BOTANY 



etc. ; the lady's traces (Spiranthes autumnalis), Denham, etc. ; Epipactis violacea, Amersham, 

 etc. ; Orchis militaris in chalk woods ; 0. incarnata, Chalfont ; O. latifolia, Uxbridge, etc. ; the 

 daffodil (Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus], Chesham, etc. ; the snowflake (Leucojum tsstivum), by the 

 Colne ; the Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum), Chalfont, etc. ; lily of the valley (Conval- 

 laria majalis), Alderbourne ; the garlic (A 'Ilium ursinum) ; the snake's head (Fritillaria meleagris), 

 near Iver ; the herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia), Chesham, Denham, etc. ; the rushes Juncus 

 squarrosus, Fulmer ; Juncoides Forsteri, Chesham ; the reed mace (Typha angustifolia), Fulmer ; the 

 sweet flag (Acorus), Langley, Wraysbury, etc. ; the lesser water plantain (Echinodorus ranuncu- 

 loides), Iver Heath, Hyde Heath; the wood club rush (Scirpus sylvaticus), Alderbourne ; the white 

 beak-rush (Rynchospora alba) ; the sedges Carex axillaris, C. pallescens, C. pendula, C. binervis, C. 

 Pseudo-cyperus, C. vesicaria ; the grass Apera Spica-venti, plentiful about Colnbrookand Drayton; 

 the foxtail (Alopecurus fulvus), Chalfont ; the purple melic (Molinla varia), Iver Heath ; the 

 grasses Catabrosa aquatica, Denham, etc. ; Bromus interrupts, Denham ; Nardus stricta, Fulmer ; 

 Elymus europteus, Chenies, etc. ; the black spleenwort (Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum), Chalfont ; 

 A . Trichomanes, Denham ; the sweet mountain fern (Dryopteris montana = Lastrea Oreopteris), 

 near Chalfont ; the adder's tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum), Colnbrook, etc. ; and the club-moss 

 (Lycopodium inundatum), formerly on Iver Heath, but now probably extinct. 



The district of the Colne includes a larger number of introduced species than any 

 other of the districts, as its contiguity to the metropolis would lead us to expect. Among 

 the plants which although not strictly native are now well established are Bromus arvensis near 

 Amersham ; B. secalinus, common in corn crops ; Erysimum cheiranthoides, plentiful in arable 

 fields in the lower parts. 



But the most prominent alien is the North American balsam (Impatient biflora or fulva), 

 which now borders the Colne and its ramifying branches from Denham downwards, and not 

 content with the main streams has followed the watery ditches and even occupied the damp 

 ground near, but giving withal a touch even if of bizarre beauty in the rich colour of its 

 blossoms. Another North American species is the monkey-flower (Mimulus Langsdorffii), which 

 is most abundant by the Chess between Latimers and Chenies, and also by the Misbourne from 

 Great Missenden downwards. The cress Lepidium ruderale is also established about Iver, where 

 the rubbish heaps are covered with a rank growth of the chenopodiums already mentioned, as 

 well as with Datura Tatula and D. Stramonium, Melilotus arvensis and M . alba ; and the two 

 latter also occur near Amersham. The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is a common plant, as the 

 seeds can germinate after passing through the alimentary canal, but the plants do not survive 

 the late autumn frosts. The sweepings of seed shops are responsible for the canary grass 

 (Phalaris canariense), the millet (Panicum miliaceum), and P. Crus-galli (with and without awns), 

 Sttaria viridis and S. glauca, the flax (Linum usitatissimum), the hemp (Cannabis sativa), and the 

 buckwheat (Fagopyron esculentum), but there are others the origin of which it is more difficult 

 to account for ; one especially interesting is Atriplex littoralis, a marine plant which is very 

 abundant. There also have been found Lepidium Draba, Lactuca Scariola, Sisymbrium Sophia, 

 Solanum nigrum in varying forms, as well as Lepturus incurvatus, Medicago denticulata, Briza 

 maxima, Vicia lutea, V. Villosa, Melilotus indica, Phalaris aquatica, and Setaria italica. From 

 other parts of the district Verbascum Blattaria, Sedum Ceptea, S. reflexum, S. album, Delphinium 

 Ajacis have been recorded. The spleenwort (Asplenium fontanum), which Hudson recorded 

 from Amersham church, is no longer found, and of course it was never native there. 



The very picturesque pine woods and heathy ground of Black Park contain boggy 

 ground as well as heathy soil, and it is the only home of one or two species such as Carex Itevi- 

 gata, C. canescens, but the latter is very rare, if not extinct. Here too occur the small skull- 

 cap (Scutellaria minor), the creeping scorpion-grass (Myosotis repens), the shore-weed (Littorella), 

 the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), seeding freely, the hawkweeds, Hieracium boreale, H. 

 sciaphilum and H. umbellatum, the marsh violet (Viola palustris), and the bog-bean (Menyanthes). 



Part of this estate was probably included in the Iver Heath as mentioned by the eighteenth 

 century botanists. 



A COMPARISON OF THE BOTANY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 

 WITH THAT OF THE BORDERING COUNTIES 



For Buckinghamshire and the six bordering counties of Berks, Oxon, Middlesex, Herts, Beds 

 and Northants about 1,100 well established species have been recorded ; of these there have 

 been recorded for Buckinghamshire 934 species. Space will not allow of giving each of the 

 167 missing species in detail, but the more important absentees may be noticed. These are 



53 



