1904] Fernald, — Pyrola rotundifolia 199 



while the anthers are distinctly longer than in the small-flowered 

 European plant. In the largest-Howered member of the group, ]\ 

 grandiflora of the Arctic regions, on the other hand, both the fila- 

 ments and the anthers are shorter than in either the small-flowered 

 F.uropean P. rotundifolia, or the large-flowered plant of temperate 

 North America.^ 



In J'yrola rotnudifoHa of Europe and the Arctic P. gratidijlora 

 the anthers are muticous or rarely mucronulate at base. In the 

 so-called /'. rotundifolia of eastern America, as in P. asarifolia and 

 P. bractcata, the base of the anther is distinctly mucronate. In the 

 specimens at hand this character is very apparent, but, for the most 

 part, current descriptions of P. rotundifolia, based upon both Euro- 

 pean and American material and generally including P. asarifolia, 

 P. bracteata, P. grandifora, etc., are similar to that in the Synoptical 

 Flora: "the mucro at ba.se either short and distinct or obsolete."^ 



At least one monographer of the group, however. Dr. Alefeld, bas- 

 ing his description solely upon Old World material, 3 says in his 

 extended diagnosis : " antherae . . . . muticae." ^ In this connection, 

 furthermore, it is interesting to note, as our present knowledge of 

 plant-distribution might lead us to expect, that the material examined 

 from Japan, Manchuria, and Korea has not only the large leaves 

 and flowers but the large prominently mucronate anthers of the 

 American plant. This fact was emphasized in 1872 by the dis- 

 criminating Maximowicz who, in his " Diagnoses plantarum novaruni 

 Japoniae et Mandshuriae," commented on the monograph of Alefeld 

 and stated that in the Japanese and American material the anthers 

 were all mucronulate at base, though in Europe, where they are said 

 to be muticous, mucronulate anthers often occur. ^ 



'The stamens of the American plant show a range in length from 4.71; to 7 

 (average 6) mm., the anthers from 2.75 to 3.6 (average 3.2) mm. ; of the Euroi)ean 

 plant from 5 107.75 (average 6.27) mm., the anthers from 2 to 3 (average 2.5) 

 mm. ; of the Arctic plant from 4 to 5.5 (average 5) mm., the anthers from 1.7 to 

 2.3 (average 2) mm. "^ Gray, Syn. Fl. ii. pt. i, 47 (1878). 



"■'Da ich in alien Herbarien nur europaische oder asiatische, niemals ameri- 

 kanische Examplare sah, so kann ich auch die von anderen Autoren angegebenen 

 Standorte dieser Art fiir Amerika nicht anfuhren."— Alefeld, Linnaea, xxviii. 64 

 (1856). ■'Alefeld, Lmiiaea, xxviii. 63 (1856). 



^"Signa, quibus denuo tentavit dignoscere F. asarifoliam et P. rotundifoliam 

 monographus Alefeld, sunt: calycis laciniae in priore breviores, antherae basi 

 miicronulatae et stylus corollam aequans. In meis speciminibus numerosis e 

 Japonia calycis lacmiae occurrunt saepe lanceolatae, quales a monographo P. 



