128 Mtiin KN i', l'(iiisii.i). 



Tlir s|).Miim'ii (tf I.ASTADius \vas, as scfii hy tlu' label, sent to somo 

 correspoiidciil al Clopcnhaiieii lo liavc il coiiipaird wilh L. groenlan- 

 dicuni. It »lot's ool iiuleed, belong to tliis species. Il seems to ine as 

 it seenuHi to Lastaoius, accordino; to lemarks oii his label a mere 

 ecoloiii<al form. oeeiirrinc: now and I hen. and hardly iiiheritable. 



Also from America a L. paliislrc var. dihildhi W'ahl. is meiilioned 

 iii liferal ure. I have nol seeii Ihis plant, llavinii; mtt seen any genuine 

 L. jxduslre from America, iuit mdy L. fipciinihrns. I doiiht the oocurence 

 of the formor species in America, and the American var. dilataUi wonld 

 I hus have to be considered an analogous ecological form of /.. (IcciiiNbens. 



Another form seen in thi' llerh. Ilaun. is vai'. hxigifoUa Frcyn. 

 collected in Amnr Land. Siberia bv Karo. A measurement of »> leaves 



gave 



1: 43.7; b: 3.5; 1 b: I2.4S. 



Also tilis form will hardly be constant, and some (d' Ihe specimens 

 listed in V might just as well be called longijoUa. 



A new d isl ingiiisiii ng character for L. dccuiiibcns. 



As is well-known, the inflorescences of Ledum are terminal umbel-like 

 clusters and the capsules are 5 celled, dehiscent from the base. In 

 accordance with this faet, the capsules during ripening are downwards 

 bent. There are some differences between the species in the nundjer of 

 flowers, L. paliistre having the richest, L. decunibens Ihe poorest inllore- 

 scences. Also the size of the flowers and capsules is largest in L. palii- 

 stre, slightly smaller in L. groenlandicuw and cnnsiderahly smaller in 

 L. di'ciinibens. liid most characteristic is the cinNatinv in the peduncles 

 of the ripe or hibernated capsules. in /.. grociihnidirnin the curxalnre 

 is even througli Ihe whole lengld of the peduncje. In /.. p<dusln' the 

 eurvature is nearly the same, the basal part of the pednncle being, 

 however, often somewhat straightish. But in L. dcnintbciis the pednncle 

 itself is not curved or only very slightly. whereas the capsule is abruptly 

 downvvards beni at Ihe xcry toj) of the peduncle, also seen by Abromeit. 

 p. oli. This dilTerence in the curvature gives the whole iidlorescence in 

 thi' fruiting state a \-ery conspicuons appearance. 



Perhaps it might br objected thai this < urval ure of Ihe peduncles 

 would be dependrnt on diniatic conditions aml ilnrefore of no more 

 distinguishing vahir I han Ihe sniall leaves etc. of L. dccinNbrns. One 

 might probably I hink I hal llw sliorttiess of Ihe arctic summer would 

 not perniit an even curving of the pednmlc whilsl ils tissues are yet 

 unsclerified and thai Ihe altrupi bending of tie- capsule is (Uw to the 

 abrupt setliuL'-iii of Ihe frosis in fall. l')Ut againsl fhat objection it 



