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Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tped18 Statistical of the Topographical Botany of , with Suggestions as to further Work Symington Grieve Published online: 01 Dec 2010.

To cite this article: Symington Grieve (1886) Statistical of the Topographical Botany of Scotland, with Suggestions as to further Work , Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 16:1-4, 99-105, DOI: 10.1080/03746608609468237 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03746608609468237

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Statistics of the Topographical Botany of Scotland, with Suggestions as to further Work. By SYMINGTON GRIEVE. (Read 8th May 1884.) With the object of showing what is the state of our present knowledge regarding the distribution of plants throughout Scotland, we have prepared the following lists from the most recent work on the subject—the second edition of Topographical Botany, by the late Mr H. C. Watson. Mr Watson divided Scotland into 6 provinces, 13 sub-provinces, and 40 districts, which are mostly comi- ties, but sometimes he divided counties into artificial divisions of his own, which he called Vice-counties, and those that are not familiar with these divisions should study a Watsonian map, which is to be found in most of the books with which Mr Watson's name is associated. The number given to those counties and vice-counties in the Topographical Botany of Great Britain, that belong to Scotland, begin at number 72 in the southern borders, and run northwards to 112. We give the plant statistics of these districts in rotation. Both species and sub-species are included. We sometimes add a plant to the lists as certain where Mr Watson has put it down as doubtful. 72. Dumfries.—This is a large county, with the highest hills in the south of Scotland, yet only 471 plants have been noted in it. 73. Kirkcudbright.—This is another large county with elevations of upwards of 2000 feet, but only 491 plants

Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 have been noted. 74. Wigtown—V erylittle has been done to record the flora of this county, as only a hundred plants have been noted, and many of the commonest species are not included in this list. The part of Wigtownshire named the Rhinns, is one of the points where Scotland approaches most closely to Ire- land ; and possibly at this place there may at one time have been a land connection with Ireland. But if, as some authorities suppose, there has always been in post-glacial times a deep depression filled with water between the coast and Ireland, while there was a land connection be- tween Britain and that country both north and south of 100 Mr Symington Grieve on the this locality, it is possible that here we may discover traces of the earliest migration of plants from what is now the European Continent. 75. Ayr.—In the list of the flora of this large and in- teresting county 645 plants have been recorded. 76. Renfrew.—In this county, a district less than one- third the area of Ayrshire, 597 plants are recorded. 77. Lanark.—This is a large county, with elevations ranging from sea-level to over 2400 feet, and the plants that have been noted number 648. 78. Peebles.—Ten years ago hardly a plant was noted in this county, now we have 321 recorded, but this is only a beginning. The highest elevation appears to be a little over 2450 feet. 79. Selkirk.—Another interesting county, with high hills, that has been little worked, for only 447 plants have been recorded. 80. Roxburgh. —This large border county, with con- siderable elevations, has been better worked than some others, as 607 plants have been noted. 81. Berwiek.—This county is less in size than Roxburgh, and no elevations are above 1540 feet, but the record of its flora shows that it has been better worked, as Mr Watson gives 716 plants. 82. Haddington.—Another maritime county near our doors which needs attention, as only 581 plants have been recorded. The highest hill in this county appears to have a height of 1732 feet. 83. Edinburgh.—The flora of our home county has been

Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 well worked, with the result that we have recorded in it 766 plants. The highest elevation is about 1890 feet. 84. Linlithgow.—This is a small county, without any great elevations, but certain districts have a rich flora. However, only 466 plants have been noted. 85. Fife and .Kinross.—These two counties, which Mr Watson has formed into one vice-county, have been well examined for plants, with the result that 785 have been recorded. The highest elevation in this district is the West Lomond Hill, with a height of 1713 feet. 86. Stirling.—This is a county, with elevations from the sea-level up to 3192 feet, and we would expect to find a Topographical Botany of Scotland. 101 very extensive flora, but only 543 plants are given in Topographical Botany. 87. West Perth, with Clackmannan.—This vice-county has elevations of over 3800 feet, and has an interesting flora ; 615 plants have been noted. This and the three following districts, viz., 88-89-90, contain the richest Arctic-Alpine flora in Britain, among which are some of our rarest plants. 88. Mid Perth.—This is a most celebrated botanical district, and comprises , with a height of 3984 feet, but with its gigantic cairn, it claims an elevation of 4000 feet. There are also a number of other mountains that rise considerably over 3000 feet above sea-level. The number of plants recorded in this vice-county is 667. 89. East Perth.—This Watsonian district contains some high elevations, a number of them over 3000 feet, but the highest appears to be Cairn Gowar, 3671 feet. The number of plants that have been noted is 599. This vice- county comprises a smaller area than Mid Perth. Perthshire as a County.—During 1882 Dr Buchanan White published in the Scottish Naturalist a list of the plants of the county of Perth, and the total he gives, including sub-species, is 876 ; but we have not co-related it with the artificial vice-counties by Mr Watson. 90. Forfar.—This county may be considered the prin- cipal field of George Don's work, and 801, the record of its plant life, as given by Mr Watson, shows how well it has been explored. No other Watsonian district

Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 in Scotland has such a numerous list. The fringe of mountains that forms the northern border of this county has a number of elevations that vary from 3000 up to 3500 feet. 91. Kincardine.—The greatest elevation in this county appears to be about 2555 feet, so we may expect to find some of the Arctic-Alpine plants absent. The area covered by this county is small compared with some others. The number of plants on record is 601. 92. South Aberdeen.—With the exception of Westerness, there is no other district in Scotland where such a number of zones of vegetation are to be found as South Aberdeen, 102 Mr Symington Grieve on the for you have the sea-level along the east coast, and an elevation of 4296 feet on the top of Ben Macdhui. The district appears to have been well explored from a botanical point of view, as 705 plants have been rioted. 93. North Aberdeen.—There are no elevations above 2368 feet, so we naturally expect to find the Arctic- Alpine flora absent ; but only 472 plants are recorded. 94. Banff.—Another maritime county, with all eleva- tions from the sea-level up to 4095 feet ; the number of plants that have been noted is 524. 95. Elgin.—This maritime county has no great eleva- tions, and is more limited in its area than some others. The number of plants recorded in it is 573. 96. Easterness.—This extensive Watsonian vice-county comprises within its limits the county of Nairn. It has a rich littoral, bleak moorlands, deep glens, and rugged mountains. The highest elevation is 4000 feet. The botanist will find here an extensive field for work, especially among the more remote portions. The plants on record number 552. 97. Westerness.—Is a maritime vice-county, which extends south as far as the northern shore of Loch Etive, and to the west comprises the districts of Lochiel, Ardgower, Ardnamurchan, and Morven in Argyllshire, and stretches up the west coast of the mainland of Inver- ness-shire to Glenelg. Within its limits is , the highest mountain in the , with an elevation of 4406 feet. This district has therefore the greatest number of zones of vegetation, as it extends from the sea-level up

Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 to the summit of Ben Nevis. There are many rare plants, and this vice-county has not been worked as it ought ; only 289 have yet been noted. 98. Argyll.—This is Mr Watson's name for a vice- county which is bounded on the north by a line drawn from Loch Luydan to the head of Loch Etive, and along its southern shore to Loch Linnhe. It extends southwards to the isthmus that separates East and West Loch Tarbert. On the east it is bounded by the Kyles of Bute, the Cowal shore of the Firth of Clyde, Loch Long, and north- wards by the boundary of the county of Argyll. It extends westwards to the Sound of Jura and the Firth of Topographical Botany of Scotland. 103 Lorn. This should prove a rich field for the botanist, as it has an extensive littoral, and also great elevations. The highest mountain in this district is , with a height of 3670 feet, but there are other peaks with an elevation of over 3000. The Arctic-Alpines are largely represented on the high mountains that border Perthshire where the mica schist rocks are met with. Only 331 plants are recorded. 99. Dumbarton.—This is a comparatively small county, but extends from the sea-level up to 3091 feet, the height of Ben Vorlich. The number of plants noted is 468. 100. Clyde Isles.—This vice-county comprises Bute, Arran, Cumbrae, and other isles in the Firth of Clyde between Cantire and the coast of Ayr. The highest mountain in this district is Goat , in Arran, with an elevation of 2863 feet. The area covered by these islands is very restricted compared with some vice-counties we have referred to, but 604 plants have been observed. 101. Cantire.—This vice-county is the long promontory that forms part of the county of Argyll, and stretches southwards from the isthmus that separates East and West Loch Tarbet to the Mull of Cantire. It covers a comparatively small area, but has at least one ele- vation of 2000 feet. The number of plants recorded is 418. 102. South Ebudes.—The islands comprised in this district are Islay, Jura, Gigha, Scarba, Colonsay, and Oronsay, with the smaller islands adjoining. The highest

Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 mountain is Beinn-an-Oir, one of the Paps of Jura, with an elevation of 2565 feet. The plants recorded number 462. 103. Mid Ebudes.—The islands that compose this vice- county are Mull,* Coll, and Tiree, with the islands that adjoin them. There are high mountains in Mull, but only one exceeds 3000 feet in height, viz., , with an altitude of 3185 feet. The number of plants noted is 414. 104. North Ebudes.—The group of islands that form this

* Trans. Bot. Soc. Ed., vol. xiii. p. 234, " George Ross, on the Flora of Mull." 104 Mr Symington Grieve on the Watsonian district are Skye, South Rona, Raasay, Scalpa, Eigg, Muck, Rum, Canna, and the smaller isles in their vicinity. In the south of Skye is one of the most remark- able mountainous regions in Scotland. Within a narrow radius there are nine peaks over 3000 feet in height, the highest having an elevation of 3261 feet. To the south of Skye there is the island of Rona and another remarkable group of mountains, the highest of which rises 2667 feet above sea-level. The number of plants recorded in this vice-county is 385. 105. West .Ross.—This is au extensive district, but with the exception of Wigtown and East Sutherland, has a smaller number of plants recorded than any vice-county in Scotland ; the number given by Mr Watson is 185. Here is a field for botanists that will well repay exploration. The scenery is grand in the extreme, and some of the finest parts are quite beyond the reach of ordinary tourists, and could not be satisfactorily worked without a camp. There is an extensive littoral, and elevations up to 4000 feet, the height of Ben . 106. East Ross.—Another large vice-county, with high mountains, the greatest elevation is , with a height of 3422 feet. The plants recorded number 458. The county of Cromarty is included in West and East Ross according to the situations of its detached portions. 107. East Sutherland.—This is an extensive vice-county that has been little explored by the botanist. We have only a list of 184 plants that have been observed. This is next to Wigtown the vice•county with the smallest number

Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 of plants recorded. The highest elevation is Ben Kli- breck, with a height of 3164 feet. 108. West Sutherland.—This wild district of the north- west of Scotland, the region of moor and loch, has many high mountains, two of which have elevations of over 3000 feet, the highest is Ben More, Assynt, with an altitude of 3281 feet. The deep indentations of the coast, the many islets, and the bold sea cliffs, all tend to make this an interesting district to the visitor. The number of plants that have been observed is only 373. 109. Caithness.—This district is more accessible than that we have just referred to, but has no elevations higher Topographical Botany of Scotland. 105 than Morven, with an altitude of 2313 feet. The plants recorded number 449. 110. Hebrides.—This vice-county is the Long Island or Outer Hebrides. The highest mountain is Clesham, in Harris, with an altitude of 2662 feet. The plants that have been noted number 311. 111. Orkney.—This group of islands has been well explored, though only 429 plants are given in Topo- graphical Botany, but Mr W. Irvine Fortescue, in a list he has recently published of the flora of these islands, makes considerable additions. The highest elevation is Wart Hill, on Hoy, with a height of 1559 feet. 112. Shetland.—Comprises the islands of the same name. They have no great elevations, and the number of plants recorded number 338 The numbers of plants recorded are approximately, but not categorically, correct, as no one, unless they attempt it, can realise the amount of labour entailed in examining lists that give between twenty and thirty thousand localities for Scottish plants. [Mr Grieve then pleaded that the Society purchase a camp equipage for the botanical exploration of the more remote regions ; and submitted a scheme for the working of the same.]

Growth of Half- Plants on the East Coast of Arran. By the Rev. D. LANDSBOR0UGH, Kilmarnock.*

(Read 8th November 1883.) Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 23:49 03 March 2015 The east coast of Arran is more favourable for half- hardy plants than any place in Scotland, and as favourable as any in Britain. Without enumerating all the exotic plants that grow there, I shall mention such as call for special notice. Eucalypts.—The peppermint tree (Eucalyptus amygolal- ina) of Tasmania, the tallest tree in the world, grows at two places in Arran; the specimen at Cromla, Corrie, is 22 feet in height, and 98 inches in girth. The blue gum (E. * The measurements are given at 5 feet from the ground, unless otherwise mentioned.