426 



All the specimens which have been investigated from the 

 different districts, with the above-mentioned exceptions, were 

 found similar in structure. 



Coptis trifolia Salisb. 



Lit. Hooker, 1833. Marié, 1885, pp. 103— 105. Lange, 1887. 

 Maxwell, 1893, p. 100. Rosenvinge, (1), 1892, p. 677; (II), 

 1896, p. 67. 



Alcohol material from Greenland (Julianehaab, 20.6.1883, 

 iNliluk 23.6.1883, Friedrichsthal, 29.8.1883, Kobbefjord, 28.6. 

 1884, Sukkertoppen, 16.8.1884, and 15.7.1895, Godthaab, 

 20.7.1895, Frederikshaab, 8.7.1892). 



Coptis trifolia is a perennial herb with subterranean, hori- 

 zontal rhizome and evergreen leaves. The horizontal rhizome 

 is yellow and slender, has elongated internodes and bears scale- 

 leaves arranged in a spiral. The length of an internode is 

 about one cm., and the rhizome may attain to a considerable 

 length (about 20 cm.). The scale-leaves often subtend lateral 

 shoots of the same kind as the parent-axis. The slender, 

 branched roots arise especially from the nodes. After the hori- 

 zontal rhizome has developed scale-leaves for some time, it 

 produces short inlernodes and foliage-leaves and the axis be- 

 comes an ascending one. After this, foliage-leaves alternate 

 with scale-leaves so that the first leaves which the shoot de- 

 velops in the summer are foliage-leaves (probably at most four) 

 and the next scale-leaves also separated by short internodes; 

 the scale-leaves protect the bud which remains throughout the 

 winter, and the next spring the bud recommences the growth 

 with foliage-leaves, etc. The usually solitary flower is terminal 

 upon a penduncle which bears a bract; sometimes the bract 

 subtends a flower. I have found the length of the peduncle 

 to be from 2 to 12 cm.; it is scarcely probable that it grows 

 much during the time of fruit-setting. 



The uppermost scale-leaf subtends the principal bud 



