Cruise of the Revenue-Steamer Corwin in Alaska and the N.W. Arctic Ocean in 1881: Botanical Notes / Notes and Memoranda: Medical and Anthropological; Botanical; Ornithological.

A field account of coastal and island plant life across arctic and subarctic North Pacific regions records species collected, habitat notes, and seasonal behavior observed on brief excursions. The writer likens polar vegetation to high alpine flora, explains widespread winter burial under snow and rapid summer resurgence, and describes dense carpets of lichens and mosses, flowering shrubs, grasses, and a few ferns that thrive where drainage and shelter permit. Genera and growth‑forms are listed, the relative absence of native trees on certain islands is noted, and practical observations address local abundance and the limits on agriculture imposed by fog, moisture, and short summers.