The Botany of Iceland - 01.12.1942, Page 14

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JOHS. GRONTVED
j'ourneys Feddersen collected assiduously, both Phanerogams and Cryp-
togams, and his collections were sent to Copenhagen and determined
by Professor E. Rostrup, who in 1887 wrote a paper: “Bidrag til Is-
lands Flora” (Botanisk Tidsskrift, Vol. 16). For this work Rostrup also
made use of two other herbaria, collected by the two Icelandic students
Ólafur Davíðsson and Stefán Stefánsson. In his introduction to this
work Rostrup expresses the hope that at some future time there may
come from the hands of the two young Icelanders a more complete
list of the Icelandic plants, with detailed information as to their distribu-
tion—more accurate than it is possible for foreigners to give. As will
be seen, what Rostrup hoped came true.
During the years from 1887 to the close of the century several con-
tributions to the Icelandic flora were published:
In 1890 and 1896 Arthur Bennet wrote two shorter papers con-
taining several additions to the Icelandic flora. See List of Literature.
Theodor Holm in Botanisk Tidsskrift 1897 published “Contribu-
tions to the Flora of Iceland”, based on a collection of plants gathered
by an American lady, Miss Elizabeth Taylor, during a stay in Iceland
in 1895. Holm’s list contains 65 species.
In 1898 Ostenfeld and Gelert published “Nogle Bidrag til Islands
Flora” (Botanisk Tidsskrift, Vol. 21). This Paper is in the main a list
of species, with new localities and critical remarks on some few of
the species; it is based partly on collections made by Hjalmar Jensen,
and Th. Thoroddsen, partly on notes made by Helgi Jónsson, as also on
collections made by Ostenfeld himself during the Ingolf Expedition in
1895—96.
The most important contribution at this time, however, was made
by the Icelandic algologist, Dr. Helgi Jónsson. During the years from
1893—1901 Helgi Jónsson made a series of journeys in Iceland in
order to collect material and make notes on the vegetation. More
especially tracts which were botanically little known were visited. Jóns-
son published his results in 7 different papers in Botanisk Tidsskrift in
the years 1895—1905, see List of Literature. As Helgi Jónsson’s con-
tributions are based upon his own extensive and careful investigations
they are of great value and add much to the knowledge of the Ice-
landic Flora and Vegetation. It had evidently been Helgi Jónsson’s
intention to give a complete description of the Icelandic Flora, but a
too early death put an end to his work.
The man destined to become the writer of a modern Icelandic Flora