908 



A few explanatory notes will assist in the study of the three 

 columns given. The figures are expressed as percenlages, but I 

 have added the actual figures for the Færoese flora in brackets 

 within the Færoese column. The number of species from the Fæ- 

 roes is 298, but I have taken it as 300, Montia lamprosperma being 

 reckoned both as Therophyte and as Helophyte, and Cardamine 

 hirsiita both as Therophyte and as Hemicryptophyte. A divergence 

 from Raunkiær's figures is introduced, because I have included the 

 vascular cryptogams, while his figures only refer to phanerogams^ 

 In a few cases I have transferred species to another type than 

 Raunkiær has given in his paper, e. g. Polygala serpyllacea to the 

 Chamæphytes. This is quite natural, and Raunkiær himself has 

 emphasised the faet that in many cases it is difficult to decide 

 under which of two types a plant should be placed, also that the 

 same species may belong to one type in one country and to another 

 elsewhere. 



On comparing the figures for the three countries, it is at once 

 evident, that the West-Indian islands are quite different from Denmark 

 and the Færoes. They are tropical countries with predominance of 

 Phanerophytes, while in our own countries the Hemicryptophytes pre- 

 vail. Between Denmark and the Færoes there are some small, but 

 perceptible difYerences. Whereas Denmark has 7 per cent Phanero- 

 phytes, the Færoes has only 1 ; a reduction in the figures for The- 

 rophytes is also evident. On the other hånd the figures for Cha- 

 mæphytes and Hemicryptophytes are higher in the Færoes than in 

 Denmark, the increase being slight for the Hemicryptophytes, but 

 very striking with regard to the Chamæphytes. This faet is ex- 

 plained by the insular climate of the Færoes, the same factor which 

 also explains the few Therophytes. The lack of Phanerophytes is 

 due to this circumstance and to the low temperature jointly. We 

 are now in a position to summarise the facts in the way: The 

 plant-climate of the Færoes is characterised by the ab- 

 sence of Phanerophytes, the predominance of Hemicryp- 

 tophytes, the relative abundance of the Chamæphytes 

 and the scarcily of the Therophytes. 



' If we exclude the vascular cryptogams, the figures are as follows: Nano- 

 phanerophytes 1 p. cent (3), Chamæphytes 10 p. cent (28), Hemicr3'ptophytes 59 p. 

 cent (163), Geophytes 11 p. cent (30), Helo- and Hj^drophytes 9,5 p. cent (26) and 

 Therophytes 9,5 p. cent (26); from this it becomes evident that it makes no im- 

 portant difference whether we include the vascular cryptogams or not. 



