1913-1014.] 6g 



Heaths, the Arbutus, and the Neotinea had their home either in 

 the Pyrenees or along the Mediterranean. Mixed with these was 

 a strong arctic-alpine ingredient, including the Spring Gentian, 

 the Dryas, and others ; and most remarkable of all, there was also 

 a North American ingredient, of which Eriocaulon and the Sisy- 

 rinchium served as examples. A study of the conditions under 

 which these plants occurred, of their means of dispersal, and of 

 their distribution, was held to show that they represented a very 

 ancient section of the flora ; the views of Mr. Clement Reid, who 

 suggested that they were recent immigrants, were criticised ; the 

 low efficiency of both wind and water dispersal was dwelt on ; and 

 it was claimed that pre-Glacial land-connections alone supplied an 

 explanation of the facts of their occurrence in Ireland. 



Coming further eastward the River Shannon, flowing south- 

 ward for two hundred miles, with several great lake-like expansions, 

 provided interesting problems for the botanist. The lakes had a 

 peculiar flora, including Inula salicina and Chara tomentosa, 

 neither of them found elsewhere in the British Isles ; while the 

 estuary was tenanted by a Mediterranean Grass, Glyceria 

 festucaformis, elsewhere in the British Islands confined to 

 Strangford Lough in Co. Down. 



In the north-east lay Lough Neagh, the largest sheet of fresh- 

 water in the British Isles. Its basin was the headquarters of the 

 Orchid Spiranthes Romanzoffiana, an American species whose 

 only other European station lay in Co. Cork. Lough Neagh 

 yielded several other extremely rare plants, and its shores were 

 particularly interesting as possessing a group of plants usually 

 maritime in habitat, such as Spergularia rupestris, Scirpus 

 maritimus, and S. Taberncemontani. Here plainly was a problem 

 for the botanist. 



A brief account was then given of the Antrim flora, especially 

 of the places about to be visited by the party ; and the lecturer 

 concluded by paying a tribute to the memory of Samuel Alexander 

 Stewart, whose botanical work, carried on through nearly half a 



