94 H. MØLHOLM HANSEN 
acaulis, Armeria (here and there), Cerastium alpinum, Tofieldia bore- 
alis, Juncus trifidus, Luzula spicata and L. multiflora, Alchemilla al- 
pina, Pingvicula vulgaris, Carex rigida, Festuca rubra, and further, 
where the soil is a littte damp, Saxifraga Hirculus, and Sedum 
villosum”. 
On the high plateau to the south of Vatnsdalur the heather 
mo is “stunted and patchy” and “the gravelly subsoil comes to the 
surface everywhere.” The composition of the species is as follows: 
Empetrum, Betula nana, Salix glauca, (here and there), Salix her- 
bacea, a very scattered growth of Vaccinium uliginosum, Dryas octo- 
petala, (rather sparingly), Elyna Bellardi, Silene acaulis, Armeria mari- 
tima, Cerastium alpinum, Polygonum viviparum, Trisetum spicalum, 
Poa caesia, Festuca ovina v. vivipara, Thalictrum alpinum, and Arabis 
petrea. 
The melar vegetation on Vatnsdalshals is described as 
follows; ‘Silene acaulis and in some places Dryas are the most 
conspicuous plants, notably in the flowering season but, in addition 
to these and several other plants growing among the heather, there 
also occur Silene maritima, Saxifraga oppositifolia, S. decipiens, 
S. nivalis, and on high, almost quite bare, gravelly flats Arenaria 
ciliata, Alsine verna, f. propinqua, Arabis petrea f. glabra and hispida, 
Draba verna, Trisetum subspicatum, Rumex acetosella, Armeria mari- 
fima and others.” 
In the highlands south of the valley the melar vegetation “re- 
sembles that of Vatnsdalshals, but is much poorer in species.” 
On Vatnsdalsfjall, “on the gravelly crest of the mountain, 
c. 2000‘ above the sea, the typical mountain field or melar vegetation, 
where the plants occur in isolated specimens with large bare patches 
between, attains its full development, almost without the invasion 
of any foreign elements. I observed the following species: Ranun- 
culus glacialis, Luzula arcuata, (both characteristic of high moun- 
tains), Luzula spicata, Poa pratensis, P. alpina (vivipar), P. caesia, 
Aira alpina, Saxifraga nivalis, S. oppositifolia, S. hypnoides, Cerastium 
alpinum, Erigeron alpinus, Polygonum viviparum, Silene acaulis, 
Dryas octopetala (in small quantity), Potentilla maculata, Ranunculus 
acer, Armeria sibirica, Salix herbacea, Triselum subspicatum.” 
On Vididalsfjall, at a height of c. 3000‘ the melar vegetation had 
the following composition: Silene acaulis, Saxifraga oppositifolia, 
Sedum acre, Ranunculus glacialis, further Cerastium alpinum f. lanata, 
Poa alpina, Aira alpina, Poa caesia, Saxifraga hypnoides, S. decipiens, 
