1913-14.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 267 



(2) " Toward Bank,"' or an escarpment of Old Red 

 Sandstone, grown over with trees and thick under- 

 growth. 



In the first of these areas, owing to the marshiness of 

 the situation, a flora has appeared differing from that of 

 the woods already described. The trees here consist chiefly 

 of alder and sycamore, the latter being planted in the drier 

 situations. Under the alders the undergrowth is tall and 

 rank and difficult to penetrate. It consists largely of plants 

 typical of wet meadows, which have been fostered by the 

 shelter of the trees, and protected from interference by 

 barbed wire fencing and an uninviting situation. Among 

 these tall moisture-loving plants are Festuca elatior, Linn. ; 

 Deschampsia caespitosa, Beauv. : Phalaris arundinacea, 

 Linn. ; Heracleum Sphondylium, Linn. : Apiv/m graveoL ns, 

 Linn.: Angelica sylvestris, Linn. ; Spiraea Ulmaria, Linn. ; 

 Iris Pseudacorus, Linn.: Galium Aparine, Linn.; G. 

 palustre, Linn.; Lychnis dioica, IAod..] and Urtica dioica 

 Linn. In less abundance also occur Valeriana officinalis, 

 Linn.: Lyihrv/m Salicaria, Linn. ; and Equisetv/m 

 Linn.; while semi-aquatics such as Caltha palustris, Linn., 

 and Polygonum Hyd/ropiper, Linn., are also found. 



Among the plants mentioned. Angt lica and Apium reach 

 a height of about 5 feet, obscuring smaller plants by the 

 density and vigour of their growth. In the drier situations 

 under sycamore and ash. the ground vegetation becomes 

 more typically woodland, less rank, and in some places 

 open. Here we find many of the common sylvestral types 

 of flowering plants and ferns which have already been 

 enumerated. 



Along the banks of a little burn which here runs down 

 to the sea are to be seen Salix alba, Linn., and Petasites 

 vulgaris, Desf. — largest-leaved of British plants. 



At •" Toward Bank," above and below the cliff where the 

 woodland associations merge in those of the meadow, the 

 vegetation is of a coarse, rank kind. Here, characteristic 

 plants are Centaurea n igra, Linn. ; Spiraea Ulmaria, Linn. ; 

 Heraclt urn Sphondylium, Linn. ; Apium graveolens, Linn. ■ 

 Rumexobtusifolius, Linn.; Onicusarvensis, Hotim.; Mentha 

 aquatica, Linn.; Scabiosa Succisa, Linn.; Urtica dioica, 

 Linn.; Dactyl is glomerata, Linn.; Helens lanatus, Linn.; 



