134 VEGETATION IN FEBRUARY. 



flora. The yellow stars of Gagea arnensis covered 

 the rocky and grassy grounds, in company with 

 Erophila, Arabis verna, and Thlaspi montanum. 

 The field marigold, the common groundsel, the 

 shepherd's purse, Fumaria capreolata, Solanum 

 nigrum, Euphorbia helioscopea, and peplus, La- 

 mium amplewicaule, Saxifraga tridachtylites, and 

 Ficaria ranunculoides were European forms which 

 often met the eye. Scrophularia canina, Bis- 

 cutella eriocarpa and Hyoscyamus aureus orna- 

 mented the walls at Macri ; and at Tlos, the last 

 was accompanied by a beautiful white Arabis. 

 Among the shrubs the Colutea arborescens now 

 opened its yellow flowers, and the fragrant purple 

 blossoms of Daphne collina perfumed the valley 

 of the Xanthus. The beautiful Orchis papilio- 

 nacea, and several species of Ophrys, were in 

 flower on the tertiary plains, and Senecio squalidus 

 on the serpentine. 



The rarest and most interesting plants met 

 with this month were Sawifraga hederacea which 

 grows on moist rocks and among tombs, and 

 Tulipa Sibthorpiana. The yellow flowers of this 

 tulip droop, and are not larger than those of a 

 snowdrop. The leaves of specimens gathered at 

 Macri, where it grows among the thickets near 



