Bd. IV: 12) THE VEGETATION IN SOUTH GEORGIA. 19 



The inland vegetation of South Georgia, the grassy tundra or tundra-meadow, 

 as I shall call it, described by both Will and myself, covering much larger areas 

 than the tussock and further giving the peculiar South Georgian stamp to the land, 

 is not mentioned by Warming; only a lichen-tundra is mentioned on p. 209. 



1. The Poa-flabellata-association. -- Plates 2—5: 1. 



This association is largely composed of one single plant, the one that gave it 

 its name. Very few plants are able to grow together with Poa flabellata. Of a 

 rapid growth, it forms a mighty pedestal of peat, composed of leafsheaths, rhizomes 

 and roots, and very firm, crowned by a dense mass of leaf-shoots. I do not know 

 the maximum age of a tussock, only that a specimen like that on PI. 4 must be 

 20 — 30 years old. In the astronomical observatory in Royal Bay, which had lost its 

 roof, I found a fine specimen with a diameter of about 1 m; it could of course not 

 be older than 19 years. On plate 3 is shown how the old withered leaves cover 

 the pedestal and the ground between the plants: there is nothing left for other spe- 

 cies and it is quite easy to explain, why this association is often pure. The over- 

 hanging leaves from neighbour-tussocks meet over the tunnels between the pedestals; 

 few plants are able to germinate in their shadow. Where an individual dies off and 

 starts decaying, other plants, mosses, Acaenae a. o. come in and occupy the spot, 

 at least for some time, till another tussock of Poa starts to fill the vacancy. Many 

 of the plants mentioned in my lists grew on scattered spots of ground between the 

 tussocks or more often along the outer margin of it, for, just as in a forest many 

 plants appear only on its skirts, so not a few species that do not really belong to 

 the /W-community may thrive in a corresponding position. 



Jason Harbour. A close community of Poa, reaching as far as there is a 

 beach of shingle and outwards fringed by Acaena adscendens. Tongues of tussock 

 run upwards on the slopes to a height of 50 m or more. Bryophytes play a very minor 

 part; some small tufts are found on /W-hillocks or between them — is there a clear 

 space, Pogonatum alpinum may form large firm cushions where Acaena tenera seems to 

 grow well. In the bottom of the Acaeua-ca.rpet there are always some mosses, and 

 especially Tortilla robusta seems to be found in company with Acaena everywhere. 

 The following species, more or less belonging to the tussock, were noted: z 

 Bartramia patens var. Tortula robusta 



Bryum latnprocarpum Webera ampliretis 



Die ran u in tenuicuspidatum 



Pliilonotis vagans Lophozia badia 



Pogonatum alpinum Marckantia cephaloscypha. 



1 Here, as in the following pages, dominant species are given in fat-faced types. 



