228 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 



in his " Cybelle Britannica" has excluded Ireland, where, as he states, 

 sufficient data have not been accumulated for such a work ; and De Can- 

 dolle, in his chapter on the species naturalized in Great Britain, only 

 considers those of England, Wales, and Scotland. Ireland and the 

 Channel Islands he contrasts with those countries, as proof for or against 

 the species under review being ah origine natural, or naturalized at some 

 subsequent epoch. 



On studying this chapter in the " Geographie Botanique," and 

 having my attention again directed to it, on reading a very able article 

 which appeared in the " Phytologist" of last June, I was led to consider 

 the conclusions come to respecting several plants attentively, in so far 

 as concerns Ireland. 



Articles 4 and 5 of the chapter treat respectively on the plants 

 which have been naturalized from short distances, and plants naturalized 

 from great distances. Among the latter, at page 714, Stratiotes aloides 

 is placed, and is evidently considered an alien, introduced from the 

 east. Java, the Moluccas, and Malabar are given as its natural homes. 

 Another singular circumstance stated, which is said to be on the 

 authority of M. Adrien de Jussieu, is, that all the plants examined in 

 France, where it is supposed to be only naturalized, are of one sex. In 

 order to satisfy myself in how far these statements are reconcilable with 

 the Stratiotes being truly a native of Ireland, I made a journey last 

 June to the principal habitats in the counties of Fermanagh and Cavan, 

 where it abounds. On searching the shores of Lough Erne, from near 

 Drumgown, in the former county, to near Belturbet in the latter, I 

 observed it, in less or more quantities, all the way, being a distance of 

 some fourteen miles or so, but in the greatest profusion near to where 

 the canal joins Lough Erne. From Belturbet I observed it in many of 

 the lakes through the county of Cavan, on to within three miles of that 

 town. I was rather early, and consequently did not see many plants in 

 blossom, though quite enough to convince me that both sexes are there. 

 These facts I consider alone sufficient to establish this plant a genuine 

 native of Ireland. Besides, another habitat is given in " Flora Hiber- 

 nica," near Portumna, but I never saw it there, nor anywhere else in 

 this country, unless at Bally whehane Bog, near Cork, where, I believe, 

 it is well known to have been put by the hands of man. It does not 

 appear that any of the authors of British Floras doubt its being a true 

 native of two of the eastern counties of England, which is probably the 

 nearest real habitat to that in the centre of Ireland. Mr. Bentham, in 



