12 The Irish Naturalist. January, 



RARE PLANTS OF THE CO. DOWN COAST. 



BY REV. C. H. WADDELL, M.R.I. A. 



It may be interesting to put on record some localities 

 for a few plants collected in July of this year, two of which 

 are additions to our county list. 



Draba muralis L. — This plant, which was seen in 1896 by Canon Lett 

 on a wall of the Newry nursery, has spread from the walls and 

 become a troublesome weed, covering the ground in parts of the well- 

 known Daisy Hill nursery on the Co. Armagh side of Newry. 



Brassica Rapa var. Briggsii Wats. — Common in fields by the shore at 

 Warrenpoint harbour and at Omeath, Co. Louth. 



Raphanus maritimus Sm. — Omeath. 



Radiola linoides Roth. — Ferry Hill, Co. Louth. 



Valerianeila Olitoria Poll. — Walls at Narrow-water, on both sides of 

 the river. 



Tragopogon porrifolius L. — The Salsify is well established on the 

 banks of the river north of Warrenpoint. 



^Lactuca muralis Gaertn. — I found a number of plants of Wild 

 Lettuce growing on the wall and in the open part of the wood by the 

 roadside between Rostrevor and the Woodhouse. This is an interesting 

 extension of range for this species which has not been found before in 

 Ulster, the nearest station being Collon, Co. Louth. 



Linaria repens Mill. — This beautiful plant is still abundant at Kill- 

 owen, especially on walls and banks by the sea. 



Scrophularia aquatica L. — Seems to be spreading about Warren- 

 point, where some plants are growing on the sea wall. I found it also 

 at Narrow-water, on the roadside between the ferry and Milltown. 



Mimulus Langsdorffii Donn. — This beautiful immigrant has established 

 itself on the shore at the mouth of the Moygannon River, where it is 

 accompanied by Atriplex portiilacoides. It is also found further up the 

 river. 



Stachys arvensis L. — A weed in fields at Omeath 



Briza media L. — Sea banks north of Warrenpoint. 



*Zostera marina L. var. angustifolia Hornem. — The common Grass- 

 wrack and its narrow-leaved variety [angusiijolia) grow in great masses 

 on the mud banks in Strangford Lough near Grey Abbey, where they 

 provide food for flocks of Brent Geese (called " Bernacles " in this 

 locality). These pluck up and eat the succulent stems. The leaves 

 lloat ashore, and tl'is " sleech," as it is called, forms a valuable covering 

 for potato bins in winter, but is of little use for manure, it takes so 

 long to decay. 



