1861.] KENTISH BOTANY. 341 



Reference has already been made to the Wallflower, which is 

 extending itself about Dover, and though it has a decided pre- 

 ference for walls and rocks, yet on this coast, where there are 

 neither of these habitats, it appears well contented with a hum- 

 bler station. The Wallflower, in its choice of location, bears a 

 considerable resemblance to Diplotaxis tenuifolia. This latter 

 plant, like the Wallflower, prefers walls when they are within 

 reach; and when they are not, it grows on the ground. At Dover, 

 Southampton, and Chester, it looks particularly happy on walls, 

 and about these towns it is not particularly abundant, except on 

 walls and roofs. 



Linaria purpurea and Antirrhinum majus prefer walls, but the 

 former has been seen growing vigorously and increasing greatly 

 in cultivated ground about Yarmouth, Isle of AVight, where walls 

 are about as scarce as Avails and hedges are on the South Downs, 

 in the south-east of Kent. We have a specimen from sandy fields 

 near Windlesham in Surrey. Diplotaxis muralis does not select 

 walls for its habitat ; about Wandsworth and Battersea walls are 

 as common as cabbage-grounds once were, yet this species, unlike 

 its near British relation, shows no preference for such places. 



Sinapis nigra is exceedingly common in Kent, and it is not 

 rare in some parts of Surrey, especially by the river Thames, 

 near London. Ou the contrary, Sinapis alba, which is uncom- 

 mon in Kent (we did not observe it in more than one place?), 

 is frequent in the cultivated fields of Surrey. Perhaps botanical 

 geographers will tell us why a plant, such as white Mustard, 

 abounds in one county, and is scarce or almost absent from an- 

 other lying exactly between the same parallels. 



Common Parsley prefers walls and rocks, but it was frequently 

 seen thriving well on the flat ground, where there were no rocks 

 nor old crumbling rotten walls near it. 



Fennel is almost universal in those parts of the county through 

 which we passed. Near the sea it may be said to be universally 

 distributed. It was quite at home in the fenny parts of our 

 route, on banks about the ruins of Richborough, where it was 

 particularly fine ; and also on the chalk, where it was equally 

 luxiu'iant and plentiful. 



Several plants were quite unexpected where they were found. 

 Among these may be named Geranium pyrenaicum nearWingham, 

 Pohjpoyon monspeliensis in the salt-marshes near Sandwich or 



