854 



later season ; and on the left hand border Malaxis Loeselii is said to 

 grow, but I did not see it. Chlora perfoliata, which in this part of 

 France seems always to prefer a boggy situation, also grows here; 

 and in some of the drier parts, elevated a few inches above the gene- 

 ral level. Inula salicina. There were also : — 



Polygala aniara, yar. austri- Scirpus uniglumis Utricularia minor 



Drosera anglica [aca Schcenus nigricans Ranunculus Lingua 



Aspidium Thelypteris Sparganium natans Epipactis palustris 

 Pinguicula vulgaris 



Before we reach Ronceval, to the left of the path through a pine- 

 wood, M. Barnard finds Lavandula vera in abundance, but I missed 

 the spot. Scabiosa ukranica grows on some sandy banks, but not in 

 the abundance in which we shall find it in our next walk. I gathered 

 also Silene Otites, Orobanche ramosa, Linaria Pelesseriana and Po- 

 lycnemum arvense. 



From Ronceval we may again cross the marshes in a new line, and 

 pass the Essonne, either at the bridge below the chateau, or at the 

 Mill du Tonnemi. In either case we direct our course to the village 

 of Pinson, behind which, on a bank at the edge of the wood, is Medi- 

 cago orbicularis. We then cross the wood by a foot-path, where I 

 ought to have found Rhus Toxicodendron. This is probably one of 

 the plants introduced here by M. de Malesherbes, the generous de- 

 fender of Louis XVI., who amused himself with planting trees and 

 scattering seeds in the woods about the chateau. There are, how- 

 ever, many plants about Malesherbes, which seem to be naturalized 

 rather than genuine natives, but which can hardly be attributed to 

 him. Prunus Mahaleb I should think indigenous ; it abounds in the 

 woods, not only here but at Etampes and Pithiviers : and being es- 

 teemed a good wood for fuel, it is now planted for that object; but it 

 seems more probable that a plant, a native of the country and found 

 useful, should be selected, than that a foreign shrub should have been 

 sought out for that purpose. Cytisus Laburnum is almost equally 

 common, and is considered also good fuel. This may have spread 

 from the gardens, where it has been early and generally admitted 

 throughout Europe, as an ornamental plant ; yet I should rather 

 suppose it wild originally, though increased to its present quantity by 

 those who have the care of the woods. Nobody would doubt that 

 these plants were in their natural situation if there were only one 

 shrub where now there are a hundred ; their very abundance makes 

 them suspicious. Prunus Mahaleb I gathered in a wood near Rouen, 

 and it occurs in the forest of Orleans. For the Laburnum we must go 



