THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
FIELD MEETING IN EPPING FOREST.
Saturday, July 10th, 1897.
Conductors :—Prof. G. S. Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S,, S. A. Sewell, Esq.,
F.R.H.S., F.R.G.S., and the Hon. Secretaries.
THIS meeting was intended to combine a Botanical Demonstration with
the usual summer ramble in the Forest, looking its freshest and
greenest during the early days of July, the anticipated plague of Spring
caterpillars having been checked by some natural cause.
The route of the ramblers covered the ground around Loughton Camp,
Monk Woods, Wake Valley, and Honey Lane Quarters, some of the
pleasantest parts of the woodlands, a very large attendance of members and
friends was obtained—between 80 and 90 being present at the rendezvous, in
the Green Ride, between Staple's Pond and Black Bushes, at about three
o'clock. The way up the rising ground into the Loughton (or Cowper's)
Camp was taken, and there a halt was called for some little time to enable
stragglers to assemble, and to allow of a little botanical and entomological
collecting. Mr. W. Cole gave a brief description of the Camp, and of the
explorations conducted by the Club there in 1882, of which a Report, drawn
up by himself, with plans, &c., was published in the Transactions, Vol. iii., pp.
212-230.
As regards the botanical features of the walk, Mr. Sewell, one of the
Conductors makes the following observations, including therein a few remarks
on the floral aspect of the Forest in the earlier months and later : —
"The most striking feature of the Forest at this time of the year
is the blossoming Roses and Rubi or Brambles. The former are chiefly
represented by the lovely small White-rose (Rosa arvensis). This appears
either in large independent bushes, or trailing over other shrubs, such as
the Blackthorne or springing up as small plants close to the ground. In the
former case there are generally masses of flowers and buds, in the last
sometimes a single flower of large size. This species is more common in
the Forest than the Dog-rose, which is far more abundant as a rule, but
which we occasionally met with clothed with its beautiful pink buds and
flowers.
" The St. John's Wort, Hypericum pulchrum, was occasionally met with
also the Cow Wheat (Melampyrum pratense), which though somewhat local, is
to be found occasionally all over the Forest. 1
" The Tormentilla, which has been so very profuse in the early summer
covering large spaces with its small yellow blossoms, but appears as a
straggler, and is giving place to its larger relations the Potentillas both
reptans and anserina. Galium sexatile, the smooth Heath Bedstraw which has
also been exceedingly abundant, is dying out, and being replaced by the
1 It is abundant in Lord's Bushes, and was interesting to us on the present occasion
inasmuch as it is one of the semi-parasitic plants specially alluded to by Prof. Boulger in
his address on Svmbiosis.—Ed.