1903-1904.] Rarer Woodland Plants of Scotland. 79 



land, they are more so in England, not straying far, or often, 

 beyond the Border counties. To contrast the under-vegetation 

 of the pine-forest with that of the broad-leaved would involve 

 space too considerable. It is sufficient to say that, although 

 equally interesting in its way, the coniferous forest merits 

 more attention in this country than the dicotyledonous one, as 

 the greater portion of the land can be covered with coniferous 

 growth only, while the interest of its carpet is added value to 

 the naturalist. 



The plants that clothe the ground, to varying extent, 

 beneath the shadow of the pines may be roughly placed in 

 two divisions — those that do not derive advantages from the 

 tree presence, and those that do. The former reach an equal 

 or greater luxuriance, or, in other words, grow, flower, and in- 

 crease more freely when fully exposed to the light of meadow, 

 mountain, or moor. This type of undergrowth is usually well 

 represented in sylvicultural districts, where virgin forest is 

 absent or infrequent. This light-demanding vegetation dis- 

 likes the forest. During the period that occurs between 

 felling and the re-closing of the canopy (or when arboreal 

 vegetation was not) such plants will occupy the ground, and 

 meeting nothing more vigorous than themselves, they continue 

 to do so, although sickening perhaps, from time to time, when 

 the trees are crowded and the shade dense. The familiar bell- 

 heath {Erica Tetralix) will serve as an example of such plants. 

 This properly is a light-demanding, social plant of moor and 

 mountain. When Erica or Calluna penetrates beneath the 

 trees, or survives the change of land from heath or moor to 

 forest, the usually bright flowers often become duller, are 

 more sparsely produced on the drawn shoots, and the plants 

 disappear as the forest thickens. Erica is not a solitary 

 example. It is, however, a fair type of a plant that is ever 

 ready, should opportunity offer, to extend its ground on every 

 possible occasion. The suppression or death of light-demand- 

 ing carpets in the forest indicates increasing possibilities that 

 will then exist for the growth and increase of the true pine- 

 forest carpets. By " true " is inferred those plants that are 

 seldom found elsewhere. In Scotland the pine-forest plants 

 that fall under this category are Moneses, Linngea, Goody era, 

 and, to a less extent perhaps, Trientalis, Pyrola, &c. 



