Greinar (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.01.1935, Side 128

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vegetation on tuff and that on liparite rocks. The
former are often more or less covered with growth up
to the edge, but the Iatter entirely devoid of vegetation.
They are often so devoid of plant-life over such large
areas that they are like true deserts such as the areas
covered with drifting sand.
These are the chief areas where vegetation is found:
1. By Landmannahellir. Much of this area lies along the
river Helliskvísl. Stretching west from the Hellir between
the mountains Sáta and Hellisfjall to the east and as far
west as Sauðleysur, but on the east of Hellir from Loð-
mundur in the north as far south as Mógilshöfði. The
northern side of Sáta and the southern side of Loðmundur
are covered with vegetation right up to the edge.
2. In Dómadalur there is a small area of plant-life by
Dómadalsvatn.
3. To the north of Frostastaðavatn there is an old lava
field fairly well overgrown with vegetation. To the north
of this is the mountain Tjörfafell which is covered with
vegetation. This mountain I could not include in my survey
4. Laugar. There is a small grassy area, such as may
be found in inhabited districts but there is both good
shelter there and subterranean heat.
5. Kýlingar. There is a fairly large area around Kýling-
arvatn and the mountains Stóri and Litli Kýlingur are both
to a great extent covered with vegetation.
6. Jökuldalir. A large area of vegetation.
I was not able to make investigations east of Jökuldal-
ir, though there are large areas covered with vegetation,
especially when nearing Skaptártunga. Besides these chief
areas of vegetation which have been mentioned it is pos-
sible to find small patches of growth here and there. I could
only investigate a very few of them save Hattver in Jök-
ulgil. There are patches of vegetation at some places in
the lava fields, e. g. in Laugahraun, but there is no ques-
tion of continuous carpets of vegetation there.