PEEFACE. xi 



though it may, perhaps, be generally accepted as evidence of the 

 local rarity of the plant. 



No lengthy list of plants added to the Irish flora can be pointed 

 to as the fruit of botanical research within the last quarter of a 

 century, the period which has elapsed since the publication of 

 Recent Additions to the Flora of Ireland. Ifeglecting numerous 

 segregate Brambles and Hawkweeds recently detected, the additions 

 to our phainerogamic flora number only the 18 species and sub- 

 species set forth in the following list, one-third of them more or 

 less open to suspicion of being introduced : — 



Eanunculus tripartitus. Limosella aquatioa. Potamogetonlanceolatus. 



tTeesdalia nudioaulia. TJtricularia neglecta. P. Zizii. 



EpiloMum alsinefolium. ^Polygonum sagittifolium. Carex pauoiflora. 

 tCEnanthe pimpmelloides. P. mite. C. aquatilis. 



*Crepis biennis. JSisyrinchiumcalifoniicum C. rhynchophysa. 



Sorophulaiia umtrosa. fJuncus tenuis. Poa palustris. 



Within the same period the following six species of Chmracece 

 have been added to those kuown to occur in Ireland : Chora eon- 

 nivens, C. contra/ria, C. denudata, C. canescens, JSfitella Nordstetiana, 

 and iV. tenuissima. 



This apparent gain is fully balanced, and indeed overbalanced, 

 by the exclusion of plants admitted to the first edition on evidence 

 which further inquiry has shown to be insufficient. It is rather in 

 the great extension of range given to the large majority of the rarer 

 species and in the increased recognition of the more critical plant- 

 forms that the results of the botanical activity of this period is 

 manifested. How great this extension of range has been, a com- 

 parison of the distribution tables in the two editions will at once 

 make evident, while the increased attention paid to critical forms 

 will appear from the frequent records for varieties to be found in 

 the text of the present edition. 



In conclusion, we would impress on all who make use of this 

 book the necessity of first studying the explanatory sections of the 

 Introduction, a knowlege of which is essential to a right under- 

 standing of the text. While far from claiming immunity from 



