1907- PRAEGER. — The Flora of Inishturh 115 



respectively, occupies a series of little sheltered grooves, 

 separated by the ribs of rock before-mentioned, which latter 

 furnish grazing land. Among the crops, Brassica alba is by 

 far the commonest weed. Some fields are yellow with it, and 

 its heavy fragrance fills the air. Other common and luxuriant 

 weeds are Brassica Sinapis, Spergula a?'ve?isis, Lamium 

 intermedium, L. purpureum, S tacky s palustris, Atriplices, Poly- 

 gonums, Rumex crispus, Euphorbia Helioscopia. The patches of 

 meadow land are bright with quantities of Spircca Ulmaria, 

 Ly thrum Salicaria, Heracleum Sphondylium, A?igelica sylvestris, 

 Senecio aquaticus, Cnicus prale?isis, 0?chis maculata, all of 

 which are abundant in many situations on the island. The 

 fields are much broken up by rock)'- thickets formed inainly 

 of Rubi and Pteris, with the following, among others, as abun- 

 dant dependent species : — Hypericum Androscemum, Geranium 

 dissectum (both unusually abundant on Inishturk), Epilobium 

 moiitanum, Lastrea Fiiix-mas, Osmunda regalis, Athyrium 

 Filix-f&mina. The abundance and luxuriance of the Lady 

 Fern on the island is remarkable. The cultivated area beiug 

 also the most sheltered, it is there, on rocky places, that the 

 only arboreal vegetation is found, mainly in the shape of bushes. 

 These include Corylus Avellana, Betula pzebescois, Populus 

 tremula (indigenous), Salix cinerea, S. repens, Primus spinosa, 

 Rubi, Rosa canina, Pvms Malus (var. acerba, indigenous), Ilex 

 Aquifolhim, Sambucus 7iigra (looking native). Of Crataegus 

 Oxyacantha a single bush was seen in the chink of a rock. 

 The little cliff which overhangs the harbour furnishes ex- 

 amples of almost the whole arbuscular flora of the island. 

 Some of the bushes of Birch, Hazel, Crab, Holly, and Elder 

 attain a diameter of six or eight feet, but three or four feet 

 represent their greatest height. Salix viminalis is grown in 

 small quantity by many cottages for basket making ; while 

 two Ash trees, two Fuchsias, and a Sycamore, planted in front 

 of a cottage at Garranty, represent the only attempt at forestry 

 on the island. In the bushy places Arrhenatherum avenaceum 

 is remarkably abundant, and its silvery panicles, raised high 

 above the dense growths, are everywhere waving in the wind. 



The Heath Area. — Outside the limited farmland area heath, 

 in one form, or another, occupies the ground, save on the 



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