1916. No. 8. MONOGRAPH OF THE NORWEGIAN PHYSCIACEAE. 15 



Stee (Steie) in Vestre Slidre (M. N. BLYTT), Beito in 0stre Slidre 

 (M. N. BLYTT), and Grindadn (Grindfjeldet) in Vang (M. N. BLYTT), File- 

 fjeld (M. N. BLYTT), Telemarken: Haakenes (M. N. BLYTT), det. E. FRIES: 

 rarissime in Europa borealis, antea non visa*, herb, note by FRIES). Very 

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

 MYRIN) 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 Raegefjord and never found it, and it is, therefore, 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-fjord (with the one exception of BLYTT'S locality), nor 

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

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

 time locality: Vaagse. 



It is possible that this distribution is only 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 

 valleys have a dry climate, but Vaagse 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 chiefly in maritime districts* 2 . 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 by it. The downpour is of extreme importance to the 

 development of extensive formations. If the rain is so heavy and constant 

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

 in Southern Norway, the Lichens will have a poor chance of covering the 

 ground, and it is very rare that we find a Lichen-formation of 100 m. in 

 extension, with the exception of the special shore formations of Gyrophora, 

 Umbilicaria, and Xanthoria-species. In the continental parts of Eastern 

 Norway (Faemunden 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 sit- 

 vatica}. 



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



1 TH. FRIES: Lich. Scand p. 134. 



2 CROMBIE: 1. c. p. 304. 



