26 



" After making several excursions in various 

 directions the botanist will observe that in districts 

 in which the upper calcareous strata are found, 

 plants thrive which are sought for in vain in the 

 denuded districts : and that in the localities where 

 marl is abundant he will find plants which do not 

 grow elsewhere. It is on this account that more 

 wild varieties are met with in Gozo than in Malta, 

 and that others which in Malta are sickly and 

 captious, in Gozo exhibit all the vigour of healthy 

 growth, and cover a considerable area/ 7 



" The vegetation of the N. W. portion of Malta 

 resembles that of Gozo, the Kundmannia sicula 

 which is found near Citta Vecchia and at St. Paul's 

 Bay, growing also in great abundance upon all 

 the calcareous hills in the sister island. The beautiful 

 Reseda lutea which in Malta is found in the spots 

 loved by the Kundmannia is very plentiful in Gozo. 

 Numerous also are the plants which grow in Gozo 

 and not in Malta. The sweet and vigorous balm mint 

 Melissa officinalis clothes all the valleys, and there 

 grows also in the clefts of the rocks of the Wied 

 el Xlendi the Silene fruticosa with its rosy flowers, 

 and which at first sight seems to be a saponaria, 

 together with Raphanus landra and Raphanus 

 fug ax by the side of the never-failing brooklet/' 



"In the valleys wherever running water is to 

 be found the agnus cast us or Vitex agnus castus 

 flowers in profusion, Its seeds were formerly consider- 



