THE WILD FLOUA OF KE\X GAUDKNS, 



THE WILD FLORA OF KEW GARDE:^S AND PLEASURE 



GROUNDS. 



By Geoege Nicholson. 



The following is a list of plants collected in the Botanic Gardens 

 and Pleasure Grounds of Kew during the years 1873-4. These in- 

 clude two pieces of ground not open to the public, the one about the 

 Herbarium and Palace, called for brevity "Pal.," and the other the 

 *' Queen's Private Grounds," bounded on one side by the *' Old Deer 

 Park," and on the other by the Pleasure Grounds, designated by the 

 letter " Q." The other abbreviations used are " B " for Botanic Garden 

 proper, and «* P " for Pleasure Grounds. Besides these divisions occupy- 

 ing an area of nearly 400 acres, I have included in the Flora the plants 

 found on the strip of ground between the river and the divisions 

 already named, from Brentford Ferry to the beginning of the ** Old 

 Deer "Park." Mr. J. G. Baker and the other gentlemen at the Her- 

 barium have kindly determined all specimens of which I had any 

 doubt, and to them my best thanks are due. To Mr. R. I. Lynch I 

 am especially indebted ; his previous knowledge of the place and 

 his persistent search for plants which he knew used to grow here, 

 have led to the discovery of several very interesting species which 

 otherwise would perhaps have been overlooked. A great number, too, 

 were found on joint botanising expeditions, and as it would be impossible 

 to particularise all these, I can only acknowledge that a good deal of 

 the work of collecting the plants from which this list is made was 

 done by Mr. Lynch. Mr. W. Truelove, the foreman of the Pleasure 

 Grounds, has also rendered me good service not only by gathering 

 specimens, but by preventing from being mown down or destroyed, 

 both in the open turf and beds in his department, many plants until 

 they were in a fit state for identification. I have also received a good 

 deal of help and information from Messrs. A. Choules, J. M. Smith, 

 H. J. Murton, and T. Entwistle. 



In this list are given 396 species and varieties, and none are 

 mentioned that are not natives or have become naturalised, except 

 Sonchus palustris, L., Lysimachia vulgaris, L., and Typha angustifoha^ 

 L. These three are now in a half-wild condition, and the two latter 

 are almost sure to hold their own. They are merely noted to prevent 

 their being accredited as genuine natives. I have purposely omitted 

 a large number of casuals found for the most part in the neighbourhood 

 of the herbaceous ground. 



A very interesting feature connected with our Flora is the very 

 small number of naturalised exotics (particularly when the character 

 of the locality is taken into account). These are all mentioned in the 

 list with the exception of Luzula nivea, Desv., of which a good num- 

 ber of plants are growing in Q. 



Owing to continual alterations, the wild fiora of Kew is undergoing 

 considerable change. Many plants which were found in several places 

 some years ago are now restricted to one or two spots, and will perhaps 

 have totally disappeared in a few years. 



