33G JTJNXUS TENUIS IN KERRY. 



latter a small village about two miles from Darrynane. This long- 

 disused road can be traced from Blackwater Bridge, near Kenmare, 

 to Calierciveeu, a distance of more than forty miles, and no doubt 

 originally formed the main road for any traffic that existed in these 

 remote parts. However, a more modern road has long superseded 

 this old route, wdiich is now given up to a few pedestrians or turf- 

 laden donkeys. These old roads are quite a feature in Kerry, and 

 seem usually designed on the plan of going from one hill-top to 

 another, to see probably where they had to go next. Days may be 

 spent walking on them, sometimes high above their more modern 

 rivals, sometimes as far below. 



The Junciis was first met with growing on and by the side of 

 such a road, about seven or eight miles west of Sneem, where it 

 dips rather steeply to cross a small stream. No village is near, 

 and cottages are few and far between, nor is any suspicious plant 

 entered, either in my day's notes or in the ' London Catalogue ' as 

 occurring close by. 



About a week later, while following the shore-line from Black- 

 water Bridge to Kenmare, I came across a good deal more of this 

 Juncus. The plant grows here on a small grassy flat within a few 

 yards of the sea, and quite near such maritime plants as Carex 

 lUstans, C. extensa, Juncus Gerardi, kc. ; the latter were within tidal 

 influence, while Juncus tenuis was just outside its reach. Kenmare 

 Bay, or River, is here something over half a mile wide, and the 

 locality is about two miles from Kenmare. Following the shore- 

 line further, which is here much broken up by small tidal estuaries 

 and limestone headlands, the Juncus occurred again at the head of 

 one of these small slob bays, about half a mile nearer Kenmare, in 

 company with much the same plants as in the previous situation. 



Unless further observation of the plant alters my belief, I 

 certainly think it native in its Kerry localities. It seems a lover of 

 roadsides, and of most erratic distribution. Its Kenmare localities 

 are fully twenty miles, in a straight line, from its Old Sneem Road 

 station ; and while the former are just by the shore, the latter is a 

 mile inland, and about a hundred feet above sea level. Bearing on 

 the question of its possible introduction, it may be well to quote 

 Mr. Arthur Bennett's remarks on the plants which I sent to him. 

 He says, "Your specimens are much finer than the English or 

 Scotch specimens, and accord well (as to robustness, &c.), with 

 specimens from New Zealand." 



For particulars of the Herefordshire locality, as well as for 

 much interesting information about this plant, I would refer 

 readers to Purchas and Ley's ' Flora of Herefordshire,' where a 

 plate is also given of the species. However, neither in this plate, 

 nor in any description of Juncus tenuis that I have seen, can 1 find 

 any reference to the remarkable scarious sheathing bases of the 

 leaves, bearing at the top a prominent divided ligule : a very 

 striking character, and one quite sufficient to distinguish it from 

 any other British Juncus. 



