24 | Rhodora [FEBRUARY 
The genus Trillium seems peculiarly subject to departures from the 
normal type and cases without number, affecting every part of the 
plant, have been recorded in our journals. A perusal of these shows 
how infinite are the combinations of abnormalities that can be found 
in individual plants. Various whorls of leaves of different shapes, 
some long-petioled and rising from the base of the stem, sepals white, 
petals green and petioled, ovary stalked, leaves and various parts of 
the flower wanting — these are but a few of the manifold changes 
that the various species of Trillium are subject to. ‘Teratology is of 
great assistance in teaching us the morphology of the plant and hence 
is a study of much importance. It is hoped that due record will be 
made of the discovery of any new instance of variation in Trillium 
undulatum. 
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. 
THE NEW ENGLAND SPECIES OF PSEDERA. : 
ALFRED REHDER. 
ANOTHER old name has come to light to replace one of our well 
known generic names, for there is no doubt that we must on the 
ground of priority substitute the name Psedera’ of Necker (Elem. Bot. 
1:158. 1790) for Parthenocissus and also for Ampelopsis if we consider 
Ampelopsis quinquefolia as belonging to the latter genus. Greene, 
who seems to have studied very thoroughly Necker's much neglected 
and misunderstood work, has recently drawn attention to the fact 
that Necker’s Psedera usually referred as a doubtful genus to the 
Araliaceae represents a genus based on Hedera quinquejolia of Lin- 
naeus. Aside from his description the statement of Necker that the 
genus is based on a species of Hedera Linnaeus places Greene’s identifi- 
cation beyond doubt, for Linnaeus describes only two species, Hedera 
Helix and H. quinquefolia, of which the second agrees exactly with 
Necker’s description of his Psedera. "Тһе acceptation of this name 
1The name is apparently shortened from Pseudohedera, which refers to the fact that 
its type had been first described as a species of Hedera. 
