1904] Wiegand, — Some Notes on Galium 2 1 



SOME NOTES ON GALIUM. 

 K. M. Wiegand. 



In my previous paper on the genus Galium ^ several varieties of 

 Galium tinctoriuni were described among which was the variety 

 Labradoricum, and the range there given was " In sphagnous bogs 

 Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin northward to Labrador. 

 Since that time Mr. M. L. Fernald has generously supplied me with 

 fruiting specimens and has called my attention to the fact that this 

 form is really a distinct species, quite different in many respects 

 from Galium tinciorium. Observations made during the past sum- 

 mer have fully convinced me of the correctness of his view, and it 

 seems, therefore, desirable to raise this variety to specific rank as 

 follows. 



Galium Labradoricum sp. nov. {C. tindorium Labradoricum 

 Wiegand Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 24 ; 398, 1897.) Low and erect, or 

 ascending and more diffuse if in shady places, 1-4 dm. high, moder- 

 ately stout : stem 4-angled, nearly or quite smooth : early in the 

 season somewhat bushy branched, but later through the elongation 

 of erect branches appearing often nearly simple : internodes 1-4 

 times the length of the leaves: leaves mostly in fours, 5-13 mm. long, 

 oblong-linear, rounded at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous 

 except the aculeolate margins, dull above, usually more or less 

 reflexed : flowers very few in groups of 2-6 on short terminal ped- 

 uncles which later become stout and apparently lateral : pedicels 

 short, mostly reflexed in fruit, 1-3 fld. : corolla large 2-3 mm in diam. 

 white, lobes 4, acute : fruit small, glabrous ; carpels 1.25 mm. diam. 

 usually but one developing : endosperm a hollow sphere. 



Sphagnous bogs and arbor vitae swamps, Connecticut, New York 

 and Wisconsin northward to Labrador. 



Specimens studied ; — Oswego Co., New XoxV^Rowlee &^ Wiegand 

 1895 (type, in herb. Cornell Univ.) ; Connecticut (Torr. Herb.) : 

 New York (Torr. Herb.) : Wisconsin {Lapham) ; Lake Superior 

 {Loring) ; Maine (Aroostook Co., Fernald) ; Newfoundland ( Wag- 

 Jiorne, 1893) ; Labrador {Storer). 



This species grows quite generally throughout the sphagnous bogs 

 of northeastern North America and seems confined to such locali- 

 ties, while G. tinctoriuni grows normally in ordinary swamps or 



'Galium trifidum and its North American Allies. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 24; 

 389, 1897. 



