I2 Rhodora [JANUARY 
Gnaphalium stolonibus reptatricibus longissimis, foliis ovatis, caule capi- 
tato. Gron. virg. 95. 
Gnaphalium, plantaginis folio, virginianum. Pluk. Aľm. 171, t. 348. f. 9. 
Habitat in Virginia. Y. 
Habitus omnino praecedentis; sed Folia radicalia pollice majora, ovalia. Vidi 
solam feminiam; an praecedentis sola varietas ? 
From an examination of this description it will be seen that the 
species rests upon three plants, namely, 1) the plant of Clayton, de- 
scribed by Gronovius, whose words, “ Gnaphalium stolonibus repta- 
tricibus," etc., are quoted by Linnaeus; 2) the plant of Plukenet, 
mentioned in the Almagestum as “ Gnaphalium plantaginis folio,” 
etc., and crudely figured in the same work, t. 348, f. 9; 3) the plant 
which Linnaeus himself examined and which suggested the words in 
the first lines, “ Gnaphalium caule simplissimo, foliis radicalibus ovatis 
maximis, sarmentis procumbentibus," also the closing expressions re- 
garding the habit. 
Clayton's plant, definitely cited by Gronovius ! as no. 287 was 
readily found in the herbarium of the British Museum of Natural 
History and proved to be neither species associated by .recent 
American writers with the Linnaean Guaphalium plantaginifolium. 
With solitary large terminal head and elongated slender stolons, 
in length exceeding the flowering stem, it was clearly the southern 
A. solitaria, Rydberg. The Plukenet plant was sought in vain 
even with the efficient assistance of Messrs. Carruthers, Hierns, and 
E. G. Baker, to whose courteous aid I am much indebted. As the 
fullest, if not the only, set of Plukenet plants is preserved at the British 
Museum, it is probable that as this plant is lacking there it is not 
extant. There is no evidence, as I am informed by Mr. Carruthers, 
that Linnaeus saw this plant of Plukenet, and there is positive proof 
that he did not see the plant of Clayton, for that is staminate, while 
Linnaeus expressly says that he had seen only the pistillate form. To 
learn just what Linnaeus had seen I examined the representation of 
Gnaphalium in his own herbarium, preserved in the rooms of the 
Linnaean Society of London, and there found a sheet of Gnapha- 
lium plantaginifolium, clearly labeled in Linnaeus’ own hand, but 
unfortunately without any indication of the collector. It bears two 
specimens evidently alike and both pistillate. Moreover, through 
the partial loss of their large lower leaves they present no slight 
! Flor, Virg. ed. 1, 95. 
