An account is given of the water chemistry and photosynthetic flora of waters in England with a pH value of 3 0 or less. Of the fifteen sites found, thirteen were associated with coal-mining, one with a barytes mine and one was an industrial effluent. Flowing waters predominated, but in some cases pools in direct contact with the streams were also present. All waters carried high levels of heavy metals and silicate, and most carried moderately high levels of phosphate and combined inorganic nitrogen. The total flora consisted of twenty-four algae, two mosses and two flowering plants. Of these, three algae and one flowering plant were found in pools only. Euglena mutabilis was both the most widespread species, and often also the most abundant. The number of species present in a reach showed a positive correlation with pH during late summer, and a negative correlation with total acidity in winter. Only four of the algal species found in England are certainly included in the U.S.A. literature. Some, but not all, the apparent differences between the two floras are very probably due simply to taxonomic problems.* One further coal-mining site (Dovwgang: NY 777428) has been found since completion of this study.
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