Gaui : Botanical Survey of a Pasture. 109 



of Tussock {Deschampsia ccespiiosa), Foxtail [Alopecurus praten- 

 s/s), and Yorkshire Fog {Holcus lanaius). 

 (4) The bank with a small ' scrub' flora. 

 The total flora includes 103 genera and 153 species. 

 For the present purpose the stream and its associated species 

 may be neglected. The marsh flora is of that type common in 

 the Coal Measure districts, but is only a remnant of an earlier 

 one which had a more extensive range. Sufficient, however, 

 remains, especially along" the base of the scrub bank, to show 

 that it was of the ' reed swamp ' type, the marginal plants now 

 alone being represented, e.g., Carex riparia, Phalaris arundi- 

 nacea, Sparganium ramosum, Alisma plantago, Glycerin fliiitans, 

 and Ranunculus sceleratus. 



The Cynosurus area is the next to be considered, but in 

 passing to this from the marsh, two zones, the limits of which 

 are distinctly traceable, have to be crossed : — 



[a] Surrounding the marsh a zone characterised by the 

 presence of Ranunculus repens and absence of R. 

 acris and Cynosurus. 

 {h) An imperfect zone of Ranunculus acris, Cynosurus 

 being still absent. 

 Turning then to the main area alluded to the following 

 species are the chief : — 



r>> • ^1 RaniDicuhis acris. Senecio Jacohcea. 



Dominant . „ . . . , 



\ CynosiiriLS cristatiis. Cerasttiint tnviale. 



Loliuvi perejine. Conopodium demidatiim. 



FcsUica pratensis (ai^g-. ). Plantago laiiceolata. 



Festuca ovina (ag-g-. ). Prunella vulgaris. 



Ranunculus repens. 



The majority of references to the habitat of Cynosurus give 

 dry pastures and soils, but the present investigations indicate that 

 these limits are too narrow. That it is an important constituent 

 of the herbage growing under dry conditions there can be no 

 doubt, but it is evident that it also flourishes under others which 

 are nearly of an opposing kind, forming as it does the greater 

 part of the vegetation in this area. That the conditions here 

 are never dry except under very exceptional circumstances is 

 apparent from the facts that the land is flat, of low elevation, 

 surrounded on three sides by water and with the water table 

 not far below the surface, soil fine, and with a shallow and 

 horizontal basement of impervious clay. 



The following conclusions are hence arrived at : - 

 (i) That Cynosurus may be an important constituent of low- 

 lying" meadows, the maximum degree of w:etness which it can 



19 4 April I. 



