ON THE FLORA OF SHETLAND 105 



ssp. lamprosperma^ Chamisso, I.e. pi. 7, fig. 2 (syn. M. fontana, 

 var. 7)iaJor, Bab. ; M.fo?itana, var. rividaris, Syme). 

 Seed form No. 3. — Shetland. 



I think there is very little doubt that Syme's var. riviilaris 

 is the same as M. lamprosperma^ but his description of the fine 

 reticulations as " flattened tubercles " is perhaps hardly happy. 

 He describes the seeds as larger, " more inclining to claret- 

 colour," and shining, 



I take no account of the land and water states of these 

 plants, since they are merely temporary conditions directly 

 induced by the environment, and not varieties. 



I have not seen the original description of var. chondrosper7na., 

 Fenzl, and for the meantime have relied on that given by Rouy 

 and Foucaud — " Graines opaques, fortement tuberculeuse." 



A}-ctiu7n minus., Bernh. — I have now been able definitely to identify, 

 as above, the plant recorded as '■^ A. intermedium., Lange?" 

 ("Scott. Nat." 1891, p. 28.) 



^■^ Taraxacum spectabile., Dalhst., ssp. GeirhildcB., Beeby, ined. — 

 Differs from the type in the leaves being always undivided, 

 whether growing among long herbage or on bare ground. (In 

 the type they are undivided when among herbage but deeply 

 lobed when on bare ground). After sixteen months' cultiva- 

 tion on bare ground the plants have never borne a lobed leaf, 

 although the whole-leaved state of the type quickly assumes 

 the bare-ground state, with lobed leaves, under similar condi- 

 tions. The leaves are also of a much paler, yellower green, 

 thus contrasting strongly with the dark brown-red midrib. 

 The flowers are one-fifth to one-fourth more in diameter than 

 those of the type when grown side by side ; of a darker 

 (browner) yellow ; and copiously furnished with pollen, while 

 the type is epolliniferous. The phyllaries and fruits are similar 

 to those of the type. 



The name has indirect reference to one of the localities, the 

 Loch of Girlsta, formerly Geirhildarstadr ; here Geirhild, 

 Hrafna Floke's daughter, was drowned when accompanying 

 her father on his voyage to Iceland about the year 870, as we 

 are told in Landnamabok. 



The sub-species occurs plentifully on rock ledges, among 

 heather, and in grassy places by the east side of Lang Klodi 

 Loch, Northmaven ; also among rocks and heather by the 

 Loch of Girlsta, and elsewhere in Nesting and Weisdale. 



I have always found the type to be pollenless until this year, 

 when I found pollen-grains on the stigmas ; but as the pot was 

 standing next to that containing the ssp. Geirhildce., it is 

 possible that the pollen had been conveyed by insects. 



