FLORULA OF A PIECE OF WASTE GROUND AT ABERDEEN 243 



M. parviflora, L., admitted as naturalised into the later British lists, 

 is a native of Southern Europe. These mallows are both too 

 inconspicuous to be introduced otherwise than as weeds, prob- 

 ably among fodder or cereals. Both are scarce casuals near 

 Aberdeen, seeding freely, but not holding their place. 



Linuin usitatissimum, L., is a very frequent casual by roadsides and 

 in waste places about Aberdeen, but soon dies out, as it did on 

 the reclaimed ground after 1893. 



Erodium moschatum, L'Herit. (native throughout Europe, except 

 Scotland, Scandinavia, and Russia), had not been previously 

 found here, and very soon died out. 



Citrus Aurantium, L., and Vitis vinifera, L. It is unnecessary to say 

 that these are not natives of North-East Scotland, and that they 

 had not before been observed there as "casuals." In the warm 

 summer of 1893 they sprang up in scores on the made-up 

 ground, apparently where decayed oranges and grapes had 

 been deposited. About a dozen small orange trees, taken in 



1893, are growing healthily in my greenhouse. The winter 

 1893-94 proved fatal to all the seedling oranges out of doors, 

 and no new seedlings have since appeared. The vines proved 

 hardier, one or two of the seedlings surviving the winter 1893- 



1894, and many others growing from seeds not previously ger- 

 minated. The severe winter 1894-95 proved fatal to all the 

 vines, but again seedlings sprang up in the summer of 1895. 

 Of these, two at least seem to have survived the mild winter 

 1895-96, as two young plants (protected in part by coarse 

 vegetation) have in August 1896 reached a height of about 

 1 8 inches. 



Ukx europceus, L., and Cytisus scoparius, Link. Neither of these 

 plants was observed before 1895, m which summer a few seed- 

 lings were noticed on cinders that had been spread out during 

 the previous autumn. This autumn both seem likely to 

 extend their area. 



Medicago. Of this genus, M. sativa, L. (sub-spontaneous in Middle 

 and Southern Europe, and admitted as naturalised in Britain), 

 was first observed in 1894. It flowers and seeds freely on 

 this ground, and is becoming more abundant. Elsewhere near 

 Aberdeen it is a sporadic casual. 



M. falcata, L. Of this species (which has not been found elsewhere 

 in this part of Scotland, to my knowledge), a specimen was 

 picked up on the reclaimed ground as long ago as 1883. In 

 1893 I found several plants ; and it seems to be spreading in one 

 of the grassy spots. It flowers and seeds freely. Probably it 

 will hold its ground till covered with cinders. 



