977 



ianum, Saxifraga caespitosa, Poa glauca, Luzula spicata, Euphrasia mi- 

 nima, Sagina procumljens, Epiloiiium palustre, Aira alpina, Poa trivialis, 

 Aira flexuosa, Luzula multillora, Juncus triglumis, Alectorolophus sp., 

 Armeria, Plantago maritima, Kpilobium alsinifolium, Thymus, Viola sil- 

 vestris, Hymenophyllum, Empetrum, Calluna, Succisa, Agrostis stoloni- 

 fcra, Pinguicula, Epilobium lactiflorum, Polypodium vulgare, Agrostis 

 viilgaris, Aspidium (ilix mas, Lychnis flos cuculi, Leontodon, Taraxacum 

 sp. and Carex pulicaris — altogether 46 flowering piants and 3 ferns. 



(3). The semi-humid and usually south-exposed 

 »Hammer« and »Gjov«-side. This gronp includes the most 

 luxuriant habitats for piants on the Færoes. Certain »Gjove« well- 

 known to the islanders because of their unusual wealth of flowers 

 must be included here, although the exposure of their sides is more 

 frequently east and west than north and south. Such is the case 

 with the large Vestmanhavn-Gjov on Stromo and the Gjoga- 

 vara-Gjov near Vaag on Sydero. It is peculiar for both these 

 ravines that the west side with an eastern exposure bears the richer 

 vegetation ; why this should be so, is not quite clear, but it must 

 be ascribed to local conditions (water-content, inclination of the 

 basalt-strata, etc). The »Gjove« near Selletræ on Ostero, and near 

 Husum on Kalso, may be mentioned as other examples of luxuri- 

 ant ravines which extend in a north-to-south direction, with their 

 sides facing east and west. The vegetation of all these ravines is 

 rich, not only as regards luxuriant growth, but also in the number 

 of species. The higher piants and mosses lake the leading part, but 

 lichens and algæ also occur. The following examples may illus- 

 trate how numerous are the higher piants; a list of the mosses 

 will be found in C. Jensen's paper (1897, p. 191). In the ravine 

 near Vaag, Jensen recorded 99 species, or about one-third of the 

 entire moss-flora of the Færoes, and in the ravine at Vestmanhavn 

 the number was 87. 



Examples: 



1. Moist rock-ledge above Trangisvaag, Sydero (Fig. 184). 

 The dominant species are: Epilobium alsinifolium, Lychnis, Cochlearia 

 officinalis (the perennial form) and Luzula siluatica. Others noted were: 

 Cerastium vulgare, Polypodium vulgare, Rumex acetosa, Angelica, Festuca 

 rubra, Pinguicula vulgaris, Cardamine pratensis, Sedum rhodiola, Saxi- 

 fraga stellaris, S. hypnoides, S. nivalis, Rubus saxatilis, Epilobium pa- 

 lustre, Oxyria, Alchimilla alpina, Hieracia spp., etc; the mosses, Philo- 

 notis fontana, Pellia Neesiana, etc, a lichen, Solorina crocea, and an 

 alga, Nostoc carneum. (After notes by Prof. "Warming and the author). 



2. The ravine, Gj ogva ra-Gj o v, near Vaag on Sydero; a very 

 luxuriant vegetation ; a brook running in the bottom. Spiraea ulmaria, 



