specimens gathered on the summit of Brandon mountain in the
county of Kerry, in July 1841, by the writer of this article.
Herb bright green, densely tufted before flowering, afterwards
throwing out prostrate, lax, leafy shoots. Leaves fringed
with jointed hairs, their bases long and broad, on the barren
shoots 3-lobed; the lobes linear or linear-lanceolate, acute,
mostly with a recurved bristle point, nearly parallel, the lateral
ones sometimes bifid. Flowering stem erect, 1-3 inches high
in the wild plant, glandular-hairy, bearing a few distant undivided
linear leaves, and often one or more 3-5-lobed ones
near its base. Flowers 2-4. Peduncles elongated after
flowering, glandular-hairy, erect. Calyx glandular-hairy,
deeply divided into subulate acute segments. Petals white,
about twice as long as the calyx-segments, oblong, the sides
indexed, triply nerved, the nerves simple and not wavy. Ger-
men half superior.
The only known station for this plant is the summit of
Brandon mountain in the county of Kerry, at an elevation of
about 3100 feet above the adjacent Atlantic. It was discovered
there by Mr. J.T.Mackay in the year 1805, and has since
been seen by the few botanists who have visited that wild and
remote district. It flowers in July on its native mountain,
but rather earlier in gardens.
The involute sides of the petals distinguish it from its near
allies S.. hypnoides and S. hirta, as do also the lobes of its
leaves. Indeed this peculiarity in the petals seems to be, as
our lamented friend Prof. Don observed, “ an important differential
mark; for in this respect it stands isolated amongst
the numerous species which surround it.” We fully concur
with the late Sir J. E. Smith in considering this plant as “quite
distinct from every other British species.”
Some confusion has been caused by Mr. Mackay originally
giving this plant the name of S. Icevis, and leading Sir J. E.
Smith to refer the S. Icevis of Dome’s Catalogue to S. affinis
instead of to S. denudata of D. Don ; this latter we believe to
be only a form of S. hypnoides.—C. C. B.