r r &OZC / a. -sy S- - F I VFa 1' " f a grh i e ^O GARDINER, W- The flora of Forfarshire r'-'' COZC c « 1 s«a Li bra „ » » • .. rx\qo covors v/.c.^o F I S \ F a r f a r s h i. r e GARDINER, W„ The flora of Forfarshire CQIC c» l aa Libra Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh http://archive.org/details/floraofforfarshOOgard THE FLORA OF FORFARSHIRE, BY WILLIAM GABDLNEB. Eeautiful flowers ! to me ye fresher seem From the Almighty hand that fashioned all, Than those that flourished bv a garden wall." LONDON: LONGMAN, EROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS, £9 PATERNOSTER ROAV : ACKERMANN AND CO„ 96 STRAND. EDINBURGH: DAVID MATHEES, 1 DRCMMOND STREET; J. MENZIES, PRINCE'S STREET, DUNDEE : F. SHAW AND W, MIDDLETON. PERTH : P. R. DEW1KOND. 1818. DUNDEE: PRIST ED BY M'COSH, l'AKK, AND DEWAUS THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED WITH SINCERE FEELINGS OF RESPECT AND GRATITUDE : u tn c v o u s g> ti i> s c r i b £ r a WHO HAVE SO KINDLY ENABLED THE AUTHOR TO PRODUCE IT. 15S OVFRGATE, DUNDEE. Nov. 12th 1847. PKEFACE. In submitting the result of his labours to his patrons and the public, the author is not vain enough to suppose that he has completed the task of recording all the botanical pro- ductions that are to be found in his native county, nor even all the stations for the rare and less common plants. To ac- complish this effectually every square inch of ground in the area comprised would require to be minutely examined, and that for a succession of seasons ; but probably no one has ever had the leisure or patience thus to investigate any por- tion of the earth's surface. The object he had originally in view, however, has been accomplished to the fullest extent in his power, and he trusts that the following pages will be found to contain most of the facts connected with the botany of the county hitherto known. Many of these have not been before published, and the others were so scattered through various works as not to be easily available to those wishing to become acquainted with the vegetation of this peculiarly rich and in- teresting district. To the kind friends who have assisted him with notes and specimens, and whose names are associated with the informa- ; VI PREFACE. lion they have communicated, he tenders his best thanks and his heartfelt wish is, that they may, through the blessing of heaven, continue to enjoy the pleasure which such pursuits always impart to those minds open to their refinirg and en- nobling influences. A supplementary part, embracing a brief view of the Fauna of the county, was promised in the prospectus, but from the amount of matter already accumulated, and a consideration of the numerous specimens yet to be examined, it has been deemed more prudent, rather than offer a garbled list of the Forfarshire animals, to publish this separately in a small volume, at as early an opportunity as circumstances will per- mit, and each subscriber to the Flora will be entitled to a copy. In the meantime any information on the subject, well authenticated, or specimens in any department of Zoology, that have been collected in the county, will be thankfully received and acknowledged. A supplement to the Flora, if any new facts are elicited, will be appended ; and it is ear- nestly hoped that those having it in their power to contribute such will do so at their earliest convenience. 158, Oveegate, Dundee, Nov. 10, 1847. INTRODUCTION, The uses of a local Flora are threefold: Firstly. It en- ables a resident in the district, or a visitor, to know what plants may be found., and where. Secondly, It shows the comparative prevalence of certain species to that of other districts. And thirdly, It forms a depository of facts rela- tive to the range of species, by indicating more numerous stations than could be done in a general Floka ; and afford- ing more scope for allusion to the associations which various plants awaken in the mind,—and this part of the subject, which invests its study with a peculiar charm, is daily be- coming more arjpreciated. In accordance with these views the following pages have been wiitten. The arrangement and nomenclature adopted are those of Hooker s British Flora ;* and to prevent any confusion of names, the authority for each genus and species is given, to- gether with the principal synonymes. The English name is added, and after it a reference to the page of the British Flora (H.), and to that of Babing ton's Manual f (B.), where the characters and descriptions of the species are to be found. It is not in accordance with the rules laid down by some of our best botanists for the construction of a local Flora, * Hooker's British Flora, 5th ed. London, Longman & Co. t842. + Babington's Manual of British Botany. London, Van Voorst. 