Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.06.1975, Blaðsíða 86

There is generally considerable moss, but it never becomes so
prevalent as to disrupt the continuity of the phanerogamous vege-
tation. Sphagnum quite often occurs on knolls, but never to the
extent of characterizing the vegetation. This sociation is found
vvherever similar conditions prevail, that is in sloping, moderately
moist mires. The slope is everywhere sufficient to prevent water
from collecting and stagnating and hy mid-summer these mires
are to a considerable extent dried out, so that the drying of hay
in such places never presented any problems. There is some peat
formation in most of these places. As to acidity nothing can he
stated beyond what is indicated hy the distribution of species.
Neither is it possible to detect any tendency for these mires to
slope in any other particular direction. All things considered it
can be said that no sociation is more typical for Icelandic mire
sociations as a whole. Some observations of this sociation may now
be mentioned, although no analyses are at hand. In a few areas
of Hörgárdalur it appears to be mostly of the same nature, the only
difference being that there were generally fewer species. This
mav however be explained by the fact that all the observations
were exclusively made on meadow land. The sociation is common
in Miðfjörður, Húnavatnssýsla. My observations there mostly origi-
nate from an area to the south of Hvammstangi. Apart from the
character species the following seemed constant: Carex chordorrhiza.
C. Lvngbyei, C. rariflora, Comarmn palustre, Festuca rubra, Galium
prunilum, Luzula multiflora, Poa pratensis, Polygonum viviparum,
Thalictrum alpinum, and Vaccinium uliginosum. Anthoxantum
odoratum occurred in the driest spots, but disappeared as soon as
the ground became somewhat more damp, but in other respects the
sociation seems to be the same.
At Skeggjastaðir in Langanesströnd the following species were
found together with the character species: Carex chordorrhiza, C.
Lyngbyei, C. panicea, C. rariflora, C. rostrata, Calamagrostis neg-
lecta, Comarum palustre, luncus alpinum, J. triglumis, Menyanthes
trifoliata, and Polygonum viviparum. There the mire was rather
moist and the flói (level mire) plants occurred mostly in the de-
pressions. Otherwise the conditions were similar in most respects.
Analysis 1 is from Hróarsholt in Flói. There the sociation covers
extensive areas. The landscape is characterized by low hills with
86