viviparum Li., according to the description and illustration. This plant is very closely related to Polygonum bistorta, which is the proper "Natterwurz" of the Germans. Ray came to the same conclusion as Martens and named it "Bistorta minor Spitzbergensis."
"Kraut als Maüse-Oehrlein " (table G, fig. d) is exceedingly
well illustrated and described, and represents Cerastium alpinum
L., of which the German name is at present "Alpen-Hornkraut."
"Maüseoehrchen " is now used for Hieracium Pilosella L., while
"Maüsoehrlein," according to Lœselius,[1] is the name for some
species of Gnaphalium and Myosotis. Myosotis is, so far as the name
itself is concerned, the only plant to which this name "Mouse-ear" could be applied, as it was by Dioscorides, from the Greek
(
Greek characters), a mouse, and (Greek characters), an ear. The leaves of Cerastium alpinum
very closely resemble those of a Myosotis, so that it can easily be
seen how the mistake occurred. "Auriculæ muris affinis herba spitzbergensis" is the name given by Ray to this plant, but his
diagnosis, " Supremo cauliculo Flos innascitur albus," is the only
feature which is characteristic of this Cerastium. Martens has,
indeed pointed out the characteristics in a much clearer way.
"Kraut als Singrün " (table G, fig. b) represents Salix polaris Wahlb. If it were not that the illustration is so good, it would hardly have been possible to identify this plant. "Singrün" is now the name for Vinca. The stem is described as knotted and woody, and the leaves as occurring in pairs. The flowers were not seen, and Martens is therefore not certain that the plant belongs to Pyrola minima. It is called "Vinca pervincce similis herba Spitzbergensis" by Ray. The leaves of this willow are very small and coriaceous, brilliant green. They occur in about two alternately on each branch, and to a certain extent resemble those of some species of Pyrola.
"Erdbeer-Kraut " (table H, fig. b) is Potentilla fragiformis Willd. The description is very good, and the statement that the leaves only had three leaflets shows that we have this species before us, and not P. maculata Pourr., the leaves of which are quinate. The same statement is also given by Ray, "foliis tripartitis divisis ....," who has called it "Fragariæ affinis Spitzbergensis."
Two algae are enumerated under the name "Klippen-Kraütern," of which the figure b in plate F represents Fucus vesiculosus. The vesicles are described very accurately, and Martens states that he did not observe whether these contained any seeds. His sailors informed him, however, that the small sea snails (Pteropoda), upon which the whales feed, originate from the seeds of this alga. Martens does not seem to have shared this opinion, however, and says that he is inclined to believe that these snails have, like others, originated from eggs !
The large alga (fig. c in plate I) is undoubtedly a species of Laminaria. [Mr. Murray identifies this with L. saccharina.]
Several other plants were observed, but were not collected. Only two of these have been described, but these have not been
- ↑ Johannes Lœselius, Flora Prussica, Begensburg, 1703.
