1898-1902. No. 2.1 VASCULAR PLANTS OF ELLESMERELAND. Ill 



Ranunculus Sabinet R. Br. 



R. Sabinei, R. Brown, Chlor. Melv., 1823; Hooker, F1. Bor. Amer. ; Simmons, Prel. 

 Rep. et Bot. Arb. ; B. Sabinei affinis, Diranu, PI. Kan.; Lange, Consp. Fl. 

 Groenl.; Nathorst, N. W. Gronl.; R. nivalis var., Oliver, List fl. pL ; R. 

 auricomus, Har r, Bot. Br. Pol. Exp., ex p. ; ? R. pygniaens var. Sabinei, 

 Davis, Ran. N. Amer. 



Fig. Tab. nostra 3, fig. 2-8. 



Even if the description of Rob. Brown (1. c, p. 6): "foliis radi- 

 calibus elongato-petiolatis tripartitis; lobis ellipticis; lateralibus semibifidis ; 

 caulinis sessilibus tripartitis linearibus, calycibiis hirsutis petala retusa 

 subaequantibus" is rather short, it applies so well to the plant here in 

 view, that I cannot hesitate to classify my plant under that name, 

 moreover as it cannot possibly be referred to any other arctic species. 

 Indeed, it shows certain resemblances on the one side to R. nivalis, 

 on the other to R. pygmaeus, and Brown himself pronounces it to be 

 standing between them, but it differs from both, in the characters stated 

 by him as well as in others, which will be stated below. 



Hooker, 1. c. I, p. 17, quotes Brown with the addition, that the 

 species is also brought home from the continent by Richardson, as 

 there were in his collection of R. pygmaeus a few individuals of larger 

 size than the rest, and quite agreeing with Brown's description of R. 

 Sabinei. He also adds, that "they seem indeed almost to form a con- 

 necting link between R. pygmaeus and R. nivalis". Later Durand, 1. c, 

 p. 185, has mentioned a Ranunculus from the collection of Kane, 

 found in "dry levels" at Bedevilled Reach, 79 °, of which he thinks 

 that it "might be R. Sabinei R. Br". The description he gives of it is 

 such, as to make it quite clear, that in fact no other species can be 

 meant, but nevertheless, Lange, 1. c, p. 56, has uttered a doubt about 

 the classification, and thinks that Kane's plant ought perhaps to be put 

 together with the "R. auricomus" of Hart, 1. c, under R. nivatis (cf. 

 above p. 110, and Lange, 1. c. II, p. 255). This may be right enough 

 as far as Hart's Disco specimens are concerned, but his plant from 

 Grinnell Land, which is identical with Oliver's Ranunculus nivalis 

 "var. floribus minoribus, pilis calycinis pallidioribus" is the true R. 

 Sabinei, as I have had the opportunity of making sure of, by seeing 

 the specimens at Kew and in the Nat. Hist. Museum. Of the original 

 Melville Island plant, I have only seen a single specimen, in a small 

 collection preserved in the Linnaean Society, in the other herbaria I 

 could find no specimens from the first Parry expedition. Neither have 



