166 H. G. SIMMONS. [sEC. arct. exp. fram 



The panicle is densely contracted, almost cylindrical, tapering a 

 little towards both ends. The branches from the lower nodes are about 

 three, very short, thin, stiff, and glabrous, each carrying from one to 

 three spikelets. The spikelets are very lax and during the anthesis — 

 I have only seen it in that state — the flowers are spread open. Their 

 number in the spikelet is generally three. 



The glumes are equally long, the lower one is somewhat broader, 

 and a greater part of it is purple-brown than in the upper one. The 

 greater part of both, however, is membranaceous, of a yellowish, light- 

 brown colour, the nerves reaching to about the middle, 3 in number. 

 In the pales there are three stronger nerves that are visible through 

 the membranaceous part almost to the blunted end, and besides there 

 are two shorter and feebler ones in the lower pale. Only the basal 

 part of the glume and the nerves are purple, the rest is membranaceous. 

 At the base of the lower pale there are a few short hairs. In fruiting 

 state the plant was not seen, but there were many old culms, where the 

 glumes were generally all that was left of the whole spikelet; sometimes 

 also a remnant of a withered flower was to be seen. 



I am fully aware of the risk in establishing a new species in such 

 a genus as Poa, but my plant certainly cannot be united to any other 

 arctic species of the genus, and I have tried in vain to find specimens 

 of it in the rich London collections, or to seek out a description of a 

 species of Poa to which it could be referred. It may, however, be 

 possible that P. evagans is spread in the Arctic Archipelago, and has 

 been overlooked by the older English expeditions, that have never had 

 any botanist among their members. 



As already mentioned, this species grew, in the only locahty where 

 I found it, in loose moving sand in a river valley near the shore. When 

 found August 26, 1899, it was in full flower. 



Occurrence. South coast: Western Valley in Fram Fjord (4267). 



Poa alpina, L. 



This species is recorded from north-western Greenland and from 

 Ellesmereland, but I have not found it, and I must admit that I have 

 very little confidence in those statements. The Greenland specimens 

 with one exception, are probably kept in some American collection, and 

 such also is the case with the specimens upon which the statements of 

 Greely and Wetherill are based (from Discovery Harbour, resp. 

 "north side of Jones Sound" = neighbourhood of Fram Fjord). These 



