131 



Records of Observations on Plants appearing upon newly-broken 

 Ground, raised Embankments, deposits of Soil, 8fc. By Edwin 

 Less, Esq., F.L.S. 



To the thoughtful looking-out botanist, less concerned as to the 

 " right," as the authors of the ' British Flora' put it, of a plant to be 

 considered truly indigenous where it fortuitously presents itself, than 

 desirous faithfully to record the freaks of vegetable growth, the sud- 

 den appearance of plants before unnoticed in the vicinity where they 

 appear, or the crowds of others that may be well known, rankly 

 uprising upon fresh-raised mounds or newly- collected soil, offers au 

 interesting phenomenon, however common it may be. In some places, 

 perhaps, garden mould has been conveyed to the spot, and garden 

 seeds vegetate; but in other instances it seems clear that seeds, 

 having lain long dormant in the ground, take advantage of the new 

 circumstances that' expose them to vivifying influences, and so rush 

 into life to enjoy an ephemeral existence. Sometimes, however, it 

 would appear as if the seeds that produce plants on such void spots 

 had been wafted from a considerable distance, — 



" The flowers of waste, 

 Planted here in Nature's baste.'' 



I shall adduce facts in illustration of all these cases, those more 

 especially that have reference to the appearance of numerous plants 

 at one point, suggestive of seeds long buried in the soil, too deep for 

 vegetation. It appears to me a matter of little consequence whether 

 the fresh comers remain on their new ground permanently, though in 

 the nature of things they generally cannot, the condition being mostly 

 imposed upon them to keep moving on. 



I noticed last year the occurrence of the Atriplex hortensis on the 

 neglected embankment of the Worcester and Oxford Railway, and 

 Mr. Recce's query on the cover of the ' Phy tologist' has reminded me 

 that I omitted to state the fact fully. It was not a scattered plant or 

 two that was visible upon the soil, but dense thickets, ranged in rank 

 array, that seeded luxuriantly. On visiting the locality again after 

 my former account was sent to the ' Phytologist,' I came upon a long 

 excavation in the embankment, that had been made for some purpose, 

 and this was crammed from end to end with tall vigorous plants of the 

 Atriplex, as thick together as one often finds Onopordura Acanthiura. 

 On another part of the line a quantity of Beta vulgaris or maritima 

 was growing. 



