lOG Holm — llie Earliest Record of Arctic Plants. 



easily be seen how the mistake occurred. "Auricuhe muris affinis 

 herba Spiizbergensis " is the name given by Ray to this plant, but 

 his diagnosis, "Sui>remo cauliculo Flos innascitur albus," is the 

 only featv;re which is characteristic of tliis Cerasttum. Martens 

 has, indeed, pointed out the characteristics in a much clearer 

 way. 



" Kraut als Singriin "' (Table G, Fig. b) represents Salix polcms 

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

 hardly have been possible to identify this j)lant. "Singriin" is 

 now the name for Vincn. 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 pervincx siynilis 

 herba Spiizbergensis " 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 Potentilla fragiformis 

 Willd. 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 tri- 

 partitis divisis . . . ," who has called it ^^Fragarix affinis 

 Spiizbergensis.^'' 



Two Algse are enumerated under the name " Klippen-Kraii- 

 tern," of which the figure b in Plate F represents Fucus vesicu- 

 losus. The vesicles are described very accurately, and Martens 

 states tiiat he did not observe whether these contained any seeds. 

 His sailors informed him, however, that the small sea snails 

 (Pterojioda), upon which the Avhales leed, 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 I) is undoubtedly a species of 

 Laminaria. 



Several other plants were observed, Init were not collected. 

 Only two of these have been descril)ed, but tliese have not been 

 figured. One of these, " (/cr weisse Ma/m,^^ is exkleni] y Dri/as 

 octopetala L. " Mahn " is undoubtedly a misprint for " Mohn," 

 the common popp}'- (Papaver dubium ov Rhneas). Since tbe onl}' 

 poppy that grows on Spitsbergen, P. nudicaide L., has yellow 



