1903] Fernald, — Arabis Drummondi and its Relatives 227 
species with basal leaves stellate-pubescent and the pods spreading ; 
while those from the other stations have the lower leaves glabrous or 
with some malpighiaceous hairs and the pods on erect pedicels. 
As already stated, there is nothing in the descriptive text of Dr. 
Watson to show which plant he intended as Arabis confinis. Judging 
from the two differential features, the leaves and pods, the precedence 
given in the description to the characters, "leaves finely stellate- 
pubescent " and “ pods more or less spreading," as well as the citation 
first of the Tadousac plant would indicate one species; while the 
citation of Arabis laevigata, Hook. as the leading synonym points to 
the plant with smoother leaves and erect pods, though the remaining 
synonymy points partly to the former plant. Nor does the separa- 
tion in the 6th edition of the Manual of var. brachycarpa (following 
A. Drummondii, var. brachycarpa of the 5th edition) merely on the 
length of the pod sufficiently clear the two plants; while the some- 
what fuller definition of the plants in the Synoptical Flora still allows 
A. confinis with leaves either “finely stellate-pubescent or glabrate.” 
The only clue now obtainable as to Dr. Watson's conception of 
_ Arabis confinis is from the note following his description, where he 
says. "Of related species, A. DRUMMONDII, Graham [Gray], is con- 
fined to the western mountains, glaucous and glabrous, or usually 
pubescent below with appressed hairs attached by the middle, with 
broader straight erect blunt pods, and broadly elliptical winged 
seeds."? From this note the natural assumption might be that by 4. 
confinis was meant the plant with stellate pubescence and spreading 
pods ; but since most of the specimens cited are of the other plant it 
is more probable that Dr. Watson, following an artificial principle 
still too prevalent, was simply separating from the supposedly local 
Rocky Mountain species “all the ‘A. Drummondii’ of the Atlantic 
region.” At any rate, there is little reason to keep up for either of 
the eastern plants a name so indefinitely applied as A. confints, 
` especially since both the components of that compound species were 
already clearly defined. 
14, laevigata; erecta, glabra, glauca, foliis radicalibus obovatis petiolatis sinu- 
ato-dentatis, caulinis linearibus sessilibus intigerrimis, siliquis erectis, seminibus 
marginatis : : : : : : : : : : : ; à 
Hab. About Lake Huron. Dr. Todd.— A foot high. Pedice/s 3-4 lines long. 
Siliguae quite erect, 11 to 2 inches long, linear, plane, tapering at the extremity 
into a very short style Hook, Fl. Bor.-Am. i. 43 (1829). 
? Watson, l. c. 
