The Flora of Greenland and its Origin. 39 



t)' 



It is, however, by no means always that we can draw 

 any conclusions as to their origin from the distribution of 

 the species in the country; the European Ranunculiis acer 

 for instance, has precisely the same distribution in Green- 

 land as the American Coptis Irifolia. 



Only a few species extend farther northward on the 

 East Coast than on the West, which agrees with the faet 

 that conditions of Hfe are more severe on tlie east than 

 on the west. Among the few exceptions we find, strangely 

 enough, the circumpolar Sediim roseiim, which is known 

 on the East Coast up to abt. 74'' N. Lat., while on the 

 West Coast it only goes as far north as Lat. 69^. It is not 

 easy to advance any explanation of this. It is easier to 

 understand that three European "southerly" species, reach 

 their farthest north on the East Coast, where they must 

 be presumed to have made their first appearance in the 

 country; Hieracinm alpinum extends, on the East Coast, 

 up into Scoresby Sound (abt. 71° N. Lat.), but on the West 

 Coast only to abt. 62V2° N. Lat. Carex atrata and Agrostis 

 canina are both found in the Angmagsalik district on the 

 East Coast, but go no farther than abt. 62"" N. on the 

 West Coast. 



XII. Immigration into Greenland. 



Table II shows the species grouped according to their 

 distribution outside Greenland, there being 8 groups in all 

 (A — H). Of these, the endemic group (H) has already been 

 discussed, and it was suggested that the ancestors of the 

 4 species of Hieracium had presumal)ly immigrated with 

 the Norsemen\ The other "old Norse" piants have also 

 been dealt with (pp. 13 — 19). 



' The other 4 endemic species are most probably of American origin. 



I 



