The Botany of Iceland - 01.12.1930, Blaðsíða 41
STUDIES ON THE VEGETATION OF ICELAND
31
tered sunny slopes. In Iceland most of the E 1 species are rare,
they only occur in the lowlands especially towards the south, and
thrive best near the hot springs.
E 2. Like tlie E 1 species, the species of this group are restricted
to the lowlands in Iceland, and occur inore commonly south of
than north of the »jökull line«. However, these species occur more
commonly than the species of the previous group. In Scandinavia
and Finland they extend right up to the northern coasts, but none
of them have reached Greenland.
E 3. Like E 2 the species of this group have no northern limit
in Scandinavia and Finland. In Iceland they are common lowland
species which still thrive well in the lower zone of the highlands
but disappear higher up; they occur commonly and with equal
frequency in the various parts of the country. The species are found
in South Greenland as pronounced southern types. 66° N. has been
chosen as the northern limit of the group in West Greenland.
E 4 is the subgroup which has most common species in Ice-
land, and the species are of common occurrence riglit up into the
upper zone of the highland tracts. In Greenland, too, the species
are of common occurrence, some species even extend right up into
North Greenland.
The A ííroup comprises arctic and subarctic species having
their main distribution near, north of, or above the forest limit, the
20 °/0 Ch biochore. The species are common in Greenland, Spits-
bergen, Iceland, and on the Scandinavian and Scotcli mountains.
In more southerly countries the species are either absent (and this
applies to the inajority), or they occur sporadically and in small
quantity.
A 3 comprises the species which extend farthest north in the
arctic region and are therefore capable of withstanding the severest
cold. In Scandinavia these species are conlined to the most markedly
arctic localities; in Iceland they are a characteristic feature of the
upper highland zone.
A 2 comprises most of the common species of the A groups in
Iceland. The species of this group are more in evidence north of
than south of the “jökull line” and seem to thrive better in tlie
lower highland tracts than above and below. In Greenland these
species are of connnon occurrence though they do not, like the A 3
species, extend into North Greenland.