42 Rhodora [February 



UTRICULARIA MINOR IN HOLBROOK, MASSACHUSETTS. 



Alice G. Clark. 



In the spring of 1898 Utrieularia minor was found in a small area 

 of meadow-land in Holbrook, Massachusetts. Several specimens 

 were collected at that time and some also in 1899, but although 

 careful search has been made the plant has not been found since. 



This Utrieularia is one of the most delicate of the genus. None 

 of the plants found reached a height of more than 2.5 inches. The 

 thread-like stems lay flat upon the ground and were hidden in the 

 Sphagnum. The flowers, borne upon slender erect scapes, are very 

 small, being about as large as the flower buds of Drosera intermedia, 

 with which the Utrieularia grew. The latter was in full bloom even 

 in the shade, while the Mowers of Drosera were not yet expanded, and 

 the resemblance of the two plants was so strong that in walking along 

 one found considerable difficulty in distinguishing them. 



A specimen was recently sent to Mr. Kmile F. Williams, whose 

 reply 1 quote in part : " Utrieularia minor has been one of my deside- 

 rata for some years. I did not realize it flowered so early. Your 

 date is May 25. It was reported years ago from Tewksbury, but has 

 not been seen by any one of late years and botanists were beginning 

 to be very sceptical about it in this part of the country.'' 



A note as to the growing conditions of the plant might be of 

 assistance to anyone who should wish to look for it next spring. It 

 is described in Cray's Manual as growing in shallow water, but I 

 have found that during the past two years, when water stood an inch 

 or two deep over this spot in tlie meadow, no trace of Utrieularia could 

 be found. During the preceding two years the seasons had been 

 rather dry so that the meadow in this place was covered with a boggy 

 growth of Sphagnum. There were scattered cranberry vines, 

 Vaceinium niaeroearpon, also Drosera rotundifoha and D. intermedia, 

 and the green buds of Pogonia ophioglossoides. 



Several readers of Rhodora would be interested to know if anyone 

 else has collected Utrieularia minor recently, and if so under what 

 conditions. 



North Easton, Massachusetts. 



}'(>/. 4. No. ,7, including j>agei 1 to .?.?, was issued / 7 January, iqc>2. 



