1861.] KENTISH BOTANY. 207 



two to six feet ; the stem-leaves are sometimes all quite simple, 

 sometimes they are pinnatifid, with lobes three or four inches 

 long. The plant is now pretty well distinguished from C taraxa- 

 cifolia, but its distribution is still but indifferently established. 



In tl^e ' Cybele ' the area of C. biennis is entered 6 ; this means 

 that it has been observed in 6 out of the 18 botanical provinces ; 

 and the county census is 10, or it has been seen in 10 counties. 

 In the same work, C. taraxacifolia is entered as having a provin- 

 cial extent of 4, and its comital figure is 8. On comparing notes 

 we found that C. taraxacifolia has a greater area than C. biennis; 

 we have specimens of the former from Surrey and from Warwick- 

 shire or Leicestershire, of the latter we have examples from Kent 

 only. It is certain that these two plants were confounded and 

 mislabelled in the herbarium of the Botanical Society of London, 

 as they were in the 'English Flora,' and in 'English Botany/ 

 both in the original work and in the Supplement. 



A correct figure of C. biennis is still a desiderata in our illus- 

 trated Floras. Those who wish to get a better acquaintance with 

 these two species, and to ascertain their distinctive characters, 

 may easily accomplish this in a short visit to Kent. 



About the Erith station, C. taraxacifolia is unusually abun- 

 dant_, and in a chalk-quarry near the Kosherville Gardens at 

 Northfleet the other species grows. The finest, however, and the 

 most multiform examples of C. biennis is near Ham. 



On reaching the low meadowy lands, where, as already said, 

 we saw no ponds, we turned to the right, into a boggy peaty 

 field, which was full of Hydrocotyle vulgaris, — Salix adscendens 

 of 'English Botany,' — with several large and small trees of Popu- 

 lus nigra. This being unsatisfactory, we entered another enclo- 

 sure, on the opposite or left-hand side of the road, and in the 

 'ditches here saw plenty of Hottonia palustris still in flower (5th 

 September) ; also further on towards the wood or copse at the 

 further end of the meadow, Chara hispida and C. vulgaris, and 

 Sparganium nutans (in flower), Alisma ranunculoides, Lemna 

 trisulca, Potamogeton jjlantagineus, and other commoner aquatic 

 plants were here seen in abundance. 



In the wood there were gigantic specimens of Rubus idcBus,- 

 equalling in length R. fruticosus, if this name be admissible ; also 

 Lastrea Thelypteris, at least four feet in height ; Carex paniculata, 

 the leaves of which rivalled those of the far-famed Pampas grass. 



