156 Rhodora [AUGUST 
THE VARIETIES OF CARDAMINE OLIGOSPERMA. 
G. S. Torrey. 
IN a package of plants recently sent to the Gray Herbarium by Mr. 
W. N. Suksdorf of Bingen, Washington, were included several forms 
of Cardamine allied to C. oligosperma Nutt., which he had been 
unable to place to his satisfaction with the aid of the literature at his 
command. His keen observations and painstaking notes leave little, 
however, for the herbarium worker to do. Quotations from Mr. 
Suksdorf's notes will make the situation clear. 
“1816, 7487, 7453 seem to be the common form west of the Cascade 
Mts., and up the Columbia some distance in the mountains; I have 
not found it east of the mountains. I distributed this form as C. 
oligosperma?, having before distributed the next one as true C. oligo- 
sperma. The stem is strict, not often branched, has 4 or more leaves 
and a very short raceme; young pods hairy; seed mostly rather long. 
“7452, 7457 are certainly distinct from C. oligosperma, and I think 
they represent an undescribed species. It is not so strictly erect, less 
pubescent or nearly glabrous; stems often scape-like or leafless, or 
with a few branches, mostly large ones if from the base; raceme very 
much longer; pods mostly narrow, not pubescent, and the pedicels 
longer; seeds nearly orbicular. 
“7451. There can scarcely be any doubt that this Cardamine is an 
undescribed species. I have found it only at one small place, much 
less than a square rod in size; but I have not looked for it, and so may 
find it at other places later. It certainly cannot be a form of any one 
of the above species. Its leaves have fewer leaflets, those of the stem 
having only 3 or 5; it is glabrous throughout or very nearly so; 
branches, if any, mostly leafless; pods rather short on short pedicels; 
but the most important fact seems to be that the flowers come from 
the axils of conspicuous bracts, especially the lower ones. These 
bracts are not found everywhere; but I think I have not seen a raceme 
without any bracts.” 
It appears, then, that we have three plants all closely related to 
C. oligosperma: a form with a bracted inflorescence; and two bractless 
forms, one with glabrous, the other with hairy pods. To this series 
may be added the plant described by Rydberg as Cardamine unijuga, 
