Page:VCH Berkshire 1.djvu/98

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A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE are naturalized, as well as the spotted hawlcweed (Hieracium maculatum), while the lake has Chara hispida. In gravelly fields near, those very local plants Hypochaeris glabra and Dianthus Armerta have been found by Miss M. Niven. Pusey Woods have the viper's bugloss (Echiuni) and the moschatel (Adoxa as well as great quantities of a naturalized Russian species of balsam (Impatient parviflord). Tubney Woods yield Polygonum dumetorum, Rosa mol/issima, Willd. = the R. tamentosa, Sm., R. glauca and var. subcristata, Lathyrus syhestris, and Sedum Telephium. At Kingston Bagpuize the lily Li/ium Martagon is completely naturalized. Appleton Common Woods have the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) and spurge laurel (Daphne Mezereum), and the copses at Cumnor still yield the yellow star of Bethlehem (Gaged), the toothwort (Lathred), and abundance of the great horsetail (Equisetum maximum). The portion drained by the Cole is very pleasing. The contrast between the elevated bare bleak fields, without trees and almost without hedgerows, near the Ridgeway, with its extensive prospects over the vale, and the sheltered village of Shrivenham, with its well wooded park and its murmuring brook, and the deep coombes, with the extensive watercress beds of Ashbury and Kingstone, is very marked. Another distinct kind of scenery may be seen at Coleshill, where in the beautiful park an extensive view is obtained over gently undulating and well wooded country, which in turn changes as the Thames is approached to large flat alluvial meadow lands which are characteristic of the upper Thames, and, as Leland says, ' are often overflown with rage of rain.' By the Cole some upland pastures near Watchfield have large quantities of the star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatuni), and very rarely the garlic (Alllum oleraceum) ; near Coleshill the snake's head (Fritillaria Meleagris) is found, and here too are the black currant (Rites nigrum) and the purple willow (Salix purpured). Two plants of the neighbouring counties, Carex tomentosa and Ecbinodorus ranuncu/oides, do not appear to come within our border, the latter being plentiful in the canal where the water is almost undisturbed by traffic, just outside our boundary ; the character of our meadows is very different from those of the Colne where the sedge grows, but I should not be surprised to hear of its occurring on some of the upland pastures of our own river Cole. In addition to the plants mentioned in the preceding notes as occurring in the district of the upper Thames, we may mention : Ranunculus Drouetii, F. Schultz Sisymbrium Sophia, L. x Viola permixta, Jord. Geranium rotundifolium, L. pyrenaicum, VHir. Hypericum quadrangulum, L. Rubus dumnoniensis, Bab. Balfourianus, Bab. diversifolius, Lindl. pyramidalis, Kalt. imbricatus, Hort. thyrsoideus, Wimm. Cratasgus Oxyacantha, L., var. eriocalyx, Druce Sedum dasyphyllum, L. Cotyledon Umbilicus, L. Sambricus Ebulus, L. Apium graveolens, L. CEnanthe Lachenalii, Gmel. Inula Helenium, L. Senecio aquaticus, Huds., var. dubius, Druce [Crepis nicaeensis, Balb.~ Hieracium murorum var. pellucidum, Laeit. vulgatum, Fries. Calamintha arvensis, Lam. Salvia pratensis, L. Polygonum mite, Scbrank. minus, Huds. minus X mite Bistorta, L. Ceratophyllum demersum, L. Epipactis media, Fries. palustris, Crantz. Orchis latifolia, L. pyramidalis, L. ustulata, L. Ophrys apifera, Huds. Habenaria conopsea, Bentb. Zannichellia palustris, L. Eleocharis acicularis, Br. multicaulis, Sm. uniglumis, Schult. Scirpus setaceus, L. pauciflorus, Lightf. Carex acuta, L., var. impuncta, Druce paniculata, L. distans, L. x Lolium festucaceum, Link. Dryopteris montana, Kuntze = Lastrea Oreopteris, Presl. dilatata, Asa Gray spinulosa, Kuntze Ceterach officinarum, Willd, Asplenium Trichomanes, L. Adiantum-nigrum, L. Botrychium Lunaria, Stv. (not recently seen) Chara hispida, L. Tolypella glomerata, Leonb. 2. THE OCK DISTRICT drained by the river of that name, which is entirely a Berkshire stream, and corresponds to 52