ON THE VASCULAR FLORA. 



IV. 



ON THE VASCULAR FLORA OF THE WEST OF 

 SCOTLAND. 



IF we limit the term "West of Scotland" to Argyleshire, Buteshire, 

 Dumbartonshire, part of Stirlingshire and Perthshire, the lower 

 ward of Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Wigtonshire, and the 

 Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, we include a large tract of country pre- 

 senting very varied natural features, as well as great diversity of soil. 

 The Phanerogamic Flora of this district is naturally as varied as its 

 features, but is by no means remarkable for the presence of species 

 that can properly be called peculiar to the district. In the imme- 

 diate neighbourhood of Glasgow the soil is very stiff and clayey, so 

 much so indeed as to have given rise to the industry of brick-making 

 on an extensive scale; and here the variety of weeds that infest the 

 cultivated fields is very limited when compared with what we find 

 in the eastern counties of Scotland, or on the lighter soil along the 

 coast of Ayrshire. For several miles round Glasgow little else is to 

 be seen in the way of field-weeds except Sinapis arvensis, and of it 

 there is enough and to spare. Such plants as Centaurea Cyanus and 

 Papaver Rhoeas, so abundant in the eastern counties, are rarely seen 

 in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, or even in Ayrshire, their place 

 there being apparently occupied by Chrysanthemum segetum and 

 Papaver dubium. Cynoglossum- officinale, Hyoscyamus nigrer, Malva 

 sylvestris, Knautia arvensis, Scandix Pecten-Veneris, Silene in/iata, 

 8. noctiftora, all of frequent occurrence in the east, are seldom seen in 

 the west, only stray plants being found sporadically scattered here 

 and there over the country, the perennial species never extending 

 themselves, and the annuals never taking a permanent hold, but 

 always disappearing after the first or second year. We make no 

 attempt to account for the fact of such a common English plant as 

 Scandix Pecten- Veneris penetrating so far north into Scotland on the 

 east coast, and not at all on the west. Latitude, it would appear, has 

 nothing to do with the matter. Any difference of latitude between 

 Fife and Ayrshire is altogether in favour of the latter. The soil of 

 both counties is in many places sufficiently similar, and the Gulf- 

 stream if it has any effect at all must also tell in favour of Ayr- 

 shire. All these taken into consideration would, on a prima facie 

 view, lead us naturally to expect that denizens of the south would 

 proceed farther north on the west than on the east side of our island. 

 'That such is not the case might be proved by numerous other 



