BOTANY 
Districr II 
This area is limited to the line of coast extending from Haverigg Point in the south to 
the estuaries of the Eden and Esk rivers at the head of the Solway Firth as far as the mouth 
of the Sark river, which during the latter part of its course from the ‘Scots dike’ southwards 
divides England from Scotland and Cumberland from Dumfriesshire. In a northerly direction 
from the estuary of the Duddon to St. Bees village the coast-line is low, flat and sandy, though 
the mountains are seen to be at no great distance to the eastward. A little to the south of 
Bootle indeed, Black Coombe (1,969 feet) appears as a sort of outpost or sentinel of the main 
group, approaching nearer the sea and standing in majesty alone. Other foothills of inferior 
altitude are also seen at varying distances. Northward of St. Bees the lofty sandstone cliffs of 
the promontory rise abruptly from the sea to a height of over 300 feet. With a gradually 
decreasing altitude they stretch along the shore as far as Harrington, and even to Maryport. 
Continuing northward the rugged cliffs are seen no more, and the shore-line and beach become 
flat and level, consisting of a mixture of sand, gravel and alluvial material, which is continued 
past the estuaries of the Waver and Wampool rivers, also those of the rivers Eden and Esk, 
to the outfall of the Sark as above mentioned. ‘Towards this northern part several marshes 
occur liable in portions to be submerged by spring tides, as at Skinburness and Calvo-Whitrigg 
and Bowness Flow, Burgh and Rockcliffe Marshes. Further inland are also bogs or peat 
mosses, as Bowness and Solway Mosses on opposite sides of the firth. Altogether the tidal 
line cannot be much under eighty miles in length. 
The more uncommon or striking plants deserving of special mention include the follow- 
ing, ranged as in District I., viz. Alyssum incanum, L., and A. calycinum, both found at Sil- 
loth ; Cochlearia danica, L., Workington pier ; Diplotaxis tenuifolia, DC., Maryport ballast 
since 1880 and steadily increasing ; Coronopus didymus, Sm., at the same station ; Crambe 
maritima, L., until quite lately grew nearly a mile north of Workington harbour, but has been 
obliterated by masses of slag from the iron furnaces; Raphanus maritimus, Sm., Workington 
north shore, will probably disappear, as a new deep-water dock is projected which will entirely 
cover the area of its growth; Aalva parviflora, L., abundant near the Convalescent Institu- 
tion at Silloth ; Lathyrus Aphaca, L., has for some years occurred regularly at Silloth ; Eryngium 
maritimum, L., coast-line from Workington to Maryport (it also makes a fine show by the 
Grune at Skinburness, where it is associated with Salsola Kali, L., also of remarkably fine 
growth) ; Crithmum maritimum, L., on the cliffs of St. Bees and, on the evidence of Bishop 
Nicolson, 1690, grew much farther northward, where it was probably destroyed when the 
Parton rocks were quarried back to make room for the L. & N. W. Railway along their base ; 
Asperula arvensis, L., on a branch line from Silloth to Lord Armstrong’s artillery shooting 
range ; Artemisia maritima, L., sent to the writer from Duddon Sands by W. Dickinson, F.L.S., 
in 1879; Lactuca Scariola, L., Maryport and Silloth ballast, brought probably by grain ships, 
1899-1900 ; Statice auriculefolia, Vahl., Fleswick Bay, under St. Bees Head ; Samolus Vale- 
randi, L., swampy ground on Coulderton shore; Galeopsis Ladanum, L., on chalk ballast, 
Maryport, during the last ten years ; Chenopodium Vulvaria, L., seen at the same station, 1890 
(although many of the plants perfected seeds, there has not been any reappearance); Sueda 
maritima, Dum., will probably disappear along with Raphanus maritimus when operations on 
the dock are commenced at Workington (it grows also about Skinburness Marsh); Rumex 
maritimus, L., about Maryport since 1895 ; Euphorbia Esula, L., on the dock junction line of 
the Cleator and Workington Railway, not far from the Lonsdale dock, 1893-1900; Ruppia 
rostellata, Koch, creek near the sea dyke a mile from Skinburness, and on the Cloffocks at 
Workington ; Zostera marina, L., cast upon the beach near Bootle, and also about a mile south 
of Maryport harbour; Catabrosa aquatica, Beauv., in a rill which discharges on the beach below 
Coulderton ; Lepturus filiformis, Trin., on Brownrigg and Skinburness marshes, not uncom- 
mon ; Avena strigosa, Schreb., on the shore a mile north of Workington ; Elymus arenarius, 
L., Workington north shore, established and spreading ; Asplenium marinum, L., cliffs at St. 
Bees and, like Crithmum, grew also at Parton cliffs in Bishop Nicolson’s day. 
Here it may not be out of place to mention that of late years quite a number of medicks, 
clovers and vetches have shown themselves in the precincts of Messrs. Carr & Co.’s large corn 
mills at Silloth. ‘These have undoubtedly come with foreign grain cargoes, and the probability 
is that the bulk of these species came from California, whence I understand the main supply 
of their wheat for milling purposes is now obtained. Of medicks there have occurred Medicago 
falcata, L., established for some years past in the slate yards; JZ. denticulata, with its var. 
apiculata (Willd.) ; AZ. minima, Desr.; and the curiously fruited AZ, scutellata, with small 
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