698 



of Babingtoii, and L. corniculatus, Lathyrns prateiisis, Mercurialis 

 annua, Polygonum amphibiura, P. Persicaria, and P. aviculare, Carex 

 flava, and, I believe, C. levetiuscula, which was in a damaged state. 



In some of the lowest ])ortions, in which water remains more or less, 

 may be found Juncus conglomeratus, J. glaucus, and J, bufonius, Ty- 

 pha latifolia, Alisma Plantago, Actinocarpus Damasonium, Villarsia 

 nymphaeoides, Phragmites communis. Inula Conyza, Bideus tripartita, 

 Epilobiura parviflorum, E. hirsutum, and E. palustre, Senecio visco-' 

 sus, S. Jacobaea and S. erucifolius, Linti. (S. tenuifolius, S/nith), Son- 

 chus palustris, Myosotis caespitosa. The ground is covered with 

 Hydrocotyle vulgaris. In several places Campanula rotundifolia has 

 established itself very fine ; two Ericas, — E. cinerea and E. vulgaris 

 (or Calluna), — Chenopodium album, and Equisetum palustre, E. ar- 

 vense, E. fluviatile, and E. Telmateia are very flourishing. Among the 

 Gramineaj the following genera have representatives in this spot : — 

 Alopecurus (A. pratensis and A. geniculatus), Phleum, Agrostis, Aira, 

 Avena, Holcus, Poa, Dactylis, and Nardus ; and I believe there are 

 others, if searched for. In regard to trees, Betula alba, Populus alba, 

 and others, as yet in a young state, occur. There are at least ten dif- 

 ferent forms of willows; and I cannot make more than half of them 

 agree with either Withering, Smith, Lindley, or Babington, or with 

 any living plant in the Kew collection. One of them, near to Salix 

 caprea, is identical with their S. candidula. 



At the time of my first botanizing the ground, there were about six 

 fine roots of one other plant, — Orobanche minor, — on the clay. I ga- 

 thered one specimen, intending to leave the remainder for others ; but 

 some children who had been watching my actions in gathering diffe- 

 rent plants, as soon as I was gone to another part of the ground, came 

 into the pit ; and unfortunately the Orobanche attracted their notice. 

 Before I could reach the spot they had culled the whole of them, and 

 were descanting among themselves upon the (to them) peculiarities of 

 the plants. They were not perceptible/ growing upon any plant. 



And now let me inquire, by what means came such a large number 

 of plants, of the rarer kinds, to establish themselves on this small 

 space of ground, and many of them quite new in this district ? 



The Lycopodium inundatum, for instance, has never been seen upon 

 the Common in the memory of any, of the botanists who have investi- 

 gated it for the last twenty years ; neither have I seen it nearer than 

 Walton Heath. It is certainly recorded (Cooper's ' Flora Metropoli- 

 tana') as growing upon Wimbledon Common ; but I should much like 

 to see it there, or know those who have. Here it is now, and in tole- 

 rable plenty, growing upon a spot which was, until the formation of 



