26c¢ Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 
the east end of Herschel island where I made botantical collections for two 
weeks in July and August, 1914 and 1916. 
The village at Pauline cove is situated on the sandy or gravelly shore 
around the bay, formed by a broad, curved, low tongue of land running out from 
the hills to the east and west. Mertensia maritima is a typical plant for the 
beach. Near or at the water front a slight relief is produced by sand dunes, 
refuse heaps, etc., and especially the latter ones quickly become overgrown 
with vegetation. Typical and common plants are Elymus mollis, Sisymbrium 
sophioides, Potentilla rubricaulis, Bupleurum americanum (often in large patches), 
Polemonium caeruleum var. villosum, Matricaria inodora var. grandiflora, Achillea 
borealis, Artemisia vulgaris var. Tilesii, A. comata, Senecio frigidus, etc., together 
_with certain other plants which perhaps more properly belong to the vegetation 
more inland, for instance Aconitum delphiniifoliwm, Castilleja pallida, and 
Myosotis silvatica. 
The more or less swampy tundra which intervenes between the gravelly 
beach region and the dry clay ground at the foot of the hills behind has the 
following typical plants, viz.: Hquisetum arvense, Carex stans, Eriophorum Scheuch- 
zert, Salix pulchra, S. reticulata, S. Richardsonit, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex 
arcticus, Ranunculus affints, Saxifraga Hirculus, S. Nelsoniana, Pedicularis 
sudetica, Lagotis glauca var. Steller’, Valeriana capitata, all seemingly preferring 
moist ground. 
On the higher, dry clay ground at the foot of the hills, a variety of plants 
are found which, however, cover the ground far less perfectly than is the case on 
the swamp so that many bare patches show up.! Besides a few grasses, e.g., 
Poa arctica, the typical plants are: Luzula hyperborea, Alsine arctica, inter- 
woven with Cassiope tetragona, Papaver nudicaule, Draba hirta, Eutrema Edwardstt, 
Hesperis Pallasit, Parrya macrocarpa, Saxifraga hieractifolia, Astragalus alpinus, 
Phaca frigida, Oxytropis campestris var. sordida, Hedysarum Mackenzii, H. 
alpinum, Arctostaphylos alpina, Castilleja pallida, Artemisia comata, Petasites 
frigida, Senecio resedifolia, Taraxacum ceratophorum. 
On the exposed, dry clay slopes the following are in addition common and 
typical, viz.: Carex incurva, Silene acaulis, Delphinium scopulorum var. glaucum, 
Saxifraga tricuspidata, Sveversia glacialis, Bupleurwm americanum, Selinum 
cniditfolium, Primula stricta, Gentiana arctophila, Polemonium caeruleum var. 
villosum, Alyosotis silvatica, Pedicularis verticillata, P. capitata, Erigeron wni- 
florus. Aconitum delphiniifolium and Caltha palustris forma radicans also occur 
but are less typical and common. (Plate III, fig. 2) 
It is in the protected bottoms however, and on the sides of the creeks, 
where a rich and moist clay soil exists, that one. finds the greatest number of 
flowering plants. They attain there an unusual development. Besides various 
Cyperaceer, e.g. Carex and Eriophorum, Graminee, e.g. Poa arctica and Trisetum 
spicatum, and willows, e.g. Salix Richardsonit and 8. pulchra, the following are 
typical and common, viz.: Lloydia serotina, Rumex arcticus, Oxyria digyna, 
Lychnis affinis, Stellaria longipes var. Edwardsii, Anemone parviflora, Ranunculus 
afinis, Hutrema Edwardsii, Parrya macrocarpa, Sisymbrium sophioides, Parnassia 
Kotzebue, Saxifraga cernua, S. radiata, S. tricuspidata, Dryas integrifolia, Potent- 
ila rubricaulis, Lupinus nootkatensis, Phaca frigida, Dodecatheon frigidum, 
Androsace Chamaejasme, Gentiana arctophila, Polemonium caeruleum var. vil- 
losum, Myosotis silvatica, Castilleja pallida, Pedicularis capitata, Lagotis glauca 
var. Stelleri, Valeriana capitata, Achillea borealis, Matricaria inodora var. grandi- 
flora, Artemisia comata, Petasites frigida, Senecio palustris, Saussurea angusti- 
folia. (Plates III-VI). 
1 This characteristic growth, so common at many places inland in the American Arctic region, especially west of Mac- 
kenzie river, may perhaps be ascribed mainly to the disturbing of the soil by melt-water, both from snow and from ground 
ice, and the thus occasioned slumps, I imagine, therefore, that the vegetation, occurring in scattered tufts and patches 
with bare ground between, represents both what remains of a former, more perfect plant covering, and plants spreading by 
seed from undisturbed places to the ‘‘new’’ ground available when the disturbance is over. The latter seems particularly 
to apply to Silene acaulis. (Cfr. John Muir, The Cruise of the Corwin, New York, 1917, Avpendix pp. 271-72). 
