Contributions to the Flora of West Greenland. 165 
may be largely due to the xerophilous character of the mountain slopes 
of Pätüt. 
Of the total number 99 species are found in the lowland and 76 
in the highland. | 
The first section of the list gives the widely distributed arctic 
species, which occur along the whole coast of West Greenland. Of this 
group, amounting nearly to one half, 13 are peculiar to the lowland, 
4 to the highland, and 38 common. To any one familiar with the flora 
it is obvious that within this group the absence of a species either in 
the lowland or on the high terrace, must mainly be due to lack of suitable 
stations. This is of course applicable to halophytes such as Honckenya, 
Stellaria humifusa and Mertensia, which are always restricted to the 
sea shore, while such species as Ledum decumbens, Rhododendron and 
Statice seldom occur at this latitude at so high an altitude. 
The next group comprises the decidedly northern types, few of 
which range far southwards beyond Disko Bay. Of the 9 species peculiar 
to the lowland, Carex ursina is confined to the shore, while common 
species such as Arenaria ciliata, Melandrium triflorum and affine, Saxi- 
fraga comosa and Pirola grandiflora are common at other places even 
at greater heights. 
The most striking contrast therefore is to be found in the group 
of the southern and lowland types amounting to 26 species of which 
but 16 are peculiar to the lowland, 7 common and, curiously enough, 
3 occur on the highland only. Of the lowland species Puccinellia and 
Elymus are restricted to the shore. 
It ıs, indeed, surprising that not less than 10 species reach an 
altitude of 670—770 m., but this may possibly be explained by the 
much more genial soil of the terrace produced by the basalt, which on 
several places rests on the sandstones, and by an abundance of water 
supplied by a small brook. 
Of high-arctic types only two species are noteworthy, viz. Ranun- 
culus affinis and the recently described species Epilobium arcticum. 
Generally, the vegetation had the character of typical “Fjældmark?? 
in WARMING’s sense. Only near and along the watercourse mentioned 
by Hartz l. с. was a green slope fairly covered by vegetation, showing 
that a good supply of water during the short summer period and the 
certainty of a sufficient covering of snow or ice during winter were 
enough to produce a closed turf of vegetation. 
The appearence of the sloping fore-land of Pätüt is very remark- 
able. Wandering here a hot day of August the general features does 
not agree with those usually applied to land within the arctic circle. 
The red and grey brick-like shingle so peculiar to Pätüt absorbs the 
rays of the sun to such an extent that the warmth actually is felt 
