Notes 071 the Flora of Howth. 179 



As the above plants are mostly somewhat rare in the county, 

 and have only one or two stations attached to them in the 

 " Flora of Howth," the additional localities mentioned have 

 been considered worth}^ of record. 



Pyrus Aria and Valcfianella Auricula are not known in Co. 



Dublin except on Howth ; while Sisymbrium thalianum, and 



some of the others are of rare occurrence in the county. I 



may add that possibly V. Auricula is establishing itself in 



this neighbourhood, as I gathered it in some abundance last 



June in sandy fields at Portmarnock, where so many colonists 



appear to find a congenial resting-place. 



That interesting and anomalous group, the Characece, are 



not included by Mr. Hart in his Flora. Being aquatic plants, 



they are but poorly represented on Howth, as would be 



expected ; 5^et several species occur, and even the dry rocky 



surface of Ireland's Eye has one spot which is perennially 



damp enough to allow of the existence of one species. The 



following are, so far as I know, all the notes of Howth 



CharacecE. 



Chara fragrilis, Desv.— Howth, 1S60, D. Moore— Groves, LN., 1S95, 

 p. 8. Shallow pools on the Sutton side of the hill, near the quarries, D. 

 M'Ardle. In Balsaggart stream, near its source (" approaching var. 

 capillacear H. and J. G.), 1894, R. U- P. 



C. vulgaris, L.— Sutton, 187 1, W. T. T. Dyer— Groves, I.N., 1895, p. 

 38. 



C, vulgfaris, L., var. longribracteata, Kuetz. — In a marshy spring 

 on the east cliff of Ireland's Eye, 1S94, R. LI. P. 



C. vulgrarls, Iv. near var. melanopyrena, A. Br. — A curious little 

 plant which grows in the brackish pool by the sea at the Quarry is so 

 named by Messrs. Groves. This variety is not recorded from Ireland. 



Nitella opaca, Ag,— Hill of Howth, 1S60, D. Moore— Groves, I.N., 

 1*^95) P« 41- Ditch in the marsh at source of Balsaggart stream, 1894, 

 R. I/l. P. This species is probably the N. syucarpa recorded from Howth 

 in Brit. Assoc. Guide. 



In bringing these brief notes to. a conclusion, I have to 

 express my indebtedness to Miss R. Mahaffy and Mr. D. 

 M'Ardle for notes and specimens of their Howth finds, and to 

 Messrs. Groves and A. Bennett for assistance in the naming of 

 critical plants. 



