﻿1 
  890. 
  J 
  BOTANICAL 
  GAZETTE. 
  55 
  

  

  rived 
  the 
  essential 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  

   distinctions 
  noticed 
  by 
  Andersson 
  disappear 
  in 
  Drummond's 
  

   specimens 
  : 
  the 
  aments 
  are 
  not 
  conspicuously 
  more 
  loosely- 
  

   flowered 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  European 
  species, 
  the 
  capsules 
  are 
  not 
  

   smaller 
  and 
  narrower 
  (rather 
  the 
  reverse 
  of 
  this 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  

   any 
  difference), 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand 
  the 
  aments 
  are 
  sessile 
  

   or 
  neay^ly 
  so^ 
  and 
  the 
  style, 
  though 
  distinct, 
  is 
  very 
  shorty 
  and 
  

   the 
  habit 
  is 
  different, 
  I 
  should 
  imagine 
  that 
  any 
  European 
  

   botanist 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  aspect 
  of 
  S. 
  arbuscula 
  

   would 
  — 
  if 
  he 
  did 
  not 
  stop 
  to 
  examine 
  closely 
  — 
  be 
  likely 
  to 
  

   pass 
  the 
  American 
  plant 
  for 
  a 
  form 
  of 
  S. 
  petiolaris, 
  as 
  An- 
  

   dersson 
  himself 
  passed 
  the 
  specimens 
  of 
  Richardson 
  and 
  

   Drummond 
  in 
  the 
  Hookerian 
  herbarium. 
  In 
  one 
  of 
  Drum- 
  

   mond 
  5 
  specimens 
  the 
  leaves 
  are 
  clothed 
  beneath 
  with 
  silky- 
  

   white 
  appressed 
  hairs, 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  smooth 
  and 
  dark- 
  

   green, 
  making 
  a 
  pretty 
  contrast; 
  in 
  another 
  the 
  leaves 
  are 
  

   much 
  larger, 
  2 
  inches 
  long 
  by 
  ^ 
  to 
  f 
  inches 
  wide 
  and 
  more 
  

   coarsel}^ 
  crenate. 
  While 
  it 
  is 
  inexpedient 
  to 
  name 
  varieties 
  

   upon 
  such 
  scanty 
  indications, 
  there 
  is 
  sufficient 
  evidence 
  that 
  

   the 
  range 
  of 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  American 
  plant 
  is 
  scarcely 
  less 
  

   pronounced 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  European 
  S. 
  arbuscula, 
  and, 
  further- 
  

   more, 
  evidence 
  which 
  heightens 
  the 
  probability 
  that 
  as 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  two 
  such 
  variable 
  species, 
  inhabiting 
  areas 
  close 
  to 
  

   the 
  homogeneous 
  circumpolar 
  flora, 
  the 
  one 
  technical 
  dis- 
  

   tinction 
  between 
  the 
  two, 
  drawn 
  from 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  style, 
  

   may 
  break 
  down 
  at 
  any 
  time. 
  The 
  author 
  of 
  S. 
  arbusculoi- 
  

   des 
  can 
  not 
  go 
  back 
  and 
  suppress 
  his 
  earlier 
  name 
  because 
  

   incautiously 
  compounded 
  of 
  Greek 
  and 
  Latin, 
  and 
  substitute 
  

   for 
  it 
  (in 
  DC. 
  Prod.) 
  S. 
  humillima. 
  The 
  identification 
  of 
  

   Druramond's 
  specimens 
  clears 
  up 
  the 
  obscurity 
  which 
  has 
  

   hung 
  over 
  S. 
  actitifoUa 
  Hook, 
  (not 
  Willd.), 
  and 
  will 
  afford 
  

   the 
  basis 
  for 
  an 
  improved 
  characterization 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  

   Strange 
  to 
  say, 
  it 
  is 
  upon 
  these 
  old 
  specimens 
  we 
  must 
  still 
  

   wholly 
  rely. 
  Although 
  not 
  indicated, 
  by 
  either 
  Drummond 
  

   or 
  Richardson, 
  as 
  rare, 
  the 
  plant 
  has 
  entirely 
  escaped 
  the 
  

   collectors 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  generation. 
  

  

  4. 
  '' 
  S.subcordata'' 
  Anders. 
  DC. 
  Prod. 
  16. 
  2. 
  282. 
  The 
  

  

  specimens 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  this 
  supposed 
  new 
  

   species 
  was 
  drawn 
  are 
  all 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  single 
  sheet 
  in 
  the 
  

   Kew 
  herbarium 
  ; 
  they 
  belong 
  to 
  three 
  distinct 
  and 
  well 
  known 
  

   species; 
  the 
  name 
  must 
  therefore 
  be 
  dropped. 
  As, 
  one 
  by 
  

   one, 
  the 
  rarer 
  and 
  more 
  obscure 
  willow^s 
  of 
  the 
  Canadian 
  

   flora 
  have 
  been 
  rediscovered 
  by 
  the 
  botanists 
  of 
  the 
  Canadian 
  

   Natural 
  Historv 
  Survey 
  — 
  recent 
  collections 
  verifying 
  and 
  ex- 
  

  

  