106 H. G. SIMMONS. [sec. arct. exp. fram 



of Franklin's narrative, Richardson cancels his first name and uses 

 that of Rob. Brown. This may perhaps show, tliat the Chlor. Melv. 

 was printed first, and that Richardson therefore accepted the name 

 given by Brown instead of that he had estabHshed himself. That 

 both authors described the same plant is evident, notwithstanding that 

 Freyn has placed R. ardicus, Rich, and J^. affinis, R. Br. in different 

 groups, and we must follow Richardsox in accepting the latter name. 



I think, however, that a new description, formed after my Ellesmere- 

 land specimens, may not be out of place. 



B. af finis: perennis, plus minusve caespitosus, caule 15—25 cm. 

 alto, glabro vel pilis parcis, subadpressis, brevisque, inferne longioribus, 

 obsito; folia basalia longe petiolata, vaginis latis, membranaceis, albis, 

 instructa, semper profunde pedatifida, petiolis parce pilosis; folia caulina 

 brevissime petiolata vel sessilia, late membranaceo-vaginata, marginis 

 vaginae pihs longis albis instruclis, pedato-multifida, lobis 5—9 angustis, 

 acutiusculis; flos 2—3 cm. latus; sepala purpurascentia, parce pilosa, 

 petalis dimidio breviora; petala flava, violaceo-nervata, obovata; torus 

 cum carpellis per anthesin ovatus, postea cylindraceus ; achenia parce 

 pilosa, rostro brevi recurvo. 



Grows somewhat caespitose, the stems and leaves are surrounded 

 by old ones from the last year, or at least by the remainders of 

 old sheaths. The stems are stiff, erect, about twice as high as the 

 leaves, almost entirely glabrous simple, single-flowered, or branched, 

 with 2 or more flowers, more or less canaliculate. The basal leaves 

 are long and slender-petiolate, with broad white, membranaceous 

 sheaths; their circumference is kidney-shaped — broad-ovate, always 

 more or less deeply cleft in a pedate manner. Generally a middle lobe 

 and two lateral ones may be discerned, often the latter are again cleft 

 almost to the basis, so that the leaf becomes nearly cleft in five. The 

 middle lobe is entire, narrow lanceolate, or with two more or less 

 pronounced secondary lateral lobes about Vs below the point. The two 

 first lateral lobes may be cleft in rather many segments, but these are 

 never quite linear, nor are they obtuse as in B. pedatifidus. The 

 petiole is hairy with long, sparse, white hairs, likewise the lower part 

 of the stem, below the first stem leaf. The stem leaves are short- 

 petiolate or sessile, with a broad white sheath having a rim of long 

 white hairs ; they are deeply cleft, almost to the base, in several (gener- 

 ally 7 or 9) narrow segments which, however are hardly quite linear 

 and always pointed. Also here the pedatifid manner of segmentation 

 may easily be seen, even if not so sharply defined as in the basal 



