Contributions to the Flora of West Greenland, 165 



may be largely due to the xerophiloiis character of tho mountain slopes 

 of Påtut. 



Of the total number 99 species are found in the lowland and 76 

 in the highland. 



The first section of the list gives the widely distributed arctic 

 species, which occiir along the whole coast of West Greenland. Of this 

 group, amounting nearly to one half, 13 are peculiar to the lowland, 

 4 to the highland, and 38 common. To any one familiar with the flora 

 it is obvious that within this group the absence of a species either in 

 the lowland or on the high terrace, must mainly be due to lack of suitable 

 stations. This is of course applicable to halophytes such as Honckenya, 

 Stellaria humifiisa and Mertensia, which are always restricted to the 

 sea shore, while such species as Ledum deciimbens, Rhododendron and 

 Statice seldom occur at this latitude at so high an altitude. 



The next group comprises the decidedly northern types, few of 

 which range far southwards beyond Disko Bay. Of the 9 species pecuhar 

 to the lowland, Carex ursina is confined to the shore, while common 

 species such as Arenaria ciliata, Melandrium triflorum and affine, Saxi- 

 fraga comosa and Pirola grandiflora are common at other piaces even 

 at greater heights. 



The most striking contrast therefore is to be found in the group 

 of the southern and lowland types amounting to 26 species of which 

 but 16 are peculiar to the lowland, 7 common and, curiously enough, 

 3 occur on the highland only. Of the lowland species Puccinellia and 

 Elijmus are restricted to the shore. 



It is, indeed, surprising that not less than 10 species reach an 

 altitude of 670 — 770 m., but this may possibly be explained by the 

 much more genial soil of the terrace produced by the basalt, which on 

 several piaces rests on the sandstones, and by an abundance of water 

 supplied by a small brook. 



Of high-arctic types only two species are noteworthy, viz. Ramin- 

 culus affinis and the recently described species Epilohium arcticiim. 



Generally, the vegetation had the character of typical "Fjældmark" 

 in Warming's sense. Only near and along the watercourse mentioned 

 by Hartz 1. c. was a green slope fairly covered by vegetation, showing 

 that a good supply of water during the short summer period and the 

 certainty of a sufficient "covering of snow or ice during winter were 

 enough to produce a closed turf of vegetation. 



The appearence of the sloping fore-land of Påtut is very remark- 

 able. Wandering here a hot day of August the general features does 

 not agree with those usually appHed to land within the arctic circle. 

 The red and grey brick-like shingle so peculiar to Påtut absorbs the 

 rays of the sun to such an extent that the warmth actually is felt 



