THE FLORA OF HYDE PARK AND KENSINGTON GARDENS. 227 



account for their not occurring- in undisturbed parts of the garden and 

 grounds, amongst shrubs and trees, where seedling Sycamores are frequent, 

 and plants of the Leycesteria forniosa have several times sprung up. A 

 few years ago I collected and sowed some seed in pots in my greenhouse, 

 and kept them carefully watered and looked after, but the seed did not 

 vegetate. Last year (1870) I made a more systematic attempt, both to 

 produce hybrids and raise Willows from seed. On the 11th of last 

 August I sowed, in three boxes filled with good compost, seeds of the 

 following kinds : — S. Forsteriana from Borrer ; S. Anderso7iiana, Borrer ; 

 S. Do)iiana, Borrer ; S. Sinithiana, E. Bot. -S'. Sm'itluana growing in 

 the middle of a large bush of a monandrous Willow allied to S. Lam- 

 bertlana, Sm. I also carefully tied a bunch of the male catkins of S. 

 daphnoides, VilL, to a branch of a female of ^S". pomeranlca, W., dusting 

 the stigmas at the same time with the pollen. In a similar manner I 

 endeavoured to fertilize the female of S. stipulmis, Sm., with the pollen 

 of the male of S. rugosa, Borrer ; also the female of S. Pontedei'aiia, 

 Sell., with the catkins of a beautiful Willow gathered near Rothbury in 

 Northumberland, which I take to be the male of that species. The third 

 box was filled with seed of difi'erent forms of S. repetis, L., including, 

 probably, S. amhigna, Ehrli., sent to me by a friend from Horncastle in 

 Lincolnshire. On all those branches, the catkins of which I endeavoured 

 to fertilize artificially, seed was produced in abundance. The boxes were 

 carefully watered all through the summer, and in winter were placed in a 

 cold frame. I have examined them constantly up to the present time, 

 and at first thought that some of the seeds springing up in them would 

 prove to be Willows, but in this hope I have been disappointed, and now 

 fear that the experiment has again been a failure. Last year the seed of 

 the Willows was more copiously produced than usual, and becanu; rather 

 an annoyance in the beds and walks, but I have not seen a seedling any- 

 where. Although, then, I dare not say that Willows are never produced 

 from seed, I think it is clear that this happens less frequently than is 

 commonly supposed. My garden is about a mile and a half from the 

 sea, and rather exposed to the north and north-west; but the soil is good 

 (old grass land), and most of the Willows grow freely in it. I have lost 

 far more kinds from crowding than from climate. 



Having thus failed myself, I would invite the remarks and co-operation 

 of others who, in more favourable and southern situations, may be more 

 successful than I have been ill raising Willows from seed. 



THE FLORA OF HYUE PARK AND KENSINGTON 

 GARDENS. 



By Hon. J. L. Warren, M.A. 



This paper will not interest botanists to whom the rarity of a plant is 

 its main recommendation. We deal here with our common and widely- 

 diffused species. We endeavour by a contrast of records, new and old, 

 to show the surprising permanence of many species, even in the midst 

 of the smoke and other hostile influences of a great city. We remind the 

 town-botanist, whom want of time and cash will not allow many country 

 excursions, that a fair section of his native flora mav be seen at his very 



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