580 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



genera are numerous in proportion to the number of species. Some of 

 the largest genera are to be found in the Leguminosce. Thus Trifolium 

 has nineteen species ; Medicago, fourteen ; Vicia and Lotus each have 

 nine; Ononis, eight. Of other genera and orders Euphorbia has sixteen; 

 All iiuu, ten ; Ophrys, nine; and Orchis, eight. The dry soil is particularly 

 favourable to leguminous plants, because they do not require a rich one, 

 being capable of obtaining their nitrogen from the air. Conversely a wet 

 soil is very injurious, but few being ever found in our English water- 

 meadows. Monocotyledons, such as Orchids and Liliaceous plants, are 

 well represented, because bulbs can resist a period of excessive drought, 

 which occurs annually in Malta ; while plants characteristic of damp soil, 

 as our English Buttercups and Primroses or Violets, can rarely find the 

 conditions favourable for their maintenance, excepting at the bottom of 

 the wieds. If the peasants were more particular in weeding their fields 

 they might soon exterminate many bulbous and tuberous-rooted plants, as 

 Gladiolus, species of Allium, Hyacinthus comosus, and Anemone, which 

 are only too abundant in them. 



Cryptogams are represented by eight Ferns, three Equiseta, one 

 Isoetes, one Selaginella, two Charce, and one Nitclla. 



Of introduced plants, Oxalis cernua is the most remarkable for its 

 rapid multiplication. It is propagated solely by numerous small bulbs ; 

 for being " trimorphic," and only one form, the "short-styled," being 

 present, it is never known to set seed in the northern hemisphere. 

 From the year 1806 to the present time it has not only spread nearly 

 all over the islands of Malta and Gozo (it is wanting in Salmonetta), 

 but it has established itself at various places on both shores of the 

 Mediterranean. 



Another plant, a crucifer, Enarthrocarpus ptcrocarpus, arrived about 

 fifteen years ago from the Cyrenaican coast, and has established itself 

 within the fortifications of Valetta, in the Florian ditch, and at Fort 

 Manoel on the opposite side of the harbour. Fagonia cretica is a third 

 African plant. It occurs in one spot only in Malta, near the sea on the 

 south side, and is now a truly indigenous plant. It is only known 

 in one locality in Sicily, but it is characteristic of the deserts of Egypt. 



In the present condition of the islands five floral areas may be more 

 or less distinguished, as follows, though, of course, several plants are 

 found in more than one of tbem : — 



1. Roadsides and waste places. '1. Uncultivated bottoms and sides 

 of the wieds. 3. Uncultivated exposed rocky surfaces. 4. Sea-coasts, 

 rocky and sandy sea-shores, called " Marsas." 5. Cultivated fields and 

 gardens. There are also aquatic plants. 



With regard to the Mora generally, it is represented by upwards of 

 700 species and varieties, of which all are herbs excepting about eight 

 trees,* and about fifteen shrubs or shrubby plants. t 



* CraUcgus Azarolus, C. Oxyacnntha, 1'runus spinosa, Pyrus communis, Fraxinus 

 Ornus, Populus alba, and S. pediccllata. 



t Capparis sjiinosa, Tamarix afrtcana, Lavatera arbnrca, Hhamnus oleoides, 

 Pistacia Lentiscus, Anagyris fatida, Habus discolor, Rosa dnmetorum, Myrlus 

 communis, Inula crithmotdes, Erica multiflora, Pcriploca Levigata, Olea europaa, 

 Vitex Agnus-castus, Rosmarinus officinalis, Euphorbia dendroides, Juniperus 

 phdmicea, Smilax aspcra. 



