Xxii FLORA OF BERKSHIRE 



consists often of Erica Tetralix, E.cinerea, MoUnia, and Vaccinium Myrtilhtfi ; 

 but a considerable number of local plants are also found, among which 

 may be mentioned Drijopteris montana, Polystichum angulare, Phegopieris 

 2whipo(liolde.% Carex Pseudo-cyperus, Convallaria, Equisetum sylvaticum, Epipactis 

 lati/olia, Viola palustris, V. lactea, and Allium ursinum, beside several species 

 of Rubus, &G. 



. South-east of Reading, near Wargrav^e, are the wooded heights of 

 Bowsey and Ashley hills, where the Beech luxuriates, containing 

 Daphne Mezereum, Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus, Helleborus, Veronica monfxma, 

 Fragaria muricata, &c. The charming plantations about Park Place, 

 witli the hilly chalk woods near Culham Court, have a large amount 

 of Bypericmn montanum and Clematis. Here, too, are Atropa, Vinca minor, 

 Hypopiiys, Ophrys muscifera, &c. The beautiful Beech woods of Cookham 

 Dean, which contain large Cherry trees, have yielded Elymus europaeus. 

 Orchis militaris, CrejJis foetida, Hypericum Androsaemum, H. montanum, 

 Neottia, &c. 



Near Maidenhead is Stubbing's Heath, which once formed part of 

 ' Maidenhead Thicket,' the well-known resort of highwaymen, as 

 Leland says ' it was infested with robbers for five miles in extent.' 

 On it are now found a large number of Brambles, Sweet-briar, Buck- 

 thorn, Blackthorn, and fine bushes of Hawthorn, but the soil is not 

 very favourable for heath plants. In the vicinity Carpinus is probably 

 native. In the more immediate neighbourhood of Reading are the 

 plantations of Bearwood, which probably occupy the place of the ' Berroc 

 Wood' of the old maps in the neighbourhood of Oakingham (Woking- 

 ham% a district at one time included in the Forest of Windsor. In 

 these woods a great variety of forms of the genus Rubus occur, and the 

 vegetation under the planted Pinus and Castanea is of a heathy 

 character. The country between Wokingham and Blackwater on the 

 one side, and Wokingham and Easthampstead on the other, consists 

 of a heathy tract, with here and there plantations of Scotch Fir, and 

 in less abundance of Sweet Chestnuts and Birch. MoUnia, Erica 

 Tetralix, and E. cinerea are the chief components of the undergrowth. 

 About Caesar's Camp there is a good deal of Vaccinium, and a hill near 

 Sandhurst is named after the same plant — Whortleberry Hill. With 

 it occur Dryopteris montana, Blechnum, Osmunda, Epiilobium angustifolium, 

 Myrica Gale, Rhamnus Frangu'a, Pyrola minor, Carex canescens, C. Pseudo- 

 cyperus, Viola palustris, Stellaria vmbrosa, Narcissus, Capnoides claviculata, 

 Agrostis setacea^ Polygonum dumetorum, &c. 



By the rivers, especially by the Kennet, there ai*e some extensive 

 plantations of Osier which is grown for basket-making ; in these Salix 

 viminalis, S. purpurea, and S. triandra are the most frequently cultivated. 

 The pollard willows which border the streams are usually Salix cdba 

 and S.fragiUs, with the hybrid S. viridis. 



