NEOTJNEA INTACTA IN COUNTY CLARE. 195 



Abounding everywhere in this limestone district is the beautiful 

 bright blue Gentiana verna, and nowhere have I seen it in such 

 perfection and profusion as in one sandy field close to the sea-shore, 

 about two miles N.E. of Bally vaughan. There I was able to secure 

 specimens bearing on the one root from ten to fifteen flowers, of the 

 largest size and deepest blue. In the same field, last year, in the 

 month of June, I found Orobanche rubra in tolerable abundance. 

 Sesleria ccerulea covers the rocky portions of the country, where 

 tillage is an impossibility, and it is certainly one of the commonest 

 of the truly wild grasses. I was fortunate enough to find at Castle 

 Taylor a few plants of the variety jlavescens of Moore, but did not 

 observe it in Clare. In this variety the florets are pale yellow, and 

 the foliage and stem of a lighter shade of green than that of the 

 type, otherwise it does not appear to differ from it. Other plants 

 which occur plentifully are Geranium sanguiiieum and Dryas octo- 

 petala, and its variety pilosa ; the latter was observed at Castle 

 Taylor especially, as mentioned by Mr. A. G. More in his paper on 

 the Flora of Castle Taylor.* Helianthemum canum at Blackhead 

 and near Poulsallagh. Armaria verna, Galium sylvestre, Saxifraga 

 hypnoides var. gemmifera Syme, and another variety of the same with 

 leaves forming small rosettes; both of these Saxifrages were in 

 full flower on the rocks near Blackhead. Potentilla fruticosa was 

 found flowering sparingly near Ballyvaughan ; and Mr. O'Kelly 

 pointed out to me Potamogeton lanceolatus, which he had discovered 

 last year in the Cahir River, south of Blackhead (vide Journ. Bot. 

 1891, p. 344). It grows in a rather strong current on a hard 

 gravelly bottom ; but, of course, was not in flower so early in the 

 year. In a pasture near this river, far from any houses, and amidst 

 a vast quantity of the common Primula veris, were several plants of 

 the variety with orange-brown corolla ; and among some rocks in the 

 same neighbourhood I found Anemone nemorosa with bright rose- 

 pink flowers, and stems tinged with the same colour. Another 

 interesting species, sent to me last August by Mr. O'Kelly, is 

 Teucrium Scordium, which occurs at the edge of a small lake near 

 Glanquin, also Rhamnus Frangula growing prostrate on rocks in 

 the same locality. I had a long, and, I am sorry to say, fruitless 

 search for Ajuga pyramidalis, formerly discovered by Mr. P. J. Foot 

 near Poulsallagh, and I observe from the last number of this 

 Journal that Messrs. Nowers and Wells also failed to find it on the 

 Islands of Aran ; but I hear that Mr. N. Colgan has been more 

 fortunate, and that he has this year discovered it on the Great 

 Aran Island. Adiantum Capillus-Veneris occurs in the crevices of 

 the rocks at Blackhead and elsewhere. Asplenium Ceterach var. 

 crenata is not uncommon about Ballyvaughan. Cystopteris frag His 

 is plentiful everywhere, and many curious varieties of the common 

 Scolopendrium vulgar e are to be met with throughout this part of the 

 country. It would be easy to add to the list of uncommon plants 

 which are to be found in this most interesting district ; but enough 

 has been said, I think, to show that it is well worthy of a visit from 

 botanists in search of rare plants. 



Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 1855, p. 26. 



o 2 



