174 H. G. SIMMONS. [sec. arct. EXP. fram 



grass is the most common in these plains." What he understood by 

 this name I have not been able to find out, as I have seen no spe- 

 cimens and as I have not found it mentioned by later authors, not even 

 as a synonym. The Index Kewensis has it as an upheld species, not 

 as a synonym. Moreover there exists yet another older Aira with the 

 same name, that of Marschall v. Bieberstein, quoted above, and that 

 in fact is a variety of A. caespitosa. Hartman, 1. c, p. 25, has also 

 reduced it to a variety when he, quite rightly as I think, identified a 

 plant from Jamtland with the sub-species described by Bieberstein. 

 This name, consequently as the oldest, must be used for the plant which 

 is found in several places in northern countries (Faeroes, Iceland, Green- 

 land) as well as in higher mountains (Caucasus, Jamtland), and which 

 is distinguished by its short and coarse leaves, but has an open, long- 

 branched panicle. This is widely different from the high-arctic form, 

 which must bear the name given by Trinius. 



To the latter, and not to the true var. brevifoUa, where Gelert, 

 I. c, p. 113, has it, the synonym var. horealis, Trautv. must be refer- 

 red, as this author, 1. c, p. 86, quotes Trinius, Spec. Gram., T. 256 B, 

 representing a specimen of var. arctica from Unalaschka, which entirely 

 agrees with the arctic ones. 



The var. hrevifolia of Nathorst, from Ivsugigsok in north-western 

 Greenland will be mentioned under the next species; his plant under the 

 same name from Hare Island in Danish Greenland is a small form of 

 var. hrevifolia, M. v. Bieberst. But a plant which I think ought to be 

 referred to var. arctica is also found in Greenland, by Hartz at Hold 

 with Hope (1. c, p 348) and probably already by the German expedi- 

 tion in 1870. The Grinnell Land plant of Hart is quite the same as 

 mine from the south coast, and consequently I assume that of Greely 

 also to be the same. 



Kjellman, Sib. Nordk. Fan. Fl., p. 274, mentions A. caespitosa as 

 one of the typical plants of the "rutmark" (polygon-fields) ; in Ellesmere- 

 land also it was generally found in clay fields. Sometimes it formed 

 large tufts in wet soil or in shallow water, it was rarely found in a 

 denser vegetation. It flowered late, hardly before the beginning of 

 August. 



Occurrence. Grinnell Land: Discovery Harbour (Hart, Greely). 

 South coast: Fram Fjord, in the Western valley, along the river (1636); 

 Muskox Fjord, inner part (2141); Goose Fjord, rather common in the 

 clay fields; specimens from Goose Valley (3271), Ptarmigan Gorge 

 (3389), east of 3rd quarters (3438, 3485), Midday Knoll (4245), Yellow 



