2l4 The Irish Naturalist. November, 



SOME INTRODUCED PLANTS IN KERRY. 



, BY REGINALD W. SCULLY, F.L.S. 



In Mr. Praeger's interesting Notes on the Flora of the 

 Blasket Islands which appeared in the September issue 

 of the Irish Naturalist, he refers to the occurrence of Ma- 

 tricaria discoidea on the neighbouring mainland, and ex- 

 presses a doubt as to its having been previously recorded 

 from Co. Kerry. 



The plant was first noticed in the county by the present 

 writer in 1902, and duly recorded in the Irish Naturalist, 

 1903, p. 114.^ So fast, however, has this aggressive alien 

 spread over the county in recent years, that it appears 

 desirable to put its distribution there on record, as ascer- 

 tained to the autumn of the present year. The opportunity 

 may be taken to draw attention to the present range of 

 several other introductions, some of them spreading in 

 the county, others just maintaining a precarious footing, 

 and quite at the mercy of the first unscrupulous gatherer. 



Matricaria suaveolens Buchenau (M. discoidea DC). 



Kerry N. — In some plenty about a gateway and ad- 

 joining field side, rather more than a mile west of Beale 

 Point, on the Bally bunnion road, 1902 ; R.W.S. {Irish 

 Naturalist, 1903, p. 114). In great plenty about the Tralee 

 fair field, spreading to the adjoining roadsides and railway 

 grounds, &c., 1908, and abundant on and about the Kil- 

 lorglin fair green, 191 1 ; R.W.S. Kerry S. — By the road- 

 side near Anascaul village, 1911 ; Messrs. , Stelfox and 

 Welch. About Castlegregory and abundant at Deelis, 

 1912 ; Messrs. Praeger and Stelfox — the last three localities 

 are- in the Dingle peninsula. Sparingly on the fair field 

 at Cahersiveen, and abundantly at Portmagee, especially 

 on its east side, 1911 ; Miss Delap and R.W.S, In some 

 quantity in the village of Sneem ; James Britten {Journal 

 of Botany, 1912, p. 288). 



All the above localities are on or near the sea coast, and 

 while most of them have rail connections and an extensive 



^ I referred to M. discoidea sensu siricto, not to A/, occidentalis, to 

 which Mr. Scully's previous record refers.- — R.Ll.P. 



