78 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 
and which are known to the writer to occur, or to have occurred, 
in the included district. Such a record may serve to indicate that 
though there is “no new thing under the sun” there may be enough 
to reward the diligent and careful working up of a district which 
has been thought to have been well explored. It may also 
sometimes prove useful as an indication of the geographical extension 
of certain species, and may serve as a basis of comparison for future 
investigation, just as some such records have been of use to myself. 
The surface rocks of a great portion of the country round Greenock 
are trap of various kinds, but there are many places, and especially 
nearly all along the shore of the Firth, where sandstone crops out, 
and it is interesting to observe, that while the vegetation of those 
places where the igneous rock prevails, is, with regard to phanero- 
gams, generally meagre both in genera and species, the vegetation 
where the sandstone occurs is rich, the number and variety, as well 
as the luxuriance, of the flowers, forming a marked contrast to the 
monotonous and desolate appearance of the flora of the former ; 
consequently nearly all the rarer plants of the district are found 
where sandstone comes to the surface. 
The order Ranunculaceae is, with the exception of only 3 or 4 
species, represented by the most common forms. Ranunculus lingua 
is said to have been found at Gourock, though I have not seen it 
there or anywhere in the neighbourhood. R. auricomus is found 
at the old Castle of Duchal, Kilmalcolm, and R. sceleratus is plenti- 
fula little east of Langbank. Aconitum Napellus, one of the “doubt- 
ful natives” which we noticed some years ago, still grows where we 
first found it—at the “Roman Bridge” near Inverkip. Tvrollius 
europaeus is common, as at Kilmalcolm and Shielhill Glen. Papaver 
Argemone is occasionally found in the corn-fields and on the railway 
embankments about Kilmalcolm, but the most notable of the Papa- 
veraceae found in the district is the Common Celandine—Chelidonium 
Majus. About 18 years ago this plant was noticed at Duchal Castle, 
and the summer before last when visiting that locality along with 
some members of my botanical class we observed a most beautiful 
specimen, an evidence that this species had not become extinct, a 
fact which is the more striking when we take into consideration that 
the place is very much frequented in summer-time by picnic parties 
and others. 
Draba muralis was found for a number of years upon some old 
walls about Greenock, but these walls have now been taken down or 
iy 
SS ee ee 
a 
