A HISTORY OF SURREY 



6. LOWER MOLE 



The boundaries of this district are on the north the river Thames, on the south the 

 chalk ridge, on the east a line starting on Walton-on-Hill Heath and passing near Headley, 

 Epsom and Kingston to the Thames side a little north of the latter town, and on the west 

 the Lower Wey district. 



The chalk mass now widens out, and the same is the case with the London Clay 

 formation, while the Bagshot Sands are now more limited in extent and are not found east of 

 this district. 



Of the more interesting plants the box (Buxus sempervirens) deserves the first place, 

 occurring as it does in great quantity at the well known locality of Box Hill, with all 

 appearance at the present day of being indigenous. Nevertheless some of our best authorities 

 have doubted whether it be really so. Many years ago the late Professor Babington pointed 

 out a passage in Asser's Life of King Alfred, in which it is stated that in that day, a 

 thousand years ago, Buxus grew most abundantly in the adjacent county of Berkshire ; and if 

 one could accept Asser's Buxus as certainly representing our box tree, the question of its 

 nativity in this country might be regarded as settled. On the dry slope of the hill facing the 

 river Mole, the water figworth (Scrophularia aquatica), a plant rarely seen in such places, 

 grows abundantly. It also occurs on the railway embankment at Thames Ditton, where it 

 has no doubt been introduced ; but elsewhere it is only found in more or less moist localities. 

 Another plant of the Box Hill region is the Turk's cap lily (Lilium Martagon), probably 

 introduced but thoroughly established. Seedling plants have been found on the side of the 

 valley opposite to its main habitat, indicating that the seeds may sometimes be distributed by 

 birds (Dr. A. R. Wallace). It is also reported from another locality in the neighbourhood. 



The principal species are : 



Adonis autumnalis, L. Calamintha Nepeta, Clairv. 



Ranunculus Drouetii, Schultz Teucrium Botrys, L. 



Fumaria densiflora, DC. Cynoglossum montanum, Lam. 



Iberis amara, L. Chenopodium glaucum, L. 



Cerastium tetrandrum, Curt. Buxus sempervirens, L. 



Hypericum quadrangulum, Fries Wolffia arrhiza, Wimm. 



Rosa systyla, Bast. Damasonium stellatum, Pers. 



Linum angustifolium, Huds. Orchis militaris, L. 



Trifolium glomeratum, L. fusca, L. 



Ribes Smithianum (Syme) Epipactis purpurata, Smith 



CEnanthe Lachenalii, Gmel. Cephalanthera ensifolia, Rich. 



Valerianella Auricula, DC. Lilium Martagon, L. 



carinata, Lois. Scilla autumnalis, L. 



*Silybum Marianum, Gaert. Juncus compressus, Jacq. 



Filago spathulata, Presl. Leersia oryzoides, Sol. 



Erythrsea pulchella, Fries Alopecurus fulvus, Smith 



Gentiana Pneumonanthe, L. Gastridium lendigerum, Gaud. 



Verbascum Lychnitis, L. Poa compressa, L. 

 Linaria repens, Mill. 



7. HOGG'S MILL RIVER 



This district includes the basin of the Beverly Brook as well as that of the small stream 

 from which it takes its name. It is bounded on the north by the river Thames, on the east 

 by a line passing through Banstead, Sutton, Morden and Wimbledon to the Thames side near 

 Wandsworth, and on the south and west by the Lower Mole district. 



The geological features are similar to those of the last district except that the Bagshot 

 series is wanting and that there is a larger proportion of the London Clay formation. 



The tidal waters of the Thames have now been reached, and a few usually maritime 

 species are still to be found by the river side near Putney. The sea clubrush (Scirpus 

 maritimus) occurs in plenty, and near it two other much rarer species, Scirpus triqueter and 

 Sc. carinatus. Whether both of these are still to be found there is doubtful, as some years 

 ago there appeared to be but a single small mass of Sc. triqueter left. A sedge (Car ex 

 teretiuscula) formerly grew on Wimbledon Common, and as it appears to be lost in its other 

 locality in the Upper Mole district it cannot be claimed as an inhabitant of the county at the 

 present day. A rare species of bitter cress (Cardamine Hayneana) was first recorded as a 



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