62 VEGETATION OF THE PEAK DISTRICT [CH. 
Tummel shows a flora almost identical with that already given 
as characteristic of the oak coppice.” 
R. Smith (loc. cit.) also stated that the ground vegetation 
of other examples of the Perthshire birch woods scarcely differs 
from the vegetation of the adjoining grassland or moorland. 
This, too, is the case with regard to some of the birch woods of 
the southern Pennines. Birches, when growing spontaneously, 
allow a great deal of light to pass through the canopy; and 
this fact, especially when coupled with the greater altitude of 
the birch woods, is sufficient to account for the smaller number 
of sciophytes or shade-loving plants and the greater number of 
photophytes or light-loving plants. The following lists, taken 
from two oak-birch woods of the Peak District, show the nature 
of the ground flora and vegetation :— 
Sphagnum spp., and 
other mosses and 
liverworts 
Blechnum Spicant 
Pteris aquilina 
Salix caprea 
S. cinerea 
Betula pubescens 
Quercus sessiliflora 
Pyrus Aucuparia 
Crataegus Oxyacantha 
Galium saxatile 
Calluna vulgaris 
Vaccinium Myrtillus 
V. Vitis-idaea 
Agrostis tenuis 
Deschampsia flexuosa 
Molinia caerulea 
Festuca ovina 
Nardus stricta 
Carex pilulifera 
Birch woods with moor- 
land vegetation (Long- 
dendale). 
Soil peaty and locally 
wet. 
Birch woods with sili- 
ceous grassland vegetation 
(upper Derwentdale). 
Soil shaly and drier. 
Abundant in the cre- 
vices between’ the 
boulders among which 
numerous fallen and 
rotting birch trunks 
litter the ground 
Occasional 
Rare to locally abun- 
dant 
Rare 
Rare to occasional 
Very abundant 
Rare to- locally abun- 
dant 
Occasional 
Rare to abundant 
Occasional 
Completely covering 
many of the numerous 
rocks which strew the 
ground 
Occasional 
Abundant 
Locally abundant 
Occasional 
Occasional to abundant 
Rare 
Local 
Rare 
Rare to occasional 
Rare 
Rare to occasional 
Very abundant 
Rare to occasional 
Rare 
Occasional 
Occasional 
Rare 
Occasional to abundant 
Rare to abundant 
Occasional 
Abundant 
Rare 
