8 Tlie hish Naturalist. [January, 



of the Lagan near lyisburn, some two miles farther up the 

 river, may be considered a very near approach to the desired 

 confirmation as to Templeton's Cranmore station, rejected 

 on the ground of erroneous determination, and will thus be of 

 interest to Irish botanists. Mr. Praeger, in Irish Naturalist, 

 vol. vi., p. 93 (1897), records E. roscum as having been dis- 

 covered by him near Queensboro', Co. I^outh, in 1S96, and 

 attaches to the name a mark denoting that he considers the 

 plant to have been probably introduced there. 



It is not supposable that a plant so well fitted for wide 

 dissemination is not to be found elsew^here in the district, 

 but the 3'ear is too far advanced to search for it with much 

 likelihood of success. In fact, the flowers remaining when 

 the species was first detected were so few that I could not 

 identify, with certainty, more than some twenty plants, though 

 there were many others which I believed to be the same ; but 

 in the absence of inflorescence it was unwise to be positive. 



Kxcept in the flower the plant here appears to be more 

 variable than E. montaiium. The raised stem-lines are absent 

 in some examples, and in others the}' are only faintly dis- 

 cernible. The leaves, which are rather flaccid, are in some 

 instances less narrowed at the base than is the case in others, 

 and their petioles differ in length, though in all the plants 

 the leaves are more evidently stalked than in the other species. 

 The characteristic form of the flower, however, seems to be 

 constant It is not rose-red, as described by some writers, but 

 very pale, almost white, with rosy streaks ; in size smaller 

 than in E. viontanum^ the petals exceeding the calyx-segments 

 by about only one-fourth, and the stigma is clavate, never four- 

 cleft as in the other species. The whole plant is more glabrous, 

 and so fragile that, unless some care be taken in gathering, 

 the stems are very easily broken. 



Though having no lack of confidence in the accuracy of my 

 diagnosis of the plant, I should not have remained satisfied 

 without verification by some of those who had more ac- 

 quaintance with it than I could claim, and specimens were 

 accordingly <-ubmitted to Mr. Foggitt and Mr. Stewart, both 

 of whom assure me that the determination is correct. 



Glenmore Cottage, Usburn. 



