384 Norway and the Norivegians 



is visited by Norwegian, Swedish, and German botanists, 

 of whose kindness in imparting valuable information, 

 and giving invaluable help, experienced by myself 

 in the summer of 1890, I cannot speak too highly. 

 Within the last few years ' many rare new species 

 have been discovered there, which are fully described 

 in Professor Blytt's condensed Norsk Flora, to be 

 published within the next few years. 



We will now turn our attention to the lowland flora, 

 which has a nearly uniform distribution throughout the 

 whole country, and is for the most part poor in varieties 

 of species. This is especially the case with the flora of 

 the pine and birch forests, which consists principally of 

 Vaccinium (Bilberry), Ccdluna (Ling), and EmiJetrum 

 (Crow Berry) ; and in a less degree with the flora of 

 the luxuriant grass- covered moist slopes, often found in 

 the belts of willow, birch, and pine flora, consisting of 

 Cirsium heteroijhyllum (a Thistle), Midgediuvi aljnmim 

 (Alpine Sow-thistle), Ranuneidus aconitifolius (Aconite- 

 leaved Crowfoot) (3), etc. The unwooded west coast is 

 mostly carpeted with monotonous heather. 



But there are localities which are exceptions to this 

 general uniformity. Under steep walls of rock are often 

 seen dry rubbles of fallen stones, and when these 

 rubbles are exposed to the sun, we find growing in 

 them a remarkably rich and diversified flora. A great 

 many of the more delicate deciduous trees and shrubs 

 (for instance, lime, elm, hazel, oak, sycamore, apple, 

 etc.) form in such places small groves and brushwood, 

 sheltering amongst others the following: — Convallaria 

 2')olygonatv.m (Solomon's Seal), DcqjJme Mezereum (Spurge 

 Laurel), Dentaria lidhifcra (Bulbiferous Coral-root), 



