224 Rhodora [October 



CONCEKNING ElMM INTERCURSUM BlCKNELL. — In 1912 ' Mr. 



Bicknell proposed as a distinct species the yellow-flowered wild flax 



of the sand-plains of southern New England, Long Island and south- 

 ward which had been referred to Linum floridanum by Small and by 

 the editors of the Gray's New Manual, and gave it the name Linum 

 iniercurrum. There can be little doubt that Mr. Bicknell's acute 

 observation has detected a real difference between the two plants 

 concerned: whether that difference is specific is, however, highly 

 questionable. In the Gray Herbarium and that of the New England 

 Botanical Club there are 2(> sheets of L. floridanum and L. iniercursum. 

 A study of these shows six specimens intermediate in one character or 

 another and indicates that neither in respect to the stature of the 

 plants, the color, shape and texture of the leaves, the color and s'vav of 

 the capsules, nor the ciliation of the false septa (the principal characters 

 cited) can any sharp line be drawn between the two. 



Very possibly this was known to Mr. Bicknell; for he, if I interpret 

 him correctly,- believes that nomenclature and classification are quite 

 independent of one another and that every form which can be dis- 

 tinguished at all should bear a binomial name and pass ;is a species. 

 Those, however, who believe that nomenclature can and should be 

 made to set forth in some degree the facts of nature will doubtless, in 

 view of the inconstancy of its characters, treat L. intcrcursum rather 

 as a northern geographic variety of L. floridanum than as a definitely 

 separable species. As such, it should be called Linum floridanum 

 (Planch.) Trel., var. intercursum (Bicknell), n. comb. 



In addition to the stations given by Mr. Bicknell, the variety has 

 been collected at several places on (ape Cod, in Rhode Island and in 

 the sand-plain region of central Connecticut. — C. A. WeathERBY, 

 East Hartford, Conn. 



i Hull. Tort. Hot. (lull xxxix. 41S. 



2 See Hull. Tnrr. H<il. Club xxxix. 427. 



Vol. IS, no. 2l.i, including pages ISo to 2U.' t , icax is.siud 1 S<ptember, 1916. 



