THE EABLIEST RECORD OF ARCTIC PLANTS. 447 



viviparum L., according to the description and illustration. This 

 plant is very closely related to Folijgonum bistorta, which is the 

 proper " Natterwurz " of the Germans. Ray came to the same 

 conclusion as Martens and named it " Bistorta minor Spitzbenjensis.'" 



" Kraut als Mailse-Oebrlein " (table G, fig. d) is exceedingly 

 well illustrated and described, and represents Cerastium alpinum 

 L., of which the German name is at present " Alpen-Horukraut." 

 " Mauseoehrchen " is now used for Hiemcium Pilosella L., while 

 " Mausoehrlein," according to Lceselius,* is the name for some 

 species of Gnaphalium and Mijosotis. Myosotis is, so far as the name 

 itself is concerned, the only plant to which this name "Mouse- 

 ear" could be applied, as it was by Dioscorides, from the Greek 

 yi.v<;, a mouse, and ol?, «to?, an ear. The leaves of Cerastium alpinum 

 very closely resemble those of a Myosotis, so that it can easily be 

 seen how the mistake occurred. "AuriculcB muris affinis herba 

 Spitzbergensis'' is the name given by Ray to tbis plant, but his 

 diagnosis, " Supremo cauliculo Flos innascitur albus," is the only 

 feature which is characteristic of this Cerastium. Martens has, 

 indeed pointed out the characteristics in a much clearer way. 



"Kraut als Singrun " (table G, fig. b) represents Sulix poIaris 

 Wahlb. If it were not that the illustration is so good, it would 

 hardly have been possible to identify this plant. "Singrun" is 

 now the name for Vinca. The stem is described as knotted and 

 woody, and the leaves as occurring in pairs. The flowers were not 

 seen, and Martens is therefore not certain that the plant belongs to 

 Pyrola minima. It is called " Vinca pervinca simiiis herba Spitz- 

 bergensis " by Ray. The leaves of this willow are very small and 

 coriaceous, brilliant green. They occur in about two alternately 

 on each branch, and to a certain extent resemble those of some 

 species of Pyrola. 



" Erdbeer-Kraut " (table H, fig. 6) is Potentillafragiformisy^iWd. 

 The description is very good, and the statement that the leaves only 

 had three leaflets shows that we have this species before us, and 

 not P. maculata Pourr., the leaves of which are quinate. The same 

 statement is also given by Ray, " foliis tripartitis divisis ....," 

 who has called it " Fragaria; a^ljinis Spitzbergensis.'' 



Two algfe are enumerated under the name "Klippen-Kraiitern," 

 of which the figure b in plate F represents Fucks vesiculostis. The 

 vesicles are described very accurately, and Martens states that he 

 did not observe whether these contained any seeds. His sailors 

 informed him, however, that the small sea snails (Pteropoda), 

 upon which the whales feed, originate from the seeds of this alga. 

 Martens does not seem to have shared this opinion, however, and 

 says that he is inclined to believe that these snails have, like others, 

 originated from eggs ! 



The large alga (fig. c in plate Ij is undoubtedly a species of 

 Lamiiiaria. [Mr. Murray identifies this with L. sacrharina.] 



Several other plants were observed, but were not collected. 

 Only two of these have been described, but these have not been 



* Johannes Loeselius, Flora Prussica, Eegensburg, 1703. 



