Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.08.1930, Blaðsíða 4

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of the frequent sand-storms from the upper part of the valley.
Nearest to Þjórsá the valllendi-vegatation (valllendi is a dry
uncultivated grassland) is dominating, yet on approaching the
slopes there are some swamps. At the roots of the mountain
and in the lower parts of the slopes, is also valllendi-vege-
tation, where the Gramineœ dominates, higher up the mólendi-
vegetation (heather-v.) begins, the chief species of plants
there being Elyna Bellardi and Juncus trifidus. Where the
heather-land terminates, the mosaþembur-vegetation (Grimmia
heath v.), with scanty Phanerogam-vegetation, begins. tinged
with a silvery greyish colour from Grimmia, the most frequent
species of moss there. Highest up are melar (fell-fields) which
in many places stretch downwards, through the mosathembur,
to the heather-land.
In landslips, clayey flats and other places of moisture, is a
special vegetation; Sedum vil/osum, Rumex acetosella, Poa
annua, Stellaria media, Cardamine hirsuta, Juncus bufonius
and Luzula spicata grow there; Spergula arvensis grew also
in clayey flats, but there was much less of it here than in
the lowlands- of South-Iceland, where, in many places, it
dominates in the clayey flats’ vegetation. Subularia clayey
flats were not there. In a few places higher up in the valley
a lot of Senecio vulgaris grew in landslips. This habitat is
rather a remarkable one, because it is quite a long way off
from a farm, and else this plant grows almost exclusively
near human habitation.
On rocks and in ravines grew, among other things, the
saxifrages: Saxifraga grönlandica, S. hypnoides, S. nivalis,
S. stellaris, Sedum acre, S. annuum. By swampy quagmires
and river-beds abounded Montia rivularis, Epilobium alsini-
folium. Agrostis alba etc.
In many places in the slopes, and especially in the forest,
were beautiful flowery hollows. Here the most prominent of
the flower-plants were: Geranium silvaticum, Rubus saxatilis,
Alchemilla minor, Brunella vulgaris, Geum rivale, Ranunculus
acer, Taraxacum vulgaris and Mierarcium sp., of grass-plants
Anthoxanthum odoratum, Agrostis tenuis, Poa pratensis, P.
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