363 EAST ANGLIAN BOTANY. [December, 



Opposite to this ditch^ under the castle cliff, and between it 

 and the river, there is a sort of water meadow, but the grass 

 produced on it was of the coarsest and commonest description. 

 In this marsh, near the river, a few examples of (Enanthe La- 

 chenalii were seen, and it was scattered throughout the meadow ; 

 but this plant, which occurs here and there, was nowhere, in this 

 part of the country, so common as it is in the salt-marshes of 

 Kent. But there was a rarer plant in this quarter, and one not 

 yet detected in Kent, nor in Essex either. 



A sharp outlook was kept for Lathyrus palustris, and some 

 other rarities which grow here, or used to grow. The Marsh- 

 pea certainly grows here, not in very great plenty, but he would 

 be a very greedy collector who took away all, or even materially 

 diminished the number of plants. It is perennial, as most of our 

 readers are aware, and increases by the roots as readily as by 

 seed. Valeriana officinalis, the genuine variety, was also seen 

 here. 



Lathyrus palustris is one of the plants that must be looked for 

 by those who wish to get it. It does not, like the Sonchus, ob- 

 trude itself on the notice of the passer-by, and like the 



" Buttercups will be seen 

 Whether you will or not." 



This beauty lurks behind the tall Sedges, like Damoetas, — " Tu 

 post carecta latebas," — and presents little to distinguish it from 

 Lathyrus pratensis, but its modest iron-bluish small blossoms, 

 which never exhibit a fine truss like Vicia Cracca, only here and 

 there a stray blossom or two with some half- developed pods on 

 the lower part of the stem. 



Lepturus filiformis appeared close by the river, opposite Burgh 

 Castle, and this was the only station wherein we observed it. 



Samolus Valerandi was pretty abundant here, as in most of 

 the ditches in the Fens. 



The Sonchus and Lathyrus were the crowning feats of this 

 walk, and we were contented to turn our faces northwards to 

 Yarmouth, for the shadows were now lengthening, and our un- 

 easy appetites reminded us that we had not yet dined, and we 

 had a two hours^ walk between our present locality and that 

 which was to be the scene of our prandial recreations. 



While walking homewards by the fields, — for there is a walk 

 all the way to Gorleston, and not one stile to climb over, — kiss- 



