The Origin of our British Flora 
always slightly changing. There are also, of course, 
the usual weeds of worldwide distribution, such. as 
the common nettle, Luzula campestris, common avens, 
bracken, and black maidenhair spleenwort. Of these 
there are said to be no less than 182 species.” 
But there are two other difficult questions which 
ought perhaps to be mentioned. 
In Scandinavia an invasion of the beech followed 
after and dispossessed the oak. In some German maps 
the beech is shown as dominating practically the whole 
of northern and middle England, That, however, does 
not seem to have been proved, for no evidence can be 
drawn from our modern woodlands, which are all more 
or less artificial, and the ancient English forest seems 
to have been oak or beech. Yet the tree is supposed to 
be a native. Gerard, in 1597, says: “Fagus ... in 
many forrests and desart places .. . in Kent.” It is 
particularly common now on chalk and limestone. 
Yet one can hardly believe that a beech forest in 
prehistoric or early historic times ever entered England 
and displaced the British oak. 
The steppes at one period in glacial times entered 
Europe and extended certainly into France and Swit- 
zerland. 
In the east of England there are several counties 
which possess a far drier and sunnier climate than is 
usual in Britain; but, so far at least as the author is 
aware, the characteristic steppe plants have either never 
reached England at all, or failed to hold their own if they 
did manage to enter during the first interglacial epoch. 
But there is a whole series of very interesting plants 
which may really be relicts of that very distant time. 
The best known of them are the arbutus, and the 
Cornish and Mediterranean heaths. One might also 
menticn the wild asparagus, Simethis, Romulea, Poly- 
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