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ILLUSTRATIONS OF 
of the county generally^ and the distribution of its 
indigenous plants, must be considered as in some 
degree connected with its Geology. As none of our 
eminences exceed 1500 feet in altitude, we possess no 
real Alpine plants ; nor, if we except the bleak hills 
of the lower Lickey to the north of Bromsgrove, 
have we any tract where the vegetation presents even 
a peaty sub-Alpine aspect. Here, however, a singular 
difference is visible, though not at all dependent upon 
altitude, for this disjointed primitive formation is but 
900 feet above the sea. Nevertheless there is a 
perceptible distinction in climate, and several plants 
are found here that are common to mountainous and 
boggy situations, though not occurring elsewhere in 
the county. Among these we may enumerate the 
kingspear or asphodel, the cranberry, bilberry, &c. 
Cultivation has now, however, reduced the locality 
of these plants to a very narrow space. Four 
species of heath also adorn the wastes of the Lickey, 
while the Calluna vulgaris is the only one found 
throughout the whole Malvern chain. The hills of 
Malvern, and the limestone heights on their western 
declivity, have their peculiar and beautiful plants, 
which will be more fully enumerated in the appendix, 
but I may here observe, the rocks of the North Hill 
at Malvern, are the only habitat known in our county 
for the beautiful Sedum album. The oolitic outlyer 
of Bredon Hill, again, has its peculiar plants, several 
of the vetch tribe growing only on the declivities 
of that fine eminence. 
The changes in the habitats of plants by the 
