Discovery of Fossil Remains of an Arctic Flora in Central Sweden

Abstract

FOR the first time fossil remains of an Arctic flora have been discovered in the great stretch of land between Scania and Norrland. The discovery was made in a part where it was least expected, viz. just north of the town of Vadstena, close to the shore of the lake Wettern. The soil in the vicinity of Vadstena greatly resembles that of South-Western Scania, being mostly formed of moraine clay or clayey moraine sand, whilst marine formations appear to be absent in the former place; they are, however, found further to the north-east, but I have as yet been unable to ascertain the limits of the two districts. Within the moraine clay are found here and there little cavities or depressions, occupied by peat bogs or alluvial formations. Close to the shore of the lake Wettern, barely a third of a kilometre north-east of Vadstena, such a depression occurs, occupied by a peat bog. This peat bog continues to the north-east beyond the depression, a little way up the rising ground, caused by the existence here of some strong wells, around which in remote times considerable quantities of calcareous tufa have formed. My attention was drawn to this locality by Dr. J. Jönsson, who had noticed the tufa under some work effected for the Geological Survey of Sweden, but not having closely examined the fossil remains of plants in the same, he was only able to inform me that he had found mosses therein.