Sect. IY. Micranthes. Tausch.—Seringe, in De Cand. Prodr.
20. S. nivalis; foliis ovatis obovatisve coriaceis crenatis in petiolum latum attenuatis,
scapo nudo, floribus capitatis sessilibus, capitulis rarius ramosis, ovario seminifero, segmentis
calycinis erectis obtusis, petalis persistentibus obovatis albis calyce vix dimidio longioribus.—
a. floribus dense capitatis. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 573. Engl. Bot. t. 440. Pursh, FI. Am. v. 1.
p. 310. Br. in Parry’s 2d Voy. App. p. cclxxv. Don, Saxifr. in Linn. Trans, v. 13.
p. 387. Seringe, in De Cand. Prodr. v. 4. p. 38.—/3. capitulis Jaxis ramosis.
Hab. Arctic Sea-shore and Islands, abundant. Rocky Mountains. Drummond. Labrador and Canada.
(Pursh.')—The American specimens of this plant, it must be acknowledged, are very variable, and in many
instances so closely approach some of the varieties of the following species, that we find it difficult
to distinguish them. The present is best recognised by its stiff and rigid habit, by the broad persistent
petals, which, remaining amongst the deep purple capsules, form a singular contrast with them. Mr. Brown
observes, that the S. longiscapa of Don, scarcely differs from the variety of S. nivalis with a simple few-
flowered corymb, figured by Linnaeus in the Flora Lapponica, (t. 2. f. 5.)
21. S. vemalis ; foliis oblongis obovatisve submembranaceis nervosis profunde crenato-
dentatis in petiolum latum attenuatis, scapo nudo, floribus paniculato-corymbosis ovario
fere omnino supero, segmentis calycinis erectis obtusis, petalis oblongo-obovatis calyce plus-
quam duplo longioribus.—a. floribus laxe paniculatis, scapo longiore.—S. vernalis. Willd.
Hort. Berol. t. 43. Bigel. FI. Bost. p. 177.— S. Virginiensis. . Torrey, FI. Un. St. v. 1.
p. 44.—/3. floribus compactis subthyrsoideis.— y. gracilis, corymbo laxo subpaucifloro.—S.
elongata. Stemb. Saxifr. p. 9. t. 4.
Hab. a., and y. Canada, and to the Mountains. Lady Dalhousie. W. Sheppard, Esq. Dr. Richardson.
Drummond.—a,. On the Columbia, and from Fort Vancouver to the Kettle Falls. Douglas.—/3. Sa ska t-
chawan. Dr. Richardson and Mr. Drummond. Canada. W. Sheppard, Esq. Mrs. Perceval.—Although
Willdenow, in describing his S. vemalis, considered it to be identical with the S. Virginiensis of Michaux,
we are inclined to a different opinion: the arrangement of the flowers in the panicle being-very different in
the two: in the present they form an imperfect corymb or a thyrsus: in S. Virginiensis, as is well described
by Michaux, the branches of the panicle have sessile and alternate, and somewhat unilateral flowers.
It is our variety &. which in its general aspect bears so considerable a resemblance to S. nivalis; but the
leaves are of a less coriaceous texture; the flowers are, almost the whole of them, more or less distinctly
pedicellate; the petals are longer and narrower, and a much smaller portion of the ovary is adherent with
the tube of the calyx.
22. S. Virginiensis; foliis ovatis coriaceo-membranaceis profunde crenato-dentatis in
petiolum latum attenuatis, scapo nudo superne dichotome paniculato, ramis elongatis ascen-
dentibus, floribus spicato-racemosis unilateralibus, ovario libero, segmentis calycinis erectis
obtusis, petalis oblongis calyce plusquam duplo longioribus.—Mich. FI. Am. v. 1. p. 269.
Pursh, FI. Am. v. 1. p. 310. Elliott, Carol, v. 1. p. 311. Torrey, FI. Un. St. v. 1. p. 444.
Don, Saxifr. in Linn. Trans, v. 13. p. 386. Seringe, in De Cand. Prodr. v. 4. p. 39.
Hab. Saskatchawan. Dr. Richardson and Drummond. Near Montreal Dr. Holmes.—This we consider,
from Michaux’s description, to be his S. Virginiensis, and there is something so remarkable in the
arrangement of the flowers upon the panicle, resembling that of Penthorium sedoides, that we cannot at
present but consider it to be distinct from S. vemalis. Future observations, however, may prove it to be
a variety. It appears to have been found very sparingly during Captain Sir John Franklin’s journey, and
only upon the Saskatchawan. We have received it -from the United States, in two or three instances and
from Canada, mixed with S. vemalis.
