THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 
227- 
FIELD MEETING AT FYFIELD AND NORTON 
HEATH (426th MEETING). 
Saturday, 19TH July 1913. 
The chief object of this excursion was botanical, the district being, 
one of the most interesting to botanists in the whole county, and to visit 
the twin churches of Williugale Spain, and Willingale Doe, both situated 
in one large churchyard, where the two parishes join. Some of the most 
local of Essex plants occur about Fyfield, the home of the “ Fyfield 
Pea ” ( Lathyrus tuberosus) , including Bupleurum rotundifolium and Inula 
helenium ; while Norton Heath boasts, as its greatest rarities, Bupleurum 
falcatum and Pulicaria vulgaris. 
The conductors were Miss Kate Skinner, Miss E. Willmott, F.L.S.,, 
and Mr. Percy Thompson. 
In spite of adverse climatic conditions, a small but determined band 
of botanical members met at Ongar at the appointed hour, and made 
their way, through a steady downpour of rain, by way of field paths to 
High Ongar and Fyfield, practical proof of the clayey nature of the subsoil 
(Boulder Clay) being afforded by the muddy, slippery paths, along which 
the devoted band splashed and “ skidded ” with but little leisure to look 
for flowers ; hence, perhaps, the reason why Bupleurum rotundifolium 
was sought in vain in the cornfields towards Fyfield, where it normally 
occurs. Arrived in Fyfield village, however, at a little past noon, the 
rain ceased, and thenceforth the day, though dull, was dry and 
comfortable. 
Quite a number of interesting plants were found, and Miss Skinner 
has kindly furnished a list, which is printed at the end of this report. 
She informs us that the neighbourhood of Fyfield and Ongar is a capital 
hunting-ground, and had the weather been finer, many more of the in¬ 
teresting plants for which it is famed ought to have been seen, such as 
Bupleurum rotundifolium and Inula helenium. The “ Sulphur Clover,” 
Trifolium ochroleucum , was seen in many places in the fields, and along 
road-sides, with its pretty cream-coloured heads. A very tall specimen 
of Conium maculatum (Hemlock) with its curious spotted stem, seven 
feet high, was seen near the river. 
After lunch, the party was conducted by Miss K. Skinner to a known 
spot where, in a low hedge bank between two fields, and fortunately out 
of sight from the road, two glorious masses of the Fyfield Pea ( Lathyrus 
tuberosus ) were met with, clambering wildly over the bank and even in¬ 
vading the ploughed land. Its pretty sweet scented flowers of pinky- 
purple made a bright patch even on this dull day, and when seen on a 
bright sunny morning they are even more beautiful. 
Careful search was made for the Elecampane ( Inula helenium) in a 
spot where it was known to have been growing some dozen years ago, 
but no trace of this conspicuous plant could be seen. 
Along the roadside leading to Willingale, large patches of the local 
Sulphur-headed Clover ( Trifolium ochroleucum) were observed, with 
numerous commoner plants of “ chalk facies,” such as Melilotus officinalis > 
Plantago media, Ononis arvensis, Scabiosa arvensis, Cichorium intybus y 
while Traveller’s Joy ( Clematis vitalba) wreathed the hedges. 
