The Botany of Iceland - 01.12.1945, Side 68

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STEINDÓR STEINDÓRSSON
the snow-patches, which may be met with at the highest levels ever
reached by any vegetation. Apart from the grass field the surface al-
ways slopes somewhat, at times steeply.
a. The Valllendi Vegetation (grass field vegetation).
The valllendi (grass field) was defined by earlier authors as a
rather dry formation with a continuous cover of vegetation, a level sur-
face, and with Gramineae as dominants; these are, however, often
mixed with herbs. Since this formation hardly ever occurs in the high-
land tracts dealt with here, it will not be mentioned in more detail
here. The grass field is principally a lowland formation.
(Tab. VIII. A-B).
The typical grass field was only met with in one place within the
areas investigated by me, namely at Laugar on Landmannaafrjettur.
The formation is only found in a small patch, which, like the other
formations at Laugar, owes its life to the heat of the soil in connection
with the hot springs. This small valllendi patch (or patches) extends
along the edge of the lava field and on the banks of the brook issuing
from the spring. It is covered with a luxuriant vegetation resembling
that of manured home-fields in the lowland. At a greater distance from
the hot stream occurs the aforementioned Carex Goodenoughii mýri.
Dominant species in the valllendi are Trifolium repens, Agrostis tenuis,
and Leonlodon autumnalis, all typical lowland species. The great dif-
ference in the number of species of the two analyses is very conspicuous.
The only external difference between the two localities situated so
close to each other is that analysis 2 was taken at a slightly higher level
and nearer the hot stream than analysis i. The biological spectra show
that the arctic species are almost entirely absent, and of the E-groups
E3, in particular, is very conspicuous. Thus it will be seen that a marked
lowland vegetation is found here, and in addition there occur species
which require considerable heat; in spite of the situation of the place
at an altitude of well over 600 m this is supplied by the heath of the
soil. H is the dominant life-form.
As already mentioned, this formation does not belong to the actual
highland vegetation, but I include it here in order to show the influence
which the heat of the soil may have although we are concerned with
high-lying localities. It should, however, be added that the snow-cover-
ing at Laugar is exceptionally abundant. In this connection it may be
mentioned that near the hot springs of Laugar at Snæfell no vegetation