115 



NOTES ON THE SEEDS OF PLANTS FOUND 

 IN THE ALLUVIUM OF THE RIVER 

 LEA, AT WALTHAMSTOW, ESSEX. 



By CLEMENT REID, F.R.S., F.L.S., F.G.S. 

 With remarks by A. S. KENNARD and B. B. WOODWARD, F.L.S., F.G.S, 



THE seeds on which the list is founded, were obtained by 

 Mr. Kennard while working over the alluvial material for 

 mollusca. The reader is referred to the paper in the present 

 volume {ante p.p. 13-21) for geological and other details. 



Nothing in this list suggests a date earlier than Roman or 

 much newer than Romano-British. The plants correspond 

 •closely with those found in Roman Silchester, and include many 

 •of the same cultivated species and weeds of cultivation. Grape- 

 seeds show that the deposit containing them is not older than 

 the Roman period. The absence of many common weeds of 

 later introduction, and the presence of the vine, suggest that the 

 deposit is not much newer than Roman, though it is still 

 uncertain to what extent the cultivation of the vine died out 

 after the Saxon invasion. 

 Ranunculus aquatilis, L. Viburnum opulus, L. 



repens, L. Polygonum convolvulus L. 



Nuphav luteum, L. „ amphihium, L. 



Vitis vin if ey a, 'L. {Gr2ipe) Alnus gluiinosa, L. 



Acer campcstre, L. Covylus avellana, L. 



Frunus spinosa, L. Quevcus rohur, L. 



„ domestica, L. (Damson) Cevatophyllum suhmersum, L. 



,, avium, L. Iris pseudacorus, L. 



Ruhus friUicosus, L. Sparganium ramostim P L. 



Crataegus oxyacantha, L. Potamogeton natans ? L. 



•CEnanthe lachenalii, Gmel. Scirpus lacustris, L. 



„ crocata, L. Carex riparia, Curtis 



Cornus sanguinea, L. Triticum sativum, L. (Wheat) 



■Samhucus nigra, L. 



Remarks by A. S. Kennard and B. B. Woodward. 



In our paper on the mollusca, cited above, we expressed the 

 opinion that the beds from 3 to 10 feet in thickness were the 

 ■equivalent of the 60 feet found at Tilbury. Since this statement 

 Nwas made, Mr. T. V. Holmes has published an account (Essex 



