INTRODUCTION IvII 



unenclosed, is interesting as being the locality from which Bapline 

 Mezereum was first reported, and in which it still lingers, being almost 

 certainly indigenous. In the same locality the primrose has been 

 found from nearly white to pale red in colour, and Habenaria chloroleuca 

 is rather frequent. The coppices of Buscot have many interesting 

 plants ; those about the house have Doronicum Pardalianches quite 

 naturalized. The coppices of Cumnor still yield the local Gagea and the 

 curious Lathraea, with abundance of Acloxa and Eqiiisetum maximum. 

 By far the richest spot in the district is Wytham Wood, which is 

 situated on the bold headland of Wytham Hill, round which the 

 Thames sweeps in a curve of great beauty as well as of considerable 

 geological interest. The hill of Wytham, which attains an altitude of 

 539 feet, was chosen as the site of the castle of Cynewulf, King of the 

 West Saxons, and here, too, was situate a nunnery, founded by 

 Ceadwalla in the seventh century. From various parts of the hill 

 very extensive and charming views may be obtained of Blenheim 

 Palace, the Yarnton meadows, of the spires and towers of Oxford, and 

 of the vale of Eynsham. Most interesting is the variety of its 

 vegetation. The lower portion of Merley Wood is remarkable for the 

 abundance of that most gmceful sedge, Carex pendula, and for its fine 

 specimens of Equisetum maximum ; hei'e, too, occurs the local Paris 

 quadrifolia. As the Oxford Clay gives place to the Coralline Oolite, 

 Clematis Vitalba makes its appearance with Daphne Laureola, Lithospernium 

 officinale^ Lathyrus sylvestris, Vicia sylvatica, Astragalus glycyplnjllus, Euonymus, 

 Campanida Trachelium, and Poa nemoralis. On the more open ground 

 Atropa Belladonna, Hyoscyamus niger, Helianthemum Chamaecistiis, Erythraea 

 Centaurium, Echium vuJgare, Myosotis versicolor and M. coUina, Ranuncrdus 

 parviflorus, Sanguisoi-ba officinalis, and Inula Conyza are to be gathered. The 

 ponds and marshy places, which are ci)iefiy on the southern slopes, 

 yield Samolus Vcderandi, Pulicaria chjsenterica, Lysimachia vulgaris, Typha 

 latifolia, Scirpus pauciflorus, Eleocharis multicaulis, Calamagrostis epigeios, 

 Tolypel a glomeraia, Chara contraria, C. hispida, ZannicheUia, Carex Jlava, C. 

 echinata, Menyanthes trifoliata, &c., yv\\i\e Hypopitxjs -And Ceplialanthera piallens, 

 Ophrys apifera, Habenaria conopsea, and Orchis piyramidalis occur on the 

 higher ground. A fine bush of Rosa agrestis was found in one of the rides 

 in 1886. Rubies radula, R. viUicaulis, R. Balfourianus, &c., as well as the 

 handsome Cnicus eriophorus, are also found. The Ferns include Dryopteris 

 montana, D. dilatata, D. spimdosa, Athyrium FUix-foemina, Ceterach^ Asp.enium 

 Trichomanes, A. Adiantum-nigrum, Ceteracli, and Ophioglossum vulgatum. 



The park and ornamental waters of Buscot contain both species of 

 Typha, Castalia, Hippuris, Mijriopliyllum verticillaium, Ceratophyllum, Carex 

 paniculata, &c. By the roadside between Buscot and Lechlade, Lotus 

 tenuis occurs in some plenty ; it is a rare plant in Berkshire. The i:)ark 

 and lake of Buckland, the latter 258 feet above the sea, afford HeUehorus 



