The Scottish nnd Scandinavi.ui element in tlie Irish flora has its focus in Co. 

 Antrim, and this featuie has been eni])liftsi>;ed by the finding in that county of 

 three northern Sedges, dair.v /xnici/Zura, (,'. inli/ua, U. ai/nalilis, (tlie tirst two 

 contined in Ireland to the Antrim moors), as well us various Hawkwceds. 'J"he 

 local alpine flora, (whicii is poor in spite of tiie elevated habitats olfered by the 

 Mourne Mountains) has been enriched by the addition oi ^nKs.iuiea nlpiiia. 



(Jn the other hand, work in Co. Down especially has extended into our district 

 the range of a luiuiber of ])lants whose centre of distribution lies further south in 

 Ireland. Some of these are seacoast plants — Cuch/raria (otglica (Derry), Trigo- 

 nella or)iithopodioides (Down), Cnthmum maritimuin (Down, Antrim), Artemisia 

 maritima (Down), fitatictoccideuddia (Down), Zostrra nana (Down). Others are 

 characteristic of the Central Plain of Ireland. This is a limestone area with 

 much water, and the spread of .some of the plants to Co. Down has apparently 

 been assisted by the disjtersal over the Silurian area during the Ice Age of lime- 

 stone from Castle Espie near Comber. In Co. Antrim the basalt furnishes a soil 

 rich in lime, while along the ooast limy sands have allowed the spread of other 

 calcicole species. The additional plants which are characteristic of the Central 

 Plain include Ramtuculns circiualits, Stellaria palustris, Orchis pyramidalit, 

 I'oiamofff'ioii pUiutaginetis, Charu pobjacaiUha. 



The finding of Carex ejileusa on Lough Neagh is interesting, adding another 

 maritime species to the group of seaside plants which form a peculiar feature of 

 the flora of that lake. This group now includes Viola Ciirtisii, Spergularia 

 rupestris, Ceraslium semidecaiidrum, C. arvetise, Erodium cicutarium, Trijolium 

 arveusf, Scirpus mariiimus, S. Taheruaemoittani, Carex extensa. These are in 

 Ireland all characteristically maritime species, and several of them have no other 

 inland station in the country. 



Othei' interesting additions include Nasturtium sylvestre (Down), characteristic 

 of the river system of S.E. Ireland; Teesdalia tiudicaulis {Down, also Tyrone) 

 unknoM-n elsewhere in Ireland ; Galium sylvestre (Antrim), elsewhere in Ireland 

 contined to the western limestone rocks from Kerry to Leitrim ; Eypochaeris 

 glabra (Derry). only Irish station ; Allium oleraceum (Antrim), only Irish 

 station ; and Hordeum sylvaticum (Antrim), only Irish station. 



Among critical plants good progress has been made. Thanks mainly to the 

 work of Canon Lett and Mr. Waddell, the local Brambles are tolerably well 

 worked out, particularly those of Co. Down. Mr. Waddell also did much useful 

 work at the Roses, and a number of botanists have collected Hieracia. The 

 progress made may be rightly measured by a comparison of the number of forms — 

 species, varieties or hybrids — of each group recorded in the Flora and in the 

 present publication. In the I'lora Rubi number 34, Kosae 18. Hieracia 19. 

 The numbers now stand at -Rubi 79, Rosae 55, Hieracia 45. 



As regards the e.\tensive section of the flora which is not indigenous to the 

 country, the new records, so far as naturalised species are concerned, refer less 

 to new-comers or to plants which have recently been discovered than to others 

 which, long kno\\n in our area, have increased their hold, and may now be 

 admitted as established. Many of these are Central or Soutli European plants, 

 which became established in Southern Ireland before reaching the North : such 

 are Draba muralis, Lepidium Draba, Lactuca muralis, Erinus alpiuus, Juncus 



