xlviii INTRODUCTION 



6. Waterford. 



Southern. Area 721 square miles. Maritime, with an extensive 

 coast-hne, generally cliff-bound, and several deep bays and estuaries. 

 Surface very varied, owing to the diversity of geological conditions. 

 In the west and north, ridges of Old Eed Sandstone from the Come- 

 ragh (2597 feet) and Knockmealdown (2609 feet) mountains. The 

 eastern part of the county is formed of Silurian grits and slates, 

 with intrusive felsites. The only limestone in the county stretches 

 east and west along the Blackwater valley, and continues eastward 

 to Dungarvan, but it is so covered with non-calcareous detritus from 

 the high groimds on either side as to have but little effect on the 

 flora. The Smr, one of the larger Irish rivers, forms the northern 

 boundary of Waterford, and the lower course of the lovely Blackwater 

 lies through the south-western portion of the county; both are tidal 

 and navigable for many miles above their wide mouths. Lakes are 

 almost entirely absent. Area under grass about the average, being 54 

 per cent. ; crops 17 per cent. ; mountain land over the average, being 

 17 per cent. Exploration, chiefly the work of Mr. Hart and myself, 

 the former along the coast and in the mountains, I on the lower 

 grounds. The county is now fairly explored, the Blackwater valley 

 and the extreme east being the most promising field for future work. 



Flora 663 species. The western group of plants, represented 

 by Saxifraga umbrosa and Euphorbia hiberna, attains here its eastern 

 limit, and several of the local East Coast species, such as Diotis and 

 Asparagus, make their first appearance. On account of physical 

 conditions, there is a paucity of calcicole and aquatic plants. 

 Brachypodiwn pmnatum has here its only Irish station. The rarer 

 or characteristic species are : — 



Corydalis cla^iculata, 5. fEumes pulcher, 3. 



tLepidium latifolium, 5. Euphorbia Hbema, 11. 



Saxifraga umbrosa, 11. Asparagus officinalis, 2. 



Inula critliinoides, 5. Juncus acutus, 4. 



Diotis candidissima, 2. JBromus madritensis, 3. 



Ligustmm Yulgare, 3. Brachypodium pinnatum, 1. 

 Bartsia viscosa, 7. 



