IISTTEODTJCTION. 11 



as Ranunculus flammula, and liederaceus, Nasturtium 

 terrestre, Cardamine Jiirsuta, Montia fontana, Peplis 

 Portula, Epilobium palustre, Selosciadum nodiflorum, 

 and repens, Pedicularis sylvatica, the characteristic 

 Gripsey-wort (Lycopus europceus), and several of the 

 Mint tribe (Mentha Jiirsuta, piperita, and Pulegiwn), 

 as well as Polygonum minus, peculiar to such wet 

 gravelly spots. Besides these more obvious species, 

 Blysmus compressus, several of the genus Heliocliaris, 

 and numerous Carices may be found. If the ground 

 be very dry, some of the water plants will be much 

 diminished in size, and the vegetation, characteristic 

 of so many of our old village greens and dry com- 

 mons, will appear, where the long trailing knot-grass 

 (Polyyomum aviculare), a scrubby growth of dark 

 tufted rushes, sedges, and mat-grass (Nardus stricta), 

 with scurvy specimens of dissightly weeds, belonging 

 to the Clienopodium and Atriplex families, skulk around 

 the ragged broken-paled pound, and lichen-covered dis- 

 used stocks. Creeping lowly in such open spots, as if 

 to escape the parian pigs and geese that take refuge 

 there, several species of Cerastium, Sagina, and Filayo 

 herd, as if rejected from better places ; and here many 

 frequent, yet inconspicuous or procumbent plants 

 occur, as Polygala vulgaris, Hypericum hzimifusiim, 

 Linum catliarticum, Potentilla anserina, Potentilla 

 Tormentilla, Carlina vulgaris, Chrysantliemivm inodo- 

 rwm, and such like branded commoners. 



The hard and dry Red Marl, that covers so large 

 an extent of country in the Midland Counties of 

 England, though unfavourable to most of the rarer 

 species, has yet some that if not peculiar to it, 1 

 have observed to grow in great plenty and luxuriance 



