Clare Island Survey — Phanerogamia. .10 17 



wet gravelly ground facing south, 300 feet elevation, and cut off by higher 

 ground from the sea, which is a quarter of a mile off ; and occurs in similar 

 ground in the extreme west, ascending the stony courses of streamlets to an 

 elevation of 400 feet. Asplenium marinum grows abundantly on a low inland 

 cliff near Bally toohy, half a mile from the sea on either hand. Spergularia 

 rupestris grows with the last on the old abbey walls ; Crithmum and Carex 

 distans were seen on a dry cliff at the west end, a quarter of a mile from the 

 nearest sea. On the Croaghmore cliffs, while Cochlearis officinalis ascends to 

 1,200 feet, and Silene maritima ascends to 800 feet, it was noted that Armeria 

 maritima and Asplenium marinum stop at 400 feet ; Spergularia salina 

 grows in the lighthouse yard, 350 feet above the sea. 



The best-marked formation of halophile tendencies is that which forms 

 the exceedingly short, springy turf along the top of the cliffs, and of which 

 Plantago maritima and P. Coronopus are the dominating plants. (See Plates 

 II. -III.) The composition of this formation is shown by the following 

 examples : — 



Half a mile west of the Harbour. 



Plantago maritima, v.c. Bellis perennis. 



Coronopus, v.c. Hieraeium Pilosella. 



lanceolata, c. Hypochaeris radieata. 



Thymus Serpyllum, c. Calluna vulgaris. 



Euphrasia officinalis, c. Anagallis tenella. 



Viola Eiviniana. Erythraea Centaureum. 



Polygala depressa. Prunella vulgaris. 



Cerastium tetrandrum. Carex glauca. 



triviale. Oederi. 



Sagina procumbens. Aira praecox. 



Radiola lhioides. Holcus lanatus. 



Lotus corniculatus. Cynosurus cristatus. 



Trifolium repens. Koeleria cristata. 



Potentilla Tormentilla. Triodia decumbens. 



Hydrocotyle vulgaris. Festuca ovina. 



Scabiosa Succisa. Ophioglossum vulgatum. 



This represents a mild form of the Plantago sward which, first described 

 from this example, is now recorded from many places along the west coast of 

 Ireland and also from the Faeroes. 1 



It forms a dense sward about half an inch in height, with flower-stems 

 rising to about two inches. Radiola, which proved a frequent ingredient of 

 this formation, grows |-inch high, and usually unbranched ; Ophioglossum the 



1 Botany of the Faeroes, p. 929. 

 B.I. A. PROC, VOL. XXXI, C 10 



