50 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Of this assemblage, the largest constituent groups are mountain 

 plants, which number 16, and plants of dry places — in most cases 

 limestone pavements — which are 19 in number. Of the mountain 

 plants, only half are confined to the higher grounds ; the others often 

 occur in great quantities at low levels. Bog plants are well repre- 

 sented by six species ; marsh plants number four, water plants seven. 

 Only one, Scirpus triqueter, is maritime in habitat. The group has 

 distinct proclivities for limestone, seven of the species being recognized 

 calcicole plants, while two are calcifuge. No less than ten of the 

 species are absent from Great Britain. The remainder are quite hetero- 

 geneous as regards their distribution in the sister island : four are 

 English, two Inteimediate, one Scottish, four Atlantic, two Germanic, 

 one local ; far the largest group is formed by the Highland type (here 

 continually lowland), which numbers thirteen species. Of British type 

 there is one definite and one doubtful example (namely, Juniperus 

 communis and Geranium sanguineum respectively), 



For our map the maximum is 37 species, or 60 per cent, of the list,, 

 in "West Galway ; the minimum in half a dozen eastern counties. 



Fig. 51. — Distribution of" Connacian" plants. 



It may be useful to set forth in tabular form the characteristics of 

 the six plant-groups which have been described. 