23. S. reflexa ; cano-pubescens, foliis ovatis subcoriaceis opacis inciso-serratis in petiolum
attenuatis, scapo nudo, panicula glaberrima compacta corymbosa, petalis obovatis bimacu-
latis calyce reflexo obtuso vix duplo longioribus, filamentis plurimis abortivis dilatatis
petaloideis, ovario libero. (T ab. LXXXV.)
Hab. Shores of the Arctic Sea, between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers. Dr. Richardson.—
Together with the harsh and rigid; foliage of S. nivalis, the present species has a panicle more resembling
that of (S', vemalis; but the petals have two orange spots, similar to those of S. leucanthemifolia, and the
free calyx is at all times remarkably reflexed. The pubescence gives a whitish or hoary appearance to the
whole plant, the panicle excepted; but much dependence cannot probably be placed upon this character, since
we find it to be very variable in all the species of the present section.
Tab. LXXXV. S. reflexa. Fig. 1, Flower; fig. 2, The same, more fully expanded.
24. S. integrifolia; tota planta pubescenti-viscidissima, foliis radicalibus ovatis submembranaceis
obtusissimis integerrimis vel lsevissime sinuato-crenatis copiose reticulatim
venosis, scapo elongato nudo ad apicem paniculato, panicula laxa lata vel contracta
bracteata, petalis obovatis calyce patente glaberrimo demum subreflexo dup^longioribus,
staminibus brevibus, ovario omnino libero, stylis divergentibus. (T ab. LXXXVI.)
Hab. Near the mouth of the Columbia, North-West coast of America. Dr. Scouler.—The present
species appears to us very distinct from any other: it is clothed with a copious pubescence or tomentum,
which Dr. Scouler observed, in a recent state, to be extremely viscid. The root is perennial, somewhat
woody, throwing out numerous slender black wiry and branching fibres. The leaves are short in proportion
to the height of the plant, about an inch long, suddenly tapering into a slender petiole of the same
length. The scape is from eight to ten inches in height, quite leafless, rather stout and rigid. In one of
our two specimens the panicle is contracted, oblong, with the flowers rather compact upon the primary
peduncles: in the other the panicle is very lax, patent, and broad, the main peduncles or branches being two
inches in length, slender, and filiform. The stamens are peculiarly short, not half the length of the nearly
ripened capsules, which latter have the styles singularly patent, and even recurved. The stigmas are
capitate.
Tab. LXXXVI. S. integrifolia. Fig. 1, Flower; fig. 2, The same, fully expanded; fig. 3, Petal; fig. 4,
Pistil; fig. 5, Fruit:—magnified.
25. S. hieraciifolia; scapo stricto subpiloso, foliis petiolatis obovato-spathulatis repando-
dentatis ciliatis coriaceis, floribus spicatis subsessilibus calycis, lobis ovatis latis tubi longitu-
dine, petalis ovatis rubellis marcescentibus, calycem vix sequantibus, filamentis purpureis,
capsula prominente purpurea, carpellis apice divaricatis, stylis brevissimis, stigmatibus
subhemisphsericis. DC.— Waldst. et Kit. PI. Bar. Hung. v. 1. p . 17. t. 18. Stemb. Rev.
Saxif.p. 9. et Suppl. p .5 . Don Saxifr. in Linn. Trans, v. 13. p. 383. Seringe, in De Cand.
Prodr. v. 4. p. 39.-—S. plantaginifolia. Hook, in Parry’s 2d Voy. App. p. cccxciv.
Hab. Arctic Islands. Capt. Sir E. Parry. Shores of the Arctic Sea, between the Mackenzie and
Coppermine Rivera. Dr. Richardson.—The figure in Waldstein and Kitaibel is a very excellent represents
tion (though rather luxuriant) of our Arctic specimens. It is a species, indeed, which appears exactly intermediate
between S. Pennsylvania and S. nivalis, more, however, allied to the former.
26. S. Pennsylvanica; caule stricto striato, strns numerosis parvis, foliis in petiolum
attenuatis obovato-spathulatis dentatis ciliatis obtusis flaccidis pilosis non- punctato-rugosis,
floribus paniculato-corymbosis, lobis calycis oyato-lanceolatis tubo multo longioribus, petalis
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