STUDIES ON THE VEGETATION OF ICELAND 97 
a continuous carpet.” The three species referred to are some of the 
most typical plants of the snow patches in Iceland. 
The above-cited descriptions of localities in connection with the 
flora lists given correspond closely to the geiri vegetation elsewhere, 
e.g. on Lyngdalsheidi and Arnarvatnsheidi, and even though Ste- 
fansson does not distinguish the geiri or snow patch vegetation 
as a separate type, its presence in the highland tracts around Vatns- 
dalur may be taken for granted. Hence the vegetation here con- 
sists of the following four types: melar, mo, myri, and geiri. 
The highland vegetation of East Iceland and Snæfellsnes has 
been described in more detail by Helgi Jonsson. In “Vegetationen 
paa Snæfellsnes”, where the highland vegetation is dealt with, Helgi 
Jönsson distinguishes between 3 types, viz. grimmia heath, moun- 
tain pools, and fell-field (“Fjeldmark’’). 
Of the fell-field we find the following statement on p. 27 ff: 
“the fell-field, as taken here, extends over the upper region of the 
mountain from the upper limit of the heather moor at c. 300—400 m. 
above the sea, to the snow line, with the exception of the mountain 
pools and the grimmia heath.” “Its surface is very heterogeneous, 
consisting now of extensive gravelly or gravelly and clayey flats, now 
of more or less downward sloping stretches, bare rocks and screes. 
In smaller hollows the subsoil is covered with layers of clay, and 
in depressions lakes of greatly varying sizes are met with.” 
“The plants of the fell field are scattered here and there, either 
in solitary specimens at a considerable distance from each other, 
or they are collected in small scattered tufts. Often they occur in 
patches, forming a carpet, notably the mosses, Salix herbacea and 
Sibbaldia. The scattered plants and the scattered patches of growth 
do not, however, affect the physiognomy of the landscape. What 
characterises the fell field is principally the stony, gravelly, or 
clayey soil.” 
“The vegetation of the fell field is very heterogeneous since, as 
was pointed out, the soil is very varied. As regards the appearance 
of the vegetation, the factors of decisive importance, besides the 
height above the sea, are the greater or less exposure of the locality 
and its water supply.” 
“The part played by the phanerogams in the composition of the 
vegetation grows less and less with increasing height; at the lower 
limit of the fell field on the other hand, they are very abundant. 
Here small Empetreta are met with in patches, Loiseleuriela, Cassi- 
The Botany of Iceland, Vol. II. 7 
