The Flora of Eoihamsted Park. 221 



character of the soil. Lastly, the 10 species of Leguminosse 

 fall under 5 genera of Trifoliuui 4 species, Lotus and 

 Vicia 2 each, Lathyrus and Ononis 1 each. 



Ten species of grasses occur on all the plots : Anthoxanthum 

 odoratum, Alopecurus pratensis, Agrostis vulgaris, Holcus 

 lanatus, Avena flavescens, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, 

 Dactylis glomerata, Festuca ovina, and Lolium perenne. 

 Festuca elatior was only found in one plot, and Festuca 

 loliacea in two. Phleuni pratense occurred in about one- 

 fourth the number of plots, Aira caespitosa in about one-half, 

 Briza media, Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca pratensis, and 

 Bromus mollis in sixteen or seventeen. No leguminous plant 

 occurred in all the plots, but Lathyrus pratensis was found 

 in nineteen plots, Trifolium repens and Trifolium pratense in 

 seventeen, Lotus corniculatus in sixteen, and Trifolium minus, 

 Trifolium procumbens, Lotus major, Ononis arvensis, Vicia 

 sepium, and Vicia Cracca only in one each. 



These details will serve to indicate the nature of the flora 

 of the plots. Certain miscellaneous plants common on many 

 old pastures in this country are conspicuous by their absence. 

 The dry and level character of the meadow will account for 

 the absence of Caltha and Juncus. No species of Geranium 

 is recorded. But the most noteworthy fact appears to be the 

 absence of certain scrophulariaceous genera, which are by no 

 means uncommon on old grass lands, namely, Bartsia, 

 Euphrasia, and Ehinanthus. The quality of the land is 

 probably too good for the first two, and the application of 

 manure would certainly be against Euphrasia, but Ehinan- 

 thus Crista-galli (yellow rattle) is very common on old 

 meadows, as, for example, in Derbyshire and Worcester- 

 shire. 



The object which the authors kept in view in writing this 

 section of their report was, in their own words, "to show 

 both the normal botanical composition of the herbage, aiid 

 the changes induced by the application of the different 

 manuring agents, and by variation in the cliinatal conditions 



