Arhoricultural Flora of Swede?i. 63 



undergrowth are essentially different. The woods consist chiefly of pines and 

 firs, the pines (Pinus sylvestris) being principally in the plains ; and the firs 

 (^^bies excelsa) on the mountains; and of birch and alders. The low trees 

 and shrubs are quite changed; we no longer find JVer carapestre, ^edera, 

 *S'ambucus, iigustrum, ^uonymus, Cerasus avium, Caprifolium Periclymenum, 

 ^Sorbus ^^-ia, Populus alba and nigra, Erica Petralix, or Carpinus ; and in 

 their stead begin the ITippophaes, J'lnus incana, iedum palustre, and -Betula 

 nana. 



.3. The Region of the Birch is bounded only by the limits of vegetation itself 

 As it extends farther and farther towards the north, it gradually drops 

 many of the former species, and others arise in their stead ; such as Lonicera 

 caerulea, and more especially all the plants belonging to the Lapland flora, as 

 many of the salixes, the andromedas, azaleas, diapensia, &c. The Tamarix 

 germanica exists in Sweden, only in this region ; and we find here three 

 singular varieties, with laciniated leaves, of the birch (Petula hybrida Moen.) 

 near Fahlun ; of the alder (J'lnus glutinosa var. laciniata) in the north of 

 Warmeland ; and of J'lnus incana (betula pinnata, Landini in Act. Holm.), also 

 in the north of Warmeland. As the woods of pines and firs disappear, from 

 being destroyed by fire, the birch takes their place, and thrives so well in the 

 burnt soil as to give quite a diflPerent appearance to the country. 



Different regions of vegetation may also be formed by boun- 

 daries taken longitudinally, or from east to west. These consist 

 of: 1. the two islands of Oeland and Gothland; 2. the eastern 

 maritime district ; 3. the western maritime district ; 4. the in- 

 terior region ; and 5. the alpine region ; all of which have different 

 kinds of vegetation. 



1. The two Islands of Oeland and Gothland have a chalky soil, and a maritime 

 atmosphere, with what may be called an island climate. They possess many 

 shrubs which are not to be found in any other part of Scandinavia ; such as 

 Coronilla E'merus, Helianthemum Fumana and oelandicum, and Potentilla 

 fruticosa; and some trees, such as C'Imus effusa and /S'orbus hybrida. 



2. The Eastern Maritime District is poorer in vegetation than the western 

 one ; and its flora bears a strong resemblance to that of the Russian continent. 

 2^axus baccata and ^ippophae rhamnoides are principally found in this 

 region, as is also Cornus sanguinea. 



3. The Western Maritime District possesses an extremely mild climate, and its 

 flora partakes of the character of that of the British Islands, most of the trees 

 and shrubs of which country we find there; especially the G^enista, i^igustrum 

 vulgare, ^ippophae rhamnoides, /Sorbus J^ria, Erica Petralix and cinerea, 

 and A^cer campestre. Asparagus belongs to both coasts. The holly and 

 the furze fail totally in Sweden ; but both are found in Denmark, and the 

 holly in Norway. 



4<. The Interior Region is the poorest of all, so that we may invert the law of 

 Linnaeus, who stated that vegetation has descended from the mountains; as 

 here, the principal station of the plants seems to have been the valleys, from 

 which they have ascended to the hills and mountains. An interior shrub is, for 

 example, Berheris vulgaris. The most interesting of the shrubs found in the 

 interior is Linnse^a borealis. 



5. The Alpine Flora is certainly poor in the number of its species, though it 

 is rich in species which are to be found in no other part of Sweden ; it is not 

 however, essentially different from that of the southern European alps, except 

 in shrubs, some salixes, the diapensia, and iJhododendron lapponicum. 



Having thus given a short sketch of the regions into which the 

 arhoricultural vegetation of Sweden may be divided, I shall next 



