Rhodora 
JOURNAL OF 
THE NEW ENGLAND BOTANICAL CLUB 
Vol. 5 December, 1903 No. 60 
PURSH’S REPORT OF DRYAS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
M. L. FERNALD. 
IN his ora Americae Septentrionalis Pursh described in 1814 
Dryas tenella from “the white hills of New Hampshire. Prof Peck. 
.... July. v. s. in Herb. Banks”'; and since that time American 
botanists have sought in vain for the plant and have wished in vain 
to know Peck’s station in the “ White Hills.” 
Pursh’s description clearly places his plant with the earlier Dryas 
integrifolia, Vahl, of Greenland, and under this name it was taken 
up by Dr. Gray in five editions of his Manual, though, for some 
unaccountable reason, in the sixth edition Watson and Coulter altered 
the name and description to D. octopetala. 
Three species of Dryas are generally recognized in high northern 
regions, all of them occurring in North America. D. octopetala, L., 
the only species of Europe, reappears in the mountains and on the 
coast of northwestern America, but is thus far unknown east of the 
Rocky Mountains. D. integrifolia, Vahl, with entire or subentire 
leaves and white petals, is definitely known from Greenland across 
Arctic America to Behring Straits, and south in the East to Newfound- 
land and Anticosti Island, Quebec. D. Drummondii, Richardson, 
the largest and handsomest of the genus, with coarsely toothed 
leaves and yellow petals, grows on sandy and gravelly shores in the 
northern Rocky Mountains, on Anticosti Island, and by the rivers 
of Gaspé County, Quebec. 
According to Pursh's statement the original material of his Dryas 
tenella was collected by Prof. Peck ? “on the white hills of New 
1 Pursh, Fl. 350. 
? William Dandridge Peck, Massachusetts Professor of Natural History, Har- 
vard College, 1805-1822. 
