204 The Flora of Ireland. 



TV. The Alpine type of flora is represented by 40 species, 

 only a little more than a third of the 113 of Watson's High- 

 land type, most of which occur in the west and north. - 



u Some of the species, as Draba incana, Dryas octopetala, 

 Galium boreale, Arbutus uva-ursi, Sesleria coerulea, Lycopodium 

 selaginoides , and Isoetes lacustris, occur in many places at, or a 

 little above the sea-level, so that they cannot be termed high- 

 land species in Ireland. It is probably in consequence of the 

 vaporous atmosphere, and the less amount of sunlight, that 

 these plants are found at a lower level than in Scotland/' 



Y. The northern plants, namely, those belonging to Wat- 

 son's Scottish and Intermediate type, amount to 66 out of 

 317. Of these, Trollius europceus, Geranium sylvaticum, 

 Ligusticum scoticum, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Lamium inter- 

 medium, Salix nigricans, S. ainbigua, S. laurina and Equisetum 

 umbrosum are confined to the north ; whilst Helianthemum 

 canum, Potentilla fructicosa, Gentiana verna, and Ajuga pyrd- 

 ■midalis are species of the west, and Allium scordoprasum is met 

 with only in Kerry and Cork. 



Mr. Watson represents the flora of Great Britain as 

 amounting to 1425 species, which has been increased, say, to 

 1435; of these Ireland claims about 950, to which are to be 

 added the 22 species which occur in Ireland without reaching 

 Great Britain, and " with the addition of Hieraci and liubi, 

 the whole flora may be computed at about 1000 species, thus 

 amounting to little more than two-thirds of the plants found 

 in Great Britain.-" 



The authors then proceed to point out the deficiencies of 

 the Irish flora, amongst which we notice such common British 

 plants as : — Genista anglica, Galium cruciatum, Helianthemum 

 vulgare, Ranunculus hirsutus, Ononis spinosa, Plantago media, 

 Paris quadrifolia, Valeriana dioica, and many others of an 

 extended latitudinal range in this country. 



The island is divided into twelve districts, as shown by a 

 map, particulars of which, such as the elevations of the highest 

 mountains, and the more remarkable plants in each, are given. 

 The districts are as follows : — 



I. Kerry and South Cork. 

 II. North Cork, Waterford, South Tipperaiy. 



III. Kilkenny, Carlow, Queen's County. 



IV. Wexford and Wicklow. 



V. Kildare, Dublin, Meath, Louth. 

 VI. Limerick, Clare, East Galway. 

 VII. North Tipperary, King's County, Westmeath, 



Longford. 

 VIII. West Galway, West Mayo. 

 IX. East Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim. 



