572 



A. K Verrill— The Bermuda Islands. 



spicuous plants, between those subsequently introduced and tliose 

 that were native there before the settlement. Each case must be 

 judged by itself, taking into account the probable chances of natural 

 introduction, the manner of occurrence, etc. 



Only very few plants are peculiar to the islands, or endemic, and 

 of these the palmetto is the only conspicuous one. (See ch. 26, a, 



Figure 33. — Bermuda Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyr in ehium Bermudianum). 



figs. 4, 3l ; , 39). Most of the other native plants were derived from 

 the West Indies and the North American coastal regions.* 



When the islands were first settled the flora was remarkable for 

 the scarcity of edible plants. The only herbaceous plant mentioned, 

 that could afford any human food, was the "prickly pear' 1 or cactus 



* Iu naming the native Bermuda plants I have followed pretty closely the 

 nomenclature used by Hemsley, in Voy. C'hall., Botany, vol. 1. 



