1 36 Rhodora [June 



Hypericum Bissellii. Perenne herbaceum 4-5 dm. altum erec- 

 tum glaberrimum ; caulibus foliosis simplicibus vel in parte superiori 

 plus minusve ramosis basi flexuosis teretibus a cortice brunneo tectis 

 supra ancipitibus rlavescentibus: foliis oblongis integerrimis erectis 

 vel adscendentibus sessilibus in axillis proliferis obtusiusculis 2.5-3.5 

 cm. longis 3-^ mm. latis uninervis supra saturate viridibus non 

 lucentibus subtus pallidi oribus creberrime punctatis : cymis termina 

 libus regulariter dichotomis 8 cm. latis circa 20-floris; ramulis- 

 patente adscendentibus; bracteis ovatis, acutis 7-10 mm. longis; 

 floribus in dichotomis solitariis erectis ad 1.5 cm. latis; pedicellis 

 2-4 mm. longis; sepalis valde inaequalibus, maximis late ovatis 1.3 

 cm. longis 8 mm. latis acuminatis subcordatis herbaceis 3-nerviis 

 creberrime punctatis et basi pellucide glanduloso-lineatis ; petalis 

 obovato-oblongis obliquis apice rotundatis sed in latere uno cum 

 mucrone pusillo munitis flavis 7 mm. longis ; staminibus pernumer- 

 osis in phalanges non separabilibus ; carpellis 3, styli ramis in maturi- 

 tate profunde divisis, capsula ovoidea acuminata 7 mm. longa unilo- 

 culare, placentibus 3 parietalibus nullo modo intrusis. — Collected by 

 C. H. Bissell at Southington, Connecticut, 30 July, 1901, no. 4025. 

 Type in the Gray Herbarium. 



On the 15th of September, 1901, Dr. G. G. Kennedy, Mr. E. F. 

 Williams, and Mr. M. L. Fernald collected on the sandy shores of 

 Flax Pond, at Bourne, Massachusetts, two forms of Hypericum 

 adpressum so different in biological character as to merit taxonomic 

 recognition. In the one which corresponds to the typical form of H. 

 aJpressum, Part, the rootstocks are relatively slender and repent 

 sending up two or more stems from near the tip. The cortex is not 

 at all spongy-thickened, and the leaves are linear to narrowly lanceo- 

 late-oblong and of a bright green color. The other plant may be 

 described as follows. 



H. adpressum, var. spongiosum. Quam forma typica robustius 

 erectum 7 cm. altum ; caule solitario in parte inferiori incrassato et 

 more Decodonis a cortice crasso spongioso tecto ; foliis oblongis 

 quam illi formae typicae latioribus et saturiore viridibus. — Collected 

 by G. G. Kennedy, E. F. Williams, and M. L. Fernald, in marshy 

 borders of thickets on the sandy shores of Flax Pond, Bourne, Massa- 

 chusetts, 15 September, 1901. Type in the Gray Herbarium. 



Both of these forms were secured in considerable quantity and 

 comparisons have embraced some two hundred specimens. Although 

 collected late in the season the specimens show all the floral parts even 

 occasional petals. Careful search, however, has failed to reveal any 

 differences in the floral organs, fruit, or seed ; and as the vegetative 

 differences although marked do not appear to be entirely constant, 

 it seems best to treat the new form as a variety rather than a species. 

 That it does not represent merely a stage of development in the 

 typical plant is sufficiently shown by the fact that both forms, grow- 



