l''lEliU MEETl.N’(;s, 1949 
61 
imminent threats. The first of these was to the canal itself, ol whit'li a 
stretch of some 32 miles became the proi)erty of the Basingstoke Canal 
Purchasing Committee on May 30, 1949. The declared objects of this 
Committee were the development of the canal both for pleasure and 
commercial use and it seemed likely that, in addition to obvious possil)le 
alterations, this might involve changes in the water-level and rate ot 
flow. 
The second threat arose from the purchase of 210 acres of adja'ceut 
land by the London County Council for development of a housing estate. 
The main portion of this area consists of Sheerwater heath (including 
the bog) with two smaller plots to the north of the canal. Jt falls within 
Nature Reserve no. 33 recommended in the lieport of the Wild Life Con- 
servation Committee (Cmd. 7122). It has long been a favourite haunt 
of London and Surrey naturalists and although it was unlikely that any 
important new discoveries would be made it seemed very desirable to 
find out what plants still grew there before they were destro 3 "ed. 
The field-meeting was attended by 32 people and favoured with ideal 
weather. Little rain had fallen for many weeks and, although the level 
of water in the canal was too low to show the aquatics to advantage, the 
usuallj' uncomfortably wet areas of Sheerwater heath were so drj" that 
it was possible to examine them without difficulty. None of the known 
rarities were shown to the party, but nearly all were found indepen- 
dently in the course of the search and many members expressed their 
appreciation of the arrangement bj" which they could select their own 
route over the ground. Ten of the members who applied to attend the 
meeting undertook to concentrate on special genera for the day, and 
their reports are incorporated in the lists which follow. 
The following list of plants observed includes only those of general 
interest with the addition of some of the common species characteristic 
of the habitats. Much longer lists contributed by various observers are 
available for reference. 
A. BASINGSTOKE CANAL — aquatics and marginal flora, and tow- 
path. 
6/21 
3.5/3 
35/3x4 
.35/4 
133/ 
184/llb 
220 / 
247/5 
253/2 
353/2 
365/11 
Mammculus circinatus Sibth. 
Rorippa amphibia (L.) Besser 
R. amphibia (L.) Besser x R. isbindica (Oedcr) Borbas — 
Herb. L. 
R. islamdica (Oeder) Besser 
Impatiens capensis Meerburgh — in one ])lace this formed a 
continuous “hedge” some ten yards long. 
Filipendxda Ulmaria (L.) Maxim, var. denudata auctt. angl., 
non (Presl) Beck 
Epilobium adenocaulon Hausskn. — det. G. M. Ash 
Apium inundatum (L.) Rchb. f. 
Sium erectum Huds. 
Bidens tripartita L. 
Achillea Ptarmica L. 
