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i9oS. 133 



THE NEW FLORA OF BURNT GROUND ON 

 THE HIEE OF HOWTH : 



A Study of Plant Dispkrsal. 



BY JOHN ADAMS, M.A. 



East July, in company with the students attending the 

 Summer Course in Botan}- at the Royal College of Science, 

 I went over the burnt ground on Howth summit in order to 

 observe the colonization of a piece of new ground, quite 

 devoid of vegetable life This was two years after the fire of 

 1905, which smouldered for nearly a week, and seems to have 

 done its work very thoroughl}-. The results are, I think, of 

 sufficient interest for publication in the columns of the Irish 

 Naturalist. 



In all 31 species of plants were observed, and of these only 

 two specimens had survived the fire, all the rest having sprung 

 from seeds and spores. The first was a Bracken, which was 

 growing out of the mouth of a Rabbit's burrow. The other 

 was a Whin, which was sprouting from the base of the burnt 

 stem. All the other Whins observed were seedlings. 



The following is the complete list of species found : — 



MossKS. — Fu7ia7ia hygrovietrica in fruit, and another species, 

 apparently a Polytrichum. 



Ferns. — Pteris aquilina (from the old stem). 



Monocotyledons.— ^^;<?5//5 alba^ Aira prcecox, Antho- 

 xanthnm odoi'atum. Dactylis gloiucrata, Deschampsia ficxuosa, 

 Festuca ovina^ Holciis la^iatiis^ Poa amma^ Carex pilulifera. 



Dicotyledons. — Ruviex Acctosclla, Cerastitwi vuJgatiim^ 

 Cotyledon Umbiliais, Sediim anglicum^ Rubies fruticosus, Ulcx 

 europcsus, Epilobitim moiitanum, E. palustre ?, Calluna vul- 

 garis^ Erica cinerta, Teucriuui, Scorodo7iia, Gali^im saxatile, 

 Carduus lanccolatiLS, Hypochccris radicata^ Scnecio Jacobcea, 

 S. sylvatiais, S. zmlgaris^ Soiichzts oleraccus, Taraxaciwi 

 officinale. 



