TRANSACTIONS 



OF 



THE CEOYDON MICEOSCOPICAL AND 

 NATURAL HISTORY CLUB. 



1884-85. 



41. — A New Flora of Surrey. 



By W. H. Beeby. 



(Read March 13th, 1884.) 



The period — over twenty years — that has elapsed since the 

 publication of Brewer's ' Flora of Surrey,' and the advance that 

 has been made since 1863 in the study of botany, both as 

 regards plant distribution and the better understanding and 

 separation of allied forms have created a desire for a new flora 

 of the county, approximating more closely to our present know- 

 ledge, besides including old records which are not to be found in 

 the work above alluded to, and giving an accurate account of the 

 distribution of the common plants; due attention being also 

 paid to the history of the progress of botanical investigation in 

 the county. The first distinct efl'ort in this direction was made 

 by Mr. Arthur Bennett, who some years since pubhshed a list 

 of plants absent fi-om Surrey, but found in one or more of the 

 adjacent counties; at the same time inviting information. Since 

 then Mr. Bennett has found himself unable, from want of time, 

 to continue the work which, at his request, I have undertaken. 



It was at first proposed to adhere to the divisions devised by 

 Salmon and used by Brewer, which, as more or less artificial 

 districts, are good ones. Various considerations, however, seemed 

 to point to the river-basin system as the most natural, and, at 

 the same time, most scientific basis for a division of the county, 

 and it has accordingly been adopted. A strong desire was felt to 

 avoid, if possible, a division of the chalk range from east to 

 west, and to draw the line separating the upper and lower 

 districts at the foot of the chalk escai-pment instead of along its 

 crest ; but to do this would unfortunately have interfered with 



