Arctic Plants: Morphology and Synonymy 17 b 



LILIACEAE. 



Bulbous plants are extremely rare in the arctic region. Zygadenus glaucus 

 Nutt. of the Melanthaceae, Lloydia serotina and Allium sibiricum of the Liliaceae 

 are, so far as I know, the only bulbous species known from this region; they 

 were collected by Kjellman at Port Clarence, while Lloydia is the only one 

 collected by the expedition. 



The genus Lloydia has an interesting history and we owe to Irmisch ^ an 

 excellent account of the history and of the morphological structure of the species. 

 It was first described by Caspar Bauiiin,^ who named it Pseudonardssus gramineo 

 folio, siye Leuconarcissus aestivus; at that time it was known only from the 

 mountains of Switzerland and Austria;, several years afterwards it was collected 

 also in England, on the highest peaks of Snowdonin Wales by Ed. Lhwyd (also 

 written Lloyd), and by Raj us designated with the uncertain appellation as: 

 Bulbosa alpina juncifoli^,, pericarpio unieo ereeto' in ,summo cauliculo dodran- 

 tali. Rajus, as a matter of fact, had only fruiting Specimens. By Dillenius it 

 was named Bulbocodium alpinum; by Linnaeus Bulbocodium serotinum and 

 later on Anthericum serotiny.'rh. Until Salisbury referted it to a new genus which 

 he named Lloydia. : ' ' ~ .■■ 



, SALICACEAE. 

 Salix Richardsonii Hook. 



The accompanying photQgrapli (1) shows a tree of this species from 

 Mackenzie river, south coast of Victoria island.^ 



Photograph (2) shows the same species, grbwing along a small tributary to 

 Coppermine river (below Bloody fall). ' i 



About the occurrence of this species in the river-bed of Sadlerochit river. 

 Alaska, Mr. Johansen quotes from his field-notes as follows : 



"Two species of willow-shrubs and trees seem to occur in this river-bed 

 and on the sheltered and wet places (tributary creeks) of the adjoining mountain 

 slopes, about 25 miles from the coast: (1) A very common and dominant species 

 (Salix Richardsonii Hk.) with reddish bark (branches) and pubescent twigs and 

 leaves, the latter being rather broad and' Ovate-shaped" iii favourable places 

 this willow attains more than man-height and' a trunk thickness of up to about 

 6 inches in diameter and forms a dense tree or shrub growth. (2) A not nearly 

 so common species (S. glauca L.) with rnore narrow leaves, and less pubescent 

 twigs and darker bark. It does not attain (in these arctic river-beds) the size 

 of (1), is hardly more than a shrub and has a far less twisted-forked appearance, 

 but a more straight growth than (1). Also it seems to prefer more dry places 

 than (1) and is first met with some distance from the coast inland. 



"Willows about man-height were seen on the low, gravelly clay banks or 

 islands in the bed of the river at its mouth; but outside of these (and similar) 

 protected pla,ces it was only in the larger creek-valleys that they attained a 

 similar or bigger size. Such a creek valley, bordered by 200-300 feet high clay 

 banks on the east side of the river I went into. The clay banks had the usual 

 tundra vegetation (including dwarfed willows) on top, and stee]^ bare sides; 

 but in the creek bottom willows had an extensive and luxurious growth (getting 

 scarcer and dwarfed at the head of the creek), attaining more than double 

 man-height and trunks thicker than a man's arm on specially protected places. 

 (See Neg. 2). 



"There seemed to be two species, the one (S. Richardsonii Hk.) reaching a 

 far greater size and being much more dominant than the other (S. glaucaf). 

 "Similar conditions for and occurrences of willows were reported by different 

 members of the expedition from other rivers (Tree and Hood rivers) flowing 

 into Coronation gulf." 



1 Beitiage zur vergleiohenden Morpholbgie der Pflanzen. Bot. Zeitung, Leipzig, 1863. p. 161. 

 ! Prodromus. Basel, 1671. p. 27. 

 24657—2 



