COULTER AND ROSE—NORTH AMERICAN UMBELLIFERAE. 61 
on the ribs. Carpel slightly flattened dorsally or not at all, often 
tapering into a long caudate attenuation at base, nearly pentagonal in 
section, with equal ribs, thin pericarp, and a well-defined group of 
strengthening cells beneath each rib. Stylopodium conical, sometimes 
depressed; styles mostly short. Oil tubes obsolete in mature fruit (often 
numerous in young fruit). Seed face —. 
fromslightly concave to deeply sulcate. >) (C 
Glabrous to hirsute perennials, from ia 
thick aromatic roots, 3 to 9 dm. high, AN 
with ternately decompound leaves, 
broad ovate to lanceolate variously 
toothed leaflets, involucre and involu- 
cels few-leaved or wanting, and white 
or purple flowers in few-rayed and few- 
fruited umbels. 
Type species, Myrrhis  claytoni 
Michx. FL. 1: 170. L808. 
A group of about 16 species, chiefly 
found in the United States and Canada, 
only 4 species occurring beyond our 
boundaries in Mexico, South America, 
and eastern Asia. 
The priority of the name Washingtonia rests 
upon the fact that it is mentiond before 
Osmorhiza in a list of three possible names 
suggested by Rafinesque for the new genus. 
In the same sentence he expresses a preference 
for Osmorhiza, and later formally establishes 
the genus under that name, by which it has 
been known ever since. It is under protest 
that we displace a name of such long use for what seems to be so trivial a reason, 
but the name Washingtonia will continue to be put forward in accordance with a 
technical interpretation of the law of priority. 
In reexamining the claims of Glycosma Nutt. to generic rank we find no occasion 
to change the decision reached in our former Revision, to which (p. 117) we would 
refer for a full statement of the case. In his revision of the Umbelliferze for Engler 
and Prantl’s Nat, Planzenfamilien Dr. Drude has reached the same conclusion. 
Fig. 7.—Washingtonia brachypoda: 
a, «4: bo & 8. 
Osmoruiza.—Fruit with bristly ribs; carpel with long caudate 
attenuation (except W. druchypoda). 
Involucels of several bractlets. 
Carpel with long attenuation; eastern species. 
Style very short (less than | mm.).......2.2-.--.-------------- 1. W. claytoni. 
Style longer (2 mm. or more)..........2--2------------------ 2. W. longistylis. 
Carpel short attenuate at base; Californian species. .......---.- 3. W. brachypoda. 
Involucels none. 
Flowers white. 
Fruit obtuse at apex. 
Foliage strigose-pubescent; leaflets obtuse or acutish............ 4. W. nuda. 
Foliage almost glabrous; leaflets acute or acuminate ...... -. oOo We obtusa, 
