10 H. G. SIMMONS. [SEC.ARCT.EXP.FRAM 



precipitation is very small indeed, probably not much above 100 mm. 

 in most parts, perhaps somewhat greater in the southern part, where 

 the open "north water" is always to be found some miles from the 

 coast, perhaps also locally here and there along the Kennedy and Rob- 

 son Channels. The same circumstances consequently prevail here as 

 throughout the Arctic Islands. I shall not enter here upon the influence 

 of temperature and snow covering. 



Historical Review of the Botanical Explorations. 



After this short sketch of the physical geography of the region in 

 question, I have to discuss, in some detail, the material for the know- 

 ledge of the flora of North-Western Greenland, contained in the jour- 

 nals and other publications from the above-mentioned expeditions. I very 

 much regret not to have had the collections of the different american 

 expeditions for inspection. That those who have determined the plants 

 have made mistakes on many points cannot be doubted, and in several 

 cases, most probably, the collections from different localities, or even 

 from far avay districts in Greenland, have been confounded, either by 

 the collectors themselves or afterwards, thus causing a confusion which 

 makes it hardly possible to use the statements at all; for instance, about 

 the botanical harvest of KANE and HAYES. The collections of the eng- 

 lish expeditions I have had an opportunity of revising at the Natural 

 History Museum of London and at the Herbarium of the Royal Gar- 

 dens, Kew, but still here there is much evidence lacking also, as the 

 localities are, in many cases, not mentioned in the labels; it is also 

 impossible to see under what different species the specimen may have 

 originally been placed. In some cases, not a single specimen bears out 

 the statements for instance of HART or OLIVER. 



The first record of plants from our area, is to be found in the jour- 

 nal of JOHN Ross's voyage in 1818. The list of plants in his work is 

 unfortunately of very little value, as not only are no special localities 

 mentioned, but even the plants, collected in Danish and N. W. Green- 

 land as well as in Possession Bay in Baffins Land, are not kept sepa- 

 rate. A few notes, however, are found in the running text of Ross's 

 journal, and of these I have tried to make use, as far as possible, in 

 the following treatment of each species. 



The next explorer who collected plants in N. W. Greenland was 

 Dr. PETER C. SUTHERLAND who, as a member of the Franklin Search 



