88 o 
Wilson,—Plant Distribution in the 
some time, but before the process is complete the increasing shade cast by 
the coppice growth will begin to adversely affect the whole of the light 
flora. The latter will finally completely disappear, and the woodland will 
again present the original shade condition. 
In the first place, therefore, the vegetation found on the various soils 
during the shade period will be separately described, and a general account 
of the light flora on the Thanet Sand will then be given. 
I. Flora found during the shade period. 
(a) Woods on the typical deposits of the Thanet Sand. The following 
woods of this type have been investigated in the Faversham district:— 
Sandbanks Wood, portions of Kemsdale and Bysing Woods. 
In these woods the soil is of considerable depth, and consists of a light 
sandy loam without pebbles. The coppice is made up of Chestnut with 
a small proportion of Elder ( Sambucus nigra , L.), the latter forming an ill- 
defined lower stratum which, in the early spring, is very obvious, as the 
leaves of the Elder unfold some time before those of the Chestnut. The 
shade flora is well represented. Endymion nutans , Dum., is in all cases 
extremely abundant, while Adoxa Moschatellina , L., and Ranuncidus Ficaria , 
L., are usually almost as plentiful. Arum maculatum , L., is also present, 
although not in such abundance. All these flower freely early in the 
season. It is interesting to note that all possess a more or less tuberous 
rootstock, and it seems that sandy soils of this nature are particularly 
suited to the tuberous habit. Veronica hederaefolia , L., and Lister a ovata , 
R.Br., are found sparingly, and both of these plants bloom under the shade 
conditions, although in the case of the former the flowers are few in number. 
The abundance of Ranuncidus Ficaria in these coppices is striking, as 
this plant is rarely or never found in the woods on the Chalk, Clay with 
Flints, and remaining Eocene formations. The distribution of Adoxa 
Moschatellina is peculiar. Although occurring in great abundance in some 
of these coppices, in others, where as far as at present determined the con¬ 
ditions are identical, it is altogether absent. The occurrence of Anemone 
nemorosa , L., is somewhat similar, for this plant, although absent from some 
of these woods, occurs in considerable quantity in others. In the Chestnut 
coppices where it is found the Anemone flowers freely during the shade 
period. As already described, on the shallow soils of the Chalk this plant 
is not found during the later stages of the coppice growth, although it 
appears after felling has taken place. The factors determining the distribu¬ 
tion of these plants are at present being investigated, and will be fully 
discussed in a subsequent communication. 
In addition to the plants already mentioned, several are found which 
flower rarely or not at all, and are comparable to the dwarf shade flora of 
the Chalk and Clay with Flints. Of these, Nepeta Glechonia ) Benth., is 
