THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



No. 52. JANUARY 1842. 



XXXVIII. — On the Saxifrages of the Robertsonia or London- 

 pride group which are found in Ireland. By Charles C. 

 Babington, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., &c 



[With a Plate.] 



Having been induced to state, in rather a positive manner, 

 my opinion that Saxifragaumbrosa is a native of Ireland*, I 

 think it due to Mr. Bree, and also to the readers of these c An- 

 nals/ now to publish the residts of an extremely careful study 

 of the Robertsonia group of Saxifrages which I had the satis- 

 faction of making during the month of July last in the county 

 of Kerry. In that county I gathered the four plants consi- 

 dered as species by Mackay (Fl. Hibern. 64 and 65), and it 

 will perhaps be the best plan to take each of these separately 

 and note the results of my examination of the growing plant. 



1. S. umbrosa. — I saw no plant in Kerry that would agree 

 well with the Linnaean character for this species, " foliis .... 

 cartilagineo-crenatis," nor with specimens from the Pyrenees, 

 nor with the figure in Reichenbaclr's e Iconographia/ t. 620, 

 made from a Pyrenaean specimen. These specimens and that 

 figure correspond well with the Linnaean description, and the 

 form of their leaves will be seen in my fig. I. (Plate XI.) taken 

 from a Pyrenaean specimen. In it the leaves are obovate, with 

 large blunt crenations and a very decided cartilaginous margin. 

 My fig. 2. and 3. represent the leaves which most nearly ap- 

 proach to those of the true plant ; and it will be observed that, 

 although they have the cartilaginous margin, still their cre- 

 nations (if crenations they can be called) are acute, or are 

 rather, in the words of Smith, ce sharp cartilaginous notches." 

 Fig. 2. is a rare form gathered some years since at Delphi in 

 Mayo. Fig. 3. is also rare, and was obtained from Connor 

 Hill, near Dingle, Kerry, and in Cunnamara, Galway. Fig. 

 4. and 5, from the lower part of Turk Mountain, near Kil- 

 larney, are very common in that county. In this form the 

 leaves are always nearly round, and have deep, sharp, tooth* 

 * Vol. vii. p. 47. 



Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. Y 



