90 The Irish Naturalist. April, 



Further, as regards our own countr}', that twelve months 

 very frequently extends from the autumn of one year to the 

 autumn of the next. In any winter's walk we may find well- 

 grown specimens of many of our annual plants, which have 

 arisen from seed sown during the preceding autumn, and 

 which are now weathering the winter to flower next 

 summer, and give rise to another similar generation. In 

 illustration whereof, I quote a few extracts from notes taken 

 during autumn and winter rambles during the last couple of 

 years : — 



19:10:01, — Wall-top beyond Duudrum ; opeu ground, 400 feet eleva- 

 tion. Veronica arvensis, 3 pairs of leaves. Cerastium glotneratum, Festuca 

 rigida, Alchemilla arvensis, Geranium Robfriianiwi, Trifoliuvi dubium, well up. 

 Cardaviine htrsuta, well forward. Senecio vulgaris, all stages. 



10:12:01. — Portmarnock dunes and sandy fields. Cerastium tetran- 

 drtwt^ C. semidecandrum, Phleum arcnariutn^ all well up and abundant. In 

 fields Valerianella dentata, well up. Beautiful rosettes, some very large, of 

 Erodium cicutarhim (one foot across) ; good rosettes of Lycopsis arvensis. 

 Under hedges, young Galium Aparine (up to six inches high) and 

 Anihriscus vulgaris, forming luxuriant greener}'. 



26:12:01. — Dundrum sand-dunes, Co. Down /■VA^^f ?;/7«zV;/a seedlings 

 abundant ; Erythrcea Centaureian well forward. 



10 : 1 : 02. — Rathfarnham gravel-pit. Strong young plants of Papaver 

 Rhocas, Lapsana communis, Bassica campesiris, ALthusa Cynapiuiu. 



15:11:02. — Open field near Three Rock Mountain, 500 feet. Carda- 

 mine kirsuta, Fumaria sp., Alchemilla arvensis, well forward. 



Though I have not yet attempted to form lists of the 

 annuals which winter in the seedling or rosette stage, instead 

 of commencing growth in spring, it is clear that all annuals 

 do not thus rise from the seed in autumn. I have sought in 

 vain, in autumn and winter, for seedlings of the Rhina7ithacece. 

 Possibly their semi-parasitic habits so accelerate growth that 

 there is no need of an early start. Similarly, I have not 

 noticed autumnal seedlings of the annual Che^iopodiacecB or 

 PolygonacecB, such as A triplex, Suceda, S also la, Salicor?iiay 

 Polygonum ; but the late fruiting of most species of these 

 orders furnishes a good reason, which is not applicable to the 

 RhiiianthacecE. Conversel)^ the very early fruiting of some 

 annuals, such as Draba verna and Cardaviine hirsuta, leads 

 one to expect that they should start in autumn, as they do. 

 But with the bulk of the annuals, flowering in summer, there 

 is no such necessit3\ 



