lO YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION, 



REPORT 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL SECTION: 



18 7 8. 



By H. franklin PARSONS, M.D., F.G.S., Goole, 

 Secretary of the Section. 



The meetings of the Union during the past year have been 

 held at Pontefract, April 23rd; Ilkley, May 25th; Rrough, June 

 loth: Settle, July 20th; Hambleton, August 5th; and Wortley, 

 September 14th. The following are the main features of the 

 several regions explored: — 



PONTEFRACT, APRIL 2 3RD, 1 878. 



At the meeting in April the ground explored was the country 

 around Wentbridge and especially the Went Vale, between Went- 

 bridge and Smeaton, a valley with rocky and wooded sides cut by 

 the river Went through the range of hills formed by the outcrop 

 of the magnesian limestone. This tract is very rich in limestone- 

 loving plants, including some very local species, as Hyperiatm 

 montani/m, Astragalus hypoglottis, Potentilla vema and Aspenda 

 cynanc/iica, which in these steep and rocky fastnesses are able to 

 hold their ground against the invading plough. The number of 

 species recorded was the larger on account of the ground being 

 somewhat familiar to many of the members, who were thus able 

 to find and recognise rarities which would otherwise at this early 

 period of the year have escaped notice. A tract of new red 

 sandstone at Whitley was explored, and yielded a group of sand- 

 loving plants different from those met with on the limestone, 

 as Teesdalia jiudicaidis, Oniithopiis perpusillus, Chcerophylhim 

 Anthriscus and Plantago Coronopns. The woods on the clay 

 between Whitley and Womersley presented nothing worthy of 

 note. A good many denizens and colonists were noticed, among 



Trans.Y.N.U., 1878. SeriesE 



