Tas. 6073. 
AQUILEGIA LEpTOcERAS VAR. CHRYSANTHA. 
_— 
Native of New Mexico and Arizona. 
Nat. Ord. RanuncuLacex.—Tribe HELLEBORE A. 
Genus AquiLeaia, Linn. ; (Benth. § Hook. f. Gen. Plant., vol.i. p. 8). 
AgquitraiA leptoceras, Nutt. in Journ, Acad. Philadelph., vol. vii. p. 8; Tab. 
nost. 4407. ; 
Var. riava, A. Gray Plant. Wright, pt. ii. p. 9; elata, 2—4-pedalis, race- 
mosa, floribus saturate flavis, sepalis oblongo-lanceolatis, calcaribus 2}- 
pollicaribus.—A. chrysantha, A. Gray in Proc. Amer. Acad., ined., and 
in Gard. Chron. 1878, p. 1835 and 1501, cum Ie. Xylog., £. 304. 
It is with great diffidence that I dissent from my friend 
Prof. Gray’s opinion of the specific rank of this Columbine, 
which he first regarded as a variety (flava) of the American 
A, leptoceras, but more recently distinguishes asa species under 
the name of 4. chrysantha. In his remarks uponthe 4. chrysantha, 
which he has communicated to the Gardener’s Chronicle, Dr. 
Gray relies principally for its distinction upon, 1. The stature ; 
2. different geographical range and altitude; 3. its later and 
longer period of flowering; 4. its colour; 5. its smaller flowers. 
Now as regards the first of these, it appears that 4. leptoceras 
is stated to be one to one anda half feet high, and 4. chrysantha 
four feet ; but we have dried specimens of the former that must 
‘have been at least three feet high (perhaps much more), and 
I have found the European J. vulgaris, which in England is 
one to two feet high, attaining nearer four feet in the Atlas 
Mountains. As regards distribution, 4. /epfoceras ranges 
from the head waters of the Columbia to those of the 
Colorado, #.e., from 40° to 35° N., and A. chrysantha ranges 
from New Mexico to Arizona, 7.e., from 35° to 31° N. As the 
altitude of the habitat of Chrysantha is not given, I cannot 
compare it with that of Lepéoceras, but would instance as a far 
greater extension of distribution in longitude and altitude, the 
DECEMBER Ist, 1873. 
