$^ 
146 DR. R. R. GATES: A STUDY OF NORTH AMERICAN 
from only one locality, near Rossville, Staten Island *. Its northern limit is 
probably Morris Co., N.J., and it is most abundant in southern New Jersey. 
The plant was originally discovered by Kalm near Philadelphia, probably on 
April 26, 1749, at Pennsneck, N.J. It was formerly supposed to have 
-occurred in eastern Pennsylvania, but this record was probably a mistake. 
The range of the species was only recently extended to North Carolina f, 
where it was found to be common in sphagnum swamps of the Pink Bed 
Valley, Transylvania Co., in thickets of Kalmia, Alnus, and Viburnum. 
It was found in full bloom April 29, 1909, and was distributed as No. 4117. 
Miller speaks of the plant as follows: Veratrum racemo simplicissimo, 
corollis patentibus, staminibus longioribus. ‘This is titled by Mr. John 
Bartram, who discovered the plant growing naturally in North America, 
Veratrum sempervirens.” Miller received the plant from Peter Collinson, 
later a specimen and drawing from Mr. John Bartram, Jr., and he afterwards 
obtained more plants from Dr. Bensel, of German Town, in Philadelphia, 
* who found it growing plentifully in shady moist places." 
This monotypic genus of eastern North America is evidently disappearing, 
and on account of its isolation must be regarded as the sole survivor of a 
group of forms. Its nearest relative is the Asiatic genus Heloniopsis, 
A. Gray, containing three species in Japan and one in Formosa. This 
is another instance of the remarkable similarity between the floras of 
eastern North America and Japan. According to Gray, Heloniopsis pauciflora 
combines the extrorse anthers of Colchicaces with the loculicidal capsule, 
entire style, and capitate stigma of the Liliacese, and a mass of little seeds 
tailed at one or both ends as in Juncus and Narthecium, in addition to 
its resemblances to //elonias. It is like a /Telonias with a single slender 
style, few flowers, depressed-capitate stigma, and seed appendaged only 
at the hilum. 
The genera Xerophyllum and Helonias may be compared as follows :— 
Xerophyllum. 
Leaves narrowly linear, rough-margined. 
Flowers very numerous, medium size, 
white, in a large, dense, terminal raceme. 
Perianth-segments oblong or ovate, 5-7- 
nerved. 
Stamensshorter than theperianth-segments. 
Filaments subulate, anthers oblong. 
Capsule ovoid, 3-grooved. 
Seeds 5, not appendaged or only minutely 
80. 
Helonias. 
Basal leaves oblanceolate, persistent. 
Flowers rather large, purple, in a terminal 
raceme, on a hollow, bracted scape. 
Perianth-segments spatulate. 
Stamens longer than the perianth-segments. 
Filaments filiform, anthers ovate, blue. 
Capsule obovoid, deeply 3-lobed. 
Seeds numerous, white-appendaged at each 
end. 
The contrasts in texture and habit of these plants are much greater than 
appears in a catalogue of their main taxonomic differences. 
* The following facts are taken from Stewardson Brown, in ‘ Bartonia,’ iii. (1910) 1-6. 
+ House, H. D., in * Mublenbergia,’ vi. (1910) 73. 
