igi6. Xo. 8. MONOGRAPH OF THE NORWEGIAN PHYSCIACEAE. 



Stee (»Steie«) in Vestre Slidre (M. N. Blytt), Beito in Østre Slidre 

 (M. X. Blytt). and Grindadn (»Grindfjeldet«) in \'ang (M. X. Blytt), File- 

 fjeld (M. X. Blytt), Telemarken: Haakenes (M. N. Blytt). det. E. Fries: 

 »rarissime in Europa borealis, antea non visa«, herb, note by Fries). \*ery 

 rare in Western Norway, only recorded from Vaagse in Xordfjord (C. G. 

 My'rix) — Th. Fries erroneously writes ^- Steie (Blytt) distr. Bergensis'-. 

 Steie or Stee is in Valders. 



The eminent observer Mr. Havaas has carefully investigated our west 

 coast from Stat to Rægefjord and never found it, and it is, dierefore, im- 

 probable that this conspicuous species should be recorded from that region. 

 It has neither been recorded from our south-eastern lowlands, Hedemarken, 

 Hadeland, Kristiania-f jord (with the one exception of Blytt's localit}-), nor 

 from the south coast. It will be seen that An. spcciosa is caracteristic ot 

 the upper part of our great south-eastern valleys, there is only one mari- 

 time locality: X'aagse. 



It is possible that this distribution is onl}- due to historical causes, 

 that soredia or thallus fragments were first brought to one of these stations, 

 and that it was only spread to continental localities. — This 

 explanation is not very satisfactory from a scientific point of view. The 

 vallej-s have a dry climate, but \'aagsø has an annual downpour of ca. 

 2000 mm., and the plant is known from Western France and from the 

 British Isles, where it is recorded »chiefl}- in maritime districts«^-. — The 

 importance of the annual rain-fall has in our literature been overestimated. 

 There are dry and humid places everywhere, notwithstanding the rain-fall, 

 and plants growing scattered and in inconsiderable numbers will not be 

 much influenced b}' it. — The downpour is of extreme importance to the 

 development of extensive formations. If the rain is so heav}- and constant 

 that Sphagna grow on smooth mountain-sides, as in Western and in part 

 in Southern Xorway. the Lichens will have a poor chance of covering the 

 ground, and it is very rare that we find a Lichen-formation of loo m. in 

 extension, with the exception of the special shore formations of Gyropiiora. 

 Umbilicana, and Xant/iofia-spec\es. In the continental parts of Eastern 

 Xorway (Fæmunden with a downpour of 4-600 mm.) and the adjacent 

 parts of Sweden (Dalarne) there are almost continuous formations of 

 Lichens, more than 100 km. in extension {Cladonia alpestris and C. 5//- 

 vaiica). 



If the distribution of our plant should have a climatic cause, we must 



' Th. Fries: Lieh. Scand p. 134. 

 - Crombie: I. c. p. 304. 



