Arctic Plants: Morphology and Synonymy 47 e 



mm. lata; flores solitarii vel rarissime bini, majores quam in typo, colore vari- 

 abiles, pallide rubro-violacei, pallide rosei vel albo-rosei; sepala fere triangularia, 

 remote ciliata; petala ovalia vel oblongo-ovalia." 



The diagnosis is accompanied by several figures showing the distinguishing 

 characters very plainly. Gunnar Andersson and Henrik Hesselmah have 

 described, two other types,' viz.: forma reptans and forma pulvinata. Of these, 

 the former is appressed to the ground, forming loose mats, but of great width, 

 until about 1 m. in diameter. In forma pulvinata the growth is very compact, 

 and the width aggregates only to 20-30 cm. 



Dryas L. 



While D. octopetala L. and D. Drummondii Hook, have always been recog- 

 nized as distinct species there has sometimes been expressed doubt about the 

 specific validity of Z). integrifolia M. Vahl. Kjellman,^ who had the rare oppor- 

 tunity to observe D. octopetala and D. integrifolia at the same station on the 

 Asiatic coast of Bering strait at Konyam bay, felt convinced that they represent 

 two distinct species. Nathorst,' who also found them growing together, at 

 Cape York on the northwest coast of Greenland, .observed moreover a form 

 intermediate between both which he named D. integrifolia forma intermedia; 

 in this form the leaves varied from being dentate only at the base to dentate 

 along the whole margin from base to apex. This author felt inclined to con- 

 sider this intermediate form as a hybrid, inasmuch as the two species keep 

 remarkably constant, even when distributed over large areas. The forma 

 intermedia has since also been reported from Northeast Greenland, viz. : Scoresby 

 sound by Hartz,* who has figured an interesting series of leaves of typical D. 

 octopetala, of the forma intermedia, and of D. integrifolia. 



The specimens from Port Epworth harbour represent the forma intermedia, 

 but in these specimens the dentate leaves are very few in proportion to the 

 entire ones, and the specimens are better referable to D. integrifolia than to the 

 other. 



Sieversia glacialis R. Br. 



A few specimens in fruit were collected of this very rare species, the stem 

 reaching the height of fifteen cm. ; by the styles being pilose the species is readily 

 distinguished from S. Rossii R. Br. 



Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop. 



Two vegetative shoots were collected with relatively large leaves, the 

 length of the leaflets being about 2 cm. and the width about 1 cm. 



P. fruticosa L. 



The specimen from Port Epworth, collected in the month of July, is quite 

 a little shrub 17 cm. high, with several stout branches, with its leaves distinctly 

 petiolate, and with the floral peduncles attaining a length of about 3 cm.; 

 the flowers are large and as well as the leaves larger than those I have seen in 

 the alpine region of the Rocky mountains in Colorado. 



1 Spetsbergens Flora, I.e. p. 25. ^, x. j-,. . , , ,. c. , , , 



^Asiatiska Beringsundskustens Fanerogamflora. Vega Expedit. vetensk. arbet. btookholm, 

 1882 V 527. 



'Botaniska anl eckningar frSn nordvestra GrSnland. Ofvera. Kgl. SvenskaVet. Akad. Fdrhdlgr. 



' Fanerogamer og Karkryptogamer fra Nord^st-Gri^nland.' Medd. om GrSnland, XVIII. Kj^ben- 

 havn, 1895, p. 320. 



