FLORA OF CANADA. 
3 
Canadian plants being also common in Lapland and arctic Russia. A 
number of species occurring chiefly in the most western parts of arctic 
Canada are of Asiatic relationship, and very few are of American 
origin. Among these may be mentioned Douglasia arctica, Cardamine 
digitata , and Pleuropogon Sabini. 
With regard to general characteristics, the arctic flora of Canada is 
quite similar to the arctic or “circumpolar” flora in general. It is 
composed almost exclusively of perennial plants, which exhibit those 
well known features with regard to biology and anatomical structure 
which the arctic flora has in common with the flora of high alpine regions. 
In the more northern parts, where the ground is physiologically more or 
less dry, or where it is rocky, the growth is often very compact and 
includes a great number of plants of the so-called “bunch type.” 
Suffice it to mention Silene acaulis, Papaver radicatum, Potent-ilia nivea, 
Saxijraga tricuspidata , .S. oppositifolia , Armeria sibirica , Androsace 
Chamcejasme, Melandrium apetalum, Kobresia Bcllardii , Car ex rupestris , 
C. membranopacta, C. nardina, Poa glauca f Festuca ovina var. brevifolia, 
etc. Similar growth is also encountered, though less commonly, on the 
tundra, i.e. r the more southerly and physiologically wetter part of the 
arctic region. Among the tundra plants of the bunch type may be 
mentioned: Diapensia lapponica , Arenaria macrocar pa, A. arctica. 
Compactness of growth is also displayed by a number of plants which, 
though not growing in “bunches” form dense and often very extensive 
mats. To this type belong Cerastium alpinum , Ranunculus hyperboreus , 
Sibbaldia procumbens , Dryas integrifolia, Loiseleuria procumbens, Cassiope 
tetragona , etc. Among the more conspicuous arctic herbaceous plants 
which grow neither in mats nor in bunches may be mentioned: Dupontia 
Fischeri, Eriophorum Scheuchzeri , E. angustifolium , Spiranthes Roman- 
zoffiana, Habenaria hyperborea, Oxyria digyna , Polygonum viviparum, 
Ranunculus nivalis , R. affinis, Parrya arctica , Eutrema Edwardsii , 
Saxijraga jlagellaris, S. hieracifolia, Pyrola grandifiora , Primula sibirica , 
Pedicularis Jlammea , Arnica alpina, Saussurea alpina, Chrysanthemum 
integrifolium. 
As indicated above, the Arctic zone has no real trees. The woody 
plants, characteristic to the zone in general, are either prostrate forms, 
such as Salix arctica and its varieties, S. orbicularis , S. anglorum, or of a 
more shrubby appearance, such as Betula nana , B. glandulosa, and Salix 
Richarsonii. On the tundra, the woody plants are chiefly of the erica- 
ceous family, the principal ones being Ledum palustre , Rhododendron 
lapponicum, Vaccinium uHginosum, V. Oxycoccus , V. Vitis-Idcea var. 
pumilum, Arctostaphylos alpina. The berries of the two latter species, 
with those of Empetrum nigrum , form the chief food of the migrating 
geese in the spring of the year. 
