472 Fr. J. Mathiesen. 



bud-scales, but protects its young buds during the winter 

 with the broad, arched, very persistent bases of the rosette- 

 leaves developed during the growth-period of the preceding 

 summer, which bases are densely hairy along their edges; 

 the rosette-leaves formed towards the end of the growth- 

 period, are especially distinguished by their large basal-por- 

 tions. Fig. 36, G shows such a leaf. On the other hånd, the 

 stalk and blade of the leaf illustrated in Fig. 36, G are es- 

 sentially smaller than those in Fig. 36, F, which is a pre- 

 viously developed leaf from the same rosette; the leaf-blade 

 may be even smaller than in G, but I do not think it is ever 

 wholly wanting. 



The leaves upon the uppermost portion of the shoots 

 where the internodes become elongated, have not such broad 

 bases (Fig. 36, H). 



The rosettes are rich in leaves; at the base of a fairly 

 vigorous flowering shoot I counted 60 withered leaves or 

 remnants of such; also the above-ground portion of the stem 

 is abundantly covered with leaves, especially below, although 

 it cannot be said that the shoots have any true radical rosette 

 of fresh leaves in the flowering year. The rosette-leaves, 

 when withered, are very persistent, and may remain for 

 several years, black and crumpled, at the base of the shoots 

 (Fig. 36, F and G are two such withered leaves); naturally, 

 this contributes towards making the tufts denser, and thé 

 protection of the young buds more effective. 



The root is intensely yellow in colour, and has, as already 

 stated by Nathorst, a sweetish taste, almost like that of 

 carrots. It is used as an article of food by the Smith-Sound 

 Eskimos! and by the Chuckes (Kjellman, 1882 (III), p. 366). 



The structure of the flower is shown in Fig. 40, A — D 



1 P. Freuchen: Om Plantekost hos Smith-Sund Eskimoerne. 

 Geografisk Tidsskrift. Kjobenhavn. Bd. 24. 1917—18. p. 310. 



