The Shamrock : a furihei- Attempt to fix its Species. 209 



classified according to species. A stud}^ of the minuter 

 distinctions of Trifolium rcpcns, T. viinus and Mcdicago hipidina, 

 made it possible to carry out the classification with confidence 

 even in the undeveloped stage in which most of the specimens 

 reached me. In no single instance, indeed, in which the 

 plant survived up to the flowering and fruiting season, (and 

 onl}^ two out of the total of thirt3^-five succumbed to the 

 extraordinary dryness of the remarkable spring and early 

 summer of this year), was this provisional classification found 

 in error; so that my Patrick's Day determination of these two 

 as T. repens and T. mimes, respectivel}^ may be accepted as 

 accurate.' Of the surviving thirty-three plants, all had 

 flowered and many had fruited by the 23rd June, T. mimis in 

 all cases keeping well ahead of T. rcpcns. By the end of June 

 the entire crop of Shamrocks, or, at least, specimens of the 

 thirty-three plants of which it was made up, was harvested 

 and garnered, that is to sa3% dried, mounted, and labelled, for 

 the satisfaction of obstinate adherents of Trifoli2C7)i repens. 



The results of this harvest may be most clearly shown in 

 tabular form, thus : — 



19 Shamrocks matured into Trifolium repens. 

 T2 ,, ,, „ T. mimis. 



2 ,, ,, ,, T. pratense. 



2 ,, ,, ,, Medic ago lupitlina. 



It will be seen that the results of this year's inquiry shows, 

 contrary to my expectation, a decided preponderance in favour 

 of T. repe7is. But if we add in the results of the former in- 

 quiry, the balance between the two species is almost redressed. 

 Out of a total of forty-nine certified Shamrocks grown on the 

 two occasions, twenty-four proved to be Trifoliitm repens, and 

 twenty-one T. miiius, the remainder being equally divided 

 between T. pratense and Medicago lupulina. Arranging the 

 Shamrocks by counties so as to exhibit the area over which 

 the use of the different species was found to prevail, we have 

 the following table : — 



' In the earlier stages of growth, the mucro to the leaflets of Medicago 

 lupulina seems to me to afford the safest and readiest distinction between 

 that species and T. viimis and T. repens. There is little difficulty at any 

 stage in separating T. pratense from the three other competitors. 



C 



