159 



BOTANY OF NEWTOWN, MONTGOMEEYSHIRE. 



In tlie month, of July, 1866, I went to tlie above town, more to see a 

 friend than for botanical purposes ; but whilst there I wished to see all that 

 was to be seen, therefore during the few hours at my disposal, I endeavoured 

 to look out some of its floral productions, and now send an account of them 

 to the Naturalist, to interest, if possible, some portion of its readers. 



Newtown is situated about nine miles S.W. from INIontgomery ; its 

 situation and scenery are delightful, being agreeably interspersed with hills 

 and valleys ; no doubt it is a healthy spot. One of the inhabitants, to my 

 amusement, informed me its healthy state was owing to the odour of the 

 factory oil, and not to its bracing air. The chief trade of the town appears 

 to be in worsted, which is or was manufactured in large quantities ; however, 

 its trade in this particular is fast declining, owing to their being behind tbe 

 age, and refusing to employ steam power. 



The Botanical rarities I found were, like angels visits, few and far 

 between ; better success may await those who have more time at tbeir 

 disposal, as all the plants in any given district, no matter how limited, can- 

 not be seen in one or two days. One plant was noticed in great plenty, this 

 was Malva moschata, L. ; it lined some of the hedgerows in great profusion, 

 sometimes being intermingled with Verbascim Thcqmis, L., which was not so 

 common j Thymus ChamcBdrys, Er., and Thymus serj)yllum, L., were equally 

 plentiful ; they were not observed growing together, and the former, perhaps, 

 was at a greater elevation than the latter. Euj)horhia Cyparissias, K., I saw 

 near an old church, a little distance from the town. In all the corn fields, in 

 every direction, Scandix Pecten-veneris, L., was in abundance ; only a few 

 specimens of Conium maculatum, L., and Chenopodium Bonus-HenricuSj L. 

 were observed, and these, as is often the case, near a farm-house. In a bog 

 on one of the hills, Hypericum elodes, L., was gathered ; perhaps this was 

 not quite at so high an elevation as recorded in the Cyhele from North Wales. 

 Sedum reflexum is well established on old walls in several places. A woody 

 dingle, north of the town, contained Lysimachia 7iummularia, L. ; Betonica 

 officinalis J L. ; Calamintha clinopodium., Spen. ; Bosa arvensis, L., &c, this 

 was the prevailing rose of the district. 



