10 UPON THE FLORA OF 
*Ulex Europeus, and *Crategus Oxy- 
acantha. Well known to have been 
lanted at Tingwall. 
* Vicia sativa. Cultivated at Tingwall. O. 
*Sedum Fabaria. (?—S. Telephium. 
Edmonston.) Gardens, Haroldswick, 
Igaris. Tussilago Farfara 
occurs in the station given by Ed- 
monston for this species ; I suspect 
some accidental error has crept in 
ere. : 
Mentha viridis, “ Likely not indige- 
nous,” Edmonst. 
Plantago media. Introduced as in the 
THE SHETLAND ISLES. 
*Endymion nutans, A garden plant a 
Balta Sound and Springfield, Unst. 
(Sparganium ramosum. O.; 8. simplex.) 
Potamogeton lanceolatus, probably a 
state of P. heterophyllus. 
*Phleum pratense. ‘Probably intro- 
duced." O., F. (Serrafaleus mollis, 
Alopecurus pratensis, and even Dac- 
tylis excite a suspicion in my mind 
as to their being truly indigenous; 
I have not seen them in natural 
pastures, but only in prepared grass 
lands.) 
Poa compressa. An error? 
Cynosurus echinatus. Introduced or 
erroneously determined 
Serrafal utatus. Introduced ? 
Lolium temulentum. ?-L. italicum. 
Introduced. 
Orkneys and Feroes. Avena sativa. Wayside, Balta, Unst. 
Lastrea Thelypteris. An error 
III. GENERAL BOTANICAL FEATURES. 
The facies of the flora of the Shetlands is very striking ; especially 
are the land slopes bordering the sea singularly rich in plants more 
abundant in petals than leaves. "This profusion of blossoms is in 
keeping with the operation of a law, that in proportion as the habitat 
proves ungenial (threatening the life of the individual, dwarfing the 
stem), so the flowers increase in number and proportionately in size ; 
and thus the whole plant becomes more fruitful in behalf of its kind. 
But a few plants only are found differing in this respect; most 
markedly among such is Bunium flezuosum, which attains a height of 
from 23 to 3 feet. In many sheltered situations among the sea cliffs 
the vegetation is very luxuriant, and. presents no essential differences 
from a like vegetation in the south of England. 
This tendency to produce an excessive development of floral or- 
gans very generally gives rise to abnormality. Viviparous states of 
Festuca ovina and Lolium perenne are very common ; polypetalous 
with petaloid stamens have occurred to me in Erica Tetraliz, 
the stem-leaves of Cardamine pratensis transformed into flowering 
racemes ; the uppermost bract of Caltha palustris petaloid ; in Mr. 
C. W. Peach’s collection is Leontodon Taraxacum, its scape bearing a 
