Bd. IV: 12) THE VEGETATION IN SOUTH GEORGIA. 17 



On the level ground behind the Poa, at the foot of the hills, are tundra-meadows 

 (Fig. 3) and Rostfcovia-swamps and on the sunny, well-watered slopes, beauti- 

 ful mats of Acaena adscendens (Plate 6). The meadows S of Pot Harbour were among 

 the best developed I saw in the island (Fig. 3). Coming round the ridge south of 

 the cove, one reaches an extensive plain, probably one of the largest pieces of level 

 ground to be found on the island, with a length of 6 and a breadth of 2.5 km (Plate 

 1, 5: 1) but a very windy place. Along the shore it is bordered by coarse shingle 

 with Poa and Acaena, which also clothe the moraine wall running along the eastern 

 edge of the plain. Along the mountains is much swampy ground, especially round 

 the Penguin River which comes from a small lake, collecting the water from the sur- 

 rounding mountains and from the Hamberg Glacier, which once occupied the valley 

 and carried down the material now filling it up and forming the plain. The greatest 

 part of it shows a meagre tundra with scattered phanerogams and large, low and 

 flat cushions of peat-forming Polytricha and other mosses. Patches of naked gravel 

 with stunted phanerogams and finer fruticulose lichens are met with a intervals. Into 

 the plain opens a side valley running SE-NW and by us called Junction valley, 

 for at 350 m above sea level a pass is reached, over which one comes down into 

 another valley opening towards the West Fjord. The vegetation on the sides of 

 this valley, where once a big glacier came down on the plain and joined the Ham- 

 berg glacier, once more fixes our attention on the importance of exposure in South 

 Georgia. Nowhere is there any rich vegetation, but on the SW side meadows reach 

 at least 200 — 250 m and single phanerogams were found up to a height of about 

 500 m, the highest point at which vascular plants have been found in South Georgia. 

 The contrast with the opposite side of the valley is enormous, for there I saw no- 

 thing but piles of stones and large snow-drifts and no trace of vegetation beyond 

 some lichens encrusting the stones or a tuft of an Andreaea or a Grimmia in the 

 crevices. 



3. The mountain-ridge E of the Hamberg-glacier 



shows some patches of grasses in the lower parts. On the other side of the Moraine 

 Fjord we spent some days on the peninsula separating this inlet from the main 

 branch. Along the coast is a series of beautiful terraces, clothed with tundra 

 meadows and tussock-grass, but as there was much snow at the time of our visit, 

 it was not possible to make further observations. 



I have already above adverted to the vegetation in Royal Bay. In compari- 

 son with places such as May Cove or Pot Harbour, it gives a rather poor impression. 



3 — 121650. Schwedische Siidpolar-Expedition igoi — 1Ç03. 



