Noics. 251 



bidge, from the slock grown in the College Jiotanio Garden, to meet the 

 demands of English inqnirers for the real vShamrock, was Trifoliuin 

 minus, as were also the plants purchased from an advertiser in the Co. 

 Louth, as the "true Irish variety."— Nathaniei. Colgan, Dublin. 



The Shamrock — As Mr. Colgan, in his interesting paper of last 

 month, was unable to include Kerry in his list of the counties using T. 

 minus as the Shamrock, it may be of interest to mention that as I passed 

 through the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney, in the month of July, I noticed 

 that this was the plant (then in flower) offered to tourists by the mountain 

 guides. It may also be here stated that so far as Cork in concerned, not- 

 withstanding the fact that Mr. Colgan was sent two other species from this 

 district, T. minus is the true Shamrock ; it is this is selected for vSt. 

 Patrick's Day by ever3'body who is sufficiently observant to notice that 

 there are more species of trefoil than one, and it is this that is sold in the 

 shops and in the streets, being distinguished by its small leaves and by 

 the absence of the white and black markings which usually occur on the 

 foliage of T. repens and T. pratense. I have seen people wearing T. repcns 

 ridiculed for decorating themselves with "clover." I was rather disap- 

 pointed to find that the results of Mr. Colgan's painstaking investigation 

 were not much more in favour of T. minus, as I have always looked upon 

 that species as the Shamrock, even though many botanical works give 

 the honour to T. repens. A fact wdiich lends to show that T. minus is 

 regarded throughout Ireland as the national badge is, that the manu- 

 facturers of Christmas and St. Patrick's Day cards on which sprays of 

 real Shamrock are mounted, so far as I have observed on cards made in 

 Belfast and Cork, invariably use this species. — R. A. PHir,i,iPS, Cork. 



Clare Plants. — We have received from Mr. Patrick B. O'Kelly, of 

 Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, a " Complete List of the Rare Perennial Plants 

 and Shrubs of the Burren Mountains of Ball3'vauglian," which has been 

 compiled by its industrious author, not merely to assist the cause of 

 science, but with ulterior motives of a pecuniary nature. Indeed, a 

 pretty smart price is affixed to many of the " rare perennial plants," and 

 notwithstanding Mr. O'lvelly's assurance that they are all " real gems of 

 the first water," few of us would care to pay the sum of is. for specimens 

 of such plants as Asperula odoraia, Carex stellulata, C. sylvaiiea, or Nardus 

 stricta ; or even a modest 6d. for Reseda luieola, Jimcus maritimtcs, or J. 

 squarrosus. In passing, we may mention that it is with some surprise that 

 we learn that Arabis thaliana, Chlora pcrfoliata^ Erodi^im cicuiarium, Gcndana 

 campestris, Jasione montana, Limim catharticum, and man}' similar plants are 

 perennials ! It is of interest also to find enumerated in the flora of the 

 Burren mountains, Lathyius maritimus, Lysimachia punctata, (Enot/iera odo- 

 rata, Narcissus major, and " Friinula veris elatior'" — the editor of the new 

 edition of " Cybele Hibernica" will please note. The names of some of 

 the Ballyvaughan plants strike us as infamiliar, such as Chlora aureuni, 

 Melavipyrum aquaticum, Kubia tinctoria, and Adiantum incisum. Are these 

 additions to the British flora which Mr. O'Kelly has made, or are they 

 new^ to science .? if the latter, they should be duly described. With the 

 praiseworthy object of assisting in bringing our native plants more into 

 cultivation in gardens, Mr. O'Kelly kindly volunteers to name any such 

 plants which may be sent to him (return postage prepaid) ; but if the 

 plants are returned labelled with such apellations as " Anemone nemorosa 

 purpurea Livingrii,''' '' Berberis vulgaris supedmm,'" or " T?-i/olium repens purpurea 

 folins,'' we fear that serious injury may be caused to the enquirer's nervous 

 system. Space does not permit of our availing ourselves of Mr. O'Kelly's 

 kind permission to publish his price-list in exienso in the pages of the 

 Irish Naturalist : but those who are interested in native plants should 

 certainly write for it, as they will find in it much novel information 

 respecting the local flora. 



