Daviks. — Galhim erechim and G. Mollugo in N.E, Ireland. 261 



Of the plant discovered at Glenarm (Co. Antrim) close on 

 half a century ago by Dr. Holden, and found there inde- 

 pendently by the late Professor Dickie, believed to be G. 

 Mo lingo, '^ we are without specimens ; but my friend Mr. 

 Praeger informs me that he has such, gathered by himself, 

 and these he will, no doubt, re-examine. That they also will 

 prove to be G. erectnvi, seeing that the situation in which the 

 plant occurs there is the same as those of the other northern 

 localities which have been mentioned, seems now not to be an 

 unreasonable assumption. The only examples of the Saintfield 

 (Co. Down) plant at present available are not sufficiently 

 mature to enable us to refer them with certainty.'' 



Both the specific name, erectum, and the '" common name" 

 which has been bestowed upon it, *' The Upright Bedstraw," 

 the latter, it may be supposed, suggested by the former, seem 

 rather inappropriate and may have been misleading. The 

 habit of the plant is not erect, but sub-decumbent, only the 

 fruiting branches of the panicle being ascending, and alto- 

 gether it is much more slender than G. Mollugo and its leaves 

 narrower. The lower part of the plant puts forth an abun- 

 dance of spreading and conspicuously leafy branches, which 

 give a somewhat matted appearance to the patches. The 

 species has not been well understood, but the growing plant 

 having been once seen and identified, a careful observer 

 would not readily fail to recognise it again. 



Though the mistake, perhaps not wholly unpardonable, 

 into which I had fallen, in common with other North of 

 Ireland observers, may be deplored ; it is a matter for some 

 exultation that the rectification of the error gives an exceed- 

 ingly interesting addition, not only to the flora of the North- 

 eastern district, but to that of the entire North of Ireland, 

 because so far as can be ascertained G. erectum, as an Irish 

 plant, is on record as occurring only in the southern half of 



1 Dr. Dickie's " Flora of Ulster, " 1864. 



^ It must be explained here that this part of my notes was written 

 at the end of last year, and that the suggested examination has since 

 been made, as is afterwards stated. 



^3 



