The Botany of Iceland - 01.12.1914, Page 117

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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officinalis, Vicia sepium, Galeopsis Tetrahit and Sanguisorba officinalis
occur only in southern and south-western Iceland. Anthgllis vutneraria
is fairly conimon in south-west Iceland, but has otherwise been l'ound
only in one place in East Iceland (Njardvik); Cakile maritima is
common in the sea-sand in south-west Iceland and in the southern
part of the north-western peninsula, but has not been found else-
where. Lathgrus paluster, L. pratensis and Veronica anagallis have
been found only in south-west Iceland, and Haloscias scoticum, also,
does not grow in other places with the exception of the islands in
Breidifjördur where it occurs rather frequently, and on the islands
in Hornafjord; Hgdrocotgte vulgaris occurs near hot springs in South
Iceland, especially in the district of Borgarfjord, but has not been
found elsewhere; Zostera marina is very common in south-west
Iceland, but is rare in other places.
The plant life of the north-western peninsula is as a rule poor
in species and not very characteristic. Fragaria vesca has not been
found there, although it is fairly common all over the island; Cor-
nus suecica grows in some places in Vestfirdir and near Breidifjör-
dur, but has not been found elsewhere, and Melampgrum sitvaticum
has been found only in wooded valleys near Isafjord. Papaver nu-
dicaule appears to be more common on the north-western penin-
sula than in other parts of the island. In North Iceland only a
few characteristic plants occur. Pleuroggne rotata is, however, very
common in North Iceland, but rather rare in other places; Milium
effusum also is especially characteristic of the northern districts.
Phgllodoce coerulea, which is so common in Greenland, is also fairly
common on the northern mountainous peninsulas on either side of
Eyjafjördur westwards as far as Fljót, bul has not been found else-
where; Primuta stricta has been found only near Eyjafjördur, and
Antennaria alpina and Erigeron uniftorus have been found only on
mountains in North Iceland.
Moreover, it may be mentioned that, here and there, a few
otherwise rather rare species, by occurring' in great abundance in
certain localities, give a characteristic appearance to the landscape.
Thus, in Selvogur Anthgllis vulneraria occurs so abundantly that
during the flowering period large tracts are quite yellow; in Eyja-
fjördur and in Hrappsey considerable areas are closely covered with
Viola tricolor. In Trostansfjördur the whole strand is densely over-
grown with Cakile maritima, which, although rather common in
■vvestern Iceland, occurs nowhere so abundantiy as here. An
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