INTRODUCTION IxXlii 



following species have been met wiih on this area of upland commons — 

 Banunculus hederaceus, Aquilegia, Arahis 2)erfoUata, Viola palustris, V. canina, 

 Cerastium qiiaternelhim, Stellaria uUginosa, S. graminea, Sagina ciliata, Buda 

 rubra, Montia, Hxjpericum kumifusum, H. pulchrum, H. elodes, Millegrana, 

 Genista anglica, Ulex minor [nanus), Cytisus, Trifolium filiforme, Lotus 

 uliginosus, Rubus pUcafus, R. villicaidis, R. incurvatus, with many other 

 species, Potentilla sijlvestris, Rosa rubiginosa, R. micrantha, Saxifraga granu- 

 lata, Sedum Telephium, Drosera rotundifolia, D. longifolia, Peplis, EpiloUum 

 palustre, Apium inundatum, Erigeron acre, Filago minima, Tanacetum, Soli- 

 dago, Hieracium sciaphilmn, H. umbellatum, H. boreale, Cnicus pratensis, 

 Lactuca muralis, Vaccinium Myrtillus, Calluna, Erica cinerea, E. Tetrcdix, 

 Menyanthes, Lysimachia nemorum, Anagallis tenella, Cuscuta Epithymum, 

 Veronica arvensis, var. eximia, V. scutellata, Pedicidaris palustris, P. sykatica, 

 Scrophidaria vernalis, Melampijrum pratense, Scutellaria tninor, Teucrium Scoro- 

 donia, Plantago Coronopus, Sderanthus, Salix repens, Potamogeton pohjgonifolius, 

 Juncus squarrosus, J. {siqn^ius) bulbosus, Eleocharis muUicaulis, Scirpus pauci- 

 Jlorus, Carex dioica, C. pidicaris, C. echincda, C. leporina, C. Goodenowii, 

 C. pilulifera, C. panicea, C. laevigata, C. fulva, C. Jlava, C. vesicaria, Agrostis 

 canina, Aira canjophyllea, A. praecox, Deschampsiajlexuosa, Sieglingia, Molinia, 

 Festiica sciuroides, Kardus, Dryoptens montana, D. spimdosa, D. dilatata, 

 Lomciria, Osmunda, Equisetum sylraticum, &c. 



One more area it will be necessary briefly to allude to, and that is 

 the rich water meadows of the Thames, which from Mongewell to 

 Eeading are rather narrow, but which offer a considerable variety of 

 plants. To those fond of placid river scenery, the country between 

 the two places mentioned once gave a walk of intense charm, whose 

 beauty it was difficult to overestimate and scarcely possible to match in 

 the British Isles ; now, alas, the hideous screech of the steam launch 

 with its frequentlj^ vulgar concomitants, the glaring eruption of ugly 

 advertisement boards, and the advent of the speculative builder, have 

 robbed the scene of much of that quiet, refined, unobtrusive loveliness 

 w^hich was the secret of its charm. Notwithstanding the loss of much 

 that we regret, and the presence of much that w^e deplore, the walk 

 by the river from Mongewell with its magnificent elms — and few 

 places show elms of a more noble growth than this portion of the 

 Thames valley — to the picturesque village of Moulsford, with its 

 church embosomed in trees, is still a very pleasant one. Here the 

 meadows are sometimes crimson with the profuse growth of Pedicularis 

 palustris ; the broad ditches, filled with almost stagnant water, have 

 Roripa amphibia, R. sylvesfris, Stellaria palustris, Hottonia palustris, Sium 

 latifolium, Ccdiitriche obtusangula, MyriophyUum verticillatum, M. spicatum, 

 Hydrocharis, Rumex Hydrolapatheum, CeratophyUum, Panicularia plicata, Cata- 

 brosa, Carex riparia, C. acuta (in most luxuriant growth), C. acuti/ormis, 

 Equisetum limosum, &c. 



