872 



the dominant plant of the mountain slopes; »it had, so to speak, 

 excluded all other vegetation« (1. c, p. 369). Martins' lists are very 

 faulty, and a nurnber of species reported from the vicinity of Thors- 

 havn have not been confirmed by more recent observers, although 

 undoubtedly this district has been more thoroughly examined than 

 any other part of the Færoes. 



A picturesque description of the Færoes was written by P. A. 

 Holm (1855) in a somewhat general and popular style. 



The vegetation of the thatched roofs, the grassy »Bo's«, and 

 the cultivation of corn, potatoes and turnips all come under no- 

 tice. Regarding the vegetation outside of the area of cultivation, we 

 are told that »Tue-Kogleaks« (Scirpiis caespitosiis) and »Tue-Star« 

 (presumably Jiinciis squarrosus is meant) form pretty green tussocks 

 on the moors, with the intervening spaces occupied by many kinds 

 of »Siv« {Jnnciis lampocarpus and Carex-species) and »Kæruld« 

 (EriophonimJ, the prevailing sombre tone being relieved by the co- 

 loured flowers of »Benbræk« (Nartheciiim) and »Fjæld- Vibefedt« 

 (must be Pingiiiciila viilgaris, not P. alpina). What he refers to 

 here is the Grass-moor and the Sedge-moor as they are found on 

 the »Hauge« i. e. the uncultivated parts of the lower zone. Holm 

 also mentions the Calluna Heath (Lynghede) with its »Rævlinger« 

 (Empetnim) and Vaccinia, also the rock-vegetation, and he adds a 

 few notes on the mountain vegetation. 



Our review of the literature now brings us to the memoir of 

 Rostrup, which is based on a voyage made in 1867 along with 

 Mr. C. Feilberg round most of the islands. An effort was made 

 to complete the list of piants as far as possible and to extend it 

 over all groups of piants. Earlier, often incorrect, statements were 

 revised and verified, and many new discoveries by the authors 

 themselves were added. Thus for the first time a complete and 

 reliable floristic list was obtained for the Færoes. Rostrup also 

 gives a general account of the vegetation, and this up till now has 

 been the main source of information on this subject. At the time 

 Rostrup wrote this paper (1870), systematised studies on vegetation 

 in relation to its environment were hardly known. Hult's »Forsok 

 til analytisk behandling af våxtformationerna« (1881) did not appear 

 till 10 years later, and still later Warming published his »Plante- 

 samfund« (1895), the flrst systematised work on the vegetation of 

 the earth from an ecological point of view. Rostrup therefore does 

 not attempt a consecutive account of the plant-associations, but 



