134 H. G. SIMMONS. [sec. arct. exp. pram 



Griffin Lake", British Columbia. In Iceland both forms grow, in the 

 Faeroes probably only the main form. In Northern Europe, both are 

 found, as also in Spitsbergen, where the typical L. arcuata is, however, 

 only once collected (by Nathorst at Safe Haven, 1882). In Jan Mayen 

 again, only the latter is found. In arctic Asia var. confusa seems to 

 predominate. Indeed the distribution seems to point to the fact that 

 the var. confusa is a high-arctic modification of the L. arcuata of 

 more southern localities, but the fact of the appearance of the latter in 

 Spitsbergen and Jan Mayen again shows that there must be a somewhat 

 more consolidated difference, as the species ought otherwise to have 

 changed into the variety when, for instance, it reached Jan Mayen. 



LiNDEBERG (1. c.) has also put forward several objections against 

 using the name, L. hyperhorea, R. Br. for the plant here in question 

 and quite rightly I think. In fact, the description of R. Brown, 1. c, 

 p. 25, is so little clear, that it has been applied to two plants so dif- 

 ferent as the present one and L. nivalis, and, as is pointed out by 

 Th. M. Fries, Nov. Semi. Veg., p. 40, both species are confounded in 

 the original collection from Melville Island. I have also made sure of 

 that myself, and I think, that there is ample cause for cancelling that 

 name. Lindeberg, however, thinks that it is to be used for the plant 

 which is also called L. nivalis or L. arctica. But this cannot be right 

 either. Only the remark "folia plana" in the description of Brown, 

 1. c, could be used to show that that plant might be meant, and also 

 L. arcuata var. confusa has flat culm leaves. When the description 

 is not clear enough to show which of the two species is meant, the name 

 must not be taken up again, and moreover there is the confusion of 

 specimens of both, mentioned above. 



BucHENAU, 1. c, p. 121 , takes L. hyperhorea, R. Br., as a collective 

 species, under which he puts L. arctica, Blytt, L. arcuata, Wahlenb. 

 and L. confusa, Lindeb. If such a combination should be accepted at 

 all, which I think quite out of the question, at least the oldest name, 

 that of Wahlenberg, must be used for it, not the younger one of R. 

 Brown. Curiously enough, Buchenau says about the leaves of L. 

 confusa: "lamina plana (raro involuta)", but specimens in the Copen- 

 hagen herbarium, which he has himself referred to L. confusa, have 

 involute leaves. That the var. latifolia, Kjellm. is to be referred to 

 L. nivalis, Gelert has shown (1. c, p. 30). 



Most part of my specimens can be referred to f. subspicata, Lange, 

 as they have no long pedunculate heads, and have either a spike-like 

 inflorescence reminiscent of L. spicata, (L.) Dc, or a single head. 



