204 The Irish Nainralist. vSeptember, 



I I I. -B O T A N Y. 

 PHANKROCxAMIA AND PTERIDOPHYTA. 



BY R. I,I,OYD PRAEG:ER, BK- 



To botanists, the dominating interest in the flora of the vSligo district 

 lies in the alpine plants of the T^en Bulben range, on which one of our 

 Irish alpines — Arejiaria ciliata — has its only British station, and two 

 o\.\\Q:rs,—Saxifraga nivalis and Epilobiuin alsinefoliu/n-th.Q\T only Irish 

 habitat. These mountains have already been thoroughly explored, and 

 but little new was to be expected there. Most of the rest of the district 

 visited during the excursion was not unknown to botanists, yet b)- no 

 means thoroughly examined, and a fair number of plants new to, or rare 

 in the county, or otherwise interestii:g, were found. Many of the best 

 finds are due to Mrs. Leebod}', whose stay of a week at Rosses Point 

 after the close of the meeting enabled her to pursue the exploration of 

 that neighbourhood. The list of species added to the Sligo flora is as 

 follows: — 



Papaver dubium. *Cichorium Intybus. 

 P. hybridum. Chlora perfoliata. 



Lotus uliginosus. :J:Linaria vulgaris. 



•Sedum album. Chenopodium rubrum. 

 Crithmum maritimum. Potamogeton heterophyllus. 



^thusa Cynapium. 



These raise the flora of Sligo from 636 species to 647, or^ including the 

 interesting plant referred to by Mr. Harrington at the end of these notes, 

 to 648. 



Rosses Point, which was explored on the first afternoon, is distinctly 

 interesting. The occurrence, close to sea-level, of Draba incana, 

 Saxi/raga aizoides, and Jiiniperiis nana, gives the flora a curiously alpine 

 tinge ; and the finding of the Maidenhair is a feature of any day's 

 botanizing. The profusion of Orchids at the time of our visit was parti- 

 cularly noticeable, the species represented being Listera ovata, Ophrys 

 apifera, Orchis pyramidalis, incarnata, maculata, and masciila (in fruit), and 

 Habenaria conopsea, viridis, chloroleuca, and bifolia. 



At Raghly, the extremely dwarf vegetation of the extensive downs was 

 noted. Kadiola is a most abundant ingredient here, with such plants as 

 Anagallis tcnella, Hypericum htanificsuvi^ Festuca rottbcellioides, Selaginella 

 selaginoideSy and an extremely minute form of Ophioglosstim vulgatiim. The 

 best plant which this neighbourhood yielded was Chenopodium rubrum^ new 

 to District IX. of" Cybele Hibernica." Lissadill, visited the same after- 

 noon, provided a wonderful contrast of vegetation, the luxuriance here 

 being extreme. But the woods in this demesne are comparatively new, 

 and not many rare plants were seen, 



