[ 35 ] 



NOTES ON THE FLORA OF THE NORTH-EAST 



OF IRELAND. 



BY SAMUEL A. STEWART, F.B.S.EDIN. 



By the preparation and publication of the " Flora of the North- 

 east of Ireland," ' in 1888, our knowledge of the native 

 vegetation of the three north-eastern counties of Ireland was 

 summarised to that date. That Flora, while focussing the 

 hitherto scattered researches of our local botanists, also served 

 another and a valuable purpose. It has had the effect of 

 stimulating the zeal of the younger naturalists. It has shown 

 them wherein our knowledge of plant-distribution in the dis- 

 trict was defective, and has led them, more or less, to 

 s3-stematize their work so as to remedy these defects, and to 

 strive to fill up the remaining gaps. 



As w 7 ill be seen from the appended catalogue of species, the 

 results have been a most gratifying enlargement of our local 

 lists, and, in addition, we get a nearer approach to the truth 

 as respects the local distribution of our plants. The untiring 

 researches of Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger have been rewarded by 

 most valuable discoveries. Mrs. Leebody, of Londonderry, has 

 added considerably to our knowledge of the plant-life of her 

 county — notably in the case of Spiranthes Romanzoviana, the 

 finding of which in Deny followed so quickly on Mr. Praeger's 

 record of its occurrence in Armagh. 



The list which follows contains all the known additions to 

 the north-eastern Flora (except Musci and Hepaticae) since 

 the publication of the work before-mentioned, and it also 

 embodies additional localities for many of the rarer species, thus 

 giving a truer idea of their distribution. A selection had to be 

 made of the more important plants, but it is hoped that ere 

 long a full and complete supplement to Stewart and Corry's 

 Flora may appear. In anticipation of this, and in order to 

 make it as complete as possible, local botanists should exert 

 themselves to their utmost, and prove that in this delightful 

 department of scientific work they will not be one whit be- 

 hind the foremost districts in the empire. 



1 " A Flora of the North-east of Ireland, including the Phanerogamia, 

 the Cryptogamia Vascularia, and the Muscineae." By Samuel A. Stewart, 

 f.b.S.E., and T. H. Corry, m.a., F.I,.S., &c, 1888. 



