914 



the difference in flowering being greatest in tlie case of tlie earlier 

 spring-plants. 



Accompanying a cold spring, as already stated (p. 876) the 

 flowering begins late. Only a few pioneers open into flower before 

 the end of May, tlie majority of the species do not bloom till June 

 or July, and some, like Angelica, Achillea, and Siiccisa are sur- 

 prisingly late. 



Taking all the records together, inclusive of my own from 

 Sydero, it is fairly safe to assume that the spring flora of the 

 Færoes is made up of: Bellis perennis, Tiissilago, Caltha, Cardamine 

 hirsuta, Cochlearia, Empetrum, Polygala serpyllacea, Saxifraga op- 

 positifolia, Silene acaiilis, Viola paliistris, V. siluestris, Eqiiiseta, Lii- 

 zula campestris, Eriophora and other Cyperaceæ. 



5. Maturation of fruit. 



In a former publication (Ostenfeld 1901 c, p. 106) I have stated 

 briefly that a number of species on the Færoes were never 

 found with mature fruits, and I gave some examples. Reference 

 was also made to the faet pointed out by A. G. Nathorst (1883), 

 Gunnar Andersson (1900) and Ekstam (1897,1898) that similar 

 conditions exist on Spitzbergen and Novaya Semlya. It seems then, 

 as if some species, belonging to a temperate climate, are able to 

 exist north of the area within which they normally produce ma- 

 ture fruit. Thi s failure to fruit may be due part ly to c li- 

 matic conditions, partly to lack of the insects necessary 

 for the polli nation. 



So far as the Færoes are concerned, boUi factors must be taken 

 into account. The low temperature in summer no doubt hinders 

 the setting and ripening of the fruit of several s[)ecies, and the very 

 scanty insect-life will operate in a similar way. 



Bees, humble-bees and diurnal Lepidoptera are en- 

 tirely absent from the Færoes^. The piants must therefore be self- 

 pollinated, or they are pollinated by small night-flying Lepidoptera 

 and by flies, the latter of which are frequently seen in large numbers 

 on different flowers (e. g. Angelica). The majority of the entomophilous 

 flowers are therefore open »fly-flowers«, which when the insects 

 are lacking, effect self-fertilisation. A great proportion of the flora 

 is wind-poUinated, and among the Monocotyledons in particular it 



^ Vanessa atalanta, V. cardiii and V. urticac, casually carried to the islands, 

 have been taken a couple of times. 



