364 MR. В. S. ADAMSON : AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY 
The shade-loving mosses—e. g. Hylocomium triquetrum and Thuidium 
tamariscinum—are almost absent here. 
The summer water-content in this part is very variable, 37-45 per cent. 
Parts have a moderate degree of shade and a thick covering of vegetation, 
and here the summer water-content is 40-45 per cent. ; but where the light 
is greater, or the flora more mixed, the amount is 37-39 per cent. There is 
no hard-and-fast line between these two extremes, but all gradations occur, 
irregularly arranged, in the society. Rubus cassius is often very abundant, or 
forms a transition to the Rubus cæsius sub-society. 
Sub-Society of Мілей Grasses. 
This only occurs in recently coppiced areas where the shade is from the 
trees alone. The grasses here become still more prominent. Deschampsia 
cespitosa is sometimes pure locally, but more often is mixed with others, 
especially :— 
Bromus ramosus а. a 
Brachypodium sylvaticum | .... issue а 
Festuca даем... е la 
The growth of these may reach a considerable height, so that in the later 
eriods of the year all the smaller species are crowded out. In this ease the 
1 ) 
grasses are associated with such tall-growing species as :— 
Dipsacus sylvestris......... o-la Epilobium hirsutum ...... lo 
Cnicus palustris....... sss. a Е. parviflorum лд... о 
Campanula Trachelium... 0 | Pieris hieracioides......... r 
Valeriana officinalis ..... . la | 
Rubus cvsius is sometimes very abundant. Spire« is here usually confined 
to isolated pure patches, This sub-society has a quite different vernal and 
prevernal aspect before the dense growth of the grasses appears. 
The chief species occurring here are :— 
Primula elatior ........... а Myosotis umbrosa ......... a 
P. vulgaris sss la | Geum urbanum ............ a 
Р. veris o sss r Fragaria vesea ............ o 
Viola Riviniana ............ a | Lamium Galeobdolon ...... r 
V. sylvestris... sese o (| Prunella vulgaris aaa о 
Rubus сеяиз Sub-Society. 
This has slightly less illumination than the typical Spirea Ulnaria-Des- 
champsia evspitosa Society, and has a lower water-content, falling in summer 
to 30 per cent. There is, however, no sharp line of demarcation between this 
and the other sub-societies, which shade into one another at all points, but in 
