igiS. CoLGAx. — Liisitania and Kerry. 23 



abundant. Amongst the common Irish species which 

 exhaust their vertical range in this zone at about 3,200 

 feet are Viola sylvatica, Samhiicus nigra, Senecio sylvaticus 

 and Crepis virens. 



Passing into the Lower Alpine Zone (IV.), 4,900 to 

 5,750 feet, we find that the flora has fallen from 1,030 

 species in Zone I. to a total of 114, with the result that 

 the Irish or Northern element in the vegetation begins 

 to emerge, chiefly in such alpine or bog or marsh plants as 

 Allosorus crispus, Alsine venia, Saxifraga stellaris, Drosera 

 rotundifolia, Hieracium nmrormn, Mcnyanthes trifoliata, 

 Juniperiis nana, and Molinia caerulea. Three of our most 

 exclusively calcifuge species. Digitalis purpurea, Lttzula 

 maxima, and Blechnum Spicant, which range in Kerry 

 respectively to 2,900, 3,400, and 3,150 feet, here find their 

 upper limit at 5,000 feet, while the Birch [Betula pnhescens) 

 ranging in Kerr}^ to 1,050 feet, here ceases at 5,100. The 

 Iberian and Mediterranean heaths now become dominant, 

 appearing in the following ascending order, Erica itmhellata, 

 E. arborea, E. aragonensis, and E. lusitanica. The last of 

 these, accompanied by our common Ling (Calluna), spreads 

 up to 5,800 feet, and the Dwarf Juniper (/. nana), the 

 Zimbro of the Portuguese, is conspicuous, rooting in rocky 

 ground, and spreading in dense, flat sheets over a sward 

 which is formed almost exclusively of our familiar calcifuge 

 mountain grass, Nardus stricta. An aquatic species, 

 Sparganiimi nalans, frequent in our mountain lakes from 

 Kerry to Donegal, but apparently confined in Portugal to 

 the Serra da Estrella, makes its first appearance in this 

 zone, and re-appears higher up in Zone V. in the Lagoa da 

 Salgadeira at 5,900 feet. Confined to Zone IV.. are two 

 alpine Narcissi peculiar to the Peninsula, A^. nivalis Graells 

 and N. riipicola Dufour. 



In the Middle Alpine Zone, V., 5,750 to 6,100 feet, two 

 other Irish and Kerry species, Alchemilla alpina and Hiera- 

 cium vidgatum. make their first appearance in the Serra, 

 and four others, our common Male Fern, Sedum anglicum, 

 Carex echinata and Deschampsia flexuosa reach their upper 

 limit at about 5,800 feet. The most characteristic of our 



