I g2 October, 



SOME NOTES ON THE FLORA OF GLENARIFF, 



CO. ANTRIM. 



BY DEAN C. F. D'ARCY, D.D. 



During a short stay at Parkmore, at the head of Glenariff, in 

 the earlier part of the summer, I was able to make a few 

 observations of the more interesting plants of that part of 

 Co. Antrim. The flora of the glen is exceedingly rich. 

 Perhaps there is no spot in Ireland where the more beautiful 

 of our common spring flowers grow in such abundance, or 

 bloom so profusely. A striking ornament in May is the Bird 

 Cherry (Prunns Padics), which, in one place, grows in a thicket 

 so obviously natural that all suspicion of the cunning hand of 

 the planter is impossible. 



The lower part of the glen is broad and open, but bounded 

 on both sides — north and south — by steep grassy slopes 

 clothed in part with dense Hazel scrub, and crested with long 

 lines of precipitous crags. These cliffs are, in most places, 

 difficult and dangerous to climb ; the treacherous trap rock 

 disintegrates at a touch, often in the most unexpected manner. 

 Here and there magnificent gorges seam the cliffs from top to 

 bottom. In its upper part the glen divides into two narrow 

 ravines. Of these, the northern is by far the richer. Here it 

 is that the spring flowers bloom in greatest abundance ; and 

 here, also, the natural wood is most diversified. 



There are two other regions of considerable botanical 

 interest which must be connected with Glenariff: a circle of 

 boggy mountains surrounding its upper extremities and supply- 

 ing the water of its river, and a series of plateaux of dry pas- 

 ture varying in height from 1,000 to 1,200 feet above sea-level, 

 supported upon the summits of the cliff -walls which bound 

 the broad lower glen. 



On the cliffs several interesting plants were seen. Here the 

 pretty Arenaria verna is abundant, and Saxifraga hypnoides 

 frequent, especially in the gullies and gorges. In a wet gully 

 on the south side, about 900 feet above sea-level, Hy??ieno- 

 phyllum unilaterale was found in considerable quantity. This 

 seems to be a new station. Along a mile or so of the north 

 cliffs Juniperus ?ia?ia grows in great abundance. It is also to 

 be found, though not so abundantly, on the south cliffs. This 



