19 1 9] SCHNEIDER— AMERICAN WILLOWS 



49 



toward the apex) in S. herbacea, S. Dodgeana, and S. retusa. The 

 systematic position of 5. polaris is even more puzzhng. Some 

 authors are incUned to regard it as nothing but a variety of S. 

 herbacea because the vegetative characters of both are so similar; 

 but if we base our opinion on the flowers we may come to a very 

 different conclusion; and in Sargent, I.e. 319, I have included this 

 species in the sect. Myrsinites Borrer. If we pay much attention 

 to the presence or absence of a dorsal gland in the male flowers, we 

 might also refer 5. Uva-ursi to this section, but this willow occupies 

 a rather unique position among the American species. With my 

 present knowledge I deem it best to leave the question of the correct 

 limitation of this section and of the true systematic position of these 

 species undecided until I have had opportunity to discuss this 

 problem with such an eminent sahcologist as S. J. Enander, who 

 is preparing a monograph of the whole genus. I have already 

 published (Oestr. Bot. Zeitschr. 65:273. 1915) a short note on the 

 systematic arrangement of the genus and discussed briefly the views 

 taken by Andersson and von Seemen. The main purpose of that 

 note was to show that no systematic grouping on natural lines can 

 be attained unless we make use of every taxonomic character. 



5. S. POLARIS Wahlenberg, Fl. Lapp. 261. pi. 13. fig. i. 1812; 

 Rydberg in Bull. N.Y. Bot. Gard. 1:264. 1809; Coville in Proc. 

 Wash. Acad. Sci. 3:335- fig- 27. 1901.— ? S. herbacea var. polaris 

 Kurtz in Bot. Jahrb. 19:475- 1894.— In America this species is 

 only known from the Alaskan coast of Bering Strait, where it 

 has been collected at Port Clarence and Cape Vancouver. I have 

 seen only the Port Clarence specimens of Trelease and Saunders 

 (nos. 3387, f., 3385% m.), which have been described by Coville. 

 They seem to agree with specimens of S. J. Enander's Sahc. 

 Scand. Exsicc. from Spitzbergen, especially with no. 12 "modificatio 

 foHis subovalibus." The ovaries of no. 3387 are partly glabrate, 

 and I cannot at present say whether the American S. polaris is the 

 typical form or not. As to its uncertain systematic position see 

 my preceding remarks. 



Lundstrom (apud Kjellman in Nordenskjold, Vega Exp. Vet. 

 lakt. 2:21 [Fanerog.-Fl. St. Lawrence-Oii.]. 1883) has described a 

 S. polaris f. subarctica "fohis tenuioribus, subtus margineque pilis 



