Botany in Limerick
The Shannon becomes tidal at Limerick, and, widening into a great estuary, enters the Atlantic 60 miles further on, its mouth being 10 miles wide. The upper reaches are river-like and muddy. Here Scirpus triqneter grows in abundance, a very rare plant, un- known elsewhere in Ireland, and in England found only in three southern estuaries. It is accompanied by Nasiuriium sylvestre, Cochlearia anglica, Typha an- gustifolia (all very local in Ireland), Scirpus Taber- nasmoniani, S. mariiimus and Piragmifes communis. The adjoining marshy meadows yield Allium vmeale, Leucojum csstivum, Carex riparia, Hordeum secalinnm, md other plants in abundance. The middle parts of the estuary are island-studded, with gravelly or muddy shores. Here we find quantities of Glyceria festucae- formis, a Mediterranean grass elsewhere known only Tom Co. Down, and G. Fonecudi, found elsewhere only in S.E. England and France ; also such plants as Apium graveolens, (Enanlhe Lachenalii, Artemisia mari- oima, Sfatice rariflora, Beta maritima. The lower part )f the estuary assumes the form of an open sea-inlet with rocky and sandy shores, yielding Glaucinm flavum, Raphanus maritimzis, Spergnlaria rupestris, Crithmum naritimum, Euphorbia porilandica, and other species of similar habitat.
