THE CONTINENTAL FLORA OF SOUTH SWEDEN 287 



The South Swedish plant communities containing steppe species belong partly 

 to the » 7;'z//» -formation, partly to the grass heaths. They are characterized inter 

 alia by their great number of herbs; and with regard to them great use may 

 be made of the name of •» herb- hillsides ;>,S\veed. y>drtbackar-» (Hult 1885, p. 218; 

 Sernander, for instance, 1900, pp. 29 — 34). 



They are in part closely connected with the most steppe like communities out- 

 side South-East Europe, viz. the above-mentioned y>Pontische Hiigelformatiom 

 and the Sarmatian sand-grass heaths. With these, however, the South Swedish 

 types usually have little to do. These last lack a considerable number of spe- 

 cies; and, in accordance with the more boreal climate conditions of South Sweden, 

 they also deviate through the fact that shrub-lichens form a bottom layer to a 

 much greater extent. 



In this very short account of the South Swedish xerophilous herbaceous grass 

 communiti'fes that I take leave to give here, only a few types will be distinguished. 



In the first instance I start from the degree of the xerophilous character of the 

 vegetation, as that appears in the floristic composition. An important feature of 

 the more xerophilous types — besides the differences in the composition of the 

 phanerogamous flora • — is the existence of a bottom layer formed of shrub-lichens 

 (Cetrariae, Cladinae, Cladoniae) and certain mosses (Barbula ruralis, Grimmia 

 canescens and ericoides, Thuidium abietinum etc.).^ The more mesophilous tj'pe 

 lacks shrub-lichens, and other mosses form its bottom-layer (Hylocomium parietinum 

 and proliferum, Hypnum lutescens, sericeum and plumosum, Thuidium tamarisci- 

 folium and recognitum etc.). I shall call the first-named xerophilous type >->grass 

 heaths')^, the latter »^rjj' nieadows-». 



Within these main types we can then distinguish subordinate types with regard 

 to the continental character of the flora. 



In the lime districts of South-Eastcrn Sweden, especially on the calcareous 

 plateaus of Oland and Gotland, there is herbaceous grass-land where South-Eastern 

 and South European species play a very conspicuous part as regards both the 

 number of individuals and the number of species. These communities are very 

 closely connected with the above-mentioned -^Pontische Hugelfori)iation-i> . Even 

 in parts of the Archaean rock district in South-Eastern Sweden, where there is 

 little precipitation, locally similar communities may be found. 



On wide sandy areas in South-Eastern Sweden, especially eastern Skane, there 

 are herbaceous sand-grass heaths with many species of a great distribution in 

 Pontis or Sarmatia. They must be ranged together with the above-mentioned 

 Sarmatian sand-grass heaths. 



Both these types seem to be characteristic of Engler's Sarmatiayi province and 

 to be chiefly distributed within the latter, so I propose to call them Sarmatian. 



'^ On steeper slopes a cover of lichens or mosses is lacking. 



