214 FLORA HISTORICA. 



plant Avas formerly planted in gardens for the 

 beauty of its flowers ; but^ as it usually spreads far 

 by the creeping roots, whereby it overi'un all the 

 neighbouring plants, it has been cast out of most 

 gardens ; but in some low moist places, or in great 

 shade, if there was a place assigned for this plant, 

 it will make a good appearance when it is in flower, 

 and these flowers are very proper to cut for basins 

 to adorn chimnies in the summer season.'"' He 

 adds, " This plant is found wild in divers parts of 

 England : but several botanists have supposed it 

 was only found in such places where the plants had 

 been cast out of gardens : however, I think it must 

 be allowed to be a native of this country, since it is 

 found in great plenty in woods at a great distance 

 from any habitation, particularly in Charlton- 

 Forest, and several other woods, in Sussex. It is 

 a great creeper at the root — so may be easily pro- 

 pagated."' 



To us it seems most probable, that when it was 

 expelled from the garden, it was carried into the 

 woods by some accidental circumstance ; for, had a 

 plant of such a rapid propagation been originally a 

 native of our woods, it could not have escaped our 

 observation, and we have never found it in any situ- 

 ation where it seemed to be indigenous. It is a 

 native of most parts of the continent, from Italy to 

 Lapland, but is found more abundantly in Switzer» 



