BOTANY 



10. ARUN 



This district, unlike all those previously described, drains into the English Channel. It 

 consists of two sub-districts, the river Oke or eastern and the North river or western sub- 

 district, the two streams afterwards uniting and forming the river Arun. The two sub- 

 districts are completely separated by a portion of the Upper Wey basin which intervenes. 



Both of the sub-districts lie almost wholly on the Wealden Clay, only touching the 

 Lower Greensand along their northern boundaries. 



The eastern is bounded on the north by Leith and Holmbury hills, on the south by the 

 county of Sussex, on the east by a line leaving the latter county near Cowick and passing east 

 of Ockley to Coldharbour, and on the west by an almost direct line from Holmbury Hill to 

 the county border. The western is bounded on the north by a line running from near 

 Boundless Farm by Witley and Hambledon to a point south of Hascomb, on the south by 

 the county of Sussex, on the east by a line running south-east to a point near Alford, and on 

 the west by a line running almost south past Haslemere to the county border. 



The Oke sub-district is chiefly remarkable as affording the only locality for the coral 

 root (Dentaria bulblfera\ found some years since by Mr. E. Straker ; the old record of the 

 occurrence of the plant near Croydon arising through a misconception of the meaning of the 

 prs-Linnean name Dentaria as indicating the present plant instead of the toothwort, an error 

 pointed out by Mr. S. W. Carruthers. In Vann woods the yellow wort (Chlora perfoliata\ 

 very rare away from the chalk, grows in abundance in one place. The less common form of 

 the hawthorn (Crattsgus oxyacanthoides) is frequent, and its long sweeping branches give quite 

 a character to the woods. One of the taller sedges (Carex pendula) is exceptionally plentiful. 

 The water speedwell (Veronica Anagallis) is absent so far as I have observed, though common 

 enough in wet places in most of the other districts. 



The few more noteworthy plants are : 



Dentaria bulbifera, L. Chlora perfoliata, L. 



Hypericum quadrangulum, Fries Euphrasia stricta, Host. 



Cratasgus oxyacanthoides, THuill. Carex strigosa, Huds. 



Arctium nemorosum, Lej. pendula, Huds. 



The North River sub-district is chiefly noted for the plants which occur in or about the 

 Wey and Arun canal. Here the agrimony (Agrimonia odorata) grows in great profusion ; 

 the canal also supplies the only stations in the county for two rare pondweeds (Potamogeton 

 tiuitans and P. decipiens). The water speedwell appears to be wanting here also, and neither 

 the dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) nor the elder (Sambucus nigra) have been observed except where 

 the latter has been planted. One of the sowthistles (Sonchus oleraceui) is extremely rare, its 

 place being quite taken by the other species (S. asper). In considering these absent species it 

 is, of course, necessary to remember that the two Arun sub-districts include a very small 

 portion of the river basin of which they form part. 



The principal species are : 



Barbarea stricta, Andrz. Pyrola minor, L. 



Hypericum quadrangulum, Fries Euphrasia stricta, Host 



Cerastium tetrandrum, Curt. Potamogeton fluitans, Roth. 



Rosa systyla, Bast. decipiens, Nolle 



Agrimonia odorata, Mill. Epipactis media, Fries 



Epilobium lanceolatum, Seb. et M. Leersia oryzoides, Sol. 

 Wahlenbergia hederacea, Reich. 



THE BRAMBLES (Ruin) 



Surrey is especially rich in brambles ; so far as has been yet ascer- 

 tained amongst the richest counties in Great Britain. Two only, 

 Hereford and Devon, are known to surpass it in the number of their 

 species and subordinate forms (sub-species and varieties) ; and in both of 

 those the search for brambles has probably been much more nearly 

 exhaustive than in Surrey. All three counties are pre-eminent both for 



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