XX FLORA OF BERKSHIRE 



hilly ground of Boar's Hill range has several coppices, principally of 

 Oak, although one contains, as its name implies, a good quantity of 

 Birch, and uthers are planted with Larch. These coppices contain 

 a rich flora, which will be noticed later on. 



Bagley Wood, which was once common ground for the neighbouring 

 parishes, is now claimed by St. John's College. The wood is principally 

 Oak, with a considerable amount of planted Larch, and the undergrowth 

 contains a good many Willows and Sallows ; Pyrus torminalis used to be 

 found, its plant of chief interest being that pretty western species, 

 Cervicina [Wahhnhergia) hederacea. 



Kadley Wood, which is a little to the south, contains no plant 

 requiring special mention, except Salix Smithiana. 



From Eadley in the north-east, and Coxwell in the north-west, to 

 the Ridgeway in the south, the country is so much under cultivation 

 as to leave no woodland more extensive than small coppices or 

 spinneys, and yet from the number of trees, principally pollarded 

 Elms, in the hedgerows, the country does not appear to be bare when 

 seen from an eminence overlooking it. 



There is a strip of wood on the east side of the Wittenham Clumps 

 where Picris Echioides is very abundant ; on its borders Rosa tomentosa 

 occurs, and another wood nearer Didcot contains several interesting 

 Brambles as well as Sweet Chestnut and Wych Ehns. Unwell Wood is 

 a large and very interesting wood which stretches for a mile over the 

 chalk downs to the south of ' King Standing Hill,' and occupies the 

 head of one of the dry chalk valleys. The soil varies considerably, so 

 that the flora is of a very interesting character ; the trees consist 

 chiefly of Oak and Beech, but a large number of Cherry, White Beam, 

 Privet, and Hazel are also found. The country between Unwell Wood 

 and Reading contains many smaller woods and coppices, most of which 

 produce an interesting flora, and lend a great charm to the landscape 

 by their variety of contour and the different tints of their vegetation ; 

 among these woods are Bennet's Wood, Hartridge Lye Wood, Beche 

 Park Wood, Beech Wood, Hampstead Park Wood, the large wooded 

 Common of Ashampstead, Hockley Heath Wood, Common Wood, 

 Englefield, and the very beautiful woods of Sulham. In these woods 

 Polygonatum nmltiflorum, which is absent from the woods of North 

 Berkshiie, begins to be common. The Yew is rather frequent and is 

 a native tree, and the Hazel is an especially abundant feature. 

 Euonymus, Cornus, and Rhamtius catharticus are more frequent on the Chalk 

 where there is not much surface deposit. A very fine specimen of the 

 Elm is to be seen at Ashampstead ; both kinds of Cberry are common 

 there, the Hornbeam is occasionally to be found, while Pyrus torminalis. 

 Daphne Laureola, and D. Mezereum also occur. Hypericum Androsaemum, 

 H. montanum, Atropa, Hypopitys, Habenaria bi/olia, Ruscus aculeatus, Orchis 



