RANUNCULUS CYMBALARIA PURSH. PUNDET I NORGE 143 
both in Denmark and Norway and occurs „apparently wild “ here 
and there); it is therefore not quite excluded i hat these 2 species 
have germinated from European seeds, which however can neither 
he proved nor disproved. 
In a paper: „On Dulichium spathaceum, an American 
cyperacé in Danish interglacial peat-mosses“ (op. cit.) 
N. Hartz also mentions the recent American plants in Ireland. 
He seems to be of the opinion that those 3 „Americans“ in 
western Europe together with 3 Norwegian arctic species (Carex 
scirpoidea, Platanthera obtusata, Draba crassifolia ) must be 
regarded as interglacial relics. 
The author has come to the conclusion that these 3 Nor- 
wegian species can not be put together with the 3 Irish plants 
in one gro up, as they are arctic plants with much belter 
chances to survive an ice-age than the others. It must be more 
defensible to put the 3 Irish ones, (Kalmia), and Ranunculus 
Cymbcilaria together, and separate the 3 arctic species. 
Ranunculus Cymbalaria however can not be an inter- 
glacial relic as the Asmal island was quite covered with ice 
during the latest ice-age (the front of the glaciers passed through 
J utland). The authors opinion is that it has mi grat ed to 
Norway in r a t h e r recent times over w i d e d i s t a n c e s. 
The whole American element in Europe also can be explained 
in the same way (already mentioned by Hartz, 1. c.). 
Ranunculus Cymbalaria also grows in Si bi ri a, and a 
chance transport with bi r ds from thence to Europe may perhaps 
be possible. But the distances are so considerable that it is very 
difficult to understand how seeds can adhere to flying birds 
during such a long (and abrupt) journey. And if this manner 
of transport really is of any importance and efficiency, it is 
quite unintelligible why Ranunculus Cymbalaria is wanting 
in south-eastern Europe, in Russia, Hungary etc. where saline 
soil is rather frequent. The fact is that through these regions 
passes one of the chief lines of the Sibirian migratory birds 
