80 The Plant-formation of Clays and Loams 



Climbers. 



Hedera Helix (abundant, trailing). 



Lonioera Periolymenum (climbing on the oaks and trailing on the 



ground). 

 Tamus communis (one plant). 



The presence of such species as Pteris aquihna and Teucrium 

 Scorodonia shows that the soil was distinctly light in this particular 

 wood. 



In more open situations many other species are found 

 "whicli cannot tolerate the deepest shade, though they may 

 fairly be considered as woodland species. 



Degenerate woods are often successfully invaded by 

 plants from neighbouring associations, frequently by 

 weeds from arable land and roadsides, and also show all 

 transitions to the associations of scrubs and grassland. 



The ground vegetation of regularly cut coppice shows 

 a periodicity depending on the sudden change from the 

 deep shade of old coppice to the brightly lighted con- 

 ditions obtaining when the coppice has been cut, followed 

 by a gradual return to shade as the coppice shoots grow 

 up. In the first season after coppicing the vegetation 

 generally shows no conspicuous change, but in the second 

 and third years the ground becomes covered with an 

 active vegetation, consisting partly of strong shoots sent 

 up by plants whose underground parts have been lying 

 dormant or vegetating but weakly, partly of plants pro- 

 duced by the germination of dormant seeds, and some- 

 times of new invaders from without. The continuous 

 carpets of conspicuous social early-flowering species, such 