1843 There is a new edition of this work published lately, and if it is referred to, the almanac weather rule may have in some instances to be applied, viz., the page before or the page after. Till INTRODUCTION. that the plants should be described, which would only ren- der the volume more bulky without adding to its usefulness. Every one studying British botany, it is presumed, is in possession of one or other of the standard Floras, and there the characters and descriptions of the various genera and species are detailed at length. With a descriptive Flora in the one hand, and a local one in the other, therefore, each will perform its legitimate part ; and with these helps in the fields and woods, or on the mountains, the merest tyro in the study may soon become familiar with the native plants of his neighbourhood, or the places he may visit in the course of his peregrinations. In the beautiful tribe of Ferns there is added a reference (N.) to the pages of Newmans British Ferns/''' where the species are described and exquisitely figured ; and to those of the Phytologist,f where that gentleman has published most admirable illustrated monographs of the Lycopodiacecs and Equisetacece. For descriptions of the Mosses, Hepaticce, Lichens, and Characete, the pages of Hooker's British Flora\ are re- ferred to. In the same volume, from j3. 248 to p. 415, the Alga are described : and to part second (which forms a se- parate volume)§ references are made to the pages where a descriptive account of the Forfarshire Fungi may be found. The period of flowering, where it differs from that in either of the above national Floras, must be understood to relate solely to what has been observed in this county. Experi- ence teaches us that no general rule (or what we usually consider such) is exempt from numerous apparent excep- tions ; and in this case the variations of the seasons, and the * A History of British Ferns, by Edward Newman, F.L.S. London, Van Voorst. 1840. + The Phytologist, a Popular Botanical Miscellany. London, Van Voorst. Published monthly. British Flora, vol. ii., part 1st. I Hooker's London, Longman & Co. 1833. § Hooker's British Flora, vol. ii., part. 2d. By the Rev. M. J. Berkeley. London, Longman & Co. 1836. ; INTRODUCTION. IX nature of the localities, exercise such an influence over vege- tation, that no definite limits can be fixed for the inflores- cence of various species. For example, Cochlearia grcen- landica is sometimes found in flower on the coast as early as April, and in other seasons not till June ; while on the mountains its blossoms rarely appear before July, and in late seasons, not till August. There is the same difficulty in respect to the Zonal range of vegetation. Silene maritima, Statice Armeria, Lychnis diurna, Cardamine pratensis and hirsuta, Bryum trichodes, Weissia nigrita, Fegetella hemispherica, and several others, might be placed either in the maritime or subalpine zone and Lychnis alpina, although found indigenous only on the highest ground in the county, flourishes luxuriantly in our gardens a little above the sea-level. Under these circumstances, it was deemed most prudent to leave to those, who possess greater experience, leisure and opportunity, with " all appliances and means to boot," to ascertain, if possible, or even to approximate, the latitudinal and altitudinal limits of the respective species; and merely to state such facts in connection with the subject as might, with tolerable confidence, be relied upon. There is no doubt a limit to every species of plant, as respects latitude, longitude, and altitude ; but this is so much under the con- trol of local circumstances, that no general rule can apply to every locality. The comparative numbers of British and Forfarshire ge- nera, species, and varieties, are given under each natural order ; and those of the species and vai'ielies are repeated under each genus ; so that, at a glance, may be seen what proportion our county Flora bears to that of Britain. To render this comparison more complete, a table is given at the end of the book (p. 299) including all the British natural orders, in which those absent from Forfarshire are distin- guished by being printed in italics. The county of Forfar, or Angus, is situated between 56° 27' 56° 56' 2° 28' and N. lat., and between and 3° 22' W. lonsr. ; X INTRODUCTION. from the meridian of Greenwich. It is hounded on the N. and N.W. by Aberdeenshire, on the N.E. by Kincardine- shire, on the E.