246 The Irish Naturalist, 



PHANEROGAMS, FERNS, &c. 



BY R. I.I,OYD PKAE;GER, B.E., AND PROF. J. W. CARR, M.A., F.I^S. 



The remarkable flora of the districts lying aroiiiid Galway has long been 

 famous, and has by this time been tolerably well worked out. Conne- 

 mara, with its interesting southern species, has attracted many botanists, 

 whose observations are brought together in Cybele Hibernica ; and since 

 the appearance of that work, further contributions to our knowledge of 

 that flora have been made, the most important paper being that of H. C. 

 Hart."" The limestone district of Burren has likewise been well examined, 

 as is witnessed by the papers of F. J. Foot,^ T. H. Corry,^ H. C. Ivevinge,^ 

 and others. The interesting flora of the Aran Islands (which are 

 botanically a part of Clare, not of Galway) has also been carefully 

 investigated. So that, while close and systematic search would, no 

 doubt, yield a number of additions to the floras of these districts, but 

 little in this direction could result from the necessarily hurried and 

 superficial work of the Field Club excursion ; and indeed, the time of 

 members was devoted to securing examples of well-known botanical 

 treasures, rather than to working out the distribution of less interesting 

 species, or the determination of critical plants. But that the excursion 

 was by no means barren of results as regards the flowering plants, the 

 records which are appended will show. 



Our notes can be conveniently arranged in three geographical groups : 

 —I. West Galway (District 8 of Cyhclc Hibernica) ; II. East Galway and 

 Clare (District 6 of Cybele) ; III. Aran Islands (District 6 of Cybele). 



I. West Gai^way (District 8).— Plants were collected chiefly in three 

 places— Gentian Hill, Carn Seefin on Lough Corrib, and about Recess. 

 Gentian Hill, a promontory of drift on the shore three miles west of 

 Galway, is interesting as yielding a group of limestone plants not found 

 elsewhere in West Galway ; this drift has come from the east or south, 

 and is largely composed of limestone. Here, within 50 feet of sea-level, 

 were gathered Dryas odopeiala^ Aspertda cy7ianchica, Chlora perfoliata, Gentiana 

 verna. Orchis pyratnidalisy Sesleria ccenilea. 



At Carn Seefin and Recess the typical Connemara flora reigns supreme. 

 In both localities grew abundance of Drosera anglicn, D. intermedia, Hyperi- 

 cum elodeSy Saxifraga wnbrosa. Lobelia DorOnanna, Dabeocia polifoliay Utricularia 

 intermedia, Eriocatdon septangulare, Rhynchospora alba, Osmunda regalis, 



^ H. C. Hart.— Notes on the Flora of the Mayo and Galway Mountains, 

 Proc. R.LA., Ser. II., Vol. 3, No. 10, 1883. 



2 F. J. Foot.— On the Distribution of Plants in Burren, Clare. Trans. 

 RJ.A.y Vol. 24, 1862. 



8T. H. Corry.— Notes on a Botanical Ramble in the County of Clare. 

 Proc. Belfast Nat, Hist, and Phil. Sac, 1879-80. 



•* H. C. Levinge.— iV^c^/mra intacta in County Clare. Journ. Bot.^ vol. 30, 

 p. 194. 1892. 



