1 86 The Itish Naturalist. June, 



The botanical importance of the Shannon estuary, and the 

 necessity for having its flora thoroughly investigated, are 

 frequently referred to by Mr. A. G. More in letters to Mr. 

 Stewart, and, it was by his advice that Mr. Stewart went there 

 in 1886. In 1883 tne former writes — " If you prefer to leave 

 your own ground ... I should say take either Bel mullet and 

 Erris ... or the North of Limerick bordering on the Shannon 

 and its coasts, together with the North bit of Kerry down to 

 Tralee. Of this we know scarcely anything — I think I saw 

 Artemisia maritima and Althcza officinalis near Foynes, from 

 the railway carriage ; and if 3^ou want a change to southern 

 botany, Foynes is the place to start from." In 1884 — " There 

 are also the shores of the Shannon estuary below Limerick ; 

 and southern Clare (the Fergus River) requires to be over- 

 hauled." I^ater on in the same year " I hope you will arrange 

 to go to Clare, and we left both sides of Shannon estuary open 

 to you. It ought to be a good place." And just before Mr. 

 Stewart set out : — M The Creek near Askeaton should be a good 

 locality, I suppose, I do not think any qualified botanist has 

 explored the south side of the Shannon estuary, and that 

 ought to be the best ground for you to search. Don't forget 

 the chance there is of Cochlearia anglica, Statice Limonium, 

 and Scirpus parvulus" 



The results of Mr. Stewart's explorations are to be found in 

 a paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 3rd 

 series, Vol. 1, No. 3 (1890), in which he gives a list of 459 

 species of phanerogams. Only a small number of these are 

 definitely mentioned as having been found in our district, but 

 as he was able to give only a fortnight to the whole Shannon 

 estuary from Loop Head round by the city of Limerick and 

 along the south shore to Ballybuniou, and, as the greater part 

 of that time was given to Clare, this is not surprising. He 

 verified Mr. More's locality for Artemisia maritima, but ap- 

 parently did not find the Althaea. This plant does, however, 

 occur in several places in the barony. Of the other plants 

 mentioned by Mr. More as likely to be found, Cochlearia anglica 

 grows plentifully along the Shannon, from one end of the 

 barony to the other, though it is not mentioned in Mr. 

 Stewart's list, and the var. Hor/ii is especially abundant along 

 the muddy limestone shore. 



