The Flora bf Disko Island and Adjacent Coast of West Greenland. 145 



XLIV. Plantaginaceae. 



j^ 261 — 262. Plantago maritima L. and PI. borealis Lange. 



By several aiithors for instance A. Blytt: Botan. Notiser 1873 

 p. 129; James M. Macoun: Contrib. from the Herb. Geol. Surv. Canada 

 XI. (Canad. Rec. Se. 1897) p. 475 the plant of Lange was considered 

 a valid species, but as stated by L. Kolderup Rosenvinge (Andet 

 Tillæg p. 682) every distinguishing character of the piants from Green- 

 land is variable. Therefore often transitorial forms are met with which 

 by one character may be determined to maritima^ by another to bore- 

 alis. Therefore the last mentioned author only accepts PL borealis as 

 a variety of PL maritima. 



Having seen the copious material of Greenland Plantagos in Herb. 

 Haun. we cannot but affirm the existence of numerous such forms. Un- 

 fortunately we have seen but little of the so-called PL maritima in the 

 live state in Greenland, as it principally occurs south of our area and 

 nowhere both piants together. Therefore we may leave the question of 

 the specific value of PL borealis open to future investigations in their 

 natural habitats or to growing experiments. As also admitted by Rosen- 

 vinge typically developed specimens differ widely. 



PL maritima often occurs in South Greenland on the sea shore, 

 but also, according to Rosenvinge in gravelly piaces at some distance 

 from the shore and ascending to a considerable height. Also in pasture- 

 land at Igaliko he saw it, eaten by cattle. We found it at the head of 

 Nordre Strømfjord, near the shore, but especially on raised marine 

 clays far from the shore. Also in the fjords inland from Holsteinsborg 

 it was rather cominon. It is several times recorded along the Sydost 

 Bugt, here we only saw PL borealis. The northernmost record is 

 from the head of Påkitsoq fjord, 69°30', here not seen by us. 



PL borealis grows near the sea shore, ordinarily so close to the sea 

 that it is sprayed by the surf and occurs together with the algal growth 

 (Ulvaceae). Also it is met with amongst Puccinellia- m.a.rshe& and 

 stands manuring very well, we never saw it far from the sea or at any 

 height over the sea. It is rather scarce on the south and north-west 

 coast of Disko at the mouth of Nordfjord, but is probably often over- 

 looked. On the Mainland we found it several times from the mouth 

 of the big river on Nugssuaq peninsula southwards, becoming more 

 common in the gneissic area south of Torssukåtak icefjord and especi- 

 ally on the outer coast from the archipelago of Egedesminde south- 

 wards. Also at the mouth of Nordre Strømfjord it was common, whilst 

 PL maritima here was absent, but occurring in the interiør. The outer 

 coast near Holsteinsborg was not investigated by us. — The northern- 



LVIII. 10 



