FLORA OF COUNTY fcCKKKi' 57 



^ndi* Nitella confen'acea, together with Epipactis atroviridis, Carex 

 hihernica, several Hieracia and Ruhi, and the introduced Poly- 

 gonum sagiftafuni, are at present unknown elsewhere in Ireland. 

 Over 26 per cent, of Irish rarities occur here. Notes on the influence 

 of soils, with a list of calcicole and a niucli longer one of calcifuge 

 kinds, come next ; of the second group, it is noted that ^axifraqa 

 umhrosa and Erica citierea occasionally grow on bare limestone Vocks. 

 The vertical range of the species is discussed at considerable length, as 

 being "a subject of more than local interest." in the present case. No 

 fewer than 48 lowland plants ascend to over 3000 feet, of which 20 

 reach the summit of Carrantuohill, on the Eeeks (3-414 feet). For 

 the division of the county for botanical purposes — a natural arrange- 

 ment, based on physical featui-es, being impracticable, — the nine 

 Baronies have been taken as districts; each is described, and its 

 peculiarities are pointed out. 



The sequence and nomenclature are those of Cghele Hihernica 

 (2nd edition) and Irish Topographical Botany, as likely to be most 

 useful to Irish readers ; but the synonyms now in general use are 

 added. Only real English names have been (most wisely) adopted. 

 The vertical range of all species known to ascend above' oOO feet is 

 given in the text. Aliens are included ; but casuals of only one years 

 standing have, as a rule, been ignored. A list of books, papers, MSS., 

 etc., ends the preliminary matter. 



The author, though he takes critical plants fully into account, 

 seems to be a " lumper" rather than a " splitter " ; the scheme of the 

 book (see above) may partly account for this. 



A. very valuable contribution to botanical knowledge is the new 

 light shed in these pages on tlie lioherfsonia, or "London Pride," 

 section of Saxifrages. Whei-e S. umhrosa grows alone, it is usually 

 more or less constant ; but wherever it is accompanied by ;S'. Gevm 

 the mutability becomes very great. From Bree\s time onwards^ 

 almost all careful observers have suspected that hybrids and mongrels 

 were frequent, >S'. elegans Mackay being the most obvious case. The 

 matter is further complicated by the polymorphism of ^. umhrosa and 

 *S'. Geum themselves in Kerry and Cork. aS'. liirsuta L. had hitherto 

 been regarded by some as a species, by others as a subspecies, or 

 variety, or h^^brid of the latter ; but no actual proof existed. This has 

 now been furnished through a ten years' course of experiments which 

 Professor Dixon carried out in the garden at Trinity College, Dublin, 

 Kerry examples of S. Geum and aS'. umhrosa were first self-fertilized, 

 and similar products were then crossed ; this resulted in sjjecimens 

 being raised, among other forms, which fully complied with the 

 Linnean description of >S'. hirsuta. Self-pollination of S. hirsufa 

 from Tore Mountam, Killarney, gave rise to an offspring partly 

 resembling it, besides forms of >S'. Geum and 8. nmhrosa, with several 

 remarkable variants. The six plates give 139 photographic repro- 

 ductions of natural and artificial leaf-forms, practically covering the 

 whole group. The autlior believes that H. Geum is a decreasing 



* Found last year in E. Doneg-al by Eev. Canon Bullock-Webster {Iris}i 

 i\(ilx(mliiit, 1917, p. 4, as N. NonJatedtiaita). 



