6 THE EXISTING FLOWERING PLANTS OF EPPING FOREST. 



thrown open to the pubHc. In 1890 I received a specimen taken 

 by Mr. P. Thompson from a well-known pond in the northern part 

 of the Forest area. As I had dipped in this pond for years without 

 seeing any trace of so remarkable a plant, I suspect it to be a recent 

 introduction. 



Butomus umbellatus, Linn. Once plentiful in ditches 

 towards the Lea : now scarce there, but fairly plentiful in the Roding. 



Triglochin palustre, Linn. Walthamstow marshes, sparingly. 



Potamogeton natans, Linn. Abundant. 



P. polygon ifolius, Pour. Not uncommon. 



P. lucens, Linn. In the Roding. 



P. perfoliatus, Linn. In the Lea. 



P. crispus, Linn. In several Forest ponds. 



P. densus, Linn. Ditches near the Lea. 



P. pectinatus, Linn. Wanstead Park. 



Scirpus fluitans, Linn. Common in the southern part of the 

 district. 



S. sylvaticus, Linn. Near Buckhurst Hill. 



S. setaceus, Linn. Near Loughton ; rare. 



Eriophorum (angustifolium ?), Roth. The species is rather 

 uncertain, as the spot is inaccessible where this " Cotton-grass " has 

 maintained its hold for the whole period I have known the Forest. 



The commoner Carices are abundant in damp places. In 

 some spots Carex echinata, C. ovalis, C. goodenowii, C. 

 panicea, C. flava, and C. hirta form the bulk of the herbage. 

 As Mr. Paulson has recently given a full list of the Forest 

 Carices in the Essex Naturalist (vol. iv., p. 137), the names need 

 not be repeated here. I have repeatedly looked in vain with him for 

 C. pulicaris at High Beach, where E. Foster knew of its existence 

 from 1795 ^^ 1 861. 



The student of the Grasses will find our area anything but bare. 

 Since 1875 I have collected 49 species and two or three varieties. 

 Among the rarest are : — 



Alopecurus fulvus, Sm. Near Walthamstow. 



Milium effusum, Linn. Near Epping, and (1891) Buckhurst 

 Hill. 



Calamagrostis epigios, Roth. Sewardstone. 



Apera spica-venti, Beauv. About \\'althamstow. 



