loS Guide to Belfast. 



however, probably due rather to our complete knowledge of 

 the flora as compared with much of the rest of Ireland, and 

 to the fact that many of the species in question are plants 

 of the sea-coast, of which there is a wide and varied extent 

 in our district, than to climatic influences. In northern 

 plants — Watson's " Scottish " and "Intermediate" types — 

 the district is comparatively rich. Ireland contains 62 

 species out of 98 in England and Wales ; and of these 

 62, no less than 47 are found in our area — 33 growing in 

 Down and 46 in Antrim. To briefly compare next the 

 plants of eastern and western range in Great Britain — Wat- 

 son's " Germanic " and " Atlantic " types. Ireland is well 

 known to be very poor in "Germanic" plants, yielding only 

 12 out of 102 in England and Wales ; and of these 12, our 

 district possesses but four — namely, \ Galium erectum* Crepis 

 [biennis, Polygonum ?nite, Orchis pyra?nidalis — and only the 

 last two of these can be classed as natives. Of " Atlantic " 

 plants, Ireland has 35 out of 62 in England and Wales. 

 Of the'^e 35, our district yields 21, 18 growing in Down and 

 19 in Antrim. 



The present writer has recently proposed^ a series of 

 "Types of Distribution" for Ireland, on the lines of those 

 employed by Watson for Great Britain. These are — 



Central ... plants seen chiefly in middle Ireland. 



Marginal ... plants seen chiefly around the margin. 



Ultonian . . . plants seen chiefly in northern half of Ireland. 



Mumonian plants seen chiefly in southern half of Ireland. 



Lagenian ... plants seen chiefly in eastern half of Ireland. 



Connacian plants seen chiefly in western half of Ireland. 

 Analyzing our flora according to the lists given of these types, 

 we find that of Central plants 13 out of 38 species occur in 

 the district — 9 in Down and 6 in Antrim. Three of the 13 

 are confined to Lough Neagh, and five to the Ardglass 

 district. Of Marginal plants, out of a list of 46 species, the 

 only ones absent from the district are Subiilaria aquatica 

 (formerly present), Trifolinm fragiferiim, Carex rigida, 

 Chara canescens. Ultonian plants find their focus in 



1 Praeger : On Types of Distribution in the Irish Flora. Proc. R. I. 

 .\cademy, xxiv, Section B, No. 1, 1902. 



