l6 Rhodora [January 



Stations from the middle of the State south along the western bor- 

 der, and only in the form bearing leaves with 3-5 shallow lobes. 

 The form with deeply divided leaves I have collected as far north as 

 (ireat Barrington, Mass. 



7. F. septcmloha, Le Conte, is in New England confined to 

 the costal regfons. I include under this name V. Brittoniana, 

 Pollard, which I cannot regard as specifically distinct from the 

 plant of Le Conte. 



8. V. septcittriotialis, Greene (Pitt. iii. 334). This admirable 

 species was founded upon specimens collected by J. M. Macoun 

 near Ottawa, Ont., in May and June, 1898. Several sheets of this 

 collection are in the Gray Herbarium. Prof. Greene has recently 

 made several other species, from different localities, out of what 

 seems to be essentially the same thing as the Ottawa plant. V, 

 septentrional is he now regards as a local species, and calls the plants 

 sent from Vermont, V. subviscosa. Believing as I do in their 

 specific identity I am obliged to use Prof. Greene's oldest name, — 

 a name, by the way, as felicitous for this northern species, as the 

 other name is infelicitous, the plant being never in tiie least viscous. 



At the time of vernal flowering the species migiit be confused with 

 V. sororiiu both having cordate-ovate pubescent leaves ; but one soon 

 learns to distinguish it by tiie rich violet of the petals and the purple 

 coloring on the lower surface of its earliest leaves. These marks, 

 indeed, after a few months fade out in herbarium specimens. But 

 here I find a fairly reliable mark in the fine ciliation of the sepals 

 extending nearly or quite to the tip. In V. sororia the sepals are 

 obscurely ciliate and that ciiieHy at the base. When, however, one 

 examines V. septentrionalis in late summer, it is seen to be more 

 closely related to V. fimbriatiila than to any other species. This 

 resemblance is seen in the pubescence, in the color of tiie petals, in 

 the form of tlie apetalous flowers and fruit, and in the ciliation and 

 long auricles of the sepals. Nevertheless there are obvious and radi- 

 cal points of difference between the two species, and no one would 

 think of merging them into one. 



The species is a common one in the northern New England 

 States. Mr. Eggleston has collected it on the cold cliffs of Smug- 

 glers' Notch. I have seen it from numerous stations in Maine and 

 New Hampshire. Mr. Bissell has it from at least two stations in 

 Connecticut. I have collected it in Lanesboro, Mass. In western 



