Ivi FLORA OF BERKSHIRE 



Carex iomentosa, which is found in several localities in the neighbourhood 



of Fairford, has, up to the present time, eluded observation on the 



Berkshire side of the stream. Nearer Oxford, as at Bablock Hythe, 



Polygonum Bistorta occurs, while under Wytliam woods the meadows are 



of a more interesting and marshy nature, and here occur Menyanthes 



trifoliaia, Orchis latifoUa, Pedicular is palustris, Eleocharis multicaulis, and 



curiously enough Viola ccinina, other marsh plants being Valeriana 



dioica, Oencmthe silaifolia, Thalicirum flavum, and Poteriurti officinale. The 



upper river, which flows through a sparsely populated and very 



secluded country, although full of vegetation, is not remarkable for any 



very rare plants, the most interesting being perhaps Limnanthemum 



xMtatum, which, however, I have not found beyond Eynsham, and 



Nitella mucronata, which has an even more restricted area, while that 



very elegant plant, Slum latifolium, is found at intei'vals on its banks 



throughout its course. The riparian vegetation is profuse, but it 



consists principally of widely distributed plants, such as Geranium 



pratense, Epilohium hirsutum, E. parviflorum, Lythrum Salicaria, Volvulus 



sepimn, Scutellaria galericulata, Mentha aquatica, M. verticillata {sativa), 



Lysimachia vulgaris^ L. Nummularia, Symphytum officinale, Myosotis palustris, 



Lis Pseudacorus, Rosa arvensis, Rubus caesius, Viburnum Opulus, Butomus 



umbellatus, Roripa amphibia, R. sy'vestris, R. palustris, Barbarea vulgaris, 



Brassica Napus, var. sylvestris, Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, Galium 



palustre, and Stachys palustris, which combine to make a varied display 



of colour, to some extent toned down by the abundance of more sombx'e- 



looking plants, such as Rumex Ilydrolapatheum, Sparganium erectum, 



Scirpus lacuiiris, Phragmites communis, Panicularia aquatica, Humulus 



Lupulus, Salix piurpurea, S. viminalis, S. caprea, and other willows, Carex 



riparia, C. acutiformis, G. acuta, Equisetum limosum, E. palustre, .and others. 



The waters are often choked by masses of Potamogeton interruptus, 



P. pectinatus. Ranunculus Jluitans, and by forms of R. peltatus ; Potamogeton 



lucens, P. perfoliahim, P. natans, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Chara Jragilis, 



var. Hedwigii, and Eleocharis acicularis are also frequent. In the deeper 



pools the White Water-lily is common, as is also Nymphaea lutea. In 



the shallower parts Sagittaria sagittifolia, Oenanthe fluviatilis, Sjjcirganium 



simplex, and Alisma Plantago-aquatica are not uncommon. More local 



plants are Hoitonia palustris, Hydrocharis Morsus-ranae, and Utricularia 



vulgaris. Ranunculvs Lingua and Menyanthes trifoliata occur in one or two 



localities near Wytham ; the rarity of the former in this district is 



rather remarkable. Ecldnodorus ranunculoides, which is abundant in the 



Thames and Severn Canal, close to its junction with the Thames, does 



not appear to occur in the Berkshire portion of the river. Teucrium 



Scordium, which used to grow near Eynsham and was found some 



years ago near Godstow, is now apparently extinct. 



Appleton Lower Common, one of the few bits of land which remain 



