20 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



S. ovalifolia Trautv. var. canadensis Schn. 



About this Mr. Johansen writes as follows : 



"Collinson point (Camden bay). This willow grew on more bare, gravelly 

 tundra near the beach (transition-region to the latter), in patches of several 

 plants. Its growth was very prostrate and depressed (among stones and vege- 

 tation) with the stems and branchfes lying very close to the ground and spreading 

 widely, so that only the catkins showed up from a little distance. Especially 

 the subterranean parts (roots and stem parts) were less extensive and spreading 

 than with those found at Konganevik, Alaska (see below) ; probably because they, 

 did not grow on sand dunes as is the case at the former place. 



"Konganevik (Camden bay). The collecting place was where the seashore 

 (beach) through low sand dunes goes over into the more typical tundra behind. 

 On these sand dunes the vegetation is very characteristic and consists almost 

 exclusively of Elymus, Carex, Salix, Chamaenerium, etc. ; each species spreading 

 (both above and under the ground) over large patches (areas) and dominating 

 more or less to the exclusion of the other species. This Salix seemed to be very 

 prostrate, but the larger part of each plant is buried in the sand, so that only the 

 leaf- and catkin-carrying branch-parts (outer |) protruded. It was mostly 

 large plants widely spreading (both roots and stems) ; the branches often having 

 forni of long "rimners" intersecting the sand in all directions. The sand-covered 

 parts of the bra,nches were without leaves or catkins and pale (white-yellow). 

 When growing in less sandy soil the growth is naturally more condensed (see 

 above under Collinson point) . The plants were in full bloom in the end of June here. 



"Martin point. The collecting place was a sandy gravel spit of slight 

 elevation with the sand dunes less pronounced than at Konganevik. Vegetation 

 rather scattered and in patches, except around the several ponds and the big 

 lagoon between the sand spit and the mainland behind. On sandy places the 

 vegetation was much like that at Konganevik, with Honckenyia taking the 

 place of Chamaenerium. As the character of the spit was somewhat intermediate 

 between the beach regions at Collinson point and at Konganevik, so did also 

 the growth of the Salix in question resemble those of the species from both of 

 the above places. At the time of collecting the plants had dropped staminate 

 catkins and had unripe pistillate." 

 S. reticulata L. 



As may be seen from the text-figure (D) the foliage varies quite considerably 

 as to size and shape; in nearly all the staminate plants collected the leaves were 

 smaller than in the pistillate. The large, almost orbicular leaf (Fig. 1) is from 

 a large pistillate plant of which all the leaves showed the same outline and 

 approximately the same size; the two leaves (Figs. 2 and 3) are from a staminate 

 plant and both forms of leaves occurred together on this plant; the specimens 

 were collected at Bernard harbour. 



Figure D. 

 Leaves of Salix reticulata L. 



1. Pistillate plant;" Bernard harbour. 



2. Staminate plant; same locality. 



3. Staminate plant; same locality. 



4. Pistillate plant; Herschel island. 

 5 and 6. Pistillate plant; Bernard har- 

 bour. (All leaves show the natural 

 size.) 



