117 ] 



XV.— REPOET ON THE FLORA OP THE WEXEOED AND 

 WATERFORD COASTS. Ex H. C. HART, B.A. 



[Read, May 21, 1883.] 



On the evening of the 27 th of July I reached Wexford, and on the 

 following morning took boat across the harbour to Eosslare Point. 

 This is the northern extremity of a long spit of sand between the 

 harbour and the sea, and here commences the Wexford coast-line 

 south of the harbour. In 1881 I had examined the coast- line 

 northwards to Arklow, starting at Eaven Point, which lies oppo- 

 site to Eosslare on the north ; and my explorations there, connected 

 with those I am about to describe, include the entire coast-line of 

 Wexford and Waterford, with the exception of the muddy shores 

 of the larger estuaries, which I usually left untouched. These are 

 chiefly occupied by towns, and easy of access, and have, no doubt, 

 been frequently examined. I also spent a day upon the Saltee 

 Islands, off the south coast of Wexford, where I made some inter- 

 esting discoveries, and a list of the plants. In this summary of 

 the distribution of plants on the south-eastern shores of Ireland I 

 shall make use of a previous Paper of mine on the subject.^ My 

 observations of the spring plants are but scanty, depending on a 

 walk from Courtown to Wicklow in May of the present year 

 (1883). 



July 28. At the extremity of Eosslare Point is a pilot 

 tower and a coastguard station. In the neighbourhood of these I 

 found Lycium harharum and Anchusa officinalis, both apparently 

 established. The latter I have not seen recorded nor met with in 

 Ireland before : the former is thoroughly naturalized in several 

 places on the east coast. Here also I noticed JEcMiim vulgare, Ballota 

 nigra, andSli/mus arenarius, probably introduced also. I have doubts 

 about Elynms arenarius being a native species on the Wexford coast, 

 which will be dealt with subsequently. In this locality it does not 

 occur oii the cultivated patches of land, and has not even spread over 

 the surrounding sand-hills. The native sand-hill species at the ex- 



^ See Journal of Bntany, NoTemlber, 1881, 



SCJ3JN. PKOC. K.D.S. VOL. IV. PT. III. M 



