1898-1902. No. 2,] VASCULAR PLANTS OF ELLESMERELAND. 35 



genus, and I have been in great doubt as to which was the right course 

 to take. However at last, I came to the conclusion that Statice must 

 be used for those species that are comprehended by most authors in 

 Armeria, Willd. The division in Statice end Limonium seems to have 

 been first used by Fabricius in a work which I have not however been 

 able to get hold of (Enumeratio methodica plantarum horti medici Helm- 

 stadiensis, 1759). Before the appearance of Linnaeus's Species plan- 

 tarum, the generic names Statice and Limonium had already been 

 used by Miller in his Gardeners's Dictionary, and in a new edition of 

 this book of 1768, where the binary nomenclature is adopted, there 

 are descriptions of both genera, as well as of the typical form of the 

 species now in view. Now as this pubhcation, against which no objec- 

 tion can be brought, is so much older than Willdenow's Enum. pi. 

 horti Berol. (of 1809), the question is so far settled; but if the rule be 

 accepted, that old generic names, which have been out of use for more 

 than fifty years, should not be taken up again, it might be possible 

 that the name of Willdenow ought in such a case to be preferred. 

 There is, however, no difficulty in finding systematic works where the 

 names are differently used, as is already shown in my short list of 

 synonyms. Consequently I must agree -with Druce, Brit. Seathrifts, 

 where the question is discussed in detail, that it is necessary to adopt 

 the names of Miller again. 



Another question is how far Druce is right in distinguishing so 

 many species from St. Armeria, L. Careful study, perhaps preferably 

 in combination with experimental culture, will probably also be neces- 

 sary, before a definite conclusion is possible, if St. maritima, Miller, 

 should be looked upon as specifically different from St. Armeria. Druce, 

 as well as Boissier, 1. c, considers that the pubescence of the calyx 

 renders a good character for the discerning of species. As I have no 

 results of investigation to set against his view, I am willing to adopt it so 

 far as to allow St. maritima to stand as a species, but I must transfer 

 the St. sibirica of Ledebour under it as a variety, as they are con- 

 nected by a continual series of intermediate forms. In its most northern 

 localities, St. maritima seems always to be represented by var. sibirica, 

 as also where further south it is found in alpine stations or at least 

 on higher montains, for instance in the Faeroes. In southern Green- 

 land both forms are met with. 



Among his synonyms Lange (1. c.) also has: — "A. labradorica, 

 (Wallr.?) Rink". Now this of course may be right enough for the 

 Greenland plant of Rink, but even if St. labradorica is also mentioned 



