Greinar (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.01.1967, Page 64

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of the outer islands. Altogether 11 species of vascular
plants have been observed on Brandur (Table II).
Hellisey
This island is a small crater, about half of which has
been eroded, so that the bowl is open on the south-west-
ern side facing the prevailing winds. Hellisey is only 0.1
sq. km in area, precipitous on the northern and western
sides, but with a steep coastal slope, corresponding to the
inner wall of the crater bowl, to the south. The principal
association is the coastal cliff vegetation, found scattered
along the cliffs with plants such as Armeria vulgaris, Puc-
cinella maritima, Atriplex patula, Cochlearia officinalis
and Plantago maritima. Higher up on the island the puf-
fin colony vegetation is found. Its dominant species was
Festuca rubra, about 45% average, with associated spe-
cies Matricaria maritima 16%, Atriplex patula 3.5 % and
Puccinella maritima 3%. Bare patches were extensive, or
33% (Table IV, Hellisey 1 and 2). The puffin colony was
completely honeycombed and much trodden by the birds.
In many places the droppings had burned away all vege-
tation, especially where gannets had taken over parts of
the puffin colony. It is worth noting that the Puccinella
and Atriplex grow well on the edges of areas of droppings
and appear to tolerate the high fertility level of the gan-
net colony even better than the Festuca. No dry meadow
land occurs on the island. In all 9 species of vascular
plants have been found there (Table II).
Súlnasker
Súlnasker is perpendicular on all sides, about 70 m high
and 0.03 sq. km in area. On top of the skerry there is a
ridge with some level ground on the summit and slopes
to either side of it.
Dry meadow land does not occur. The puffin colony
covers most of the skerry, but there is coastal cliff vege-
tation in a belt below the colony. In several places there