305 
THE NON-OCCURRENCE NEAR MANCHEST 
ER OF CER 
COMMON BRITISH PLANTS. ae 
By Leo H. Grinpon. 
The capital hint given by Mr. T. R. A. Briggs in his papers upon the 
plants not found near Plymouth, induces me to make some observations 
upon the Manchester absentees. The flora of any given district usually 
includes, I believe, about one-half of the entire number ot species reckoned 
— to Great Britain, the constituents varying with the geological 
sit a me proximity or otherwise of the sea, the elevation of the sur- 
oni a E ie local climate; while the ordinary vegetation (which, of 
Iun is by no means to be confounded with the flora) usually consists, 
elieve, of about a fourth, or, in round numbers, of about 370 or 380 
E I get at this arithmetical idea of * species” by striking a middle 
: urse between Mr, Bentham’s estimate of less than 1300 and Mr. 
yme’s 1824 figures. The flora of the country round Manchester is 
Er the plants, the rock being millstone grit, noted for its in- 
a dh ile the higher portions are entirely moor-land, desolate, and 
chalk oli en. Limestone (except a mere thread in one of the suburbs), 
euge oolite, lias, tidal rivers, marshes impregnated by the sea, are near 
anchester altogether unknown. So of cours i 
M fand no rmin 
, Leeds, Sheffield, and plenty of other places, so that our negative . 
condition i . ` é : 
ition is by no means unique or exceptional, but it would be interesting 
tone ] 
ongue, Helianthemum vulgare, Galium verum, the sweet violet, Plantago 
inely in but one or 
^um “ae LeT very $ 
oubtful localities. Malva sylvestris and rotundifolia are very seldom 
} the cowslip is ex- 
Here and there we have a 
e, but I cannot call to mind the finding 
worthy of note that we are destitute of 
exampl I 
some 
raie the grasses I am accustomed to see elsewhere, such as Hordeum 
se and H. murinum. So again with certain hedgerow shrubs, 
for example; so 
nus sanguinea, Viburnum Lantana, Acer campestre, 
Arenaria serpylli- 
x 
again wi ; á 
gain with numerous denizens of the wayside, such as 
* 
