444 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
prised to find that our American friends suppose Berberis repens to 
be a variety of B. aquifolium.” 
Torrey and Gray’s conclusions as to the identity of Berberis aqui- 
foliwm Pursh and .B. repens Lindl. were a adopted by Watson * 
and by Brewer and Watson."* 
On these grounds Rydberg ™ considers that the name Berberis aqui- 
foltum Pursh really belongs with the glaucous-leafed species occur- 
ring in Montana, that is, B. repens Lindl., and comments as follows: 
“Tt is evident that Pursh’s description and plate, except one leaflet, belong to 
what has generally been known as B. repens Lindl. Lindley made a mistake 
when he supposed that the name B. aquifolium belonged to the tall shrub of the 
Pacific coast, and this mistake has been followed by most American authors.” 
Kearney ** had several years before reached the conclusion that “ it 
was to the low plant of the Plains and Rockies, not to the tall shrub 
of the Pacific slope, that Pursh applied this name,” i.e., Berberis 
aquifolium, and he therefore renamed the shiny-leafed shrub Berberis 
nutkana (DC.) Kearney. 
Greene,’® in proposing the name Berberis nana for the Rocky 
Mountain plant, considered it different from B. repens Lindl., but 
retained the name 2. aquifolium Pursh for the shiny-leafed plant of 
the Pacific northwest. 
Upon request, Dr. B. L. Robinson, of the Gray Herbarium, has 
searched for such records as Dr. Gray may have made of the Pursh 
specimens, and he reports as follows: 
“In Life and Letters of Dr. Gray, Vol. I, p. 22, under date of 1839 of his 
autobiography, Dr. Gray says: ‘Old Lambert, too; he had the Hookers and my- 
self at dinner, and gave me as good opportunity as he could to consult the Pursh 
plants, etc., in his herbarium, which, not long after, was scattered, but it was 
in his dining room, which was very much lumbered, and to be reached only at 
certain hours.’ 
“The original of Dr, Gray’s autobiograhpy, in his own handwriting, is in the 
Gray Herbarium, where this quotation has been verified. 
“In a letter of Dr. Gray dated February 1, 1839, he says: ‘I spent the earli- 
est part of the morning in my own room, then went to Lambert’s and com- 
menced the examination of Pursh’s plants.’ In his manuscript notes on Pursh’s 
herbarium he says: 
“* Mahonia Aquifol. 8 Nutkana DC. Menzies is from a form approaching Lind- 
ley’s B. repens. Pursh could not have taken his separate leaf from this—but 
doubtless from the other specm. in herb. Lamb. on the same sheet—for which 
see Don in Brit. fl. Gard.’ 
“In Sweet's British Flower Garden, new ser., Vol. II, 1838, under plate 171, 
which is dated December, 1832, this comment on Berberis nervosa D. Don is 
* In King, Geol. Expl. 40th Par. 5:13. 1871 
* Bot. Calif. 1:14. 1876. 
“Mem, N. Y. Bot. Gard. 1:170. 1900. 
“Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 14:29. 1894. 
* Pittonia 3:98. 1896. 
