13G Merriam — Plants of tJte Pribilof Islands. 



leam, cover nearly half the green carpet with l)lue and purple 

 blossoms. Interspersed among the blue flowers just mentioned, 

 and frequently forming large patches by itself, is the pink or 

 pinkish-purple Pedimlaris langsdorffii. Then there are acres of the 

 showy Alaska poppy (Paparer nndicaide), the individual plants 

 standing near enough together to give a delicate yellow glow to 

 the areas they cover. In places the moss and heather bogs are 

 blue from the abundance of blue bells (Campanula lasiocarpa), 

 whose disproportionately large flowers actually recline on the 

 moss through which their sliort stems rise, while another species 

 of the same genus (C. pihmt) is inconspicuous and easily over- 

 looked. Other bogs are covered with the deep yellow flowers of 

 Geum ro-mi. A blue violet (Viola langsdorjii), a blue and white 

 gentian (Gentiana frigida), a spring beauty (Claytonia ardica), 

 the Alaska oxeye (Chrysanthemum arcticum), a dwarf cornel 

 (Cornus unalascensis) , and the pretty white star-flower (Trientalis 

 arctica) are common in places on the moss-bogs, and sometimes 

 grow in the grass also. Beds of Omphalodes nana chamissonis 

 and Sllene acauHs are common in spots, especially about Bogoslof 

 hill and Polavina, but were mostly past flowering at the time of 

 my visit. Several species of saxifrage are common, the most 

 consi^icuous being S. hirculus, whose rich,' deep-yellow blossoms 

 are much admired. 



The raspberries are represented by two dwarf species. Ruhus 

 steUatus and R. chama3morus; the former was in full bloom and 

 the latter in fruit. The l^eautiful sea vetch (Lathyrus maritimus) 

 abounds in a few spots, but is not generally distributed, and the 

 show}^ lungwort (Mertensia maritwia) is common at Northeast 

 Point on St. Paul, and Avas found sparingly in a few other places, 

 always along the shore. Primiihi- iiiralis is common in a depres- 

 sion at the mouth of a large cave on Bogoslof hill, but was not 

 found elsewhere on St. Paul. 



Ferns are rather scarce, though several species occur. The 

 prevailing moss of the moss-bogs is Racomitrium lamajinosum. 

 Sphagnum is scarce on St. Paul, but common on the low bogs of 

 St. George. Heather (Empetrvm nigrum) abounds on both isl- 

 ands, Ibrming extensive beds — sometimes pure, l)ut usually 

 mixed with moss. Its black uiuliilicated berries were rii)ening 

 early in August. Two species of Lycopodiam occur, l)ut arc not 

 common. 



