Notes on the Flora of the Aran Islands. 77 



markedly limestone species such as Riibia peregrina, Aspcrula 

 cynanchica, Galinni sylvestre, Poterium sanirnisorba, Asptcnunn 

 trichomanes, and ^. ruta-nmraria made itself apparent. At the 

 same time I was struck with the rarity of another apparently 

 lime-loving species, Ceterach offichiartan so abundant on the 

 limestone to the east of Galway. In Inisheer, or South Island, 

 this fern seems quite as rare as on Aran more, though on 

 Inishmaan, or Middle Island, Mr. Hart found it in great pro- 

 fusion and luxuriance. Of species with a less strongly-marked 

 preference for limestone, Geranium lucidiim, Rubus saxatilis, 

 and Saxifraga tridactylites v^^r^w&ry abundant, the last-named 

 frequently reaching to a height of more than six inches, while 

 among ferns it would be hard to say whether the commonest 

 species in Aranmore is Scolopcndrinm vulgare or Pteris aquilina. 

 Both are extremely abundant, but whereas the Hart's Tongue, 

 which seems to have a rather well-marked predilection for 

 limestone, grows most vigorously in the rock-clefts, the 

 Bracken is everywhere very stunted. Even more stunted 

 in growth, as observed by Mr. Hart, was Eupatorium 

 cannabinum, plentiful in the maze of rock-fissures below the 

 grand old cyclopean stone fort of Dun ^ngus. where it con- 

 tended for shade and moisture with the Maiden-Hair, only now 

 beginning to send up its tender young fronds amongst the 

 withered foliage of last year. 



At this season the most striking of all species, both in mass 

 and brilliancy of flower, appeared to be Lotus corniculatus and 

 Geranium sanguineum; while, perhaps, even more abundant, 

 if less obtrusive, were Cerastium arvense and the form of h>-p- 

 noid saxifrage, Saxifraga sternbergii (Willdenow), usually 

 regarded as peculiar in the British Isles to Ireland. Having 

 compared this Aran saxifrage with other hypnoid forms 

 which I have gathered on Seafin, in the Ben Bulben district 

 of vSligo, and at a height of 3,000 feet on Brandon in Kerry, I 

 find that while the Aran plant is decidedly distinct from the 

 typical Saxifraga hypnoides of Sligo, with bristle-pointed 

 leaves and bulbiferous axils, it is hardly distinguishable by 

 any important character from the Brandon specimens. The 

 Brandon plant is evidently the same as that described by 

 Mackay and Babington under S. hirta (Smith), but the dense 

 hairiness and greater laxity of growth of this mountain form 

 is all that separates it from the 5. sternbergii, which grows so 



