Mr. Tuckerman, on some Plants of New England. 31 
mountains in a state undistinguishable from the Swedish and 
Scottish plants, our specimens cannot properly be referred. And 
from the B. glandulosa of Michx., with whose description my 
Canada specimen collected by Masson, perfectly agrees, they 
Seem quite distinct. J have, however, seen many more speci- 
mens of B. Littelliana than of the former plant, the characters of 
which may possibly vary. 2 
D. in honorem b. Henrici Little, M. D., Montium Alborum 
scrutatoris acerrimi. 
B. wana (L.): humillima glaberrima, ramis levigatis s. resinoso- 
punctatis, foliis saborbicularibus grosse dentatis, amentis feemineis 
brevibus cylindraceis, squamis profunde trifidis laciniis oblongis 
subeequalibus. Hook. Bor. Amer. 2, 156, (p. m.) Michz. Fl. 2, 
180, Pursh, Fl. 2, 622, Bigel. Fl. Bost. 356. 
Hab. White Mountains, alpine regions; Cutler, Peck, Bigelow, 
Boott, Oakes, etc. A very low, often prostrate shrub, with very 
small, more or less orbicular leaves, and short cylindrical aments. 
‘The leaves are generally about five lines each way in dimension : 
those of B. Litteiliana occur often nine lines in length, by more 
than an inch in breadth, the petioles being longer in proportion. 
The aments also in the latter are twice as large as in B. nana. 
B. papyracea, ?. minor, (mihi): foliis minoribus ovatis acutius- 
culis aliquandoque subrotundatis obtusis glaberrimis. 
Hab. White Mountains, alpine regions. From a shrub of the 
size, and much the habit of B. Littelliana, this attains some- 
times in sheltered spots to the height of nine feet and over, and 
a circumference of sixteen inches. ‘These were the dimensions 
of one measured by me on Mount Pleasant. It is a well-marked — 
form, and in its most alpine and smallest states, may always be 
recognized by its ovate, more or less acutish leaves. Rounded 
leaves also frequently occur among the others. It was perhaps 
the discovery of such leaves upon northern forms of B. alba, 
which led some botanists to deny (F¥. Lapp. 275, ) the distinct- 
ness of B. nana. If cold has this effect on the leaves of these 
shrubs, the character loses some of its value, though it is a very 
striking one, All the four last mentioned Betule, (if B. glandulosa 
really occurs,) approach each other very nearly in their smallest 
forms, but may with care be distinguished. 'Fhe smallest shrub, 
with suborbicular leaves, is B. nana; the large one, with rounded 
leaves, B. Littelliana; that with ovate acutish leaves, B. papy- 
racea, 3. minor, and B. glandulosa has rather large cuneate leaves. 
