1862.] FLORA OF ESSEX. 305 



that part of the London road and Lexdenj but nearer to Col- 

 chester than to the latter place. 



The situation of tliis place was on the west side of the road, 

 several hundred yards from the highway, and about as far from 

 any house or garden. It was not far from the Quakers' Free 

 School, which then was on the right side of the Colchester and 

 Lexden road. 



Hijpericum Androscemum. — In 1827 and 1828, this fine spe- 

 cies grew on the very verge or outside of Hainault Forest, now 

 in process of demolition. 



The road from Abridge to Romford passes through the forest, 

 having Lambourn on the left, and Chigwell Row on the right. 

 On this road there used to be a gate, to hinder the cattle, etc., 

 from straying beyond the limits. On the left of this gate, up 

 the hill or declivity for a long way, this Hypericum grew on the 

 sTifF clay bank above the ditch, and protected by the hedge. I 

 never observed it so plentiful nor so large in any other situation. 

 It is extremely common between Lingfield and Edenbridge, on 

 the confines of the two counties Kent and Surrey ; but here the 

 plants grow straggling. In Hainault Forest they grow as close 

 to each other as the plants of a thorn hedge. 



Erodium moschatum. — For what do the cottagers of Dedhara 

 cultivate this plant — for ornament or use? 



Melilotus arvensis and M. officinalis. — The latter of these two 

 species is the rarer one in the south of England. The former, 

 viz. M. arvensis, long before it bore this name, was universally- 

 known as 31. officinalis or as Trifoliimi officinale. Hundreds of 

 specimens in existing herbaria wdll establish this point. M. offi- 

 cinalis was known in England a century before M. arvensis was 

 so much as heard of amongst us. Why modern phytographers 

 have assigned to the rare species the name so long borne by the 

 common one, possibly the admirers of Cosson and Germain may 

 be able to tell. 



Trifolium elegans, Savi. — " Clews" have been obtained leading 

 to the origin of the above plant in fields about Perth and Not- 

 tingham (see ' Phytologist,' sub voce T. Jujbridum) ; and pro- 

 bably similar threads or packthreads might have been discovered 



to enlighten the Essex • (we will not write the word) on the 



subject of the history of this fine species in this county. 



Mr. Hudson made no wonderment of its occurrence about 



N.S. VOL. VI. 2 11 



