PHANEROGAMIC FLORA OF SPITZBERGEN. 169 
Ranunculus hyperboreus; Rottb. Carex misandra, R. Br. 
Parrya arctica, E. Br. C. nardina, Fr. 
Draba glacialis, Adams (non. Smflt).. Poa abbreviata, E. Br. 
D. micropetala, Hook. Hierochloa pauciflora, R. Br. 
D. pauciflora, R. Br. ' Catabrosa vilfoidea, Ands. 
Wahlbergella affinis, Fr. Festuca brevifolia, E. Br. 
Arenaria Rossii, R. Br. 
„i Of these, the following have not. been found in Greenland, nor in the 
Arctic regions of the Old World: Parrya arctica, Draba paucifiora 
(although. cited: for the Taimyrland), -Draba micropetala, Arenaria 
Rossii, Poa abbreviata, Hierochloa pauciflora; and. Catabrosa vilfoidea. 
But, excepting Catabrosa, which is new, they are all known from Arctic 
America beyond lat. 74° N., and were gathered, with the exception of 
D. micropetala, by Parry on Melville Island, lat. 75° N. 
It has been asserted* that the snow-line north of lat. 78°.N. de- 
scends to. the sea-level; but that is not the case on the coasts of Spitz- 
bergen. The flora at lat. 78° N. consists of 89 species of Phaneroga- 
mia, and at least 250 species of Cryptogamia, viz. 70-80 mosses, 30 
seaweeds, 150 lichens, and 10-15 fungi; and the vegetation is so 
vigorous, that numerous herds of reindeer there find rich pasture. 
At least 29 species of phanerogamia are found on the mountains of the 
north coast (79°5-80°-5) below the snow-line, which’ here rises to 
600-1000 feet above the sea-level. Blomstrand found a plentiful and 
vigorous vegetation more than 2000 feet above the sea at Magdalena 
Bay (7995); and at Brandywine Bay (80° 24") the mountain sides 
were covered with a not very scanty vegetation more than 1000 feet 
above the sea; and in this locality, on the moss-covered terraces be- 
low the bird-cliffs species of Cochlearia and Ranunculus were found a foot 
in height. The snow-line then does not descend to the sea-level on 
the western or northern coasts of Spitzbergen, but must be drawn at 
lat. 80° N. at least 800 if not 1000 feet above the sea. | 
The following plants are found on the north coast, from 600-1000 
feet ‘above the sea. A star is prefixed to those plants which were 
found near the snow-line. 
* By Durocher in “ Voyage en Scandinavie, ete.,” publ. par Gaimard, * Géogra- 
phie Physique,’ vol. i. 2, p. 12. : 
t It a tad that the Norwegians, in the summer of 1861, killed at Ice Sound 
alone (lat. 78° N.) from four to six hundred reindeer. 
