PHYTOGEOGRAPHY OF GREENLAND 



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Table 1 . Greenland distribution of Western and Eastern species 

 Data from Bocher, Hoi men, and Jakobsen (1959) 



1) U: Distribution W.-S.-E.; (1: Distribution W.-N.-E.; C : With a gap in East Green- 

 land; ( ): W. and E., not N. and S.; O: Circum Greenlandic distribution. 



areas in Greenland, whereas western species such as Hiewchloe orthantha, 

 Carex stylaris, C. deflexa, and Veronica wormskjoldii reach areas of the 

 maritime type in Greenland. 



There has been much discussion about the time of these migrations (Iversen, 

 1953; Bocher, 1956). For the solution of the questions it is evidently of 

 importance to realize that very many species of both elements, as well as the 

 Circumpolar species in Greenland, have reached areas which are explained 

 ecologically. Furtherinore, as already mentioned, many southern species do 

 not require high summer temperatures. 



The majority of true Arctic species occurs also on nunataks (Schwarzen- 

 bach, 1961) and may be very old members of the Greenland flora which 

 arrived during Interglacial times or even during the Late Tertiary and sur- 

 vived in unglaciated areas. 



Nothing, however, would in my opinion prevent an early (Interglacial) 

 migration of the montane North Atlantic species to Greenland and westwards. 

 They have had long periods during which they became established in west 

 Greenland (e.g. Angelica archangelica) and reached eastern America (e.g. 

 Saxifvaga stellaris). Some of them even seem to have suffered extinction in 

 certain areas of Greenland. Thus, north of south Greenland a species like 

 Ranunculus acris is now very rare and is found only in natural vegetation at 

 places where hardly any Norsemen have lived (Kangerdluarsuk ungatdleq, 

 stations at Angmagssalik), and where the topography indicates that during 

 the Last Tee Age only local glaciation has taken place. 



