Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Flora of Dumfriesshire, Including: Part of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright
The Record List has involved a vast amount of labour. All the mss. Of Watson's Topographical Botany in the Natural History Museum have been consulted, and the records are quoted under the names there mentioned. I have to thank Mr Carruthers for his kind permission in this respect. In the case of Dr Davidson's records, I have been put in a difficult position. His plants are now in California, and I cannot obtain any information as to who named them. With this exception it may, I think, be considered certain that the records are entirely correct, for I have taken the best advice as to all critical species, and spared no trouble in verification from all sources.
A great difiiculty has been to know how to deal with those forms which have been in some manner introduced. I have been severely criticised on this point already. First, if I had taken only absolutely native or indigenous plants, I should have departed from the course pursued by every other author of a local Flora, and been very severely blamed for carelessness in not doing the work thoroughly. Secondly, as I have admitted every species now found established in a wild condition, however introduced, I shall be of course exposed to those who say that only well established plants should be admitted in a local Flora. The criterion I have taken is the establishment in a healthy condition of self-sown plants. None other is really of value, and certain interest ing problems could not have been studied, if these doubtful forms had not been included. The climate of the county is so genial, that these introduced plants are exceedingly abundant, and exceedingly difficult to tell from plants undoubtedly native to Scotland. I do not know of any other method of treating this question, which does not either on the one side or on the other involve serious error.
In citing localities I have tried to pass, in the case of Maritime Plants, from the Mull of Galloway, along the coast of Glencaple, and thence to the English Border. The three great valleys are then taken in order, and the reader is supposed to pass up the Western and down the Eastern bank. Further subdivision than that here given did not seem to me of any practical use. The Gargen, Cairn, etc., are in dubitably part of Nithsdale, just as the [e and Kirtle are quite characteristically Annandale.
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