no ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



ON THE FLORA OF SHETLAND. 



By W'lLLiA.M H. Bekby, F.L.S. 



In the following lines I have endeavoured to give a 

 Revision of the Hicracia known to occur in the Shetland 

 Islands. I have undertaken the task with some diffidence ; 

 for although the plants have been observed with some care in 

 their native habitats, and many of the forms have been culti- 

 vated through a series of years, yet, on the other hand, my 

 knowledge of even the British forms is somewhat partial, and 

 had it not been for the ready assistance rendered by the 

 Rev. W. R. Linton I should not have ventured to describe 

 several of the forms mentioned below. 



Apart from the distinctions which separate the sub-genera, 

 our Hieracia may be said to possess characteristics rather 

 than characters ; and it is seldom that a character can be 

 found which is not at the same time variable within the 

 species, and also present in a more or less modified form in 

 other species, allied or distant. Hence the species are not 

 separated by few or single well-marked characters, but their 

 determination often depends on the assessing of the aggre- 

 gate value of a number o{ small differences. Their deter- 

 mination thus becomes to some extent a matter of opinion, 

 and it is quite natural that different names should some- 

 times be given to the same plant by different authorities. 



My collection, amassed during the past twenty years, is 

 now a large one, and many of the plants have been criticised 

 bv various authorities, both British and Scandinavian. With 

 the object of getting a more consistent view of the Shetland 

 forms as a whole, I asked Mr. Linton some time ago whether 

 he would look through them. Not only did Mr. Linton 

 accede to my request, but he very kindly examined carefully 

 such plants as required it, and also favoured me with 

 numerous notes without which I could not have hoped to 

 make this account of the group so complete as it is ; and I 

 take this opportunity of expressing my great indebtedness to 

 him for his valuable help, as well as for the loan of specimens. 

 In the case of the varieties of H. crocatiivi and H. strictuin I 



