256 Vegetation Committee's Excursion to Ireland. 
bouring loughs) supported along the shores and in the tiny ravines 
a dense growth of dwarf trees four or five feet high, including 
Quercus sessiliflora, Pyrus Aucuparia, Ilex Aquifolium, Taxus baccata 
and Salix aurita, with Calluna, Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, Juniperus 
nana, Ulex Gallii and Myrica Gale. This scrub sheltered a true 
woodland flora of Primula acaulis, Melampyrum montanum, Luzula 
maxima, Hymenophyllum tuubridgense and Listera cordata. 1 This is the 
highest type of plant-association found in the immediate neigh¬ 
bourhood of the flat bogs. Its occurrence on the islands and not 
on the rocky shores of the loughs excited some speculation, but the 
problem was not satisfactorily solved. 
Near the base of Ben Lettery good natural wood of the Oak- 
birch type was met with. Q. sessiliflora was dominant, and associated 
were Betula, Pyrus Aucuparia, Ilex aquifolium, and Salix aurita. 
Aspidium Filix-mas, Athyrium Filix-fcemina, Oxalis acetosclla, 
Melampyrum sp., Primula acaulis, and Digitalis purpurea were 
among the constituents of the ground flora. Scrub of the same 
type also occurred in an old quarry at the base of the hill itself, and 
also in a gully some little distance up. It seems probable that this 
type of wood, dominated by Q. sessiliflora is characteristic of 
the metamorphic rocks of the west of Ireland. 
The woods in the valley of Glendalough (County Wicklow) were 
visited by one of the party after the meeting of the British Asso¬ 
ciation. They line the steep sides of the valley on the south side on 
non-calcareous Ordovician rocks, and the mass of them are composed 
of Quercus sessiliflora practically pure, with a little Betula and Pyrus 
Aucuparia, and Hazel locally. Towards the upper edge there is 
much Birch, Holly and Mountain Ash, passing into Calluna-moor 
with Pteris dominant in sheltered places. The few oaks here are 
much stunted and often appear half killed by exposure, which the 
Birch and Mountain Ash seem able to resist. Seedlings of the 
latter are abundant on the open moor near the wood-edge. 
The ground-flora of the lower slopes of these woods are 
characterised by the general dominance of Mosses (species of 
Dicranum, Hypnum, Polytrichum, Sphagnum, etc.), indicating very 
wet conditions. Associated with these are many Liverworts, both 
thalloid and leafy. Lastrea oreopteris is locally dominant. Pteris 
aquilina, Athyrium Filix-fcemina, Blechnum boreale, Polypodium 
vulgare are abundant. Of Phanerogams Viola palustris is very 
abundant and Pinguicula vulgaris occurs. Besides these, Vaccinium 
Myrtillus, Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, PotentiUa silvestris, Soli- 
dago Virgaurea (agg.), Lysimachia nemorum and Luzula maxima occur 
freely. These woods extend right down the vale of Clara to the 
neighbourhood of Rathdrum. While clearly belonging to the 
Quercus sessiliflora type, they appear to represent a well-marked 
damp sub-type which also occurs in the North Welsh valleys 
(though there with hazel as a sub-dominant). Many of the South 
Wicklow woods are completely replanted with Larch. 
The following diagrams give a rough idea of the seriation (and 
probable natural succession) of the principal plant-associations met 
with in Connemara during the excursion. 
1 See R. LI. Praeg'er, Irish Naturalist V., p. 292, 1896. 
