36 B Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



from Bernard harbour did the height of the cushion measure 5 cm.; in such 

 specimens the structure of the shoot could be followed from the earliest stage 

 of the plant. From the crown of the primary root numerous shoots proceeded, 

 densely covered with appressed, withered leaves and reaching a height of about 

 4 cm., whence a system of terminal and lateral rosettes commenced. In other 

 words, the complete vegetative system of branches and leaves is above ground 

 and winters over as such. 



Among the plants which Kjellman studied at the most northerly point of 

 Asia, Cape Tscheljuskin, Draba alpina represented the remarkable habit of 

 forming compact balls of which the greater portion of the shoots, and especially 

 the youngest ones, were completely above ground. A corresponding habit was 

 also observed in Eritrichium villosum, Saxifraga serpyllifolia, Papaver nudicaule, 

 Stellaria longipes et cet.' » 



D. nivalis Liljebl. and D. fladnizensis Wulf. 



These species from Camden bay and Bernard harbour illustrate exactly 

 the same habit as observed in D. alpina. 



D. hirta L. 



D. hirta L., on the other hand, does not seem to persist for so many years 

 as the three foregoing species. It is a tall plant as compared with most of the 

 other Drabae, reaching the height of about 20 cm. when in bloom, such specimens 

 having been collected on the south coast of Coronation guK. The primary root 

 is relatively short and thin and only a few rosettes of leaves are developed, each 

 of which is terminated by an inflorescence. 



Braya purpurascens (R. Br.) Bunge. 



Has a monopodial shoot, the youngest specimens showing very plainly a 

 central, leafy axis and two, lateral inflorescences; in old specimens the ramifica- 

 tion is obscured by the several leafy shoots being crowded, and the lateral 

 position of the floral stems is only indicated by these being ascending, not 

 strictly erect. 



B. glabella Richards. 



Only a single specimen was collected of this very, rare species, known only 

 from the arctic coast of this continent, from East Greenland, and from a few 

 stations in arctic Scandinavia. It is readily distinguished from B. purpurascens 

 by the leaves being remotely dentate, and by the long, linear pods. The speci- 

 men from Wollaston land measured a height of about 12 cm., and although being 

 a young specimen eleven flowering stems were developed from the small rosette 

 of leaves; the primary root is relatively short, slender, and much branched. 



Eutrema Edwardsii R. Br. 



In young specimens the primary root is slender; there is no rosette and only 

 two to three long-petioled leaves at the base of the single, terminal, flower- 

 bearing stem. In the older specimens the primary root is quite thick, distinctly 

 wrinkled, and as many as six flower-bearing steins are developed from the crown 

 of the root, besides several green leaves. The height of the flowering stem aggre- 

 gated about 15 cm., that of the fruiting stem very nearly 20 cm. 



Hesperis Pallasii (Pursh) T. et Gr. [H. pygmaea (Adams) Hook.] 



In Gray's Synoptical Flora it is described as a dwarf biennial plant, but, 

 according to the numerous and exceedingly well preserved specimens collected 

 by the expedition, it is a perennial and not always of dwarfed stature either; 



1 Ur Polarvaxternas lif (I.e., p. 475). 



