FIEI/I) MEETINGS, 11);'32 
33 
FIELD MEETINGS, 1052 
APRIL 6th, 1952. ASHFORD (KENT). 
Leaders : D. McCeintock and J. E. Lousee-f. 
This Field Meeting was arranged in conjunction with the Conference 
on The Changing Flora of Britain. One of the buses arrived a half 
hour late, a delay which had long-reaching effects, but eventually 90 
members and friends — -the largest gathering for any B.S.B.I. field meet- 
ing — left London by the Folkestone road in two coaches and several cars. 
Beyond Wrotham, the first stop was made at the southern end of Mere- 
worth Woods to inspect Aeuena aiiseriaifoUa (J. R. & G. Forst.) Druce. 
It was found in this spot in 1946 by Mrs. D. McClintock and has not 
altered much in quantity since. It has, however, been known since 1937 
half a mile further north in these woods where it mingles freely with 
native vegetation on loose Kentish ragstone. 
Dr. E. Scott joined the party at lunch at Hothfield Heath and led 
the way to fields south of Rippers Cross where in 1951 he had re-found, 
in (luantity, Thlaspi alliaceum L. This Southern European annual dis- 
covered here in 1923 was shown to have been knowm to local farmers for 
many years before (./. Min. Ayric., 30, 535-8, 1923; B.E.G. 1923 Hep., 
28-29; •/. Bot., 62, 306-7, 1924). There is apparently no record of it since, 
but it is now known to have persisted there despite the farmers’ attempts 
to eradicate it and the grassing over at intervals of the fields in which 
it grows. The party scattered over the fields and proved that the plant 
was still well-established and quite widespread not only in arable fields 
but also in hedge banks. Its pale-green leaves and stems and creamy- 
yellow flowers, which were in full bloom, were very striking. Several 
plants already had seed-pods developed enough to show their narrower 
shape than those of T. a/rvense L. The plants when bruised smelled of 
garlic. Equisetum telmateja Ehrh. was collected, and the variations in 
size and shape of leaves of Arum maculatum L. were also noted. 
A brief halt was made at Little Chart to see the fine colonies of 
('hrysosplenlum olternifolium L. and C. oppositifolium L. by the old 
mill-pond where Cardamine amura L. and Dipsacus pilosus L. also 
grow. The party then went on ten miles to scour the ancient yew wood 
in the hanger of Boxley Warren for Buxus sempervirens L. This may 
well be a native locality for the latter, a few bushes of which were found. 
Ilellehorus foetidus L. is almost certainly native on the North Downs 
and was seen here in two places in fine flower. Euphorbia latliyrus L. 
seedlings were also observed among the yews in a possible native station, 
and Salvia pixitensis L. was seen on the Downs. Prof. Tutin discovered 
Quercus Hex L. in a seedling state also among the yews. 
West of Sandling there was a stop to see, in flower, a roadside colony 
of Trachystemon ori&ntalis (L.) Don, a Mediterranean plant occasionally 
