Woods of North-East Kent . 865 
eighteen inches, and here both Beech and Yew are absent, being replaced by 
Ash with occasional Hornbeam. 
In addition to the above-mentioned species the following are generally 
distributed :— 
Crataegus Oxyacantha , L. Lonicera Periclymenum , L. 
Prunus spinosa , L. R uscus actdeatus , L. 
Rosa canina , L. 
The following are occasionally found :— 
Rhamnus catharticus , L. Viburnum Opulus , L. 
Hedera Helix , L. .SW£tr Caprea , L. 
Betula alba , L., has been planted in one portion of the wood over 
a small area, and in another part Pseudo-platanus, L., has been intro¬ 
duced ; the latter is regularly coppiced. 
The distribution of herbaceous plants is greatly influenced by the age 
of the coppice, and in consequence different portions of the wood possess 
very different floras. In the tenth year after felling the coppice growth has 
attained a height of about twelve feet. A deep shade is produced, and the 
number of species which can exist under these conditions is comparatively 
small, the vegetation, as a whole, being poor and scanty. During the 
following four years before felling takes place again the conditions are fairly 
constant, the additional shade due to the increased height being almost 
inappreciable. The plants found during this period may be divided into 
two groups:— 
(a) Plants little or not affected by the shade, in which flowering takes 
place early in the spring. 
( b ) Dwarf plants which persist in the vegetative state and rarely flower. 
(a) The plants belonging to the first group are generally perennials 
possessing underground storage organs. Flowering takes place early in the 
spring before the leaves are produced by the trees, and during the later 
part of the season only the underground portions can be found. The 
following belong to this group :— 
Primula acaulis , L. Endymion nutans , Dum. 
Mercurialis perennis , L. Arum maculatum , L. 
M ercurialis perennis is abundant, occurring in large patches and 
flowering and fruiting freely. This plant is the most conspicuous species 
of the shade flora as the stems and leaves persist until the late autumn. 
The remaining plants are found very sparingly where the soil is nine 
inches or less in depth, but occur more freely where the depth is greater; 
even on the deeper soils they are not plentiful. Adoxa Moschatellina, L. } 
has been occasionally found on the outskirts of the wood, but its occur¬ 
rence on the Chalk soils is too rare to justify its inclusion here. Daphne 
