioides ( = succiscsfolia) is given in ' North Yorkshire ' for Deepdale 

 and Teesdale only, and as rare. Is not Crepis paludosa (not set 

 down by Mr. Goodchild) really meant? 

 Leontodon hirtus. In 'North Yorkshire' o-ioo only, though 

 named for Area 8. More probably the common L. hispidus ; 

 they are not easy to distinguish off-hand. 

 Hypochaeris glabra. In ' North Yorkshire ' as incognit. ' Reported 

 from two or three stations, but on investigation they prove to be 

 erroneous.' Query — Z^ radicata ? H. glabra is a quite rare 

 sand species ; it is unknown to me and to many much better 

 botanists than I am. 

 Sedum Rhodiola. ' On limestone crags to 2,000 ft.' This is 

 a high slate-rock plant, common on the Coniston Fells and 

 found at High Cup Nick, but not commencing till 1,800 ft. 

 S. ielephium var. fabaria is suggested ; it is a lime-crag form. 

 Galium Mollugo. ' Common.' In ' North Yorkshire' as ascend- 

 ing to Keld and Thwaite ; range, 0-350. Known in Wensleydale 

 at 900 ft. Infrequent in West Yorkshire, e.xcept on the 

 magnesian limestone. Does ' common ' apply generally — to 

 Upper Swaledale and to Lower ? 

 Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi. ' Common locally.' As Vaccinium 

 Vitis-idcea is not named, that also red-berried coriaceous-leaved 

 species is doubtless intended. A. Uva-ursi is not in ' North 

 Yorkshire ' for the western hills, and the ' Flora of West York- 

 shire ' describes it as very rare. 

 Melampyrum sylvaticum. ' Common around Muker.' In 

 ' North Yorkshire ' for Teesdale only, but occurs in one spot in 

 Wensleydale, above Whitfield Force. In ' Flora of West 

 Yorkshire,' as very rare. M. pratense has often been recorded for 

 it, and is known to occur in the Muker woods. 

 Oct. 1890. u 



