May, 1892. 
NOTES IN AN OLD HERBAL. 
105 
29.— Penniwurt. —“This growes on all ye old walls about Oxford.” 
None of them now yield Cotyledon Umbilicus . 
31. — Filipendula. —“It growes in Stoe Wood and by the sides of the 
corne fields thearto adioyninge. ” A figure of Spiraea Filipen¬ 
dula is attached. The plant still occurs in that locality. 
32. — Thalictron. —“ Thease grow in all our meadowes about Oxford.” 
This refers to the Meadow-rue, Thalictrum flavum, L., which is 
still frequent in damp meadows and by stream sides about 
Oxford. It was figured in Morison’s “ Hist. Oxon.” 
36.— Milkwurt. —“Plentifully about Oxford.” The Milkwort, Poly gala 
serpyllacea, Weihe, still occurs on heathy ground both in Oxon 
and Berks, probably not so frequently as in the 17th century. 
P. vulgaris is a rarer plant with us. It is found on the chalk 
hills, however, not rarely. 
49.— Pier's Weed. —“ Everywheare by Oxford.” This still occurs 
plentifully about Oxford, and even on old walls in the city. It 
is the Reseda Luteola of Linnaeus. 
52.— Lysimachion. —“ The Yellow and Redde grow plentifully in our 
Oxford ditches.” The Yellow Loosestrife, Lysimachia vulgaris , 
and the Red Loosestrife, Lythrcea Salicaria, still grow in the 
localities mentioned. 
54. — Mercurie. —“ The male and ye female grow in all woods about 
Oxford, especially in Merley Wood.” This refers to the mon¬ 
oecious Mercurialis perennis, L. Merley Wood is near Wytham, 
in Berkshire, and the Mercury still abounds there. 
55. — Monywurt. —“Everywheare about Oxford in great abundance.” 
This is the Creeping Jenny, Lysimachia Nummularia , which is 
still frequent, but never (?) found in fruit. 
61.— Mouse-eare. —“ On ye walls in Oxford.” This refers to the yellow- 
flowered plant, Hieracium Pilosella, which still occurs in the 
municipality. 
66.— Coronopus Ruellii. —“ Growes in all the high waies about Oxford.” 
Coronopus Ruellii , the Swine’s Cress, is still frequent by road¬ 
sides and muddy places. 
78.— Scordium. —“ This grows by Ruely Lock, and by the ditches on 
the rodeside of Gloster Hall in Oxfordshire.” Now, alas ! 
absent. It existed by the river near Godstow up to 1856, but 
the alterations at the lock extirpated it. Search has unsuc¬ 
cessfully been made for it in the meadows between Radley and 
Abingdon. Likely places are some of the meadows between 
Eynsham and Tadpole Bridge. 
82.— Sophia. —“Upon olde walls about Oxford everywheare.” As 
with Scordium, so, too, with Sophia ; but the Flix-weed, Sisym¬ 
brium Sophia , is one of those sporadic plants which it would 
not be safe to call extinct. Our walls, it is true, no longer yield 
it; but its delicate foliage was for a year or two seen on that 
deposit of rubbish which was such an eyesore to those who 
entered Port Meadow by its south-eastern side. The plant is, 
however, a permanent constituent of the flora of Berkshire, 
about Cothill, Tubney, and Marcham. 
91.— Archangel. —“ Theare is another Lamium which beares a yellow 
flower, and it growes in Merley Wood.” The Yellow Arch¬ 
angel, Lamium Galeobdolon, with its bright flowers and nettle¬ 
like leaves, still is to be found in the locality mentioned. 
95.— Adder's-tongue. —“ In all ye meadowes about Oxford.” This state¬ 
ment scarcely holds true now ; but the curious fern, Ophio- 
glossum vulgatum, is not uncommon in the fields of Oxon and 
Berks, although not frequent in our immediate vicinity. 
